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mcmaster.jpgcilablogo.jpgCollective Intelligence Laboratory

Psychological Services

 

Laboratory of Dr/Prof. William Sulis, MD. PhD, PhD

and Dr/Prof. Irina Trofimova, PhD

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences,

Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University)

 

Current Projects

Neurochemical biomarkers for psychiatric and temperament taxonomies

Psychosemantic study of connections between meaning attribution and age, gender and temperament.

Process Algebra and Collective Intelligence Architecture

Modeling of diversity and evolutionary phenomena: diagonal evolution, EVS-approach, etc.

Documentary projects

Psychological Services

Educational activity
Organizational Activity
Staff and contacts

 

Current Projects

Project name: Neurochemical biomarkers for psychiatric and temperament taxonomies

 

The Functional Ensemble of Temperament (FET) model suggests that:

 

§  ...the structure of adult temperament (biologically based individual differences) cannot and should not be presented as 3-5 independent dimensions. We offer the "Functional Ensemble of Temperament" model consisting of 12 components, which reflect the regulation of behaviour in four perspectives of functional tasks: dynamical aspects of tasks (energetic, integration- and orientation-related), probabilistic (known task vs. uncertain), activity-specific (physical vs. verbal-social vs. mental) and emotional amplifier of dynamical aspects. The FET model is a derivative of Rusalov's STQ model and was used in the Compact Structure of Temperament Questionnaire (see forms testing here)

 

§   ...Neurotransmitter systems regulating temperament traits work in overlapping teams and have functional specializations reflecting the functional aspects of tasks that people have to deal with. These systems are strongly interdependent, contingent on each other's state and have feedback relationships. For this reason our neurochemical framework is called Functional Ensemble of Temperament (FET). This FET model also hypothesises classification of mental disorders in terms of more or less structured symptoms reflecting functional aspects of behaviour, instead of a variety of empirically-derived descriptors as in the DSM (not shown here). The FET proposes the following interplay between the neurotransmitter systems:

 

Functional aspects:

Behavior. orientation to.. (NE+...)

Integration aspects (DA+...)

Energetic aspects

(5-HT, ACh +...)

Probabilistic/ > analytic aspects

to learning probabilities, PRO

NE+ACh+DA, Glu

Plasticity,

PL

DA+ACh, 5-HT,GABA

Mental Endurance,

ERI

ACh+NE, 5-HT

Social-verbal

to others: Empathy,

EMP

OXT, -VSP, -Tstr, NE

Social Tempo,

TMS

DA+ Estr, NP

Social Endurance,

ERS

5-HT+Estr, H

Physical-motor

(>deterministic)

to sensations,

 SS

-Adr, Tstr, -Cort, NE

Motor Tempo,

TMM

DORDA+GABA,A,NP

Motor Endurance

ERM,

5-HT+ORE, H, NP

Emotional amplifiers

Neuroticism, NEU

KOR, cytokins, biota

NE-HPA

Impulsivity,

IMP

sANS, HPA→DOR/DA

dispositional Satisfaction

SLF

MOR, biota→5-HT, DA

 

 References:

Trofimova, I. (2016) The interlocking between functional aspects of activities and a neurochemical model of adult temperament. In: Arnold, M. C (Ed.) Temperaments: Individual Differences, Social and Environmental Influences and Impact on Quality of Life. Nova Science Publishers, Inc., NY pp. 77-147

Trofimova, I. & Robbins, T.W. (2016) Temperament and arousal systems: a new synthesis of differential psychology and functional neurochemistry. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 64, 382-402. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.03.008. PDF

Trofimova, I. (2018) Functionality vs dimensionality in psychological taxonomies, and a puzzle of emotional valence Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Biology, 373, 1744, doi:10.1098/rstb.2017.0167

Trofimova, I. (2019). An overlap between mental abilities and temperament traits. In: McFarland, D. (Ed.) General and specific mental abilities. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 176-225.

Rezaei, S., Bakhshani, N.M., Fanaei, H., & Trofimova, I. (2020). Opium effect in pregnancy on the dynamics of maternal behaviour: testing a neurochemical model. Neuropsychobiology. 80(2), 147-157. doi: 10.1159/000512698 PDF

Trofimova, I. (2021). Contingent tunes of neurochemical ensembles in the norm and pathology: can we see the patterns? Neuropsychobiology, 80(2), 101-133, doi: 10.1159/000513688.

Trofimova, I. (2021). Neurochemical systems of temperament traits: the FET model. In: Hashimoto, Y. & Shibasaki, M. (Eds). Introduction to neuropsychology. University of Nagasaki Press: Japan.

Kanen, J. W., Robbins, T.W. & Trofimova, I.N. ( 2021). Harnessing Temperament to Elucidate the Complexities of Serotonin Function. PsyArXiv. July 18. doi:10.31234/osf.io/gvmuy.

