Maria Zafiropoulou

 

Curriculum Vitae

 

Name:  Maria  Zafiropoulou-Piperakis

 

Post:   Professor in Psychology, Department of Pre-School Education,

         University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece.

 

Marital Status: Married with two children

 

        Address for postal communication: 
University of Thessaly, Preschool Education Department,
Argonafton and Filellinon Streets,
Volos 38221,  Greece.

 

Tel: 0030-2421074878;    Fax: 0030-2421074736       and               

Fax/Tel: 0030-2108075978,   Mobile: 0030-6944635565

 

E-mails: mzafirop@uth.gr and mzaf@otenet.gr 

Web site: http://mzafiroplab.ece.uth.gr       

 

Qualifications:

B.A. (Psychology and Education), University of Thessaloniki, Greece, 1976.

M.Phil. (Clinical Psychology), University  of  Leeds,  England, Britain 1978.

Ph.D. (Clinical Psychology), University of Dundee, Scotland, Britain, 1984.

 

Appointments:

1982-1983:    Fazakerly Hospital (Clinical Psychology Out-patient  Department) and Walton Hospital (Psychiatric Ward) South Sefton Health Authority, Liverpool, England.        

1983-1984:    District General Hospital (Child Psychiatry Department), Eastbourne Health Authority, Eastbourne, England.       

1984-1985:    Visiting Tutorial Fellow in Psychopathology, Department of   Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex, England.                        

1986-1987:    Athens Psychiatric Hospital for Children, Greece.

1987-1989:    Special Education Service, Greek Ministry of Education, Athens,   Greece.                                                 

1990-1995:    Lecturer, Department of Education, University of Thessaly,                              

                                         Volos, Greece.                           

                      1996-2001:    Assistant Professor, Department of Education, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece.  

1996-present:Director  of  the  Laboratory of Developmental  Psychology  and Psychopathology, Department of Education, University of Thessaly,

                      Volos, Greece.         

2002-2007:   Associate Professor, Department of Education, University   of Thessaly, Volos, Greece.

2007-present: Professor, Department of Education, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece

 

The Laboratory of Developmental Psychology and Psychopathology was established in 1991 in order to provide scientific knowledge, research skills, practice facilities and teaching resources to undergraduate and post graduate students of the Department and also support services to the community.

Further to initiating students to scientific work and supervising their research activities, the Lab provides individual and group counselling to students facing problems.

The Laboratory is also in close contact with teachers, administrators, advisors and municipal social services to offer help and support to families and schools (including Special Schools). It provides instruction and counselling to parents and carers (School for Parents) and also assessment and treatment for children’s behavioural and learning problems.   

The Lab. is staffed with qualified psychologists and educators who work with children, their parents and teachers in an effort to either treat or prevent learning and/or psychological problems.

Our group is focused on:

a)           Instruction, b) Research, c) Prevention of psychological and/ or learning problems, and c) Provision of Clinical and Councelling services.
The aim is to appropriately educate and inform all those who are or will be responsible for the upbringing, education and treatment of children, focusing on prevention and minimization of risks for psychological and/or learning problems.

In line with the above, our research activities are directed towards:

1.                   recording the prevalence of psychological difficulties (behaviour, emotional, cognitive, social problems etc) in the Greek schoolchildren population,

2.                 investigation, and assessment of individual and environmental factors    affecting:

a)     children’s emotional, social, cognitive development, and

b)    their behaviour,

3.           design, implementation and assessment of cognitive-behavioural (CBT) psycho-educational programmes addressed to the whole classroom with the aim to prevent or treat:

a)     emotional, social, cognitive/learning difficulties, and

b)    behaviour problems

 

 

Membership in Scientific Societies:

                Greek Psychological Society

                Greek Association for Behaviour Research

                Psychological Society of Northern Greece

                British Psychological Society (BPS)

                British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP)

                Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry (ACPP)

                Founding member of the Institute of Behaviour Research and Therapy in  Athens, Greece

 

Editor-Reviewer of Scientific Journals:

Editor:

Consulting Editor of the periodical Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal.

