Claudio Lucchiari is an Associate professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Milan where he teaches “General Psychology” and “Mind and Brain” at the Philosophy Department, and Psychology of Negotiation at the Law Faculty of the University of Milan. He has a degree in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Communication Psychology and he is a certified Psychology since 2000. He is also an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Psychology, Topic Editor for Brain Sciences. He is a member of the European Society of Affective Neuroscience and of the Integrated Science Association. His research activities focus on cognitive and neuro-physiological aspects of learning, creativity, and decision making in different domains, including medical decision making, legal contexts, economics, error prevention, health psychology, communication and negotiation processes. He has also expertise in artificial intelligence applications Address: Via Festa del Perdono 7, 20123 Milan, Italy
BCI devices are increasingly being used to create interactive interfaces between users and their ... more BCI devices are increasingly being used to create interactive interfaces between users and their own psychophysiological signals. Over the years, these systems have seen strong development as they can enable people with limited mobility to make certain decisions to alter their environment. Additionally, their portability and ease of use have allowed a field of research to flourish for the study of cognitive and emotional processes in natural settings. The study of creativity, especially little creativity (little-c), is one example, although the results of this cutting-edge research are often poorly systematized. The purpose of the present paper, therefore, was to conduct a scoping review to describe and systematize the various studies that have been conducted on the application potential of BCI to the field of creativity. Twenty-two papers were selected that collect information on different aspects of creativity, including clinical applications; art experience in settings with high ...
The COVID-19 emergency has had important implications not only for physical but also for psycholo... more The COVID-19 emergency has had important implications not only for physical but also for psychological well-being. This is particularly true for fragile populations such as people with intellectual disability (ID), who are particularly at risk of suffering during uncertain times. The goal of this action research was to design, implement, and test the efficacy of emotional competencies training to support people with ID in coping with stressful events. For this purpose, eight adults with ID followed a 5-week training of increasing complexity, aimed at exercising different skills through group activities. We designed a study to test its feasibility and efficacy, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The analyses revealed that, after the training, participants used a more complex emotional language and were able to frame their perception of COVID-related threat with greater confidence and awareness. These findings, although circumscribed, respond positively to the urgent nee...
The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the use of e-cigarettes to aid in quitt... more The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the use of e-cigarettes to aid in quitting contributed to the increase in the pulmonary health of chronic smokers. The efficacy of e-cigarettes to support a successful smoking cessation attempt was also investigated. A total of 210 smokers (78 women) were enrolled in a screening program for the early detection of lung cancer and distributed in three arms: nicotine e-cigarette plus support, nicotine-free e-cigarette plus support, and support. Results showed that participants in the nicotine e-cigarette arm had a significant and fast decrease in daily cigarettes, but that later they resume smoking more than the other two groups. Conversely, participants in the other two arms showed similar daily consumption at the two evaluation points. Among abstinent participants, only 12.5% reported cough, while 48% of current smokers had pulmonary symptoms. Our study suggests that, in the long run, the use of a nicotine-free liquid may favo...
Mathematics, being a very ancient discipline, is usually seen as a formal subject that must be le... more Mathematics, being a very ancient discipline, is usually seen as a formal subject that must be learned for school purposes, which is very far from creativity and fun. Also, mathematical skills are often considered a talent, so students are easily divided into gifted and not gifted, with a focus on speed and accuracy rather than encouraging the process of juggling between divergent and convergent thinking. In the present paper, we aimed at investigating the relationship between mathematical reasoning and different aspects of creative thinking, such as divergent and convergent creativity, aesthetic appreciation, and humor. To do so, 146 second and third graders in a primary school in Milan have been recruited and tested with mathematical and creative tasks. Correlational analyses showed significant positive relations between flexibility and originality dimensions of creativity and mathematical performance. Results are discussed by providing a theoretical framework about the relation b...
In the last 25 years, the field of neuroscience has seen exponential growth due to technological ... more In the last 25 years, the field of neuroscience has seen exponential growth due to technological advances, which have not only allowed for collecting more accurate data, but also for addressing a variety of innovative studies for human development understanding. Neurofeedback (NF), and particularly Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCI) applications, are among the most promising methods, since they enable individuals to interact with a computer by using their brain activity to learn implicitly and train some specific cognitive and affective functions. These applications proved to be suitable for many different fields, from research to clinical practice. However, NF was used only in individual settings, with participants interacting with a computer, while more ecological and complex phenomena could be better explored in interactive contexts. In the present work, we propose that the future of BCI provided NF may lie in the development of interactive settings where two or more participants ca...