Trofimova, I. (2021). Functional constructivism approach to multilevel nature of biobehavioural diversity. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 12:641286,  doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.641286

Trofimova, I. & Gaykalova, A. (2021). Emotionality vs. other biobehavioural traits: a look at neurochemical biomarkers for their differentiation. Frontiers in Psychology, 12: 781631  doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.781631.

Trofimova I. (2022). Transient nature of stable behavioural patterns, and how we can respect it. Current Opinions in Behavioural Sciences, 44. doi: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101109. PDF

Kanen, J., Robbins, T.W., Trofimova I. (2022) Harnessing temperament to elucidate the complexities of serotonin function. Current Opinions in Behavioural Sciences, 45. doi: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101108.

 

You-tube videos on the FET model:

Presentation of the FET model at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden (in English)

Presentation of the FET model at the World Congress of Mental Health (in Russian)

Neuroscience of Polymathy: Interview with Irina Trofimova at the Annual Creativity Conference 2019

 

Moreover, our lab’s position also is that:

        ... That the Big Five model of personality reflects the nature of the lexical material that it is based upon. Language possesses a strong sociability bias, reflective of its role in socialization. Language thus has more personal descriptors related to affiliation and sociability than other descriptors of individual differences. Moreover, there is a strong negativity bias of emotionality and as a consequence there are more words related to negative than to positive emotions. These two biases affect the content of lexical descriptors of individual differences. As the result, the largest factors in lexical approach models (Extraversion and Neuroticism) as artefacts of the sociability bias of language and the negativity bias of emotionality, and do not reflect the structure of consistent individual differences. Moreover, many personality and temperament models miss important distinctions between traits related to social, mental and physical activities.

 

References:

Trofimova, I. (2010) Questioning the "general arousal" models. Open Behavioral Science and Psychology, 4, 1-8. DOI: 10.2174/1874230001004010001 http://bentham-open.com/contents/pdf/TOBSJ/TOBSJ-4-1.pdf

Trofimova, I. (2014) Observer bias: how temperament matters in semantic perception of lexical material. PLOS ONE, 9(1): e85677. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0085677, http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0085677

Trofimova, I. (2016) The interlocking between functional aspects of activities and a neurochemical model of adult temperament. In: Arnold, M. C (Ed.) Temperaments: Individual Differences, Social and Environmental Influences and Impact on Quality of Life. Nova Science Publishers, Inc., NY, pp. 77-147

Trofimova, I., Robbins, T., Sulis, W., Uher, J. (2018) Taxonomies of psychological individual differences: biological perspectives on millennia-long challenges. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Biology. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0152

 

·        ...That depression and anxiety have a significant impact on dynamical (speed of integration of an action) aspects of activity (tempo, plasticity and impulse control), compromising the responsiveness of behavior through an increase in rigidity and impulsivity. Depression and anxiety appear to be associated mostly with aspects of physical activity and less with intellectual or verbal activity:

 

References:

Trofimova, I. & Sulis W. (2010). An investigation of temperament in adults with comorbid depression and anxiety. Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology, 1, 3, 190-199. DOI: 10.4236/abb.2010.13027.

Trofimova, I. & Christiansen, J. (2016) Coupling of temperament traits with mental illness in four age groups. Psychological Reports, 118, 2. DOI 10.1177/0033294116639430. PDF

Trofimova, I. & Sulis W. (2016a). Benefits of distinguishing between physical and social-verbal aspects of behaviour: an example of generalized anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology, 7:338. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00338.

Trofimova, I. & Sulis, W. (2016b). A study of the coupling of FET temperament traits with Major Depression. Frontiers in Psychology, 7: 1848. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01848.

Trofimova, I. & Sulis W. (2018). There is more to mental illness than just negative affect: comprehensive temperament profiles in depression and anxiety. BMC Psychiatry, 18:125, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1695-x .

Rezaei, S., Bakhshani, N.M., Fanaei, H., & Trofimova, I. (2020). Opium effect in pregnancy on the dynamics of maternal behaviour: testing a neurochemical model. Neuropsychobiology. 80(2), 147-157. doi: 10.1159/000512698 PDF

Trofimova, I. (2021). Contingent tunes of neurochemical ensembles in the norm and pathology: can we see the patterns? Neuropsychobiology, 80(2), 101-133, doi: 10.1159/000513688.

Trofimova, I. (2021). Functional constructivism approach to multilevel nature of biobehavioural diversity. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 12:641286,  doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.641286

Trofimova, I. & Gaykalova, A. (2021). Emotionality vs. other biobehavioural traits: a look at neurochemical biomarkers for their differentiation. Frontiers in Psychology, 12: 781631  doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.781631.

Trofimova I. (2022). Transient nature of stable behavioural patterns, and how we can respect it. Current Opinions in Behavioural Sciences, 44. doi: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101109. PDF

Kanen, J., Robbins, T.W., Trofimova I. (2022) Harnessing temperament to elucidate the complexities of serotonin function. Current Opinions in Behavioural Sciences, 45. doi: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101108.

