Aleksandra Rabinovitch

Aleksandra Rabinovitch, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at SWPS University's Faculty of Psychology in Sopot, affiliated with the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology. She is a core member of the Institute of Psychology and active in the Center of Research on Cognition and Behavior and the Social Behavior Research Center. Her work focuses on the intersection of cultural narratives (folklore, mythology) and individual psychological mechanisms, particularly exploring how fantasy, magical thinking, and anthropomorphism influence human behavior and relationships.

Research Interests:

• Constructive brain capabilities in cultural and individual contexts
• Anthropomorphism and its ethical implications (e.g., animal welfare, vegetarianism)
• Magical thinking in close relationships and coping with separation
• Psychological mechanisms behind object attachment (e.g., mementos as surrogates for absent loved ones)
• Religious/spiritual beliefs in marginalized populations (e.g., homelessness, addiction)

Key Projects:

• Principal Investigator: Cognitive and motivational determinants of sympathetic magic in close relationships (2015-2017)
• Principal Investigator: Individualization of animals and its effect on instrumental use of animals (2019-2022)
• Co-Investigator: Control deprivation and (inter)group relations (2015-2018)

Teaching: Courses on personality psychology, individual differences, and spirituality/religion's impact on health. Actively publishes in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, Anthrozoös, and Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

Labs/Teams: Leading research groups within SWPS' Center of Research on Cognition and Behavior, focusing on experimental social psychology and applied cognitive studies.