Maria Flakus

Maria Flakus is a Lecturer at SWPS University (Katowice branch) since 2020 and a post-doctoral researcher at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) in Warsaw since 2022. At PAN, she works in the Department of Computational Social Sciences on the NCN Sonata Bis grant (UMO-2020/38/E/HS6/00302) led by Artur Pokropek.

Her educational background includes:

• Master of Psychology (2014), University of Silesia in Katowice
• PhD in Social Sciences, discipline Psychology (2021), University of Silesia in Katowice

Her research interests encompass:

• Collective Narcissism
• Individual Differences
• Personality
• Methodological Competencies
• Statistical Competencies
• Psychometrics

She employs advanced statistical methods, including network analysis, to investigate personality structures, self-perception, and psychological assessment tools, primarily in Polish populations.

Flakus has co-authored publications in high-impact journals like European Journal of Personality and Personality and Individual Differences, with recent work focusing on narcissism, self-compassion scale validation, and body image concerns. Her research consistently applies quantitative methods to explore personality dynamics in cultural contexts.

She has contributed to multiple research projects including the current NCN Sonata Bis grant and previous NCN/NCBiR projects on vocational VR training (E-ZAWODY) and sensitive narcissism. Additionally, she provides psychological counseling and therapy in private practice.