 

Project name: Process Algebra and Collective Intelligence Architecture

 

The purpose of the Collective Intelligence Laboratory is to study the dynamics, capabilities, limitations and applications of systems composed of embodied, strongly situated, weakly coupled agents interacting without hierarchical control. These topics are currently known as computational psychiatry and mathematical modeling in psychology. Systems studied in our Lab range from social organisms, through social insect colonies and on to societies and economic systems. Methodologies include computer simulations, especially cellular automata and graphical dynamical systems, formal theoretical modeling and analysis, and observation of natural systems. Applications to parallel processing algorithms , neural representation, functional differentiation in biological development and psychotherapeutics are also under investigation.

 

Directions of the project:

 

·         Development of formal models of collective intelligence.

·         Study of transient induced global response synchronization (TIGoRS) in complex systems.

·         Application of TIGoRS to the design of parallel processing algorithms and neural representation.

·         Study of intrinsic linguistic behavior in complex systems.

·         Study of collective intelligence as a model for a dynamic unconscious.

·         Study of symbol sign relationships and communication in biological systems

Relevant Publications of the lab on this project:

Books

Sulis, W. and Combs, A. (eds.) (1996) Nonlinear Dynamics in Human Behavior. Singapore: World Scientific

Trofimova I.N., Budanov V.G. (eds.) (1997). Synergetics and Psychology. Texts. Volume 1. Methodological questions. Moscow. MSSU. (in Russian).

Trofimova I.N. (ed.) (1999). Synergetics and Psychology. Texts. Volume 2. Social Processes. Moscow. Yanus. (in Russian).

Sulis W., Trofimova I. (Eds.) (2001) Nonlinear Dynamics in Life and Social Sciences. IOS Press, Amsterdam.

Trofimova I., Rand J., Nation J., Sulis W. (Eds.) (2003) Formal descriptions of developing systems. Kluwer Press, Amsterdam.

Shendyapin V., Trofimova I., Arshinov V. (2003) Synergetics and Psychology. Texts. Volume 3. Cognitive Processes. Moscow. CogitoPress. (in Russian).

 

Articles:

Sulis, W.(1992) Tempered Neural Networks. Proceedings of the International Joint Conference on Neural Networks 1992.

Sulis, W. (1993) Emergent Computation in Tempered Neural Networks 1: Dynamical Automata. Proceedings of the WCNN'93.

Sulis, W. (1993) Emergent Computation in Tempered Neural Networks 2: Computation Theory. Proceedings of the WCNN'93.

Sulis, W. (1993) Naturally Occurring Computational Systems. World Futures 39(4) 225-241

Sulis, W. (1995) Naturally Occurring Computational Systems. In Chaos Theory In Psychology and the Life Sciences. R. Robertson, A. Combs (eds). 103-122. Lawrence Erbaum. New York

Sulis, W. (1995) Driven Cellular Automata. In 1993 Lectures on Complex Systems. Lecture Volume VI in the Santa Fe Institute Studies in the Sciences of Complexity. 565-578. Addison-Wesley

Sulis, W. (1995) Causality in Naturally Occurring Computational Systems. World Futures 44 (2- 3) 129-148

Sulis, W. (1995) Driven Cellular Automata, Adaptation, and the Binding Problem. In Advances in Artificial Life, Lectures Notes in Artificial Intelligence 929. F. Moran, A. Moreno, JJ Merelo, P Chacon (eds.). 824-840. Springer-Verlag. New York

Sulis, W. (1996) A Formal Framework for the Study of Collective Intelligence. 5th Conference on Artificial Life, Kyoto, Japan.

Sulis, W. (1996) TIGoRS and Neural Codes. In Nonlinear Dynamics in Human Behavior, W. Sulis and A. Combs (Eds.) Singapore: World Scientific

Sulis, W. (1997) Fundamentals of Collective Intelligence. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Science, 1(1), 30-65.

Sulis, W. (1997) TIGoRS and Neural Codes. In Nonlinear Dynamics in Human Behaviour, W. Sulis and A. Combs (Eds.) Singapore: World Scientific.

Sulis, W. (1997) Collective Intelligence as a Model for the Unconscious. Psychological Perspectives, 35, Spring, 64-93.

Sulis, W. (1997) Collective Intelligence. In: Trofimova I.N., Budanov V.G. (eds.) (1997). Synergetics and Psychology. Texts. Volume 1. Methodological questions. Moscow. MSSU Press.

Sulis W. (1997) Tigors and Neural Codes. In: M.A.Basin, S.V. Charitonov (Eds.). Synergetics and Psychology. Sanct-Petersburg: SPBUVK.

Sulis, W. (1998) Dynamical Systems in Psychology: Linguistic Approaches. In The Complex Matters of Mind and Brain, F.Orsucci (ed.), 33-58. Singapore, World Scientific.