Real and virtual are often considered terms in reciprocal opposition, but the boundaries between ... more Real and virtual are often considered terms in reciprocal opposition, but the boundaries between the two are blurred. The main goal of our study consists in answering the question whether the presence of a third dimension (3D) is a fundamental step of the virtual toward the real world, and if it causes some difference in the neural activity of the spectator [8]. Also, the possibility to consider real what is virtual will be discussed [6, 7].
Negotiating skills are not part of the traditional lawyer's training. Today, however, advance... more Negotiating skills are not part of the traditional lawyer's training. Today, however, advanced skills are required of the lawyer to settle disputes consensually before trial. Cognitive, psycho-social and communication aspect should be trained in a purposed way. Cognitive knowledge and brain technology may be combined to develop targeted empowering programs during negotiation training. This article outlines the methodology for a pilot study that investigates the cooperative problem-solving skills development through neuroscientific devices that are non-invasive, portable and therefore usable in ecological contexts. The use of Brain-Computer-Interface would allow trained negotiators to explicitly develop mind tools and skills, with greater interaction between intuitive and analytical thinking systems
Il paziente con sincope pur essendo caratterizzato da un quadro clinico piuttosto chiaro presenta... more Il paziente con sincope pur essendo caratterizzato da un quadro clinico piuttosto chiaro presenta anche delle criticit\ue0 sul piano psicologico. Infatti, laddove la caduta, conseguente alla transitoria perdita di coscienza, pu\uf2 essere prevenuta e/o evitata attraverso trattamenti fisici, farmaci e precauzioni comportamentali, risolvendo di fatto il sintomo principale, il paziente rimane pur sempre in una condizione di stress psicologico. La paura di futuri eventi traumatici, il ricordo di episodi passati, lo stigma della malattia persistente anche in assenza di un sintomo visibile agli altri, il timore per i rifessi della malattia sui propri cari, come anche considerazioni circa, ad esempio, una futura genitorialit\ue0 sono temi ricorrenti nella costellazione psicologica del paziente affetto da sincope (Cohen et al. 2000; Lemma et al., 2013). Alcuni studi sottolineano, del resto, la diversa percezione fra medici e pazienti rispetto alla rilevanza dei sintomi. Da un punto di vista clinico, infatti, sembrerebbe prioritario diminuire o eliminare i sintomi fisici (in particolare, le sincopi), ma da un punto di vista del paziente sono i correlati dei sintomi, pi\uf9 che i sintomi stessi, a influire sul benessere percepito e la qualit\ue0 di vita (Yardley et al, 2001; Gracie et al., 2006). Da un punto di vista cognitivo, il distress psicologico e l\u2019alto livello di ansia spesso associato alla sincope pu\uf2 essere descritto con conseguenza di un attentional bias nei confronti di sintomi e situazioni potenzialmente in grado di scatenare la crisi. Inoltre, \ue8 spesso presente una forte associazione tra distress psicologico e rumination: i pazienti che tendono a pensare maggiormente agli aspetti negativi della malattia, mostrano anche livelli pi\uf9 alti di depressione e ansia. Tutti questi correlati psicologici, oltre ad essere importanti per gli psicologi che lavorano con tali pazienti, rivestono anche una rilevanza clinica, in quanto il distress psicologico correla negativamente con l\u2019efficacia delle terapie
Subjective Probability, Utility and Decision-Making (SPUDM), 2009
Advanced Parkinson\u2019s disease is often associated to an alteration of decisional processes. B... more Advanced Parkinson\u2019s disease is often associated to an alteration of decisional processes. Basal ganglia, and specifically the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is involved in impulse control and in decisional processes. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) besides an effective therapeutic tool, is a physiological \u201cwindow\u201d on human subcortical structures that through LFP recordings in patients provided an amount of physiological data on basal ganglia, especially in relation to their motor, cognitive and affective functions. In this study we aimed to assess this novel methodological approach for estimating the functional role of the basal ganglia during a gambling task by recording the scalp EEG and LFP oscillations from the STN. Results of electrophysiological recordings showed that STN oscillations were modulated by the execution of gambling task and that this modulation was different from that induced by the execution of a motor control task: gambling tasks synchronized beta activity in both sub-bands. We conclude that LFP oscillations provide a novel direct window on STN activity during gambling behavior
Decisional conflicts have been investigated with social decision-making tasks, which represent go... more Decisional conflicts have been investigated with social decision-making tasks, which represent good models to elicit social and emotional dynamics, including fairness perception. To explore these issues, we created two modified versions of the UG framed within an economic vs. a moral context that included two kinds of unfair offers: advantageous (upside, U) or disadvantageous (downside, D) from the responder’s perspective, and vice-versa for the proponent. The hemodynamic activity of 36 participants, 20 females and 16 males, was continuously recorded with fNIRS to investigate the presence of general or specific circuits between the different experimental conditions. Results showed that disadvantageous offers (D) are associated with an increased widespread cortical activation. Furthermore, we found that advantageous moral choices at the expense of others (U) were related to the activation of the right prefrontal cortex. Finally, we found gender-related differences in brain activation...
