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.
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.
Creative thinking forms the basis for many innovations in business, science, culture or everyday life. Despite its importance, the neurobiology of creativity has been researched very little. Scientists at Jacobs University have now measured our ability to develop new and original solutions – and discovered, among other things, that creativity can be specifically promoted through brain stimulation. The results of the study have recently been published in the renowned journal "Brain Structure and Function".
Wearing a face mask, washing your hands frequently, sufficient physical distance to other people, working remotely – the corona pandemic and the hygiene and distance policies that come with it, have a major impact on our everyday life. How far-reaching are these changes? A team of researchers at Jacobs University Bremen aims to find answers through a scientifically based online survey.
By describing values and attitudes that shape the actions and behavior of employees, organizational culture can make a significant contribution to the success of a company. But how can that culture best be understood – and changed if necessary? A research project at Jacobs University Bremen in cooperation with the global consulting company Hofstede Insights aims to develop a new application for measuring and monitoring corporate culture. The goal is to provide companies with a tool that increases effectiveness by aligning organizational culture and strategy.
Many patients do not understand their caregivers, doctors or therapists properly or do not seem to follow their recommendations. How can nurses in particular better support patients with little health competence? Within the framework of the European research project "IMPACCT", experts at Jacobs University Bremen have developed appropriate learning units for the training of future healthcare professionals. Their recommendations can be read in a recently published article in the nursing journal "PADUA".
Despite being highly motivated in the beginning, only very few individuals receiving a temporary disability pension manage to return to work. According to a recently published study, on average only one in a hundred respondents succeeds in doing so. The scientific study was conducted by Jacobs University Bremen in cooperation with the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Oldenburg-Bremen (German Pension Insurance Oldenburg-Bremen). "The reintegration of temporary disability pensioners is a major challenge," says Prof. Dr. Sonia Lippke, health psychologist at Jacobs University. "An increased social participation by means of returning to work would pay off both for the individual and for society as a whole.“
They teach and do research in different subject areas and come from different countries. All of them share a very similar motivation however: they want to teach and do research at an international, English-medium university, with students from over 100 nations and small learning groups. The team at Jacobs University Bremen is strengthened by a whole series of professors and university lecturers.
Many high school students spend a year abroad. Which impact does this experience have on the relationship with their home country, i.e. on their national identity? And how does the relationship with the host country develop? Dr. Regina Arant, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Psychology and Methods at Jacobs University Bremen, examined these questions in her dissertation "Who You Are Depends on Where You Are – The Impact of a High School Year Abroad on the National and Host Country Identity of German Exchange Students". For this work she has now been honored with the Ernst-E-Boesch Young Scholar Award 2019.
At the annual congress of the International Council of Psychologists (ICP) in Cádiz, Spain, Dr. Klaus Boehnke, Professor of Social Science Methodology at Jacobs University Bremen, was awarded the organization's Fukuhara Advanced International Research and Service Award. The award recognizes Boehnke's research as well as his exemplary commitment to international cooperation between psychologists and representatives of neighboring academic disciplines.
Digital change affects schools: But how do you shape it instead of just being at its mercy?
The first days, weeks and months are often decisive for the later success of one’s studies. First-year students at Jacobs University Bremen can be sure that the university will give them an excellent start. This was confirmed by the renowned CHE university ranking in its current evaluation. The English-language campus university achieved top marks in the categories "Support at the Beginning of Studies" and "International Orientation". This year, Jacobs University is represented in the most comprehensive and detailed ranking of the German-speaking university landscape with the two study courses Electrical and Computer Engineering as well as Psychology.
Patient injuries and errors in medical care can occur in gynecology and obstetrics. This is often caused by inadequate communication between those involved. A research project with five partner institutions and Jacobs University as consortium leader, headed by Dr. Sonia Lippke, Professor of Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, aims to change this to improve patient safety.
It is a win-win situation; workplace health promotion is beneficial for both employees and the company. In their study of many single tests on workplace health promotion, Prof. Dr. Sonia Lippke from Jacobs University Bremen and her colleague PD Dr. Aike Hessel from the German Pension Insurance Oldenburg-Bremen (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Oldenburg-Bremen) analyzed which types of measures are particularly effective. The motivation of employees by means of behavioral health promotion proved to be useful. However, company-wide measures and improvements in the working environment are even more effective.
Most people are aware that regular exercise is important to feel fit, healthy and connected. However, many don't know how to start exercising or they never find the right time to do the first step for a more physically active lifestyle. The aim of the new “Fit im Nord-Westen” program is to help people aged 60 and over who have so far done little or no physical activity at all. This program aims to help them becoming more active and age successfully. Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the research project is being carried out by the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology (BIPS), Jacobs University Bremen, the Institute for Computer Science in Oldenburg (OFFIS) and Chemnitz University of Technology. The patron is Anja Stahmann, Senator for Social Affairs, Youth, Women, Integration and Sport in Bremen.
Information technologies such as tablet PCs are playing an increasingly important role in the communication with patients. But how effective are they for older adults, who often have difficulties understanding medical information and who are not technology-affine? A recently published study by Jacobs University has investigated this. The result: traditional paper formats are better suited for this target group to communicate health-related information than those on tablet PCs.