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.
She says it was one of the best decisions she has ever made, but what attracts a young Chinese student from Shanghai to study at a university 8,600 kilometers away from home? In the case of Shuqing Zhao, it was the international orientation of Jacobs University that was the deciding factor – as well as her love of the multiplicity of German music.
Long, drawn-out meetings are not her thing. Adele Diederich values clear, quick decisions; her manner of communication is equally clear and unambiguous. “I love straight talk,” says the Professor of Psychology who has high expectations of herself and others. And her approach has been exceptionally successful, as evidenced by her fundraising achievements. Adele Diederich’s expertise in cognitive and mathematical psychology is in high demand.
No, she does not view research and science as disciplines to be carried out in isolation from the rest of the world. She wants to be in close contact with people and their lives and shape society – for the better. “Our research,” says Dr. Regina Arant, “is meant to reach the real world and help people directly”. This applies equally to her work on social cohesion, as well as her PhD thesis, for which the 33-year-old was awarded the Bremer Studienpreis for excellent dissertations by the Unifreunde Bremen this week.
“The cake is freshly baked, it smells tempting - and everyone has an appetite. Should each guest receive a piece of cake that is the same size, i.e. should the principle of equality be applied? When handing out the cake does hunger, i.e. need, play a role? Or do those who have baked the cake get the biggest piece, i.e. are the earnings received for the creation of the cake decisive for the distribution? “Needs-based fairness and distribution procedures” („Bedarfsgerechtigkeit und Verteilungsprozeduren“) is the subject of a research project with the participation of psychology professor Dr. Adele Diederich from Jacobs University. Of the total budget of 2.4 million euros, around 370,000 euros have been allocated to Jacobs University – a very high funding rate for a psychological research project.
Economic development supports social cohesion, poverty weakens it. For the first time, a team of scientists headed by Prof. Dr. Klaus Boehnke from Jacobs University and Prof. Dr. Jan Delhey from Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg measured cohesion in 22 countries in South, Southeast and East Asia (SSEA). According to the study on behalf of Bertelsmann Stiftung social cohesion is the strongest in Hong Kong and Singapore, followed by Thailand and Bhutan.
Social cohesion in Germany is strong. However, poverty and social exclusion threaten to jeopardize it. Mostly owed to weaker basic economic conditions, social cohesion is lower in the East than in the West. Increasing cultural diversity does not weaken societal cooperation. These are the core results of the newest “Social Cohesion Radar.” The study was conducted by a team of researchers from Jacobs University Bremen, consisting of Dr. Regina Arant, Georgi Dragolov, and Professor Klaus Boehnke as its principal investigator, commissioned by Bertelsmann Stiftung. The research is based on a representative survey of 5.041 participants, conducted by the Institute for Applied Social Sciences infas in spring 2017.
Trishti Poloovadoo graduated from the Foundation Year program 2017. Now she is studying Psychology at Jacobs University and is involved in campus life in many areas.
An international consortium including Jacobs University Bremen received a European Grant of € 450,000 to develop an educational program that aims to improve the communication competences of medical students and nursing students to communicate better with older patients with low health literacy. The grant is part of the EU Erasmus + program.
The working world is characterized by technological developments that allow employees to work anywhere and at any time - and also allow an increasingly older workforce. How do these trends affect the interface between employees’ working and private lives? This is essentially what Dr. Ines Spieler explored in her dissertation, which has now been awarded the dissertation prize by the German Academic Society for Work and Industrial Organization [Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft für Arbeits- und Betriebsorganisation (WGAB)].
The positive impact of physical activity and recreation on overall health and performance is evidenced by various studies. Based on these findings, the Jacobs University will now become a health promoting university. For this purpose, the learning and working environment and the behavior of students and employees of the JU will be improved with regard to health, satisfaction, and efficiency. As part of the initiative “actively studying – studying moves” the respective concept is now supported by the German university sports federation (ADH) and the health insurance Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) with a project subsidy of 15,000 €.
