Mateusz Hohol
Experimental Psychology · Cognitive Science · Mathematical Cognition

Mateusz
Hohol

Associate Professor of Psychology · Jagiellonian University

I am the founder and co-leader of the Mathematical Cognition and Learning Lab and an Associate Professor of Psychology at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków (JU). I hold a habilitation in psychology and a Ph.D. in philosophy. I currently serve as Director of the Copernicus Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, JU. In addition, I teach in the Cognitive Science Programme and at the Doctoral School in the Social Sciences, JU.

Portrait of Mateusz Hohol
Photo: P. Kopeć, Kraków 2025
Research interests

My research focuses on the experimental psychology of mathematical cognition, particularly the cognitive mechanisms underlying mathematics learning and the processing of numbers and space. I also work on cognitive artifacts, methodological issues in cognitive science, and social cognition.

Current foci
—Numerical cognition in professional mathematicians
—Memory and mathematical skills
—Cognitive profile of developmental dyscalculia
—Math anxiety
Foundations of Geometric Cognition — book cover
Book

Foundations of
Geometric Cognition

A monograph on the cognitive underpinnings of geometric reasoning — from spatial intuition and expertise to the cultural artifacts that scaffold mathematical thought.

New York–London · Routledge 2020
View the book ↗
Profiles & networks
ResearchGate↗ ORCID↗ Google Scholar↗ Open Science Framework↗ Bluesky↗ LinkedIn↗ GitHub↗ YouTube — My FPV flights↗

Publications

The list below presents a selection of my scientific publications with links and PDFs. A comprehensive list of my publications, including Polish-language scientific books and articles as well as popular science writings, is available in my CV.

Foundations of Geometric Cognition — Routledge 2020

Wołoszyn, K., Hohol, M., & Winkielman, P. (2026). Restricting facial mimicry does not impair emotion recognition or influence the evaluation of human affect vocalizations and instrumental sounds. Scientific Reports, 16, Article 14558. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-43390-2 PDF

Szymanek, P., Senderecka, M., & Hohol, M. (2026). I see moving people: Expectations drive detection of biological motion in noisy point-light displays. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 33(1), 51. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-025-02839-7 PDF

Obidziński, M., Bażela, N., & Hohol, M. (2025). More gist, better math: Fuzzy-trace theory-based investigation of the relationship between long-term memory and mathematical skills. Cognition, 263, 106212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2025.106212 PDF

Baran, B., Obidziński, M., & Hohol, M. (2025). Interpreting insect behavior through the lens of executive functions. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 19, Article 1638374. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1638374 PDF

Szymanek, P., Grodniewicz, J. P., & Hohol, M. (2025). Cognitive artifacts in the evolution of cultural systems of beliefs and practices. Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, 37, 424–355. https://doi.org/10.1163/15700682-bja10145 PDF

Wołoszyn, K., Hohol, M., Kuniecki, M., & Winkielman, P. (2024). Facing emotional vocalizations and instrumental sounds: Sighted and blind individuals spontaneously and selectively activate facial muscles in response to emotional stimuli. Emotion, 25(4), 827–840. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001475 PDF

Szymanek, P., Homan, M., van Elk, M., & Hohol, M. (2024). Effects of expectations and sensory unreliability on voice detection: A preregistered study. Consciousness and Cognition, 123, 103718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2024.103718 PDF

Hohol, M., Szymanek, P., & Cipora, K. (2024). Analogue magnitude representation of angles and its relation to geometric expertise. Scientific Reports, 14, Article 8997. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-59521-6 PDF

Grodniewicz, J. P., & Hohol, M. (2024). Therapeutic chatbots as cognitive-affective artifacts. Topoi, 43, 795–807. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-024-10018-x PDF

Hohol, M., & Bażela, N. (2024). Mathematical cognition. In J. Bremer (Ed.), Cognitive science (pp. 223–241). Ignatianum University Press. https://doi.org/10.35765/slowniki.436en PDF

Grodniewicz, J. P., & Hohol, M. (2023). Waiting for a digital therapist: Three challenges on the path to psychotherapy delivered by artificial intelligence. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, Article 1190084. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1190084 PDF

Grodniewicz, J. P., & Hohol, M. (2023). Therapeutic conversational artificial intelligence and the acquisition of self-understanding. The American Journal of Bioethics, 23(5), 59–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2023.2191021 PDF

Baran, B., Krzyżowski, M., Radai, Z., Francikowski, J., & Hohol, M. (2023). Geometry-based navigation in the dark: Layout symmetry facilitates spatial learning in the house cricket, Acheta domesticus, in the absence of visual cues. Animal Cognition, 23, 755–770. https://doi.org/10.1101/2019.12.28.886655 PDF

Wołoszyn, K., Hohol, M., Kuniecki, M., & Winkielman, P. (2022). Restricting movements of lower face leaves recognition of emotional vocalizations intact but introduces a valence positivity bias. Scientific Reports, 12, Article 16101. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-18888-0 PDF