Reviewer of the following journals:

1. Perceptual and Motor Skills (international),

2. Psychological Reports (international),

3. Psychology (national),

4. Hellenic Journal of Psychology (national).

 

                             

Selected Publications in International Journals:

1.     Avagianou, P.  Angelopoulos N.V, Stamatiou, G, & Zafiropoulou M. (2010). The relationship of parental bonding to depression in patients with chronic pain. International  Journal of Disability and  Human Development, 9(4).

2.    Roussi – Vergou, C. J., Angelosopoulou, A., & Zafiropoulou, M. (2009). Personality characteristics and profiles of Greek elementary teachers using the 16PF (Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire). International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 21(3).

3.    Koroni, M., Garagouni-Areou, F., Rousi-Vergou, Ch., Zafiropoulou, M., Piperakis,S.M. (2009). The stigmatization of obesity in children: A survey in Greek elementary schools. Appetite, 52, 241-244.

4.    Piperakis, S. M., Thanou, A., Garagouni-Areou, F., Kouziokas, K. & Zafiropoulou, M.  (2009). Design, implementation and assessment of an innovative anti-smoking preventive program in Greek preschool children. International Public  Health Journal, 1, 67-79.

5.    Piperakis, S. M., Karagouni-Araiou, F., Triga, A., Piperakis, A. S., Argyracouli, E., Thanou, A., Papadimitriou, V., Gourgoulianis, K., Zafiropoulou, M. (2007). A.survey on elementary school students’ smoking habits and attitudes in Greece. International Electronic Journal of Health Education, 10, 150-159.                                                      

6.    Avagianou,  P-A,    & Zafiropoulou,  M.   (2008).   Parental   Bonding    and  Depression: Personality as a Mediating Factor. Int. J. Adolesc. Med. Health,20(3): 261-269.

7.    Avagianou, P.A., Piperakis, S. M.. & Zafiropoulou, M. (2007). Serotonin and     personality: How does serotonin relate to impulsivity and aggression? Review of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics,, 21, 59-66.

8.    Zafiropoulou, M.,  Sotiriou, A. &  Mitsiouli, V. (2007). Relation of self-concept in kindergarten and first grade to school adjustment. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 104, 1313-1327.

 9.   Argyrakouli E. & Zafiropoulou M. (2007). Qualitative analysis of experiences of members of a psychoeducational assertiveness group. Psychological Reports, 100, 531-546.

10.   Ζafiropoulou, Μ.  & Τhanou, Α. (2007). Laying the foundations of well-being: a creative psycho – educational program for young children. Psychological Reports, 100, 136-146.

11.    Avagianou, P-A., Piperakis, S. M. & Zafiropoulou, M. (2006). Stress and the progression of HIV Disease. Review of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics, 20, 38-42.

12.   Piperakis, S. M, Papadimitriou, V., Zafiropoulou, M., Piperakis. A. S. &  Zisis, P. (2006). Dietary Habits of Greek Primary School Children. Journal of Science Education &Technology, 16, 271-278.

13.   Zafiropoulou, M. & Karba-Schina, Ch. (2005). Applying cognitive-behavioural intervention in Greek mainstream school settings: the case of learning difficulties.  Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journαl, 33 (2), 29-48.

14.   Papadopoulou, Μ.Τ., & Zafiropoulou, M. (2005). Comparison of reading errors made by first grade Greek students and English-speaking students with reading problems. Australian Journal of Learning Disabilities, 10 (1),25-33.

 15.  Zafiropoulou, M. & Μati-Zissi, H. (2004). Effects of a cognitive-behavioral intervention program on students with special reading disabilities. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 98, 587-593.

16.   Solomonidou Ch., Garagouni-Areou F. & Zafiropoulou M. (2004). Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and pupils with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms: does the software and the instruction method affect their behavior? Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 13(2) 109-128.

