Aleksandra Niemyjska

Aleksandra Niemyjska is a researcher at SWPS University's Faculty of Psychology in Sopot, where she works within the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology. She is affiliated with the Institute of Psychology, the Center for Research on Social Behavior, and the Center for Research on Cognition and Behavior. Her work bridges multiple research centers focusing on human cognition, behavior, and social relationships.

Dr. Niemyjska's research explores the constructive capacities of the mind from both cultural (folklore, fairy tales, mythologies) and individual perspectives (fantasy-based coping mechanisms). Her work encompasses anthropomorphization, magical thinking, personality susceptibility to fantasy, and mechanisms of kind behavior toward animals, including caring for farm animals and refraining from meat consumption. She has led significant research projects including 'Cognitive and Motivational Determinants of Sympathetic Magic in Close Relationships' (2015-2017) and 'Animal Individualization and Its Relationship to Children's Instrumental Treatment of Animals' (2019-2022), with findings published in journals like the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

Her extensive publication record demonstrates consistent research output across multiple domains, particularly examining how magical thinking functions in romantic relationships, how people anthropomorphize animals affecting dietary choices, and the psychological mechanisms behind keeping keepsakes as substitutes for human connection. Her recent work has expanded into areas such as religious coping during the pandemic and the psychological effects of unemployment.

Dr. Niemyjska teaches courses in personality psychology, psychology of individual differences, and the impact of spirituality and religiosity on health at SWPS University.