Scientific questions in psychology are often framed under the assumption that constructs such as emotion\, memory\, intelligence\, and disorder are stable\, measurable entities. Yet growing empirical evidence challenges the assumption that these categories correspond to mind-independent &lsquo\;natural kinds&rsquo\;. Instead\, they are heterogeneous\, complex\, dynamically emerging\, context-sensitive\, and ad-hoc instantiated\; they are not tokens of fixed types but situated constructions that emerge from interactions among neural\, bodily\, and environmental factors. Variation across individuals\, contexts\, and times is therefore not noise or error\, but a structural feature of psychological phenomena. Significant questions are raised about what psychology can meaningfully measure\, explain\, and replicate. What ontological commitments are implicit in contemporary psychological measurement practices? Does measurement discover psychological phenomena\, partially constitute them\, or merely stabilize patterns of variation for pragmatic purposes? To what extent do replication failures reflect construct instability rather than methodological error? If psychological categories are populations of variable instances rather than fixed types\, how should this modify explanation\, generalization\, and theory-building? Are constructs better understood as tracking processes\, patterns of variation\, or situational regularities rather than latent entities? Would a conceptual shift\, making variation the &lsquo\;default ontology&rsquo\; in psychology\, solve the problem of measurement?
\nThe conference is organised by the Faculty of Philosophy\, University of Bucharest\, and is open to PhD and MA students\, as well as junior researchers (postdoc). \;
\nDate: May 29-30
\nFormat: mixed \;
\nContact email:measuringthemind@gmail.com
\nOrganizers: \;
\nDrd. Daniela Nica
\nDrd. Sandra Branzaru
\n\n \;\n \; ORGANIZER;CN=Daniela Nica;CN=Sandra-Catalina Branzaru: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260407T211628Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Bucharest:20260415T230000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Bucharest:20260415T230000 SUMMARY:Measuring the Mind - Conceptual Issues in Psychology\, Psychiatry and Cognitive Science UID:20260409T044830Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-f5d4878dd-r5qzs TZID:Europe/Bucharest LOCATION:Faculty of Philosophy\, Splaiul Independentei\, 204\, Romania DESCRIPTION:Psychology\, psychiatry\, and cognitive science increasingly rely on sophisticated measurement technologies while remaining tied to inherited assumptions about what is being measured. Many constructs&mdash\;emotion\, memory\, attention\, intelligence\, disorder&mdash\;are still treated as if they were stable\, homogeneous\, mind‑independent natural kinds with latent quantitative essences\, even as empirical work reveals pervasive heterogeneity\, context‑sensitivity\, and replication failure across domains such as affective neuroscience\, psychopathology\, and social cognition. At the same time\, related debates in the philosophy of biology\, metaphysics\, and cognitive ontology emphasize conceptual relativity and the need to re‑engineer scientific categories in light of concept‑laden evidence.
\nThis conference asks what follows for \;measurement \;and \;classification \;if psychological and psychiatric categories are better understood as populations of variable\, situated instances or relational patterns in high‑dimensional spaces\, rather than as tokens of fixed types. How should we think about constructs\, latent variables\, and diagnostic entities if variation is ontologically primary and averages are statistical abstractions? When do our instruments partially constitute the phenomena they purport to detect? To what extent do replication &ldquo\;failures&rdquo\; reveal construct instability or ontological mismatch rather than methodological error?
\nWe invite contributions from philosophy of psychology and psychiatry\, philosophy of cognitive science\, philosophy of biology\, metaphysics and metametaphysics\, as well as empirically oriented work in psychology\, psychiatry\, and neuroscience that engages these conceptual issues. Topics include\, but are not limited to: cognitive and psychiatric ontology\; natural kinds\, homeostatic property clusters and relational or internal realism\; measurement theory\, psychometrics and the &ldquo\;quantitative imperative&rdquo\;\; classification and re‑classification in psychiatry and cognitive science (e.g.\, RDoC\, HiTOP)\; construct instability and the replication crisis\; predictive processing and constructionist theories of mind and emotion\; and the concept‑ladenness of evidence and data‑driven ontology re‑engineering.