When promoting their employees, companies should consider age less and the individual person more. The reason for this is that the generations are more similar in terms of their needs than previously thought, although they see themselves as being vastly different. This is the key finding of a study conducted by scientists at Jacobs University recently published in the German HR and management magazine “Wirtschaftspsychologie aktuell”.
At the latest at the age of 30, everything starts to go downhill. For most people, this is when their brain starts to shrink in volume. That’s the bad news, the good news is that this aging process can be stopped by means of targeted training, movement and physical activity. “Everyone has the capability of maintaining their brain function as long as they are physically healthy,” says Dr. Ben Godde, Professor of Neuroscience at Jacobs University in Bremen.
Regina Arant, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department Psychology and Methods at Jacobs University, wins this year's Mixed-Methods Award by the Division Evaluation & Methods of the German Psychological Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie).
Who’s not familiar with this situation? You know you need to get more exercise, eat more healthily, and spend more time with friends. Everyone has good intentions. But putting them into practice – that takes skill. Dr. Sonia Lippke, Professor of Health Psychology at Jacobs University, will be talking about the things that get in our way and what we can do to motivate ourselves, in a lecture and subsequent discussion on June 8 at 5:00 p.m.
Dr. Vera Storm studies the way patients with cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disease succeed in living more healthily. For her dissertation at Jacobs University in Bremen, the psychologist is receiving this year’s Development Prize of the Zarnekow Foundation.
The FiBu-Study (“Fit in Bremen und umzu”) aims at better understanding the interrelation between health, lifestyle, and internet use in general with the goal to identify areas where improvements are needed. The researches at Jacobs University are now recruiting people to participate in the online survey which is available in three languages.
Käthe Neuss is studying International Business Administration at the English-language Jacobs University – one of the five Bachelor Programs in the Focus Area Diversity at the international university. All these Bachelor Programs view diversity as the motor in the development of a modern, global society. All the degree programs have an international alignment, are consistently interdisciplinary, and have a strong practical orientation.
Another enormous success for Jacobs University: only around a month after attaining excellent results in the international U-Multirank, the private university once again got top scores – this time, in a large-scale comparison of higher education institutions. In the latest rankings of the Center for Higher Education (CHE) and the prominent weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT, Jacobs University achieved outstanding ratings – particularly in the subjects of biology and psychology.
Bachelorstudierende, die am Berufsfeld Psychologie interessiert sind, sollten in ihrem Terminkalender den 12. und 13. März blockieren. Dann lädt die Jacobs University in Bremen zu einem kostenlosen Wochenendseminar ein. Dabei geht es unter anderem darum, welche Herausforderungen künftige Psychologen zu bewältigen haben und wie Interessierte einen Platz im Masterstudiengang Psychologie bekommen können.
Eine kleine Zahl von Immigranten wendet sich gegen die westliche Gesellschaft, in der sie leben. Wie kann es sein, dass es junge Menschen gibt, die etwa im demokratischen Frankreich oder Belgien aufgewachsen, oft sogar geboren sind, sich dann aber als Kämpfer am „Dschihad“, dem so genannten Heiligen Krieg beteiligen, Attentate planen und ausführen? Eine Befragungsstudie unter Beteiligung hat jüngst die psychologischen Prozesse untersucht, die einer Radikalisierung vorausgehen.
Viele Gesundheitsdienstleister und Krankenkassen bieten ihren Mitgliedern zunehmend Gesundheits-Schulungen per Internet an. Verstärkt rücken dabei auch ältere Menschen in den Fokus. Erstmals hat ein Team von Forschern der Jacobs University aus Bremen ein solches Angebot wissenschaftlich evaluiert.
Scientists will discuss the role of media in shaping communities, identities, and integration at a conference at Kadir Has University, Istanbul, on December 10 and 11. Media.Bridge.Cultures was initiated and organized by Dr. Özen Odağ, media psychologist from Jacobs University, and Cigdem Bozdag from Kadir Has University.
