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.
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.
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.“