Profile

Professor Robert Balas is a psychologist specializing in cognitive and experimental psychology. Before assuming the role of Dean of the Faculty of Psychology in Sopot at SWPS University, he served as Head of the Department of Cognitive Psychology. Additionally, from 2018 to 2026, he was the Director of the Institute of Psychology at the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Research

His research explores how human attitudes—our likes and dislikes—are formed and modified, as well as the degree to which we can control them. He focuses on evaluative conditioning: the process by which preferences and aversions are learned through association. His work examines when these processes occur outside conscious awareness, how they evolve across childhood development, and the extent to which they rely on cognitive resources.

Conferences

He has organized four international scientific conferences on unconscious cognitive mechanisms and attitudes.

Awards, Scholarships, and Honors

• Doctoral dissertation with distinction — awarded by the Faculty Council of Philosophy at Jagiellonian University
• SWPS University Award for Teaching Excellence (based on student evaluations)
• Government of the Kingdom of Belgium Research Scholarship
• Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (as of 2024)

Membership in professional organizations

Professor Balas is a member of the following organizations:

• American Psychological Association
• The Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness
• The European Society for Cognitive Psychology
• Polish Social Psychological Society (PSPS)

Teaching

• He teaches cognitive and experimental psychology, with a focus on learning and memory, unconscious processes, the psychology of attitudes, research methodology, and data analysis.
• He also serves as a doctoral supervisor—having guided two candidates to successful defenses and currently supervising two others—and advises undergraduate and master's theses.

Professional Engagement and Contributions

In his broader research and expert capacity, Professor Balas:

• Collaborates with leading international research institutions, including Ghent University, the University of Texas at Austin, and the Universities of Trier and Bergen;
• Serves as an expert evaluator and reviewer for the National Science Centre, the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, the Foundation for Polish Science, and European Union framework programs, including the European Research Council (ERC);
• Provides forensic psychological evaluations for the legal system.