Hohol, M., Wołoszyn, K., & Cipora, K. (2022). No fingers, no SNARC? Neither the finger counting starting hand, nor its stability robustly affect the SNARC effect. Acta Psychologica, 230, 103765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103765 PDF

Hohol, M., Wołoszyn, K., & Brożek, B. (2021). Making cognitive niches explicit: On the importance of external cognitive representations in accounting for cumulative culture. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 15, Article 734930. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2021.734930 PDF

Miłkowski, M., & Hohol, M. (2021). Explanations in cognitive science: Unification versus pluralism. Synthese, 199(Suppl. 1), S1–S17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-020-02777-y PDF

Hohol, M. (2021). Cognitive science: An interdisciplinary approach to mind and cognition. In B. Brożek, M. Jakubiec, & P. Urbańczyk (Eds.), Perspectives on interdisciplinarity (pp. 33–55). Copernicus Center Press. PDF

Hohol, M., Willmes, K., Nęcka, E., Brożek, B., Nuerk, H.-C., & Cipora, K. (2020). Professional mathematicians do not differ from others in the symbolic numerical distance and size effects. Scientific Reports, 10, Article 11531. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68202-z PDF

Hohol, M. (2020). Foundations of geometric cognition. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429056291 PDF

Miłkowski, M., Hohol, M., & Nowakowski, P. (2019). Mechanisms in psychology: The road towards unity? Theory & Psychology, 29(5), 567–578. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959354319875218 PDF

Hohol, M., & Miłkowski, M. (2019). Cognitive artifacts for geometric reasoning. Foundations of Science, 24(4), 657–680. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10699-019-09603-w PDF

Miłkowski, M., Hensel, W. M., & Hohol, M. (2018). Replicability or reproducibility? On the replication crisis in computational neuroscience and sharing only relevant detail. Journal of Computational Neuroscience, 45(3), 163–172. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10827-018-0702-z PDF

Hohol, M., Wołoszyn, K., Nuerk, H.-C., & Cipora, K. (2018). A large-scale survey on finger counting routines, their temporal stability and flexibility in educated adults. PeerJ, 6, Article e5878. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5878 PDF

Miłkowski, M., Clowes, R. W., Rucińska, Z., Przegalińska, A., Zawidzki, T., Gies, A., Krueger, J., McGann, M., Afeltowicz, Ł., Wachowski, W. M., Stjernberg, F., Loughlin, V., & Hohol, M. (2018). From wide cognition to mechanisms: A silent revolution. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 2393. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02393 PDF

Hohol, M., Baran, B., Krzyżowski, M., & Francikowski, J. (2017). Does spatial navigation have a blind-spot? Visiocentrism is not enough to explain the navigational behavior comprehensively. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 11, Article 154. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00154 PDF

Wołoszyn, K., & Hohol, M. (2017). Commentary: The poverty of embodied cognition. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, Article 845. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00845 PDF

Hohol, M., Cipora, K., Willmes, K., & Nuerk, H.-C. (2017). Bringing back the balance: Domain-general processes are also important in numerical cognition. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, Article 499. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00499 PDF

Cipora, K., Hohol, M., Nuerk, H.-C., Willmes, K., Brożek, B., Kucharzyk, B., & Nęcka, E. (2016). Professional mathematicians differ from controls in their spatial-numerical associations. Psychological Research, 80, 710–726. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-015-0677-6 PDF

Hohol, M., & Furman, M. (2016). On explanation in neuroscience: The mechanistic framework. In M. Heller, B. Brożek, & M. Hohol (Eds.), The concept of explanation (pp. 207–235). Copernicus Center Press. PDF

Funded research · Principal investigator

Projects

The list below includes projects that I have led as Principal Investigator or Project Leader. A complete overview of projects in which I have served as Co-Investigator is available in my CV.

Ongoing

The gist of math: Applying Fuzzy-Trace Theory as an integrative framework to investigate different dimensions of numerical memory and their associations with mathematical skills in the general population and among individuals with dyscalculia

This project investigates how different memory systems contribute to mathematical skills, with a particular focus on the distinction between verbatim memory (exact information) and gist memory (meaning-based representations) proposed by Fuzzy-Trace Theory. Through a series of behavioral studies involving both typically developing adults and individuals with developmental dyscalculia, the project aims to identify previously overlooked memory-related deficits and compensatory mechanisms underlying individual differences in mathematical performance. By integrating Fuzzy-Trace Theory with advanced analytical approaches, including multinomial processing tree modeling and data mining techniques, the project seeks to provide a more comprehensive account of the cognitive foundations of mathematical abilities. The findings are expected to advance theoretical understanding of mathematical cognition and inform the development of future interventions to support individuals with dyscalculia.