Ob eine Fernsehserie wie „Türkisch für Anfänger“ oder ein Film von Regisseur Fatih Akın, ob Facebook oder Twitter: Wie werden Medienangebote im deutsch-türkischen Kontext genutzt – und was bewirken sie? Darüber diskutieren Wissenschaftler auf der Konferenz „Media.Bridge.Cultures“ am 10. und 11. Dezember an der Kadir Has University in Istanbul.
Der erste Eindruck zählt. Nur eine Zehntelsekunde braucht das Gehirn, um ein Urteil über eine Person zu fällen, der man zum ersten Mal gegenübersteht. Doch was macht diesen ersten Eindruck aus? Neueste Untersuchungen von Dr. Elena Tsankova und Prof. Dr. Arvid Kappas von der Jacobs University in Bremen beweisen, wie selbst kleine Einzelheiten im Aussehen unser Urteil von unserem Gegenüber bestimmen.
Smooth skin makes for a trustworthy look.
First impressions count. Within tenths of a second, our brain passes judgement on a person we meet for the first time. But what creates this first impression? Elena Tsankova and Arvid Kappas from the Jacobs University Bremen demonstrate how single features in our looks determine our judgement of our vis-à-vis.
Angucken, mitmachen, staunen, lernen: Am 23. Oktober eröffnet im Universum® Bremen die interaktive Ausstellung „EY ALTER – Du kannst Dich mal kennenlernen“. Die Jacobs University ist einer der Partner der Veranstaltung rund um das Thema Altern und Chancen des demografischen Wandels.
Zusammenhang zwischen Rassismus und psychischer Gesundheit afrikanischer Migranten in Europa
Wie ergeht es afrikanischen Einwanderern in Europa? Und welche Folgen hat der von ihnen wahrgenommene Rassismus auf ihre psychische Gesundheit? Darüber forscht der renommierte klinische Psychologe, Dr. Erharbor S. Idemudia, als Gastprofessor an der Bremer Jacobs University. Insgesamt ein Jahr forscht er hier als Träger des von der Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung vergebenen Georg Forster-Forschungspreises.
The motivation for his work is passion and interest for a better world. As a recipient of the prestigious Georg Forster Research Award Dr. Erharbor S. Idemudia, clinical psychologist from North-West University in South Africa, will spend a year as visiting Professor at Jacobs University.
Jacobs University conducts research on occupational health promotion and eHealth
New research results from the team of Professor Sonia Lippke at Jacobs University in Bremen give new insights: Computer-based health promotion (eHealth) which tailor motivational treatments to the individual needs of the employees can help people to overcome inner temptations, to improve their health behaviors and to sustain their employability.
Frank Haber, Psychological Counselor and Intercultural Education Officer at Jacobs University, was honored with the Rising Star Award by the European Association for International Education (EAIE).
Lecture “Fenster zur Wissenschaft”
The sea has always been fascinating to people and can evoke many positive and negative emotions. Examples are given through own experiences as well as through movies and books covering a range of topics such as liberty and adventure, desires and worries. One interesting question is, whether academic research can help to explain these feelings.
Once again, Jacobs University offered various summer camps this year to give young people the opportunity to try out academic learning, breathe in “university air” and, thereby, expand their horizons during their summer break. Camps covering three major themes: Mathematics from June 25 to July 5, Life Sciences from July 26 to August 2, and Diversity and Intercultural Experience from July 26 to August 9.
What is the impact of culture on our thoughts, actions and feelings? Are even fundamental mechanisms of the human mind shaped by culture? And to what extent does our evolutionary heritage impact mental life and behavior? Questions like these are part of Prof. Dr. Ulrich Kühnen’s research and teaching in the psychology program at Jacobs University, and also of his new book, Tierisch Kultiviert – Menschliches Verhalten zwischen Kultur und Evolution
Arvid Kappas, Dean and Professor of Psychology at Jacobs University, has been re-elected President of the International Society for Research on Emotion (ISRE) for another two years. The biannual conference took place in Geneva from the 8th to the 10th of July. With more than 500 participants it was the biggest meeting ever in the history of the society.
