Department of Mass and Community Psychology

 

About the department:

The Department of Mass and Communities Psychology was created in 1994 as a branch of the psychology of masses and organizations of the Scientific and Practical Center of Political Psychology of the AES of Ukraine.

Scientists of the branch of the psychology of masses and communities have significant experience in theoretical and practical explore of the processes and regularities of the functioning of mass consciousness and behavior. It has been carried out since 1994.

Within the framework of research on the topics

“Social and psychological characteristics of the pedagogical community as a subject of organizational and self-organizational processes in society “,

“Social-psychological factors of the integration of the Russian-speaking community into modern Ukrainian society”,

“Social-psychological factors of overcoming poverty as a lifestyle”,

“Psychological strategies of adaptation of the community to the conditions and consequences of the war conflict”,

“Technologies of social-psychological support of stigmatized minorities”

theoretical approaches and methodical tools were developed for the analysis of the position and trends in the evolution of mass consciousness and behavior in various spheres of life, disclosing their psychological content.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpilnotaISPP/

Our publications in the Electronic Library of the NAES of Ukraine https://lib.iitta.gov.ua/view/divisions/lpmc/

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Head of the department:

Olena Sushyi

Dr. Sc. in Public Administration

email: olena.sushyi@gmail.com

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ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4364-7571

Scopus Author ID: 57885218800 

Olena Sushyi has over 20 years of academic and teaching experience, as well as extensive expertise in interdisciplinary research on nation-building and state-building processes in Ukraine at the intersection of philosophy, political science, sociology, public administration, social and political psychology. She is the author of original scientific concepts such as the sociocultural paradigm of public administration, the concept of societal crisis, and the concept of societal dynamics of trauma.

She has led fundamental research projects at the Institute for Social and Political Psychology of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine (ISPP NAES of Ukraine), including: the Department for Monitoring of Socio-Political Processes: “Peculiarities of the Dynamics of Situational Factors of Personal and Social Development in Conditions of Social Change” (2011–2015); the Department of Methodology of Psychosocial and Political-Psychological Research: “Nation-Building and Conflict Potential of Forms of Socio-Psychological Thinking” (2017–2019); “Psychological Approaches to Forecasting Social Processes” (2020–2022). Currently, under her leadership, the Department of Psychology of Masses and Communities is conducting a research project titled “Socio-Psychological Means of Derussification of Ukrainian Identities” (2025–2026).

She also participated in the development of research projects such as: “Political Technologies for Regulating Interethnic and Interfaith Interaction in Modern Ukrainian Realities” (Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the NAS of Ukraine, 2014); “Public Interests in Ukraine: Group Dimension, Content, and Ways of Reconciliation” (Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the NAS of Ukraine,, 2016); “Psychological Foundations for Forecasting Scenarios of Social Development in Ukraine” (ISPP NAES of Ukraine, 2023–2025).

As a visiting scholar, Olena Sushyi has completed internships and conducted research at:
University of Sydney (Australia), University of Vienna (Austria), Friedrich Schiller University of Jena (Germany), Matej Bel University (Slovakia), American University in Bulgaria (AUBG).

She is the author of approximately 150 scientific publications, including: two single-authored monographs: “Psychosocial Culture of Public Administration” (2012), and “The Ukrainian Nation: The Art of Creation – The Philosophy of Destruction” (2020); co-author of three collective monographs, one of which – “Psychological Support for Forecasting Social Processes” (2023) – was prepared under her scientific leadership and editorial guidance and has been recognized with academic awards; co-author of two analytical reports; author of the textbook “Key Directions of State Policy.”

Research interests: social, political, and psychological aspects of nation- and state-building, psychology of mass consciousness, political psychology, and social forecasting.

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Staff of the department:

Vadym Vasiutynskyi

Dr. Sc. (Psychology), Professor, chief scientist

e-mail: vadymvas55@gmail.com

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ORCID 0000-0002-9808-4550

Researcher ID

Scopus

Has over 40 years of experience in scientific research and teaching. Author of more than 470 scientific publications, including 5 sole-authored monographs, chapters in collective monographs, journal articles, methodological guidelines, educational programs, and informational bulletins. Has also served as the scientific editor of 3 collective monographs, collections of articles, and a reference atlas-book. Additionally, the author of numerous popular science materials and media contributions.

Research interests: the psychology of mass mentality and political consciousness, community psychology, psychology of poverty, psychology of power, gender psychology, and consulting psychology.

Further information about Vadym Vasiutynskyi’s scholarly achievements can be found on his personal website

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Iryna Hubeladze

Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine (NAES of Ukraine), Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Senior Researcher, Chief Research Fellow of the Department, Acting Deputy Director for Research.

e-mail: irynagubeladze@gmail.com

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ORCID 0000-0001-8023-6408

Researcher ID

Web of Science ResearcherID: J-5910-2017

Iryna Hubeladze has over 15 years of academic and teaching experience. She has made substantial contributions in the field of social psychology, particularly in matters of intergroup understanding and optimizing interactions, as well as in the study of sense of ownership and belonging to a community as a factor in fostering civic engagement and responsibility. 

She led a research project presented in the analytical report on the state and needs analysis of general secondary education institutions after de-occupation (2023), and was a member of the research team whose results were published in the Green Paper “Restoration of the Educational Process in De-occupied Territories” (2023). She directed the departmental research project of the Department of Mass and Community Psychology: “Socio-psychological Effects of Community Identity Interaction under Conditions of Interstate Military-Political Confrontation” (2022–2024), which investigated the influence of Ukrainian identity on consolidation processes and the risks of intergroup conflict within Ukrainian society. 