Sulis, W. (1998) TIGoRS as an Associative Memory in Complex Systems. Complex Systems. Proceedings of International Conference. Oxford Press.

Sulis, W. (1998) Dynamical systems in psychobiology. In Chaos, Fractals, Models, F.M. Guindani and G. Salvadori (eds.). Pavia, Italy: Italian University Press.

Sulis W. (1999) Archetypal Dynamics. Internet World Congress on Biomedical Sciences.

Sulis W. (1999) A Formal Theory of Colletive Intelligence. In: W.Tschacher, J.P.Dauwalder (Eds.) Dynamics, Synergetics, Autonomous Agents. Singapore: World Scientific.

Sulis W. (1999) Collective Intelligence. In: Trofimova I.N. (Ed.) (2000). Synergetics and Psychology. Texts. Volume 2. Social Processes. Moscow. Yanus Press. (in Russian). Pp.38-64.

Sulis W. Information representation in neural and complex systems. In : Sulis W., Trofimova I. (Eds.) (2000) Nonlinear Dynamics in Life and Social Sciences. IOS Press, Amsterdam.

Sulis W., Gupta A. Nonlinear dynamics in psychiatry. In: Sulis W., Trofimova I. (Eds.) (2000) Nonlinear Dynamics in Life and Social Sciences. IOS Press, Amsterdam.

Sulis W. (2001) A formal theory of collective intelligence. In: Szuba, T. Computational Collective Intelligence. Wiley Book Series on Parallel and Distributed Computing.

Sulis W. (2001) Collective intelligence as a model for the unconscious. In: Szuba, T. Computational Collective Intelligence. Wiley Book Series on Parallel and Distributed Computing.

Sulis, W. (2002) Archetypal Dynamics and Emergence. In Nation J., Trofimova I., Rand J., Sulis W. (Eds.) (2002) Formal Descriptions of Developing Systems. Kluwer Press.

Sulis W. (2003) Effect TIGoRS in stimuli recognition. In: Arshinov V., Shendyapin V., Trofimova I. (Eds.) Synergetics and Psychology. Texts. Volume 3. Cognitive Processes. Moscow. Yanus Press. (in Russian).

Sulis, W. (2004) Archetypal Dynamical Systems and Semantic Frames in Vertical and Horizontal Emergence. Emergence: Complexity and Organizations, 6(3).

Sulis, W. (2007) Archetypal Dynamical Systems and Semantic Frames in Vertical and Horizontal Emergence in Cilliers, P (Ed.) (2007) Thinking Complexity. Complexity and Philosophy Vol. 1, ISCE Publishing.

Sulis, W. (2008) Stochastic phase decoupling in dynamical networks. Nonlinear dynamics, psychology, and life science. 12(4) 327-358

Sulis, W. (2009) Collective intelligence: Observations and models. In S. Guastello, M. Koopmans, D. Pincus (Eds.) Chaos and complexity in psychology. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. (pp. 41-72)

Sulis, W. (2010) Archetypal dynamics, emergent situations and the reality game. Nonlinear dynamics, psychology, and life sciences. 14(3) 209-238.

Sulis, W. (2012) Causal Tapestries for Psychology and Physics. Nonlinear dynamics, psychology, and life sciences, 16(2), 113-136.

Sulis, W. (2014) A Process Model of Quantum Mechanics. Journal of Modern Physics. DOI: 10.4236/jmp.2014.516176

Sulis, W. (2016) A Process Algebra Model of QED. Journal of Physics. 701 (1) 012032

Sulis, W. (2016) Synchronization, TIGoRS, and Information Flow in Complex Systems: Disposiitonal Cellular Automata. Nonlinear Dynamics in Psychology and Life Sciences 20(2) 293-317

Sulis, W. (2016) Transient Induced Global Response Synchronization. International Journal of Design & Nature and Environment, 11(4) 712-21

Sulis, W. (2017) Completing Quantum Mechanics. In K. Sienicki, Quantum Mechanics Interpretations. Open Academic Press 350-421

Sulis, W, (2017) A Process Algebra Approach to Quantum Electrodynamics: Physics from the Top Up. In: R. Martinez (ed.) Complex Systems: Theory and Applications. Nova Publishing

Sulis, W. (2017) A Process Algebra Approach to Quantum Electrodynamics. International Journal of Theoretical Physics. DOI 10.1007/s10773-017-3366-y

10.Sulis, W. (2017) Modeling stochastic complexity in complex adaptive systems: Non-Kolmogorov probability and the process algebra approach. Nonlinear Dynamics in Psychology and Life Sciences, 21(4) 407-440

Sulis, W. (2019) Transients as the basis for information flow in complex adaptive systems. Entropy, 21(1) 94 DOI: 10.3390/e21010094

Sulis, W. (2019) Fractals transcendant: Bridging the transpersonal chasm. In A Fractal Epistemology for a Scientific Psychology: Bridging the Personal with the Transpersonal. Friedman, H., Wolfe, K. (Eds.(To appear).