17.   Psimadas, D., Messini-Nikolakaki, N., Zafiropoulou, M., Fortos, A., Tsilimigaki, S., & Piperakis, S.M. (2004). DNA Damage and repair efficiency in lymphocytes from schizophrenic patients. Cancer Letters, 204, 33-40.      

18.   Μati-Zissi, H.,&  Zafiropoulou , M. (2003). Visuomotor coordination and visuospatial working memory of children with specific reading disabilities: A study using the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 97, 543-546.     

19.   Argyrakouli, E. & M. Zafiropoulou. (2003). Self-esteem of Greek mothers of children   with mental disabilities. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 50, 2, 181-195.

20.  Dimitroglou, E., Zafiropoulou, M., Messini-Nikolaki, N., Doudounakis, S., Tsilimigaki,S & Piperakis, S.Μ. (2003).  DNA damage and repair capacity in a human population affected by chronic psychogenic stress. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 205, 39-45. 

21.   Pappa, E., Zafiropoulou, M. and Metallidou, P. (2003). Intervention on strategy use and on motivation of Greek pupils' reading comprehension in English classes. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 96, 773-786.

22.  Zafiropoulou, M. & Carba-Schina, Ch., (2002). Cognitive behaviour modification and learning disabilities. Στο: T. Scrimali & L. Grimaldi (Eds.), Cognitive Psychotherapy Toward a New Millenium, Kluwer Academic/Plenum: New York  (219-222).     

23.  Mati-Zissi, E. and Zafiropoulou, M. (2001). The Nature of Preschool   Phonological Processing, Motor Coordination and Drawing Performance  and their Causal Role in the Acquisition of Reading and Spelling Skills, British Dyslexia Association 2001 CD-ROM

24.  Mati-Zissi, H. & Zafiropoulou, M., (2001). Drawing performance as a predictive assessment factor of potential special learning difficulties in kindergarten children. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 92, 1154-1166.

25.  Mati-Zissi, H., Zafiropoulou, M. & Bonoti, F., (1998). Drawing Performance in Children with Special Learning Difficulties. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 87, 487-497.

26.  Zafiropoulou M. & Mc Pherson, F.M., (1986). Preparedness and the severity and outcome of clinical phobias. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24, 221.

27.  Zafiropoulou M.M. & Piperakis S.M., (1982). Biochemical Aspects of the Effects of Dibenzazepines on Behavioural Disorders. Hippocrates 6, 45.

 

I am also the author of over 60 papers in Greek peer reviewed scientific journals and over 15 chapters in Psychology text books. Finally, I am the author of one Psychology text book, co-author of two Psychology books and the editor/co-editor of thirteen Psychology text books.

 

Scientific Responsibilities/Co-ordination of Research Projects

 

1994-1995:       An investigation of the cognitive processes and the behaviour of children with learning disabilities: A cognitive-behavioural intervention program (funded by the Greek Ministry of Education).

1994-1996:       A study of Special Schools in Greece (funded by the Greek Ministry of Education).

1997-1998:       Metacognitive strategies in reading/comprehension of English as a foreign language. (funded by the University of Thessaly).

1999-2000:       Eating habits: An educational program for the biology and psychology of eating and the delusion of advertisements (funded by the Greek Ministry of Education).

1999-2000:       The design of instruction activities, learning mobilization and counseling of juvenile offenders (Leonardo Program, funded by EU).

2000-2001:       Implementation and assessment of a cognitive-behavioural instruction program for preschoolers (funded by the University of Thessaly).

2003-2004:       An antismoking program for all school ages (funded by the University of Thessaly).

2005-2008:       One-parent families: Assessment of existing difficulties and the design and implementation of a multi-axial intervention program for the support of mothers and their children (funded by EU-Greek Ministry of Education).

2008-2009:       Adaptation of Questionnaires and Collection of Data relating to the Understanding of Preschoolers’ Behaviour via the Cognitive-Behavioural Approach (funded by the University of Thessaly).

2009-now:          Personality Characteristics, Cognitive Schemata and Behaviour Problems in Children (funded by the Greek Scholarship Foundation)