Hubeladze was also a participant in the international project: “Eurasian Peace Studies Exchange Network” (2017–2022), which developed interdisciplinary approaches to peace studies and security policy. She was involved in other significant research projects: “Psychological Strategies for Community Adaptation to the Conditions and Consequences of Armed Conflict” (2016–2018), “Technologies of Socio-psychological Support for Stigmatized Minorities” (2019–2022). 

Currently, she is: A member of the advisory board of the international research project «PROTEMO: Investigating Emotions in Protective Policies» (2024–2026, Horizon Europe). A co-executor of the international projects: “States’ Exclusionary Practices and Public Health Consequences” (2024–2025), “EDC – Education for Democratic Citizenship” (2024–2026, Swedish Institute), Ukrainian-Polish research project in cooperation with the Institute of Psychology of the Polish Academy of Sciences “War Mental Health Crisis Coping: Evidence-Based Media Psychoeducation For Family and Community Health Promotion During Economic Recovery” (2023-2026), and others.

She is the author of more than 110 scientific publications, including two single-authored monographs, co-authorship in three collective monographs, a practical guide, scientific-analytical reports and methodological recommendations, as well as professional articles and materials of an approbational nature. She is also the author of a number of popular science and journalistic publications and serves as an expert for media outlets.

Research interests: psychology of ownership, psychology of migration, social, economic, and political psychology, family and child psychology, psychology of relationships.

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Larysa Korobka

PhD (Psychology), Associate Professor, Senior Researcher, Chief Research Fellow

e-mail: larisakorobka@gmail.com

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ORCID 0000-0001-9306-0624

Researcher ID

She has over 40 years of academic and teaching experience and is the author of more than 120 scientific publications, including 3 collective monographs, 1 practical guide, 7 educational-practical publications (such as methodological guidelines and educational programs), over 100 scientific articles (35 of which were published in specialized academic journals in Ukraine), and numerous conference papers.

She was the scientific supervisor of the research work on the topic “Psychological strategies for community adaptation to the conditions and consequences of the military conflict” (state registration number 0116U003300), 2016–2018; the scientific supervisor of the research work on the topic “Technologies of social and psychological support for stigmatized minorities” (state registration number 0119U000139), 2019–2021.

Under her scientific leadership and editing, a practical guide (“Support for Stigmatized Minorities: Socio-Psychological Technologies,” 2021), a collective monograph (“Community under Armed Conflict: Psychological Strategies of Adaptation,” 2019), and several methodological recommendations were published. She supervises PhD students – between 2012 and 2022, five PhD theses and one Doctor of Science thesis in psychology were defended under her guidance.

Research interests: issues of mass consciousness psychology, socio-psychological aspects of health and attitudes toward it, socio-psychological problems of individual and community adaptation, and challenges of socio-psychological training of specialists within the system of postgraduate teacher education.

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Veniamin Vinkov

PhD in Psychology, Researcher

e-mail: ven.vinkov@gmail.com

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ORCID 0000-0002-1237-0637

Researcher ID

He has over 15 years of research experience and has participated in six research projects. During this period, he defended dissertation thesis in 2020 on “Social and Psychological Peculiarities of Development of Representations about Life Success among Young People”. He is the author of over 50 scientific publications, including 20 articles in professional journals, co-author of four collective monographs, four methodological guides, a practical manual, and a scientific-analytical report. He also had practical experience as a coordinator of social projects, such as: a family relationship enhancement project for internally displaced persons (IDPs) within the “Equal Partnership between Men and Women” program (supported by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and Global Affairs Canada, 2022), the national FreeDom Project (2019–2024, supported by JDC “JOINT”) to integrate children with special needs into peer communities, The “School of Gender Competence” (2023), The “Employment” project promoting job placement for the unemployed (2024, JCC Global), and the “Psychology of Health” program for at-risk children and families (2025, JDC “JOINT”).

Research interests: psychology of social representations, civic engagement, success psychology, and mental health, social capital, volunteering.

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Valeria Dibrova

PhD in Psychology, Researcher

e-mail: valerie.dibrova@gmail.com

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ORCID 0000-0002-5707-9798

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (specialty 053 “Psychology”), in 2023 successfully defended her dissertation titled: “Strategies for Constructing the Personal Future of Internally Displaced Persons.”

While working as a research fellow at the Department of Mass and Community Psychology, she conducted an individual research project entitled “Socio-Psychological Effects of Community Identity Interactions in the Sphere of Mass Communication under Conditions of Interstate Military-Political Confrontation”. This work was carried out as part of the broader departmental research initiative “Socio-Psychological Effects of Community Identity Interactions during Interstate Military-Political Confrontation”. In the course of this research, she co-authored (with I.H. Hubeladze) a postgraduate educational program in public administration titled “Socio-Psychological Problems of Community Identity Interactions under the Influence of Military Actions”.

She has authored six publications in professional journals and actively participates in both research and social initiatives. Her work focuses on education in de-occupied territories, volunteer burnout prevention, and psychological support for civilians during wartime. She has also taken part in the PROM academic mobility program at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin and the international EIT Jumpstarter program.

Research interests: social psychology, migration psychology, psychology of forced displacement, psychological time, and the construction of the personal future.

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