[EDUC Research] EPN-R: Research Platform in Education, Psychology, and Neuroscience

General presentation

The EPN-R includes seven research units (i.e around 150 faculty researchers and a similar number of doctoral students), specializing in Education Sciences, Psychology, and/or Neuroscience. These units share a common mission: to advance research in the Human and Social Sciences (HSS) with the goal of enhancing health, learning, and individual well-being.

To achieve this, we draw on both quantitative data—numerical measures such as task performance, physiological indicators, or brain responses that help reveal general trends within groups—and qualitative data—non-numerical information from interviews or observations that offer deeper insights into behaviors, opinions, and individual experiences. All of our research units share a dual focus, combining both fundamental and applied approaches.

Our research units have developed platforms dedicated to the collection, processing, and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. These facilities, located across several
university buildings, provide consortium researchers with access to a wide range of specialized equipment.
 

Platforms and equiment

The Régine Scelles Space

Zazzo Building (6 rooms – 220m²). The Régine Scelles Space is the central research platform of the EPN-R Federation, funded by UPN and its member units. It comprises seven dedicated facilities designed for a variety of purposes, including individual and group interviews, experimental studies, virtual reality, driving simulation, and infant research (babylab).

Link in French: Régine Scelles Space

The Platform of Sport Sciences

Milliat Building (2 rooms – 125 m²). The Sport Science Platform, funded by UPN and the research units of the Sport Science program, comprises two fully equipped laboratories dedicated to the collection of quantitative human data, supporting the work of the two research units in Sport Science. The platform is divided into two spaces: one dedicated to behavioral data collection—featuring three experimental booths for recording reaction times and task performance—and the other to physiological and biomechanical data collection (e.g., body posture).

Link in French: Platform of Sport Science

The Remote Research Gate

UPN has recently developed a shared remote research portal accessible to all platforms. The Covid-19 health crisis underscored the importance of strengthening remote
research capabilities, which not only enable faster data collection than in-person methods but also broaden access to larger and more diverse participant pools. The
portal, hosted on the university’s servers, currently supports questionnaires programmed with LimeSurvey as well as experiments designed with OpenSesame.

Link in French: https://basp.parisnanterre.fr/

The Mobile Lab

The federation is spearheading a shared research equipment project at UPN, funded by the Île-de-France Region for the 2024–2027 period. At its core is MobiKid, a mobile laboratory—an equipped research van designed to collect both qualitative and quantitative data from human participants. This facility will enable researchers to reach populations that are otherwise difficult to access, particularly children and adolescents. It will also enhance the impact of our science outreach and public engagement initiatives.

Link: ??

Our Shared Equipment

Since 2023, with the strong support of our institution, we have been able to invest in our first truly shared research equipment. Building on this momentum, we also secured funding from the Île-de-France Region to further expand our resources (see the MobiKid project above). Thanks to these investments, we have already acquired:
 A video control system (i.e., a remote-control and synchronization system for three high-definition cameras): 3 Logitech Rally cameras with Elgato Stream Deck
MK.2 control system and 3 Godox LED panels
 A portable eye tracker: Pro Fusion (250 Hz) from Tobii
 A portable virtual reality headset: HTC Vive Focus Vision VR headset from ACAD
 A dry-electrode electroencephalogram (EEG): DSI system – 24 channels from Techno Ergo Appliquées (T.E.A.)
 A near-infrared spectroscopy system (NIRS): Medelopt Mobility FNIR 8-16 + EEG system from BIOPAC Systems
 A force platform: AccuPower – Optimized Force Platform (1016 × 762 × 124.5 mm) from AMTI
 A physiological recording system: Equivital system from AD Instrument
 A driving simulator: Car Evolution II model from Develter

All of this equipment can be used either in the mobile lab or within the platforms, depending on the needs.

The Federation’s Research Units

The Clinical, Psychoanalysis, and Development Unit (CLIPSYD)

CLIPSYD (25 faculty researchers, 52 doctoral students in 2025) is at the forefront of psychological research, advancing three complementary paradigms: empirical and cognitive-behavioral clinical psychology, psychoanalytic approaches to psychopathology, and social and emotional developmental psychology. What sets the unit apart is its unique ability to integrate these paradigms, creating innovative, inter-and cross-disciplinary research programs. The unit’s work is structured around three major themes: Somatic disorders, disabilities, and psychic transformations; Mental health across the lifespan: the individual, group, and family, Psychopathological and psychotherapeutic processes. The unit has particular expertise in the qualitative analysis of discourse and in the development of clinical research-action protocols.