BCI devices are increasingly being used to create interactive interfaces between users and their ... more BCI devices are increasingly being used to create interactive interfaces between users and their own psychophysiological signals. Over the years, these systems have seen strong development as they can enable people with limited mobility to make certain decisions to alter their environment. Additionally, their portability and ease of use have allowed a field of research to flourish for the study of cognitive and emotional processes in natural settings. The study of creativity, especially little creativity (little-c), is one example, although the results of this cutting-edge research are often poorly systematized. The purpose of the present paper, therefore, was to conduct a scoping review to describe and systematize the various studies that have been conducted on the application potential of BCI to the field of creativity. Twenty-two papers were selected that collect information on different aspects of creativity, including clinical applications; art experience in settings with high ...
The COVID-19 emergency has had important implications not only for physical but also for psycholo... more The COVID-19 emergency has had important implications not only for physical but also for psychological well-being. This is particularly true for fragile populations such as people with intellectual disability (ID), who are particularly at risk of suffering during uncertain times. The goal of this action research was to design, implement, and test the efficacy of emotional competencies training to support people with ID in coping with stressful events. For this purpose, eight adults with ID followed a 5-week training of increasing complexity, aimed at exercising different skills through group activities. We designed a study to test its feasibility and efficacy, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The analyses revealed that, after the training, participants used a more complex emotional language and were able to frame their perception of COVID-related threat with greater confidence and awareness. These findings, although circumscribed, respond positively to the urgent nee...
The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the use of e-cigarettes to aid in quitt... more The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the use of e-cigarettes to aid in quitting contributed to the increase in the pulmonary health of chronic smokers. The efficacy of e-cigarettes to support a successful smoking cessation attempt was also investigated. A total of 210 smokers (78 women) were enrolled in a screening program for the early detection of lung cancer and distributed in three arms: nicotine e-cigarette plus support, nicotine-free e-cigarette plus support, and support. Results showed that participants in the nicotine e-cigarette arm had a significant and fast decrease in daily cigarettes, but that later they resume smoking more than the other two groups. Conversely, participants in the other two arms showed similar daily consumption at the two evaluation points. Among abstinent participants, only 12.5% reported cough, while 48% of current smokers had pulmonary symptoms. Our study suggests that, in the long run, the use of a nicotine-free liquid may favo...
Mathematics, being a very ancient discipline, is usually seen as a formal subject that must be le... more Mathematics, being a very ancient discipline, is usually seen as a formal subject that must be learned for school purposes, which is very far from creativity and fun. Also, mathematical skills are often considered a talent, so students are easily divided into gifted and not gifted, with a focus on speed and accuracy rather than encouraging the process of juggling between divergent and convergent thinking. In the present paper, we aimed at investigating the relationship between mathematical reasoning and different aspects of creative thinking, such as divergent and convergent creativity, aesthetic appreciation, and humor. To do so, 146 second and third graders in a primary school in Milan have been recruited and tested with mathematical and creative tasks. Correlational analyses showed significant positive relations between flexibility and originality dimensions of creativity and mathematical performance. Results are discussed by providing a theoretical framework about the relation b...
In the last 25 years, the field of neuroscience has seen exponential growth due to technological ... more In the last 25 years, the field of neuroscience has seen exponential growth due to technological advances, which have not only allowed for collecting more accurate data, but also for addressing a variety of innovative studies for human development understanding. Neurofeedback (NF), and particularly Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCI) applications, are among the most promising methods, since they enable individuals to interact with a computer by using their brain activity to learn implicitly and train some specific cognitive and affective functions. These applications proved to be suitable for many different fields, from research to clinical practice. However, NF was used only in individual settings, with participants interacting with a computer, while more ecological and complex phenomena could be better explored in interactive contexts. In the present work, we propose that the future of BCI provided NF may lie in the development of interactive settings where two or more participants ca...
Real and virtual are often considered terms in reciprocal opposition, but the boundaries between ... more Real and virtual are often considered terms in reciprocal opposition, but the boundaries between the two are blurred. The main goal of our study consists in answering the question whether the presence of a third dimension (3D) is a fundamental step of the virtual toward the real world, and if it causes some difference in the neural activity of the spectator [8]. Also, the possibility to consider real what is virtual will be discussed [6, 7].