Funder
National Science Centre
Programme
OPUS
Project ID
2024/55/B/HS6/02944
Amount
PLN 1,681,784 · ≈ €400,000
Duration
2025–2029
Learn more →
Ongoing

ErasMAs+ Enriching HEI training to help future primary school teachers tackle math anxiety in themselves and their pupils

This project addresses the growing challenge of declining mathematics proficiency in Europe by helping Higher Education Institutions integrate evidence-based approaches to preventing and reducing math anxiety, which affects around 30% of students and 10% of teachers. An international consortium of Jagiellonian University in Kraków (leader), University of Padova, Thomas More University in Antwerp, and KU Leuven will develop multilingual, freely accessible resources, including assessment tools, cognitive-behavioural interventions, psychoeducational materials, and a MOOC to support teacher education programs. By embedding these resources into teacher training curricula, the project aims to equip future educators with the knowledge and skills to recognize and address math anxiety early, thereby fostering more positive mathematics learning environments and ultimately improving mathematical competence across Europe.

Funder
European Commission
Programme
Erasmus+ KA220-HED
Project ID
2025-1-PL01-KA220-HED-000360673
Amount
€400,000
Duration
2025–2028
Learn more →
Ongoing

Mind, number, space: Spatial-numerical cognition in professional mathematicians

This project explores the relationship between elementary numerical cognition and advanced mathematical expertise. By comparing professional mathematicians with carefully matched control participants, it investigates whether basic numerical processes, such as magnitude processing and spatial-numerical associations, form the cognitive foundations of higher-level mathematical abilities. Using an extensive battery of behavioral tasks, complemented by neuroscientific measures, the project aims to identify the cognitive and neural characteristics that distinguish mathematical experts. The findings will advance our understanding of how prolonged mathematical training shapes the mind and brain, while contributing to broader theories of mathematical cognition and expertise.

Funder
Ministry of Science and Higher Education
Programme
Science for Society
Project ID
NdS-II/SN/0332/2024/01
Amount
PLN 1,000,000 · ≈ €236,000
Duration
2024–2027
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Ongoing

Cognitive artifacts on various time scales: An integrative approach

This project develops an integrative account of how cognitive artifacts, such as diagrams, symbolic notations, maps, and external memory aids, shape human cognition across multiple time scales, from moment-to-moment interactions to developmental, historical, and evolutionary change. Drawing on contemporary approaches in philosophy and cognitive science, it seeks to explain how humans and artifacts form integrated cognitive systems that transform the way we think and reason. Particular attention is devoted to mathematics-related artifacts, providing new insights into how symbolic and diagrammatic tools support complex cognitive processes and contribute to the development of human mental capacities.

Funder
National Science Centre
Programme
OPUS
Project ID
2021/43/B/HS1/02868
Amount
PLN 460,434 · ≈ €110,000
Duration
2022–2026
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Ongoing

Mathematical Cognition and Learning Lab: Funding grant

This founding project is establishing the Mathematical Cognition and Learning Lab as an interdisciplinary research facility dedicated to understanding the cognitive, neural, and social mechanisms underlying mathematical learning and performance. By integrating approaches from psychology, neuroscience, and education, the project aims to build a leading European hub for basic and applied research on mathematical cognition. Beyond advancing scientific knowledge, the project seeks to translate research into practice through the development of evidence-based educational tools, expert support for educational stakeholders, and broad science communication initiatives. Through these activities, the Lab aims to contribute to improving mathematics education and supporting learners across diverse educational contexts.

Funder
Jagiellonian University
Programme
Flagship Project within Excellence Initiative – Research University
Amount
PLN 1,000,000 · ≈ €235,000
Duration
2022–2026
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Past

Mechanisms of geometric cognition

This project investigated the cognitive mechanisms underlying geometric thinking, with particular emphasis on the role of language in the transition from basic spatial abilities to the use of advanced Euclidean geometry. Drawing on perspectives from cognitive science, psychology, philosophy of mathematics, and methodology of science, it examined how spatial orientation, abstraction, precision, and conceptual stability contribute to the development of geometric knowledge. The project's main findings were synthesized in Hohol's book Foundations of Geometric Cognition (Routledge, 2020).

Funder
National Science Centre
Programme
OPUS
Project ID
2015/19/B/HS1/03310
Amount
PLN 183,600 · ≈ €43,500
Duration
2016–2020
Curriculum vitae

CV

Find my CV in English and Polish, providing an overview of my academic career, research, publications, grants, teaching, international collaborations, and public engagement activities.

English Download CV ↓ Polish Pobierz CV ↓
Mateusz Hohol
Get in touch

Contact

For research collaborations, media enquiries, student supervision, or speaking invitations, please get in touch using the details below.

Address

Mateusz Hohol
Copernicus Center for Interdisciplinary Studies
Jagiellonian University in Kraków
Main Square 34 (Spiski Palace, fl. 3, rm. 1)
31-010 Kraków, Poland

Email

mateusz.hohol@uj.edu.pl

Visit the lab's website

Mathematical Cognition
and Learning Lab

Explore our team, ongoing studies, publications, and seminars at the lab I founded and co-lead at the Jagiellonian University.

mcll.uj.edu.pl →