Research areas
My research focuses on the study of certain basic processes, specifically on the influence of emotion on different cognitive processes. I have tried to tackle this issue from different perspectives, with the aim of achieving a more global understanding of the complexity between emotion and cognition.My clinical training, work experience as methodologist, expert in techniques of statistics, advanced management of database and Visual Basic programming. It has allowed me to, on the one hand, focus on different experimental studies with a greater rigour; and on the other hand, have a more realistic view in the study of the basic processes altered in clinical population. However, the fact of having worked in different research projects, with a large number of professionals from other fields (psychiatrists, neuroscientists, social workers, Hematologists, oncologists, etc), brought me a broad perspective of the issues to investigate.
My line of research can be seen under two interrelated areas. One focused on the more experimental field and the other, derived from the first, in the applied field.1. The influence of emotion in other cognitive processes such as memory and factual thoughts.
With regard to the studies focusing on emotion and memory. We have published a study as consistent information with mood is remembered largely, that that information not consistent with the emotional state; When such information is self-referential. In the absence of normative material in the study of the implicit memory consistent with the mood has led us to undertake a major project, which has been generating normative data of 300 fragments of mood descriptors adjectives. With the acquisition of this experimental material, will undertake a series of studies that evaluate memory implicit in patients with Alzheimer’s disease mild type.
As regards the factual thoughts and emotion. In a published study we obtained as the induction of different States of mind, they provoked changes in the way of thinking of subjects on delusion expectations presented participants. On the basis of this idea and experimental methodology. We have undertaken different projects, such as for example the entitled “dispositional pessimism, defensive pessimism and optimism: influence of the situational controllability in the execution and factual thoughts”. In which, we have focused on inducing or not controllability to groups of participants depending on the expectations that present. The objective was to identify and assess what kind of thoughts prefactuales and counterfactuals reported to exposed experimental situations. A study applied in this sense what we intend to develop in the research project entitled “Study of the basic psychological processes in road safety risk attitudes”. In which the main objective is to determine the cognitive and emotional profiles of those participants who attend re-education courses for loss of points or withdrawal of licence.
2. From the more applied field should be emphasized the study centred psychotherapeutic intervention in people affected by Alzheimer’s disease with mild impairment. Depart of this great project ideas and research focusing on the “usefulness of psycho-cognitive stimulation in Alzheimer’s disease”. The influence of depressive symptoms in the subsequent risk of cognitive impairment in older people. Care to older persons in the residential area. And the influence of stereotypes towards old age people and the influence that may have on the cognitive performance of older persons.
Researches centred in …Emotion and Memory
Self-schema and factual Thinking
Self-schema and mood states
