Bernadeta Lelonek-Kuleta

Dr. Bernadeta Lelonek-Kuleta is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Social Psychoprophylaxis within the Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. Her research focuses extensively on behavioral addictions, particularly gambling disorders, internet addiction, and digital behavioral patterns across diverse populations including seniors, prisoners, and adolescents.

Her research interests encompass:

• Psychological mechanisms underlying gambling addiction and behavioral disorders
• Cross-cultural studies on digital addiction patterns
• Age and gender-specific manifestations of behavioral addictions
• Clinical interventions and cognitive-behavioral approaches to treatment
• Social and legal aspects of gambling regulation

Recent publications (2018-2024) demonstrate strong thematic focus on:

• Pandemic-related behavioral shifts in gambling
• Elderly gambling motivations and consequences
• Cross-national studies on internet gaming disorders
• Prison gambling epidemiology
• Pay-to-win gaming mechanics and loot box psychology

Scientific awards and honors include:

• Bronze Medal for Long Service (2022)
• Individual and team Rector's Awards from KUL (2019, 2020)
• National science competition laureate (2010)

She actively leads or participates in major research projects including:

• "Motywacja do uprawiania hazardu" (Motivation for Gambling)
• "e-Games" multinational gambling study
• COVID-19 gambling behavior longitudinal studies
• Prison gambling prevalence research

and serves on expert committees for addiction policy reform and academic accreditation.

Dr. Lelonek-Kuleta coordinates international conferences on behavioral addictions, provides specialized training for addiction therapists, and maintains memberships in professional organizations including the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Addictions (ISSBA) and Polish Motivational Therapy Society.