Sulis, W. (2019) Lessons from collective intelligence. In Chaos Theory in the Social Sciences, Elliot, E., Kiel, D. (Eds.)

 

 

Project name: Modeling of Diversity and Evolutionary phenomena: diagonal evolution, EVS-approach, etc.

 

Diagonal evolution: see:

 

Trofimova, I. (2016) Phenomena of Functional Differentiation (FD) and Fractal Functionality (FF). International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics, Wessex Institute of Technology Press; UK

Trofimova I. (2017) Functional constructivism: in search of formal descriptors. Nonlinear Dynamics in Psychology and Life Sciences, 21/4:441-474 PDF

 

EVS modeling

 

Consideration of multi-element systems, be it brain or body of a subject, groups of subject or organizations, leads to a necessity of formal analysis of an interaction between the elements. Random graph theory (Palmer, 1985), percolation models (Grimmett, 1989), cellular automata (Burks, 1970), random boolean networks (the best review is Arbib, 1995) self-organized criticality (Bak, Tang, Wiesenfeld, 1987), or the Kauffman model (Kauffman, 1993) all constitute populations of interacting agents. Most models however consider formal populations with identical elements or possessing only a small diversity of types, strategies or rules. Also agents of some of these models interacted only locally (cellular automata, networks), or the connections, once established, are fixed, as are the vertices (percolation model, random graph model) that simulates equilibrium conditions.

 

A set of models that we developed in collaboration with Alexey Potapov and Nicolay Mitin from Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics (Russia) we called Ensembles with Variable Structures (EVS). EVS modeling is devoted to a study of the role of factors, such as diversity, size and sociability of a population, on its self-organization and group dynamics. The EVS are based on a spin glass algorithm, extended to a higher diversity of interacting agents with a flexible structure of connections, where agents possess an abstract set of characteristics, and seek to form connections with other agents according to the degree of compatibility between these characteristics. In addition to that our models use resource related characteristics. In the majority of EVS models each agent receives some resource or spends some resource at each time step. We consider the concept of resource broadly: it could refer to energy, matter, chemical elements, time, information, money, service, emotional exchange, and so on. EVS uses this concept in order to simulate a principle of openness of natural systems and the dissipation of energy or other resources.

 

  Briefly the main properties of EVS models are:

o   Similarity with cellular automata, as the characteristics of each element are discrete numbers, and evolution occurs in discrete time;

o   Non-locality of connections between agents.

o   Population has a diversity of elements, defined via some parameters or vectors.

o   Agents randomly check other agents in the matter of compatibility.

o   The number of connections to be checked/established is limited by the parameter of sociability.

o   The structure of connections between elements is very dynamic and stochastic.

o   Mutual agreement principle: connections between agents appear only when both agents `agree` to establish it, and if one agent wants to terminate it, the connection breaks.

o   Each agent receives and spends some resource at each time step, allowing the simulation of resource flow through the agent and through the system.

Relevant Publications of the lab on this project:

Books

Trofimova I.N., Mitin N.A., Potapov A.B., Malinetzky G.G. (1997)Description of Ensembles with Variable Structure. New Models of Mathematical Psychology. Preprint N 34 of KIAM RAS. (in Russian).

Trofimova I.N. (Ed.) (2000). Synergetics and Psychology. Texts. Volume 2. Social Processes. Moscow. Yanus Press. (in Russian).

Sulis W., Trofimova I. (Eds.) (2000) Nonlinear Dynamics in Life and Social Sciences. IOS Press, Amsterdam.

Trofimova I., Rand J., Nation J., Sulis W. (Eds.) (2003) Formal descriptions of developing systems. Kluwer Press, Amsterdam.

Shendyapin V., Trofimova I., Arshinov V. (2003) Synergetics and Psychology. Texts. Volume 3. Cognitive Processes. Moscow. CogitoPress. (in Russian).

 

 

Articles:

Trofimova I.N. Strategies of behavior as stable characteristics of individuality // Nature of Psyche. Perm. 1994. (in Russian)

Trofimova I.N. Evolutionary determination of individual differences // Individuality in the modern world. Smolensk. 1994. P.76-81. (in Russian)

Trofimova I.N. Universal principles of evolution as the foundation for analysis of human nature // Philosophical researches, N 3 1995. P.5-23. (in Russian)

Trofimova I.N. Parameters of behavioral strategies and style characteristics // Human styles: structure and functions. Ed.A.V.Libin. Moscow. Smisl, 1996. (in Russian)

Trofimova I.N. Individual differences from the point of view of the evolutionary approach // Questions of psychology, N 1 - 1996. (in Russian)

Trofimova I. (1997) Individual differences: in search of universal characteristics. In: M.A.Basin, S.V. Charitonov (Eds.). Synergetics and Psychology. Sanct-Petersburg. (In Russian).

