Labs
Cognitive Psychophysiology Laboratory (CogPsyLab)
Location: Via di S. Salvi, 12/Building 26, Director: Prof. Maria Pia Viggiano
The Cognitive Psychophysiology Laboratory (CogPsyLab) is dedicated to the study of the dynamic interaction between cognition and emotion in both normal and pathological conditions. Research focuses on exploring the mechanisms underlying several cognitive processes — including cognitive control, perception, attention, memory, and decision-making — and how these processes are modulated by emotional factors. Activities are carried out in collaboration with research groups at both national and international levels, using an integrated approach that combines behavioral methods, subjective measures, electrophysiological techniques (event-related potentials and autonomic indices), neuroimaging (fMRI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and computational models. The goal is to deepen the understanding of the relationship between mind and brain.
MapLab Laboratory (Multisensory Action and Perception Laboratory)
Location: Via di S. Salvi, 12/Building 26, Director: Prof. Roberto Arrighi
The MapLab Laboratory conducts research in the fields of cognitive neuroscience and perceptual psychophysics, with a particular focus on the neural and computational mechanisms underlying visual and auditory processing, as well as numerical cognition. The group's research integrates behavioral, psychophysical, computational, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging approaches to investigate how the human brain represents quantity, space, and time, and how these dimensions interact in perceptual and decision-making processes. A central research area concerns the study of the sense of number (numerosity), investigated in both adults and developmental populations, with the aim of understanding the early perceptual mechanisms that support mathematical abilities and their neural foundations.
At the same time, the laboratory explores the principles of visual coding of object dimensions, multisensory integration, attentional processes, and the coding and transmission of information at the earliest stages of visual processing through advanced computational and modeling techniques. Additional research lines focus on the influence of contextual factors on perception, investigating phenomena such as perceptual adaptation and serial dependence.
The laboratory also conducts research in the field of neuroaesthetics, aimed at understanding aesthetic experiences and their cognitive and emotional effects, including in ecologically valid settings outside traditional laboratory environments. Research activities primarily rely on psychophysical techniques to collect behavioral data through specifically designed experimental tasks. Psychophysical methods are often combined with a variety of complementary measures, ranging from EEG and fMRI to eye-tracking and pupillometry.
The group collaborates with national and international institutions and participates in nationally and European-funded research projects on topics such as the development of numerical abilities, the neural basis of visual perception, and the clinical applications of perceptual mechanisms. The laboratory is also actively involved in the training of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students, fostering an interdisciplinary environment that integrates neuroscience, experimental psychology, and cognitive science.
Location: Via di S. Salvi, 12/Building 26, Director: Prof. Caterina Primi
The Psychometrics Laboratory conducts research aimed at: i) developing and adapting psychometric instruments through Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT); ii) developing integrated assessment protocols (physiological, psychometric, and behavioral) for psychological constructs; iii) studying explanatory models of psychological phenomena through multivariate analysis models; and iv) designing and evaluating prevention interventions. The laboratory is characterized by a wide range of research interests, including gambling and addictive behaviors, decision-making and risk-taking, mathematics anxiety, and psychological well-being (with particular reference to healthcare work environments). The laboratory maintains numerous collaborations with national and international research groups as well as public institutions and third-sector organizations, and its staff are regularly involved in training activities and scientific outreach. The laboratory also hosts internal activities corresponding to 6 ECTS credits for the Practical Evaluation Internship (TPV) required for the qualifying Master’s Degree in Psychology within the Master’s Degree Programme in Life-Span and Contextual Psychology.
Location: Via di S. Salvi, 12/Building 26, Director: Prof. Fiorenza Giganti
The Sleep Laboratory (SleePsyLab) studies cognitive processes in relation to sleep, with particular focus on learning and memory, both in good sleepers and in clinical populations. The laboratory also investigates changes in sleep and wakefulness across the lifespan, as well as psychological aspects related to sleep, such as perceived sleepiness and behaviors associated with sleep propensity, for example yawning. These aspects are also studied in specific populations such as evening types, morning types, and individuals with insomnia. The laboratory is also interested in evaluating the effectiveness of cognitive and behavioral interventions aimed at improving sleep quality. Sleep characteristics are assessed through subjective methods (sleep diaries, scales, and questionnaires) and objective methods (polygraphic recordings and actigraphy).
Laboratory of Cognitive Processes
Location: Via di S. Salvi, 12/Building 26, Director: Prof. Corrado Caudek
FAN LAB: Florence Autoimmune Neurology Lab
Location: Viale Pieraccini 6, Cube 2, Director: Prof. Valentina Damato
Last update
09.06.2026