Negotiating skills are not part of the traditional lawyer's training. Today, however, advance... more Negotiating skills are not part of the traditional lawyer's training. Today, however, advanced skills are required of the lawyer to settle disputes consensually before trial. Cognitive, psycho-social and communication aspect should be trained in a purposed way. Cognitive knowledge and brain technology may be combined to develop targeted empowering programs during negotiation training. This article outlines the methodology for a pilot study that investigates the cooperative problem-solving skills development through neuroscientific devices that are non-invasive, portable and therefore usable in ecological contexts. The use of Brain-Computer-Interface would allow trained negotiators to explicitly develop mind tools and skills, with greater interaction between intuitive and analytical thinking systems
Il paziente con sincope pur essendo caratterizzato da un quadro clinico piuttosto chiaro presenta... more Il paziente con sincope pur essendo caratterizzato da un quadro clinico piuttosto chiaro presenta anche delle criticit\ue0 sul piano psicologico. Infatti, laddove la caduta, conseguente alla transitoria perdita di coscienza, pu\uf2 essere prevenuta e/o evitata attraverso trattamenti fisici, farmaci e precauzioni comportamentali, risolvendo di fatto il sintomo principale, il paziente rimane pur sempre in una condizione di stress psicologico. La paura di futuri eventi traumatici, il ricordo di episodi passati, lo stigma della malattia persistente anche in assenza di un sintomo visibile agli altri, il timore per i rifessi della malattia sui propri cari, come anche considerazioni circa, ad esempio, una futura genitorialit\ue0 sono temi ricorrenti nella costellazione psicologica del paziente affetto da sincope (Cohen et al. 2000; Lemma et al., 2013). Alcuni studi sottolineano, del resto, la diversa percezione fra medici e pazienti rispetto alla rilevanza dei sintomi. Da un punto di vista clinico, infatti, sembrerebbe prioritario diminuire o eliminare i sintomi fisici (in particolare, le sincopi), ma da un punto di vista del paziente sono i correlati dei sintomi, pi\uf9 che i sintomi stessi, a influire sul benessere percepito e la qualit\ue0 di vita (Yardley et al, 2001; Gracie et al., 2006). Da un punto di vista cognitivo, il distress psicologico e l\u2019alto livello di ansia spesso associato alla sincope pu\uf2 essere descritto con conseguenza di un attentional bias nei confronti di sintomi e situazioni potenzialmente in grado di scatenare la crisi. Inoltre, \ue8 spesso presente una forte associazione tra distress psicologico e rumination: i pazienti che tendono a pensare maggiormente agli aspetti negativi della malattia, mostrano anche livelli pi\uf9 alti di depressione e ansia. Tutti questi correlati psicologici, oltre ad essere importanti per gli psicologi che lavorano con tali pazienti, rivestono anche una rilevanza clinica, in quanto il distress psicologico correla negativamente con l\u2019efficacia delle terapie
Subjective Probability, Utility and Decision-Making (SPUDM), 2009
Advanced Parkinson\u2019s disease is often associated to an alteration of decisional processes. B... more Advanced Parkinson\u2019s disease is often associated to an alteration of decisional processes. Basal ganglia, and specifically the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is involved in impulse control and in decisional processes. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) besides an effective therapeutic tool, is a physiological \u201cwindow\u201d on human subcortical structures that through LFP recordings in patients provided an amount of physiological data on basal ganglia, especially in relation to their motor, cognitive and affective functions. In this study we aimed to assess this novel methodological approach for estimating the functional role of the basal ganglia during a gambling task by recording the scalp EEG and LFP oscillations from the STN. Results of electrophysiological recordings showed that STN oscillations were modulated by the execution of gambling task and that this modulation was different from that induced by the execution of a motor control task: gambling tasks synchronized beta activity in both sub-bands. We conclude that LFP oscillations provide a novel direct window on STN activity during gambling behavior
Decisional conflicts have been investigated with social decision-making tasks, which represent go... more Decisional conflicts have been investigated with social decision-making tasks, which represent good models to elicit social and emotional dynamics, including fairness perception. To explore these issues, we created two modified versions of the UG framed within an economic vs. a moral context that included two kinds of unfair offers: advantageous (upside, U) or disadvantageous (downside, D) from the responder’s perspective, and vice-versa for the proponent. The hemodynamic activity of 36 participants, 20 females and 16 males, was continuously recorded with fNIRS to investigate the presence of general or specific circuits between the different experimental conditions. Results showed that disadvantageous offers (D) are associated with an increased widespread cortical activation. Furthermore, we found that advantageous moral choices at the expense of others (U) were related to the activation of the right prefrontal cortex. Finally, we found gender-related differences in brain activation...
Uploads