Zoltan Vass is Professor of Psychology with habilitation at Institute of Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Budapest, Hungary. He is the former Head of the Department of General Psychology and Methodology, Head of the Faculty of the Psychology of Visual Expression, Head of AI Technology and Sector-Specific Research Lab. He is also the Vice President International Society of Psychopathology of Expression and Art Therapy.
AI and computational research. His research on artificial intelligence and computational methods in psychodiagnostics dates back to 1996, with the development of the PsychMet psychometric analysis software. His PhD dissertation, Projective drawing analysis with algorithms (ELTE, 2000, summa cum laude), established the theoretical and methodological foundations of computational approaches to projective assessment. This was followed by the ESPD expert system series (2000-2008), supported by an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship specifically for AI development in psychodiagnostics. His algorithmic approach to projective drawing analysis received the Publication Prize from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1999. He is a founding member of the KRE Artificial Intelligence Research Group and head of its AI Technology and Sector-Specific Research Lab.
Research topics. His main scientific achievement is an artificial intelligence-based model of cognition, operationalized in the "Seven-Step Configuration Analysis (SSCA)". It is a system analysis approach to cognitive representation and inference strategies of psychological thinking in psychodiagnostics. Results were published in 1200+ publications in seven languages (27 books, 42 book chapters, 46 journal articles, 4 expert systems), referenced by 766 independent citations. Results were summarised in a 928-page English handbook (A psychological interpretation of drawings and paintings. The SSCA method: A systems analysis approach). The SSCA awarded a Publication Award of Institute for Psychology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and an Alexander von Humboldt Research Prize, besides 29 pre- and postdoctoral grants. On SSCA, 7 symposia were organized. The new method has led to the establishment of three accredited clinical trainings and two postgraduate faculties (Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church, Budapest). It is taught or referenced in 152 courses in Hungary, Transsylvania, Germany, France, Russia, China, USA, Israel etc.
Teaching. Diamond Prize (2009) and Teaching Award (2010) of the Institute of Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary. Moussong-Kovács Erzsébet Prize (2013) of the Hungarian Psychiatric Association. He was the first who introduced a course of classic projective drawing tests at the university level in Hungary (1996). Establishment of a faculty of art therapy assessment in Hungary (2008). Invited lectures in several universities in English, German, French. Methodological innovations in teaching. University textbooks of the psychology of visual expression. Establishment of 4 accredited clinical programmes, 34 new courses in psychology, art therapy and assessement, 46 published and cited educational materials, 100 conference proceedings. Organization of 29 conferences and symposia. A total of 228 scientific presentations at conferences, 87 invited lectures.
He established the Research Group on the Psychology of Visual Expression that produced 1122 scientific publications (52 journal articles, 15 books and chapters, 249 presentations in conferences) and 32 psychiatric expositions.
Other positions. Former Editor-in-Chief of Confinia Psychopathologica, Member of Comité de lecture international of Revue Cliniques, Editor of Studia Casuistica, Editor of Psychologia Hungarica Caroliensis, President of Board of Psychology in SZVT Research and Development Center, Main Secretary of the Hungarian Association of the Psychopathology of Expression and Art Therapy in the Hungarian Psychiatric Association, Chair of Section of Psychology of Expression, Hungarian Psychological Association.
A continuously updated full bibliography is available in https://m2.mtmt.hu/gui2/?type=authors&mode=browse&sel=10010434.