The Faculty of Psychology at UGM has launched a study examining how organizational values are translated into effective strategies that enhance company performance. The study stems from the observation that many organizations fail not only due to market pressures, but because shared values are not consistently operationalized in decision-making. “Shared values” here refers to core principles agreed upon and embraced across the organization, from leadership to employees, as a compass for thinking and acting. Examples include integrity, professionalism, innovation, service, and collaboration. Led by Dr. Bagus Riyono, M.A., Psychologist, the research team will test empirical evidence that values must be embedded in strategy to make a tangible impact on performance.

A research team from the UGM Faculty of Psychology will examine how intensive Qur’an memorization training shapes verbal memory and leaves measurable traces in brain structure and connectivity. Grounded in the structured pedagogy of Islamic boarding schools, combining talaqqi, muraja’ah, and consistent repetition, this study positions hafiz as a model of learning that demands high perseverance and repeated information processing. In neuroscience, intensive learning experiences are known to trigger neuroplasticity, the brain’s capacity to adapt both functionally and structurally. However, specific evidence of how these adaptations manifest in hafiz remains limited. This study aims to map brain regions relevant to verbal memory, particularly the hippocampus and caudate nucleus, assess the integrity of white-matter tracts such as the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) and uncinate fasciculus (UF), and concurrently evaluate behavioral performance in verbal memory. Additionally, this study is the first psychology research in Indonesia on mapping the brains of hafiz using structural brain imaging.

A research team from the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), will examine job flourishing, an indicator of positive mental health at work, among lecturers and administrative staff at a public university in Indonesia. This study responds to growing global concern about workers’ mental health. WHO data point to the high burden of depression, anxiety, and daily stress affecting productivity. In Indonesia, mental health indicators among working populations likewise call for more precise organizational-level mapping. The research focuses on how emotional, psychological, and social well-being at work relate to work engagement, performance, burnout, anxiety, and depression, while offering an evidence-based picture to inform intervention planning in campus settings.

The Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), in collaboration with TVRI Yogyakarta, once again presents OPSI: Obrolan Psikologi (Psychology Talk) with its fourteenth episode, airing on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, from 3:00–4:00 PM WIB. This episode raises the theme “In Step Together: Building Resilience in the Workplace,” which discusses ways to remain resilient in a work environment filled with demands and pressures.

Pradytia Putri Pertiwi, S.Psi., Ph.D, a lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), was invited by the American Red Cross through the Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC) to present her research on the inclusivity and actionability of volcanic hazard Early Warning Systems (EWS) for persons with disabilities (PwD) in Indonesia. The study has been published on the GDPC–American Red Cross platform under the title “Inclusivity and actionability of volcanic hazard Early Warning System in Indonesia: Perspectives of persons with disabilities”.

The Career Center of the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), held a blended-format webinar titled “Learning Effectively and Growing as a College Student” on Friday (October 3). The event, attended by first- and third-semester undergraduate students, featured two inspiring speakers: Nadia Puti Dianesti, S.Psi. (Alumna and 2024 Outstanding Student of the Faculty and University) and Alya Nur Faiza (2025 Outstanding Student of the Faculty of Psychology UGM).

Yogyakarta, October 2, 2025 – An innovation by students from the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), which initially earned a gold medal at the 36th National Student Scientific Week (PIMNAS), has now achieved a new milestone with its publication in a high-impact international journal. The article titled “PsyBot: A Randomized Controlled Trial of WhatsApp-Based Psychological First Aid to Reduce Loneliness Among 18–22-Year-Old Students in Yogyakarta, Indonesia” was published on July 31, 2025, in SSM – Mental Health (Elsevier), a Scopus Q1-indexed journal with a 2024 CiteScore of 4.2 and an Impact Factor of 2.6.

As part of the Pre-International Course Series of the International Course on Public Mental Health, the Center for Public Mental Health (CPMH) Faculty of Psychology Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) invited two experts to highlight the importance of understanding suicide not merely as an individual issue, but also one that is deeply connected to cultural, social, and systemic factors. The event, held online on Friday (Sept 19), was attended by dozens of participants from various backgrounds.

The Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), and Wahana Keluarga Cerebral Palsy (WKCP) explored potential collaboration opportunities through a meeting held on Wednesday (September 17) in Room D-506, Faculty of Psychology UGM. The discussion focused on potential joint initiatives in research, studies, and the development of sustainable family- and community-based support models.

Yogyakarta, September 15, 2025 – A study titled “An Analysis of Measurement Invariance of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Between Indonesia, Germany, and the USA” authored by Eric Sucitra, Riangga Novrianto, Yolanda T. Pasaribu, Tania M. Lincoln, and Edo S. Jaya has been published in the journal Assessment. This journal is indexed in Scopus (Q1) and WoS (SSCI), with an Impact Factor of 3.4.

The research, which involved scholars from the Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), demonstrated that the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)—one of the most widely used instruments to measure depressive symptoms—can be applied universally regardless of a country’s per capita income level.