Malinetzky G.G, Mitin N.A., Potapov A.B., Trofimova I.N. (1997). Individual differences: in search of universal characteristics// Informatics in science and education. Reports of the Conference. Moscow (in Russian).

Trofimova I.N. (1997) Precursors of the Synergetic Approach in Psychology // Synergetics and Psychology. Texts. Volume 1. Methodological questions. Moscow. MSSU (in Russian).

Trofimova I. (1999). Functional Differentiation in Developmental Systems. In: Bar-Yam Y. (Ed.) Unifying Themes in Complex Systems. Perseus Press. Pp.557-567.

Trofimova I.N., Mitin N.A., Potapov A.B. Malinetzky G.G. (1997) Description of Ensembles with Variable Structure. New Models of Mathematical Psychology. Preprint N 34 of KIAM RAS. (in Russian).

Trofimova, I., Potapov, A., Sulis, W. (1998) Collective Effects On Individual Behaviour: International Journal of Chaos Theory and Applications, 3/1-2, 53-63.

Trofimova I. & Potapov A.B. (1998). The definition of parameters for measurement in psychology. In: F.M. Guindani & G. Salvadori (Eds.) Chaos, Models, Fractals, 472-478.Italian University Press. Pavia, Italy.

Trofimova I. (2001b) Principles, concepts and phenomena of Ensembles with Variable Structures. In: Sulis W., Trofimova I. (Eds.) Nonlinear Dynamics in Life and Social Sciences. IOS Press, Amsterdam. Pp. 217-231 See .PDF 

 

 

Project name: Psychosemantic studies of connections between meaning attribution and age, gender and temperament

 

While people's common association with psychology is as a study of brain function, one cannot derive the content of thinking or assign meaning to objects from brain activity only. Especially it is true for such psychological applications, as resolving conflicts and recruiting staff within organizations, managing business communication, counseling family problems, developing educational plans and methods, helping people to cope with tragic events, making recommendations regarding a choice of profession or just predicting people's choices.

 

A modern direction in cognitive psychology - psychosemantics, which studies how people assign meaning to objects and situations. Psychosemantic techniques originated in the USA forty years ago and became popular in Europe since then. They were able to predict preferences in customer behavior or public choices.

 

Our psychosemantic studies showed that:

 

§  … the way how people attribute meaning to events and objects partially depends on the state of their body, and capacities to handle these events ("projection through capacities"). Our studies showed that sex and temperament (biologically based traits) have specific influence on human semantic perception. Refs:

Trofimova, I.N. (1995) Interconnection between temperament characteristics and parameters of semantic spaces of humans. Ph.D. thesis, Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.

Trofimova I.N. (1997) Interconnection between characteristics of temperament and peculiarities of cognitive activity of human // Voprosi psychologii, N 1, 74-82.

Trofimova I. (1999). Investigation of how people of different age, sex and temperament estimate the world. Psychological Reports. N 85/2, pp.533-552. doi: 10.2466/pr0.1999.85.2.533. See PDF

Trofimova, I. (2014) Observer bias: how temperament matters in semantic perception of lexical material. PLoS ONE, 9(1): e85677. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0085677, http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0085677

 

§  …the language of math and physics, invented originally by men, has a mechanical engineering bias and therefore is not very suitable for life and social sciences. Also, following Geodakyan’s Evolutionary Theory of Sex (ETS): ETS suggested that sex division is a systemic division of species into two (variational and conservational) partitions of a species. We used ETS as an evolutionary "take" on sex differences in meaning attribution observed in our studies and suggested the presence of strong systemic factors which support psychopathy in men. These factors support the male-prevalent tendency for irrelevance/redundancy pruning, which allows the male sex to be in charge of dealing with overall diversity and variation, both in the sense of expanding its boundaries and of eliminating the excess of variation, while the female sex is in charge of securing, conserving the ways of the species’s functioning, which proved to guarantee the desired outcomes. Refs:

Trofimova, I. (2011) Are men evolutionarily wired to love the "Easy" buttons? Nature Precedings: January 19, 2011 https://www.nature.com/articles/npre.2011.5562.1; doi:10.1038/npre.2011.5562.1.

Trofimova, I. (2012a) Who is in charge of Science: men view "Time" as more fixed, "Reality" as less real, and "Order" as less ordered. Cognitive Systems Research, 15-16, 50-56. doi:10.1016/j.cogsys.2011.07.001. See PDF

Trofimova, I. (2012b) Understanding misunderstanding: a study of sex differences in meaning attribution. Psychological Research. DOI: 10.1007/s00426-012-0462-8. See PDF

 

Educational activity

 

Workshops:

 

From temperament to psychiatric illness: neuropsychology of underlying systems. Workshop at the Annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, Toronto, Canada, May 18, 2015

 

Between temperament and mental disorders: assessing the continuum. Workshop at the Annual meeting of the Canadian Psychiatric Association, Vancouver, Canada, October 3, 2015

 

Between temperament and mental disorders: assessing the continuum. Workshop at the Annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, USA, August 4, 2017

 

Between temperament and mental disorders: assessing the continuum. Workshop at the Occasional Temperament Conference, Murcia, Spain, May 23, 2018

 

Between temperament and mental disorders: assessing the continuum. Workshop in the Department of Psychology, Marburg University, Germany. June 4, 2018

 

Between temperament and mental disorders: assessing the continuum. Workshop at the International Congress of Applied Psychology, Montreal, Canada, June 25, 2018

 

Molecular and bio-markers in psychological diversity: between psychological traits and psychiatric disorders. World Congress of Biological Psychiatry, Vancouver, Canada, June 3, 2019.