\nOur aim is to articulate and critically assess conceptual frameworks that could underpin a &ldquo\;variation‑first&rdquo\; science of mind\, in which explanation\, generalization\, and measurement are explicitly aligned with the heterogeneous\, context‑bound phenomena they target.
\nThe conference is organized by the Faculty of Philosophy\, University of Bucharest\, and is open to \;MA and PhD students\, early PhDs and postdocs\, as well as established researchers in philosophy of psychology\, psychiatry\, cognitive science\, philosophy of biology\, and related empirical fields.
\nSubmission of abstracts up to 300 words is welcome via email: measuringthemind@gmail.com
\nEmail subject line: &ldquo\;abstract submission&rdquo\;
\nAnonymity: Please include identifying information (name\, affiliation\, contact email) in the body of the email and submit an anonymized abstract as attachment.
\nDeadline for submissions: 15 April 2026
\nNotification of acceptance: on or before 10 May 2026
\nDate: May 29-30
\nFormat: mixed \;(in‑person and online)
\nContact email:measuringthemind@gmail.com
\nOrganizers: \;
\nDrd. Daniela Nica
\nDrd. Sandra Branzaru
\n\n \;\n \; ORGANIZER;CN=Daniela Nica;CN=Sandra-Catalina Branzaru: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260407T211628Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Bucharest:20260425T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Bucharest:20260425T090000 SUMMARY:Beyond the Imitation Game UID:20260409T044831Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-f5d4878dd-r5qzs TZID:Europe/Bucharest LOCATION:Splaiul Independentei nr. 204\, Bucharest\, Romania DESCRIPTION:We encourage BA\, MA and PhD students\, as well as early PhDs and postdocs\, to contribute research abstracts related to the event's topic areas. Abstracts should be written in English and should not exceed 300 words.
\nAbstracts will receive full consideration if sent before 25th of April 2026 at the following address: beyondimconference@gmail.com Word or PDF attachments preferred\, with the message titled "abstract submission".
\nAll submissions will go through a process of blind peer review. (Please write your identifying details in the body of the email\, and leave the attached abstract anonymized.) We intend notifications of acceptance to be sent out on or before the 8th of April. The conference programme will be announced as soon as review is completed.
\nFor any questions\, please don't hesitate to email: beyondimconference@gmail.com \;
\nYou may register at the same address (or by RSVP here on PhilEvents) on or before 8th of May in order to receive the Zoom connection details if you want to attend online.
\nThe conference is organized with the support of undergraduate students in the bachelor&rsquo\;s programme in cognitive science within the Department for Psychology at the University of Bucharest\, the support of the students enrolled in the Master&rsquo\;s Programme in Cognitive Science (Mind the Brain!) within the Department for Philosophy at the University of Bucharest\, and with the support of graduate students in the Doctoral School of Theoretical Philosophy within the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Bucharest.
ORGANIZER;CN=Sandra-Catalina Branzaru;CN="Catalina Frâncu";CN=Daniel Cristian Stancu;CN=E.G. Rosu;CN=David Buciuman;CN=Petru A. Costeschi;CN=Alexia Lungianu;CN=Andreea-Isabela Gavrila: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260407T211628Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Bucharest:20260509T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Bucharest:20260510T170000 SUMMARY:Beyond the Imitation Game UID:20260409T044832Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-f5d4878dd-r5qzs TZID:Europe/Bucharest LOCATION:Splaiul Independentei nr. 204\, Bucharest\, Romania DESCRIPTION:Since its release for public use\, AI has been introduced in a significant number of industries\, and many aspects of our day-to-day lives. Therefore\, \;Beyond the Imitation Game \;student conference aims to bring together students and researchers in fields such as philosophy of cognitive science\, psychotherapy\, law\, policy making\, social and political philosophy\; in order to further our understanding regarding the effects that mainstream integration of AI has had on the practice of psychotherapy\, work-life\, authorship (e.g. art and research).
