The department of Psychology & Methods is home to the Undergraduate Psychology program and a bilingual Graduate Psychologie MSc program. Expertise in these disciplines contribute to Jacobs focus on Diversity.
Exchange with colleagues from all over the world and interdisciplinary collaboration are important to her: Sonia Lippke, Professor of Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine at Jacobs University, has now been awarded the Distinguished Scientific Contributions Award by the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP). She was furthermore appointed as member of the Ninth Ageing Report Commission of the Federal German Government.
"Many believe that creativity is assigned to a single brain region. But that is not the case," said Radwa Khalil. Together with scientists from South Africa and Australia, the neurobiologist at Jacobs University Bremen has proposed a computer-based model that assigns creative processes to neural networks in the brain. Depending on the type of creative activity, these networks can be designed differently. The research results have recently been published in the prestigious journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.
A leaden exhaustion, concentration disorders, loss of taste and smell – these are only some of the symptoms suffered by those affected. A project led by the Dr. Becker Klinikgruppe in collaboration with the Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine Group at Jacobs University Bremen aims to improve the care of individuals with Long-COVID disease. The goal is to develop a holistic and sustainable treatment pathway for adults to support recovery and minimize consequences. To make this a reality, people affected by Long-COVID are currently wanted to participate in an online survey.
Klaus Boehnke, Professor of Social Science Methodology at Jacobs University Bremen, has received the Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology for 2022 from the American Psychological Association (APA).
Jacobs University is looking for participants in a study
About seven million people in Germany suffer from an anxiety disorder. Many have been suffering long before they receive adequate support. Can a smartphone app offer quick first aid for people with panic disorder and agoraphobia? That's what clinical psychologists at Jacobs University want to find out in a study. They are looking for participants.
When asked about female pioneers in science, most people recall famous physicists such as Lise Meitner and Marie Curie. "But few know about the women who played key roles in the evolution of science from the East," said Radwa Khalil, a neuroscientist at Jacobs University and postdoctoral fellow to professor Ben Godde. To contribute to a broader perception of the topic, which might even advance today's gender roles, scientists from Jacobs University and Australia's Western Sydney University cooperated on a recently published book – crossing various disciplines and geographical regions.
Joy at receiving the vaccine; anger, frustration, even rage at constantly changing rules and the restriction of personal freedom – in extreme situations like the pandemic, emotions run high. That emotions and moods are a key to understanding how people think and act is postulated in an article by 64 international scientists from a wide range of disciplines with the University of Geneva as lead institution. The article has now been published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour. Professor Arvid Kappas, emotion researcher and psychologist at Jacobs University Bremen, contributed to the article.
The way we learn, the way we acquire knowledge, is in part culturally shaped. This is particularly noticeable at a university like Jacobs University Bremen, with students from over 110 nations. Psychology student Isabella Langen made the difference in learning behavior between Western- and Eastern-oriented students the subject of her bachelor's thesis. And she was awarded the OLB Science Prize 2020 for best thesis.
“Heimat”- the German term for “home” or “homeland” is defined in the Duden Dictionary as: “country, region, or city in which one is born and raised in, or where one feels most familiar.” In a study for the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (Bundesministerium des Innnern, für Bau und Heimat), a team of researchers from Jacobs University led by Professor Klaus Boehnke has, for the first time, assessed people’s attachment to their homeland, or “Heimat,” in Germany as an indicator of successful integration. “Those who feel more connected to their homeland report greater happiness, satisfaction with life, and optimism,” said the Professor of Social Science Methodology.
Good contact between all those involved is the be-all and end-all of a smooth, self-determined birth. But especially in times of the coronavirus with its distance rules and contact restrictions, trusting exchange can prove difficult. Researchers at Jacobs University Bremen have now developed a German language app that aims to improve communication in obstetrics. It addresses expectant mothers, their relatives, and medical staff – especially midwives, whose work will be honored on May 5, 2021, with the International Day of the Midwife.
They are not intended to replace teachers, but to support them – for example, through personalized learning tasks tailored to the needs of each individual child. Social robots that communicate, interact, and build relationships with humans are increasingly being tested in school education, but what factors influence whether children actually trust these robots as teachers? That is what researchers at Jacobs University and at Uppsala University investigated in a joint meta-analysis.
Who cleans the kitchen? Residents of shared apartments know the conflict: the kitchen is dirty, but no one feels responsible for cleaning it. In a new project at Jacobs University Bremen, psychologist Dora Simunovic is conducting research on conflicts and cooperation that arise when different groups share a physical space and a common resource. "How we regulate conflicts over shared resources helps determine how harmoniously we live together," said the scientist. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the German research funding organization, is supporting the project.
Digital data are a valuable resource for society and the economy. They are regarded by many as the oil of the 21st century. How they can be extracted, processed and used sustainably is the focus of a new Master's program at Jacobs University Bremen. Data Science for Society and Business (DSSB), as the interdisciplinary, English-language program is called, opens up excellent future prospects for graduates in many professional fields.
The International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP) is the oldest and largest international organization of psychologists. Klaus Boehnke, Professor of Social Science Methodology at Jacobs University Bremen, has now been elected to its Board of Directors. Founded in 1920, the association is primarily committed to the international cooperation of psychologists.
Klaus Boehnke, Professor of Social Science Methodology at Jacobs University, has been honored as an "Outstanding Psychologist outside the U.S." for his services in the field of comparative cultural studies and political psychology. The former Vice Dean of the Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences (BIGSSS) was presented with the award by the International Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association (APA), the world’s largest organization of psychologists in the United States.