Between Temperament and Mental Disorders: Psychobiology of Consistent Behavioral Patterns. Webinar CE course of the American Psychological Association. October 1, 2020, Online.


Courses:

 

McMaster Univeristy: Teaching the courses:

N 735 "Dynamical Systems I: Nonlinear Systems Theory",

N 736 "Dynamical Systems II: Ergodic Theory",

N 737 "Dynamical Systems III: Complex Systems Theory",

"Foundations of collective intelligence".

Moscow Physico-Technical Institute: Teaching the course Modeling in Psychology.

 

Supervision of students:

 

1995-1996 - graduate thesis supervision "Mobility versus Stasis", Dianne Miller - McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

1996-1997 - graduate thesis supervision, Denis Koslov, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.

1997-1988 - graduate thesis supervision "Universality in Social Dynamics Models", Dianne Miller, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

1998-1999 - undergraduate thesis supervision "Semantic Space Modeling", Doreen Au, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

1998-1999 - undergraduate thesis supervision "Ergodic Theoretic Analysis of Human Locomotion", Miranda Sim, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2000-2001 . - undergraduate thesis supervision "Nonlinear Dynamics in Psychiatry", Arun Gupta, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2000-2001 - undergraduate thesis supervision "Collective Intelligence in Social Systems", Tasleem Murji, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2002-2003 - undergraduate thesis supervision "Semantic Perception and Sex Differences Among Canadian University Students", Kristine Espiritu, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2002-2003 - undergraduate thesis supervision "Semantic Space of Different Gender and Emotionality", Samira Patel, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2002-2003 - undergraduate thesis supervision "Gender and Cultural differences of Semantic Space of Canadian Students", Chandrima Bandyopadhyay, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2003-2004 - undergraduate thesis supervision "Quality of Life and use of antidepressants", Melissa Devlan, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2003-2004 - undergraduate thesis supervision "Quality of Life and use of antidepressants", Claudia Tomantsger, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2004-2005 - independent study course supervision "Collective Intelligence", Marie Drosos, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2004-2005 - undergraduate thesis supervision "Study of network dynamics in models of social interactions", Leah Hockney, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2005-2006 - undergraduate thesis supervision "Rule Coupled Order-Disorder Effects in RGDS", Pamela Kwok, McMaster University, Department of Psychology

2005-2006 - undergraduate thesis supervision "Comparison of meaning attribution in Indian and Canadian cultures". Vanita Marques, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2005-2006 - undergraduate thesis supervision, "Comparison of meaning attribution in Urdu and Canadian cultures". Ambreen Tahir, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2006-2007 - undergraduate thesis supervision, "Comparison of meaning attribution in Chinese and Canadian cultures". Wen-Wen Iris, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2006-2007 - undergraduate thesis supervision "Emergence in Psychology", Patricia Marcoccia, McMaster University, Department of Psychology

2006-2007 - undergraduate thesis supervision "Collective Intelligence" Michael Sanderson, McMaster University, Department of Psychology

2007-2008 - undergraduate reading course, "Adaptation of the STQ-77 to Chinese", Wen Hou (Niko), McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2007-2008 - undergraduate thesis supervision, "Validation of the Impulsivity and Empathy scales of the STQ-77", Jennifer Bossio, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2008-2009 - undergraduate independent study course, "Adaptation of the STQ-77 to Chinese", Russel Lu, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2009-2010 - undergraduate thesis supervision "Consciousness", Luxi Li, McMaster University, Department of Psychology

2010-2011 - undergraduate independent study course, "Adaptation of the STQ-77 to Dari", Surab Khogiani, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2011-2012 - undergraduate independent study course, "Psychophysiology of Individual Differences", Polly Cheng, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2011-2012 - indergraduate independent study course, "Collective Intelligence", Titus Timotin, McMaster University, Department of Psychology

2012-2013 - undergraduate thesis supervision, Torianne Ipema, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2018-2019 - undergraduate independent study course HTH SCI 3H03, Pei Rui Ren, McMaster University, Department of Psychology

2019-2020 - undergraduate independent study course PNB 4Q03, Jennifer Reed, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2020-2021 - undergraduate independent study course PNB 4Q03, Anastasia Gaykalova, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2021-2022 - undergraduate independent study course PNB 3Q03, Miranda Wu, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2021-2022 - undergraduate independent study course PNB 4Q03, Yiyu (Shirley) Shi, McMaster University, Department of Psychology and Behavioural Neurosciences.