\nThe conference will have three different panels:
\n- Human and AI interaction: issues in cognitive science\, psychology and philosophy of mind
\nThis panel is dedicated to interdisciplinary approaches to the mind and potential impacts from AI use and Human-LLMs interaction: cognitive offloading\, general and social skill erosion\, anthropomorphism\, human-AI social bonding (how it impacts theory of mind in humans\, why humans assume - if they assume- AI minds). We also accept submissions that explore benchmarking understanding (both scientific and social)\, consciousness and cognitive mechanisms in humans and AI.
\n- Therapy bots and healthcare
\nSeveral debates have emerged with regards to the social skills LLMs may or may not have developed\, such as empathy\, theory of mind\, compassion\, sympathy\, broadly understanding others\, their goals\, intentions\, hopes and desires. Either lack of embodiment\, opaque reasoning or the uncertainty with regards to LLMs mechanisms at play\, may lead to misaligned\, superficial therapeutic values\, ethical and dangerous outcomes in the case of therapy bots. This panel explores how therapy bots may impact the users\, but also psychotherapy in general.
\n-AI use on law and policy making\, social and political philosophy
\nThis panel explores the impact of AI on law and policy making (autonomous agents performing different tasks\, authorship\, academic risks resulting from AI use)\, but also how concepts such as agency\, democracy\, privacy and autonomy are affected by AI tools.
\nAside from the aforementioned subjects\, other topics of interest are: the interaction between humans and LLMs broadly construed\, AI driven misinformation\, AI and the educational sector\, AI and inequality\, and other connected issues.
\nThe conference will take place on the 9th and 10th of May in Bucharest\, Romania and online. Regular presentations will be 20 minutes long\, followed by 10 minutes long Q&\;A.
\nIt will have a mixed format\, in that speakers may choose whether they present online only or face to face at the event's location (if so\, their session will enjoy a live audience\, but it will also be streamed to remote participants).
ORGANIZER;CN=Sandra-Catalina Branzaru;CN="Catalina Frâncu";CN=Daniel Cristian Stancu;CN=E.G. Rosu;CN=David Buciuman;CN=Petru A. Costeschi;CN=Alexia Lungianu;CN=Andreea-Isabela Gavrila: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260407T211628Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Bucharest:20260529T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Bucharest:20260530T170000 SUMMARY:Measuring the Mind - Conceptual Issues in Psychology\, Psychiatry and Cognitive Science UID:20260409T044833Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-f5d4878dd-r5qzs TZID:Europe/Bucharest LOCATION:Faculty of Philosophy\, Splaiul Independentei\, 204\, Romania DESCRIPTION:Psychology\, psychiatry\, and cognitive science increasingly rely on sophisticated measurement technologies while remaining tied to inherited assumptions about what is being measured. Many constructs&mdash\;emotion\, memory\, attention\, intelligence\, disorder&mdash\;are still treated as if they were stable\, homogeneous\, mind‑independent natural kinds with latent quantitative essences\, even as empirical work reveals pervasive heterogeneity\, context‑sensitivity\, and replication failure across domains such as affective neuroscience\, psychopathology\, and social cognition. At the same time\, related debates in the philosophy of biology\, metaphysics\, and cognitive ontology emphasize conceptual relativity and the need to re‑engineer scientific categories in light of concept‑laden evidence.
\nThis conference asks what follows for \;measurement \;and \;classification \;if psychological and psychiatric categories are better understood as populations of variable\, situated instances or relational patterns\, rather than as tokens of fixed types. How should we think about constructs\, latent variables\, and diagnostic entities if variation is ontologically primary and averages are statistical abstractions? When do our instruments partially constitute the phenomena they purport to detect? To what extent do replication &ldquo\;failures&rdquo\; reveal construct instability or ontological mismatch rather than methodological error?
