KUBE-Lab (Kore University Behavioral Lab) - Università degli Studi di Enna "Kore"

The laboratory

Il Kore University BEhavioral (KUBE) Lab:

pursues basic research on learning processes within a theoretical-scientific framework inspired by modern Behavior Analysis
pursues applied research activities within a theoretical and scientific framework inspired by Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Clinical Behavior Analysis (CBA)
offers services aimed at implementing ABA-based and CBA-based interventions to schools and companies.
disseminates its results through regular publications and by organising and participating in conferences
collaborates with the University in the organisation of postgraduate training courses and offers internship opportunities to students on three-year and specialist courses in Psychology, postgraduate Master’s courses, graduates in Psychology (LM classes) who need to do postgraduate training in order to sit for the state exam, and students from cognitive-behavioural postgraduate schools.
carries out scientific research and consultancy, including applied research, at the request of other public or private, national and international bodies and organisations in the fields of its scientific competence.

In particular, the laboratory researches language and cognition in subjects with autism or neurodevelopmental disorders, studies implicit cognition, the behavioural principles of behavioural economics and applications of behavioural science-based interventions for the linguistic and cognitive rehabilitation of intellectual, learning and neurodevelopmental disorders.

It also studies the clinical and non-clinical applications of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, third generation cognitive behavioural therapy.
The laboratory is also involved in research in the field of cardiology, and more generally in chronic diseases, for the prevention of health risks through lifestyle modification.

Organisation

Director of the KUBE Lab is prof. Giovambattista Presti, MD, PhD, psychotherapist and specialist in Medical Psychology.
Prof. Presti is an ACT peer review trainer and President of the Italian Society of Experimental and Applied Behavioural Analysts (SIACSA).

Scholars and research fellows and trainees from cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy graduate schools collaborate in the workshop.

Research

The main research strands of the lab’s activities are:

ABA applications in autism
Technology and social robots in ABA for autistic children
Virtual reality and the clinic
Nudge and healthy behaviour
Primary and secondary prevention in cardiology and lifestyles
Mental health in chronic diseases and cancer
Slow thoughts and fast thoughts
Process based psychotherapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Psychological flexibility
Specific Learning Disorders

Research products

Most recent publications:

