Projects
Current projects
Nomological network of dark traits
This is an ongoing project in which the goal is to explore the core features of the dark traits along with their main correlates and outcomes, as well as to validate measures of various dark traits. The focus in on Dark Triad (psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism) and Dark Tetrad traits (with the inclusion of everyday sadism), but we expanded the dark traits network to include other traits related to the dark core, such as envy, selfishness, schadenfreude, spitefulness, and vengefulness.
Highlights:
- A bibliometric study showed that the dominant themes in the Dark Triad research include evolutionary psychology, measurement, personality models, and gender differences.
- Psychopathy and two of its facets – manipulation and lack of affective responsiveness – are central features or Dark Core of the Dark Tetrad constellation.
- Of all the proposed traits for the Dark Core, Antagonism shares the highest common variances with dark traits. The facets of Antagonism – callousness, grandiosity and deceitfulness – could be seen as the Antagonistic Triad or alternative Dark Triad.
- A variable-centered approach should be preferred when explaining the covariance between Dark Triad traits. However, a person-centered approach seems useful when sadism is included into the dark trait constellation.
- Dark Triad traits explained aggression over and above HEXACO personality traits. However, different traits predict aggression in men and women, showing that women’s aggression is more complex and related to more toxic constellation of personality traits.
Associates: Anja Wertag, Boban Petrović, Tara Bulut Allred, Aleksandar Tomašević, Valentina Sokolovska, Beata Grabovac, Selka Sadiković, Milan Oljača, Tanja Jevremov
If you are interested in participating, feel free to contact me at bojana.dinic@ff.uns.ac.rs.
Cross-cultural validation of psychological measures
This is an ongoing project in which we want to cross-culturally validate psychological instruments, especially in the Serbian culture, but we are not limited to any culture. So far, we have adapted several instruments to Serbian and Hungarian, but we are interested in spreading our cross-cultural comparisons onto other cultures.
Highlights:
- Malicious Envy scale is cross-culturally invariant across the American and Serbian samples, with American participants showed higher envy. Although, Benign Envy scale is not fully invariant, results support good psychometric properties of the Serbian adaptation of BeMaS.
- The Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI) is cross-culturally invariant across the American and Serbian samples. Members of the Serbian culture, as representatives of a more collectivistic culture, showed lower narcissism compared to members of the American culture as representatives of an individualistic culture.
- Reactive Aggression scale from the Reactive–Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) was cross-culturally invariant. However, Proactive Aggression scale cannot be considered as equal across some cultures. Furthermore, a clear proactive aggression profile could not be isolated, indicating that proactive aggression co-occurs with reactive aggression.
- The Serbian adaptation of the HEXACO-100 showed the expected six-factor structure and correlations with others inventories based on lexical studies.
If you are interested in participating, feel free to contact me at bojana.dinic@ff.uns.ac.rs and take a look at http://bojanadinic.com/measures/.
GENIUS – Genetic and environmental influences on psychological adaptation of children and adults
http://star.ff.uns.ac.rs/genius/
Funder: Science Fund, RS
Duration: 2022-2025
Principal Investigator: Snežana Smederevac, University of Novi Sad
My primary role in this project is a Coordinator of Work Package 6 – Open Science as a Framework for Dissemination and Exploitation of results. Check the first Guide for Citizen Science in Serbia which is one of deliverables of the GENIUS project.
Besides this, I am involved in scientific research regarding investigation genetic, environmental, and epigenetic influences on various adaptation styles among adults, especially on risky behaviors and aggression.
Artificial intelligence and sustainable educational tools for the prevention of teenage psychological disorders (AI@Smile)
Funder: European Commission, Erasmus+ KA220-SCH – Cooperation partnerships in school education (KA220-NI-23-36-161162)
Duration: 2023-2026
Project leader: Carl von Ossietzky, University of Oldenburg, Germany
Past projects
Transnational collaboration on bullying, migration and integration at school level
Funder: European Commission, COST Action CA18115
Duration: 2019-2023
Action Chair: James O’Higgins Norman, Dublin City University
In this project I am included in WG6: E-Technology, Cyberbullying & Online Safety, and coordinate cross-cultural study about the predictors of cyberbullying and prejudice-based cyberbullying.