\nWe invite contributions from philosophy of psychology and psychiatry\, philosophy of cognitive science\, philosophy of biology\, metaphysics and metametaphysics\, as well as empirically oriented work in psychology\, psychiatry\, and neuroscience that engages these conceptual issues. Topics include\, but are not limited to: cognitive and psychiatric ontology\; natural kinds\, homeostatic property clusters and relational or internal realism\; measurement theory\, psychometrics and the &ldquo\;quantitative imperative&rdquo\;\; classification and re‑classification in psychiatry and cognitive science (e.g.\, RDoC\, HiTOP)\; construct instability and the replication crisis\; predictive processing and constructionist theories of mind and emotion\; and the concept‑ladenness of evidence and data‑driven ontology re‑engineering.
\nOur aim is to articulate and critically assess conceptual frameworks that could underpin a &ldquo\;variation‑first&rdquo\; science of mind\, in which explanation\, generalization\, and measurement are explicitly aligned with the heterogeneous\, context‑bound phenomena they target.
\nThe conference is organised by the Faculty of Philosophy\, University of Bucharest\, and is open to \;MA and PhD students\, early PhDs and postdocs\, as well as established researchers in philosophy of psychology\, psychiatry\, cognitive science\, philosophy of biology\, and related empirical fields.
\nDate: May 29-30
\nFormat: mixed \;(in‑person and online)
\nContact email:measuringthemind@gmail.com
\nOrganizers: \;
\nDrd. Daniela Nica
\nDrd. Sandra Branzaru
\n\n \;\n \; ORGANIZER;CN=Daniela Nica;CN=Sandra-Catalina Branzaru: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260407T211628Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Bucharest:20260606T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Bucharest:20260607T170000 SUMMARY:International Interdisciplinary Conference of Psychedelic Studies UID:20260409T044834Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-f5d4878dd-r5qzs TZID:Europe/Bucharest LOCATION:Splaiul Independențeii\, nr. 204\, Bucharest\, Romania DESCRIPTION:The &ldquo\;International Interdisciplinary Conference of Psychedelic Studies&rdquo\;\, organized by drd. Raluca Bilașco-Rusu and drd. Ștefăniță Manea\, Doctoral School of Philosophy\, Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Bucharest (Department of Theoretical Philosophy)\, brings together students\, professionals and researchers in philosophy of mind\, phenomenology\, neuroscience\, psychiatry and cognitive science to engage in rigorous scholarly dialogue on certain psychedelic substances and their significance for mind\, medicine\, and culture.
\nThe conference offers a genuinely interdisciplinary space &mdash\; one in which phenomenological analysis\, neurophilosophical modelling\, empirical clinical findings\, and questions of ethics and policy are held in productive tension. Presentations will span philosophy of mind\, phenomenology\, psychiatry\, cognitive science\, neuroscience\, and the ethics of psychedelic research.
\nThe event will take place on \;June 6th - 7th\, 2026. Regular presentations will be 20 minutes in length\, followed by 10-minute Q&\;A sessions. Keynote lectures will be 45 minutes followed by a 15-minute discussion period. The conference will adopt a hybrid format: presenters may choose to participate in person or via live stream\, and all sessions will be available to remote attendees.
\nWe encourage BA\, MA and PhD students\, as well as early PhDs\, postdocs and researchers\, to contribute with research abstracts related to the event's topic areas. Abstracts should be written in English and should not exceed 300 words. Abstracts will receive full consideration if submitted before May 20th\, 2026 at \;confpsych2026@gmail.com \;Word or PDF attachments preferred\, with the message titled "abstract submission".
\nAll submissions will undergo a process of blind peer review. (Please write your identifying details in the body of the email\, and leave the attached abstract anonymized.) We intend notifications of acceptance to be sent out on or before June 1st\, 2026. The conference programme will be announced as soon as review is completed. For any questions\, please don't hesitate to email \;confpsych2026@gmail.com.
\nThematic Areas
\nThe conference welcomes contributions across the following domains:
\nPanel Topics &\; Guiding Questions
\n