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Mandarano, P., Squatrito, V., Mariotti, A., Presti, G. (2021).
Second line volunteering in Lombardy COVID-19 emergency as a perspective on medical education and psychological distress.
Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 18(5), 278-287.
Kassianos, A. P., Georgiou, A., Kyprianidou, M., Lamnisos, D., Ļubenko, J., Presti, G., … & Constantinidou, A. (2021).
Mental Health and Adherence to COVID-19 Protective Behaviors among Cancer Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic:
An International, Multinational Cross-Sectional Study.
Cancers, 13(24), 6294.
Nicolaou, C., Menikou, J., Lamnisos, D., Lubenko, J., Presti, G., Squatrito, V., … & Gloster, A. T. (2021).
Mental Health Status of Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Outbreak.
European Journal of Psychology Open.
Marino, F., Failla, C., Chilà, P., Minutoli, R., Puglisi, A., Arnao, A. A., … & Pioggia, G. (2021).
The Effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Improving Psychological Well-Being in Parents of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders:
A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Brain Sciences, 11(7), 880.
Neto, D. D., da Silva, A. N., Roberto, M. S., Lubenko, J., Constantinou, M., Nicolaou, C.,… & Kassianos, A. P. (2021).
Illness Perceptions of COVID-19 in Europe:
Predictors, Impacts and Temporal Evolution.
Frontiers in psychology, 12.
Moderato, L., Lazzeroni, D., Oppo, A., Dell’Orco, F., Moderato, P., & Presti, G. (2021).
Acute stress response profiles in health workers facing SARS-CoV-2.
Frontiers in Psychology, 12.
Landi, G., Pakenham, K. I., Giovannetti, A. M., Presti, G., Boccolini, G., Cola, A., … & Tossani, E. (2021).
Italian Validation of the Italian Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI).
Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 21, 57-65
Chong, Y. Y., Chien, W. T., Cheng, H. Y., Lamnisos, D., Ļubenko, J., Presti, G., … & Kassianos, A. P. (2021).
Patterns of Psychological Responses among the Public during the Early Phase of COVID-19:
A Cross-Regional Analysis.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8), 4143.
Tagliabue, M., Cesareo, M., Squatrito, V., & Presti, G. (2021).
A Functional Contextualist Account of Behavioral Economics: Relational Frame Theory Applied to Decision-Making and Choice Behavior.
Perspectivas em Análise do Comportamento.
RFT Special Volume pp.001-023 doi: 10.18761/PAC.2021.v12.RFT.05
Gloster, A. T., Lamnisos, D., Lubenko, J., Presti, G., Squatrito, V., Constantinou, M., … & Karekla, M. (2020).
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health: An international study.
PloS one, 15(12), e0244809.
Presti, G., Mchugh, L., Gloster, A., Karekla, M., & Hayes, S. C. (2020).
The dynamics of fear at the time of covid-19: a contextual behavioral science perspective.
Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 17(2).
Tagliabue M, Squatrito V and Presti G (2019)
Models of Cognition and Their Applications in Behavioral Economics:
A Conceptual Framework for Nudging Derived from Behavior Analysis and Relational Frame Theory.
Front. Psychol. 10:2418. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02418
Squatrito, V and Presti, G (2019).
Relational Frame Theory x-rays the black-box: the contribution of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure to the study of implicit cognition in the clinic.
Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapy, 25(3), pp.
49-87
L. Vanzin, V. Mauri, A. Valli, M. Pozzi, G. Presti, A. Oppo, A. Ristallo, M. Molteni, M. Nobile.
Clinical Effects of an ACT-Group Training in Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
Journal of Child and Family Studies
Keenan M., Presti G., e Dillenburger K. (2019):
Technology and behaviour analysis in higher education, European Journal of Behavior Analysis, DOI: 10.1080/15021149.2019.1651569 – scopus 2-s2.0-85070825406
P. Moderato e G. Presti (2019).
ABA fever.
Italian Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. 4 (1), 20-32
Ramaci T, Bellini D, Presti G e Santisi G (2019).
Psychological Flexibility and Mindfulness as Predictors of Individual Outcomes in Hospital Health Workers.
Frontiers in Psychology 10:1302. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01302
G. Presti (2019).
Estrophilia and certification. is the neighbour’s garden always the greenest?
Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapy, 25(2), pp.
230-232
A. Oppo, M. Schweiger, A. Ristallo, G. Presti, F. Pergolizzi, P. Moderato (2019).
Mindfulness Skills and Psychological Inflexibility: Two Useful Tools for a Clinical Assessment for Adolescents with Internalizing Behaviors.
Journal of Child and Family Studies doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01539-w
A. Oppo, A.B. Prevedini, F. Dell’Orco, P. Dordoni, G. Presti, D. Gillanders, P. Moderato (2019).
Fusione e Defusione.
Adaptation and psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (I-CFQ).
Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapy, 25(1), pp.53-73
Prudenzi, B. Rooney, G. Presti, M. Lombardo, D. Lombardo, C. Messina, L. McHugh. (2018).
Testing the effectiveness of virtual reality as a defusion technique for coping with unwanted thoughts.
Virtual Reality
G. Presti, M. Scagnelli, M. Lombardo, M. Pozzi, e P. Moderato (2018).
SMART SPACES: A backbone to manage ABA intervention in autism across settings and digital learning platforms.
AIP Conference Proceedings 2040, 140002; doi: 10.1063/1.5079191
G Presti, S. Torregrossa, D. Migliore, B. Roche, E. Cumbo (2017).
Relational Training Intervention as add-on therapy to current specific treatments in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
International Journal of Psychology and Neuroscience, 3(2), 88-97
G. Presti, C. Messina, M. Lombardo, Oppo A (2018).
Asfalse as it is true: cognitive defusion driven by virtual reality.
Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapy, 24(1), pp. 51-69

Equipment

computers and software for detecting implicit cognition
virtual reality visors
cardiac sensors
cameras
tablet with ABA data collection software
Social robot

Services

Consulting for ABA interventions in schools and families
Psychological flexibility in the workplace
Use of nudging in policy and marketing
Consultancy for software development for psychotherapy or rehabilitation and educational purposes
Courses for schools, companies and local authorities

Where we are and contacts

Faculty of Humanities and Society

For contacts send an email to kubelab@unikore.it

Faculty of Human and Social SciencesKUBE-Lab (Kore University Behavioral Lab)

The laboratory

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Organisation

Research

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