Invited Lecturers
Pablo Nájera Álvarez
Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Pablo Nájera Álvarez
Pablo Nájera is a prominent representative of the emerging generation in contemporary psychometrics. In his keynote lecture, he will introduce cognitive diagnostic models (CDMs). These models, so far used primarily in the assessment of knowledge and skills, offer a different perspective on what may underlie responses or performance in a test. Rather than assuming that people differ mainly in the degree to which they possess a single continuous characteristic, CDMs work with several categorical characteristics. The benefits of this approach are twofold. At the diagnostic level, CDMs classify individuals into different latent classes based on their specific combination of characteristics. At the theoretical level, they make it possible to assess how these characteristics relate to one another, either through hierarchical structures or specific patterns of interaction.
The lecture will thus loosely follow up on the keynote from the previous conference, which introduced network models as another way of thinking about the relationship between psychological characteristics and their observable manifestations. Once again, the main aim will not be to explain the mathematical details of the model. Instead, the goal is to introduce CDMs to psychologists as an established approach worth considering whenever our theories suggest that observed behaviour, performance, or responses may be better understood as the result of a particular combination of several important characteristics rather than as manifestations of having more or less of a single continuous construct.
Vojtěch Pišl
National Institute of Mental Health
Can widespread screening for mental health issues sometimes do more harm than good? In his plenary lecture, Vojtěch Pišl will focus on the unintended negative consequences of widespread mental health screening. In addition to false-positive results and overdiagnosis, he will introduce a less obvious process known as “concept creep”: the gradual broadening of the meaning of psychological and psychiatric terms to encompass an increasingly mild and wide range of experiences. He will demonstrate how diagnosis can not only identify existing difficulties but also help shape the way we understand and label our own experiences. We are also planning a separate panel discussion to accompany the lecture.
Vojtěch Pišl studied psychology at Masaryk University and neuropsychology at Maastricht University. He completed his doctoral studies in the Neurology and Psychiatry program at the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University. His research focuses on psychiatrization—the process by which ever-broader areas of ordinary human experience are interpreted through the lens of mental disorders and social injustices. He works at the Psychiatric Clinic of the Faculty of Medicine at Charles University in Pilsen and at the National Institute of Mental Health.
Jakob Pietschnig
Universität Wien
It has been found that changes in IQ test scores across generations (i.e., the Flynn effect) were predominantly positive throughout most of the 20th century. However, evidence shows that the Flynn effect has become increasingly inconsistent over the past 40 years, leading some researchers to speculate about an (impending) global stagnation or even a reversal in the growth of test scores.
Although it may be tempting to interpret recent trends literally and view them as a consequence of a world that is becoming cognitively less capable, taking into account domain specificity, measurement (in)variance, and the role of the g factor suggests otherwise. For example, in past research, changes in test scores were predominantly framed in terms of Cattell’s taxonomy of crystallized and fluid IQ. In our modern understanding of human intelligence (e.g., as reflected in the Cattell-Horn-Carroll model), new domains of IQ have been introduced, and our IQ measurements have evolved in this direction. These developmental trends have made it possible to examine trajectories in specific domains across time, revealing that changes in higher-order broad abilities may mask significant differentiation in the trajectories of lower-order specific abilities.
Similarly, the frequently observed negative correlations between the Flynn effect and psychometric g suggest that the reversal in the growth of overall IQ in some countries can be interpreted as a consequence of the increasing differentiation of abilities over time within the general population. In this lecture, I will examine the empirical evidence that may contribute to our understanding of the nature, significance, and causes of the Flynn effect.
Jakob Pietschnig obtained his PhD in Natural Science (Psychology) with distinction from the University of Vienna in 2012. After research and teaching commitments in the United Arab Emirates and Germany, he returned to the University of Vienna where he currently heads the Individual Differences and Psychological Assessment unit. He (co-)authored 100+ papers in international peer-reviewed journals and received several research grants. Since 2025, he serves as the president of the International Society for Intelligence Research (ISIR). In his research, he focusses on questions that relate to the description, nature, and meaning of generational intelligence test score changes (i.e., the Flynn effect), correlates and determinants of human cognitive abilities, as well as the reproducibility of empirical research findings.
“But that's not all—we'll be announcing more keynote speakers soon!”
Váš programový výbor
You can also look forward to other invited speakers (we will publish the full abstracts soon):
- Jiří Štipl (Charles University) will focus on where educational diagnosis begins and ends, and will define the purpose and nature of educational judgment versus psychological diagnosis.