Socio-psychological factors of risky use of social networks among adolescents in Vojvodina
Funder: Provincial Secretariat for Higher Education and Scientific Research of the AP Vojvodina, RS
Duration: 2020-2021
Principal Investigator: Bojana Dinić, University of Novi Sad
The aim of this project is to examine the effects of individual and contextual factors on three forms of risky use of social networks in adolescents: social media addiction, perpetration and exposure to digital violence and sexting. Within individual factors, the effects of self-esteem and strategies of emotional regulation are examined,
while contextual factors include peer level (peer norms, peer relation schemas, and social goals that are achieved on social networks and in an offline context), parental level (parental mediation and control, socioeconomic status), and school level (school climate and type).
Take a look at results of the project and guide for prevention of risky use of social networks among adolescents.
Protected areas for nature and people
https://www.wwfadria.org/what_we_do/people_and_nature/
Funder: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
Duration: 2016-2022
Project leader: Marko Pećarević, World Wide Fund for Nature Adria (WWF Adria)
The goal of this project is to enhance communication between Protected Areas and the local community, to better include local communities in the management of Protected Areas, and to develop educational programs for children and tourism offers that will improve visitors experience and drive the development of the Protected Areas.
Psychological foundations of mental health: Hereditary and environmental factors
Funder: Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, RS (Grant No. 179006)
Duration: 2011-2019
Principal Investigator: Snežana Smederevac, University of Novi Sad
Within this project, the first behavioral genetic study in Serbia is being conducted. This project includes examining basic health and neurological status and various aspects of psychological functioning, such as cognitive functioning (intelligence and executive processes), the use of adaption strategies (e.g., emotion regulation strategies), personality traits, well-being, and tendency towards risky and aggressive behaviors. Moreover, the project includes studying the experience of closeness between the twins themselves, as well as the experience of the family environment. Furthermore, zygosity is determined by a DNA analysis, which additionally entails the identification of certain genes that are subsequently associated with the above-mentioned aspects of heath and psychological functioning.
In this project, I am focusing on the exploration of genetic and environmental contributions in the explanation of aggressive behavior and similar phenomena. Aggression was measured by self-report measures as well as by experimental induction in order to further explore the effects of situational factors on aggression.
Highlights:
- Results of the first experimentally explored aggression in twins showed that situationally provoked aggression, which is usually refer to “tit-for-tat” strategy, is explained solely by environmental factors and there are no contributions of genetic factors.
- Impulsivity and aggressiveness shared a small percentage of common genetic variance, but they showed larger specific genetic as well as environment contributions. Thus, they represent distinct traits.
Enhancing and Validating servIce related competences in Versatile learning environments in Western BAlkan Universities (e-VIVA)
Funder: European Commission, Erasmus+ KA2 project (598307-EPP-1-2018-1-АL-EPPKA2-CBHE-SP)
Duration: 2018-2022
Project leader: Ketrina Çabiri Mijo, European University of Tirana
Coordinator for Serbia: Aleksandar Kavgić, University of Novi Sad
Reserved for children
Funder: Provincial Secretariat for Education, Regulations, Administration and National Minorities – National Communities of the AP Vojvodina, RS
Duration: 2016
Project leader: Marijana Šarkić, “Laureat”, Ltd. for the management and representation of authors and actors, Novi Sad
Violence in contemporary society: Contextual and dispositional factors
Funder: Provincial Secretariat for Science and Technological Development of the AP of Vojvodina, RS
Duration: 2010-2015
Principal Investigator: Snežana Smederevac, University of Novi Sad
Researches of employability of students from University of Novi Sad – trends, opportunities, barriers, and needs
Funder: Provincial Secretariat for Science and Technological Development of the AP of Vojvodina, RS
Duration: 2013-2014
Project leader: Radovan Pejanović, University of Novi Sad
Peer violence among high school pupils in the city of Novi Sad – follow up study
Funder: City of Novi Sad, City Councilor for Sport and Youth
Duration: 2014
Project leader: Valentina Sokolovska, University of Novi Sad
Peer violence among high school pupils
Funder: City of Novi Sad, City Councilor for Sport and Youth
Duration: 2013
Project leader: Valentina Sokolovska, University of Novi Sad