2022-2023 - undergraduate independent study course PNB 3Q03, Alaney Marinucci, McMaster University, Department of Psychology.

2023-2024 - B.Sc, course project LIFESCI  4C12-2023, Laurie He, level 4, Life Sciences Sensory Motor Systems

2023-2024 - Honours Core Biology, B.Sc, course project BIO 4C12-2023, Fatima Haroon, level 4, Department of Biology

2023-2024 - B.Sc, course project LIFESCI  4C12-2023, Faryal Syed, level 4, Honours Life Sciences

2023-2024 - B.Sc, Independent Study project, Fatemeh Ilkhani, level 4, McMaster University, Department of Psychology and Behavioural Neurosciences.

2024-2025 – Amanda Rivet , Mechanisms of mutual regulation between serotonin and catecholamines. 5th year of a combined degree in Psychology and Philosophy

2024-2025 – Qian (Una) Yu , A comparison of temperament profiles in health & psychopathology (STQ & DSM-5 study in Canada & China), Independent study course in HUMBEHV4RP6 A/B; 5th-year Applied Psychology student, Department of Psychology

2024-2025 – Yao (Eliza) Maclean , Development and a pilot study of the SEP-STQ questionnaire, Thesis: 5th-year Arts & Science Program student, with a combined honours in Psychology, Neuroscience, & Behaviour.

2024-2025 – Shruthi Viswanathan, The role of dopaminergic neuroanatomic and neurochemical systems in vocal behavior. Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, & Behaviour.

2024-2025 – Meshaal Khurram , Age differences in hormonal systems, Thesis: 4th year, School of Interdisciplinary Science, Life Science Research-Based Learning course.

2024-2025 – Volunteer, Dutt Gajjar , Application of sheaves for modeling neurochemical framework FET, 2nd year, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, & Behaviour

2024-2025 – Amy Xinyu Shi, Neurochemical biomarkers of behavioural patterns in health and psychopathology: dopamine in verbal behavior  , HTHSCI3MR6 Department of Medicine Undergraduate Research Practicum (DoM_UGRP) course

2024-2025 – Yousra Lakhani, Neurochemical biomarkers of behavioural patterns in health and psychopathology: dopamine in motor integration , HTHSCI3MR6 Department of Medicine Undergraduate Research Practicum (DoM_UGRP) course

2024-2025 – Olivia Freeman, Mutual regulation between serotonin and-hormones, 3Q03 Independent Library Study or potential thesis, Department of Biology; Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, & Behaviour

2024-2025 – Taraneh Mohammaddoust , Neurochemical regulation of the central sensory-motor systems, 3rd year Life Sciences student, LIFESCI 3RP3 course

2024-2025 – Jino Lim, , EVS mathematical modeling of relationships between sociability and diversity of populations, 2nd year student, NEUROSCI 2CC3. Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour

Organizational Activity

Organisation of the Modeling Journal Club in Psychology Department (1993-1996). Faculty and graduate students of the department participated in sessions of this club, discussing neural networks, artificial life and other modeling approaches.

Presentation of the Laboratory at international scientific meetings. For last seven years we gave a total more than 60 such presentations and invited lectures.

Organisation the Modeling Journal Club in Psychology Department (1993-1996). Faculty and graduate students of the department participated in sessions of this club, discussing neural networks, artificial life and other modeling approaches.

Presentation of the Laboratory at international scientific meetings. For last seven years we gave a total more than 60 such presentations and invited lectures.

 

Organization of NATO Advanced Study Institute "Nonlinear Dynamics in Life and Social Sciences", Moscow, 2000

 

Organization of NATO Advanced Research Workshop "Formal Descriptions of Developing Systems", Honolulu, Hawaii, 2002

 

Conducting international scientific activity: Dr.Sulis was a President of the international Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and Life Sciences during 1996-1998, and now is head of international relations in this society. Dr.Trofimova was a President of the Russian Synergetic Society since 1995.

Staff and contacts

Big and sincere thanks to our volunteers Ms. Saloumeh Madani, Ms. Rupasri Chowdur, Mr. Anson Poon, Mr. Dutt Gajjar and to our students!!!

 

Dr. William Sulis, B.Sc., M.D., M.A., FRCP, Ph.D. (mathematics), Ph.D. (theoretical physics), Director

Tel: (905) 772-7218,

Fax: (905) 529-6225

E-mail: s u l i s w @ m c m a s t e r . c a

Home Page: http://psonline.ca/sulisw/sulis.html

 

Dr. Irina Trofimova, M.Sc., Ph.D., licensed Clinical Psychologist, Senior Researcher

Tel: (905) 527 0129,

Fax: (866) 410-6766

E-mail: t r o f i m i @ m c m a s t e r . c a
Home Page: http://psonline.ca/ira/ira.html