Link in French: CLIPSYD

The Research Center for Education and Training (Cref)

Cref (22 faculty researchers, 58 doctoral students in 2025) focuses on educational, training, and intervention practices. The unit develops two main research areas: 1/ The analysis of educational, transmission, and learning processes;
2/The study of systems and practices that structure educational, training, and support interventions.
These two areas are articulated around the clarification of actors’ logics and institutional dynamics. To do so, Cref develops research practices in close collaboration with field practitioners and local contexts, often co-constructing research with them. This strong connection between research objects and methods is one of the unit’s defining features.

Link in French: Cref

The Cognitive Functioning and Dysfunction Unit (DysCo)

DysCo (14 faculty researchers, 12 doctoral students in 2025) specializes in cognitive psychology and neuropsychology. The unit conducts both fundamental and applied research within a translational framework, with the goal of improving the assessment and/or care of individuals with neuropsychological disorders. DysCo is structured around two main research axes: “Cognitive health: executive and memory processes” and “Quality of human interactions: language and socio-emotional processes”. The unit has particular expertise in the analysis of physiological signals (autonomic responses, eye-tracking, electroencephalography) and in neuropsychological assessment.

Link in French: DysCo

The Parisian Laboratory of Social Psychology (LAPPS)

LAPPS (31 faculty researchers, 41 doctoral students in 2025) is dedicated to understanding how individuals mobilize cognitive, emotional, and motivational resources to perform tasks within normative contexts. The unit draws on a rich mix of disciplines, including social psychology, occupational and organizational psychology, ergonomics, and guidance psychology, exploring concepts such as social comparison, stereotype threat, individual
and collective self-efficacy, health models, dual persuasion processes, psychosocial risks, and the meaning of work. Its applied focus allows the unit to address societal challenges and organizational needs, particularly by identifying interventions that can positively influence behaviors and attitudes for the benefit of both individuals and society. The unit also possesses specialized expertise in virtual reality and the study of autonomous responses.

Link in French: LAPPS

The Laboratory of Ethology, Cognition, and Development (LECD)

LECD (14 faculty researchers, 11 doctoral students in 2025) unites researchers in ethology—primarily focusing on birds—and developmental psychologists studying
young children. By combining these two scientific cultures, the unit fosters transdisciplinary research synergies around two core areas: the ontogenesis of
communication and the cognitive and social development of species. LECD is distinguished by its expertise in acoustic analysis, video observation, and eye-tracking methodologies, enabling innovative investigations into the development of communication and cognition across species.

Link in French: LECD

The Interdisciplinary Laboratory in Neuroscience, Physiology, and Psychology (LINP2)

LINP2 (15 faculty researchers, 22 doctoral students in 2025) brings together experts from the human and social sciences alongside health professionals. Its research spans both theoretical and applied domains, aiming to deepen understanding of processes and mechanisms underlying learning, executive functions, mental imagery, motor and cognitive adaptation, performance, positive psychology, and well-being. LINP2 applies its research to critical fields including health, education, and sport. The unit is renowned for its advanced capabilities in brain imaging (fMRI, DTI, VBM) and neurophysiological signal analysis (NIRS, EEG), as well as kinetic and kinematic movement assessment, electrophysiological signal evaluation (ECG, EMG, GSR), and force measurement techniques.

Link: LINP2

The Laboratory for Research on Cognition, Action, and Emotion (LICAÉ)

LICAÉ (12 faculty researchers, 14 doctoral students) places the notion of action at the center of its research, examining its interactions with cognitive and
emotional components of behavior. The unit’s unifying goal is to explore the boundary conditions of these interactions, focusing on the mechanisms and processes that underlie them. Drawing on diverse conceptual frameworks, LICAÉ studies the interplay between actions, emotions, and cognitions at multiple levels of integration. Three flagship research programs exemplify this approach: Body, Action, and Perception; Emotion, Motivation, and Action ; Values, Social Interactions, and Action, each investigating how cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors interact to shape human activity.

Link: LICAE