Fu Psychology Broschure Screen

Department of Psychology
Contents
Contents
1 Preface of the President of Freie Universität Berlin

2 Freie Universität Berlin: Some Facts
4 Preface of the Vice-Dean of the Department of Psychology
5 The Department of Psychology
8 The Department of Psychology: Historical Notes
10 The Divisions of the Department
40 Studying Psychology at Freie Universität Berlin
42 Graduate and Ph.D. Programs
44 Excellence Initiative
46 Partners
47 Contacts with Addresses
48 Directions
The Department of Psychology is part of the entire Department of Education

and Psychology of Freie Universität Berlin. www.ewi-psy.fu-berlin.de/en
Preface of the President of Freie Universität Berlin
Future from the very beginning: this is the motto that probably most concisely represents
the history of our Freie Universität Berlin. This is also valid for the history of Psychol-
ogy that from the very start was part of the fields of study of the universitas litterarum.
Amongst the first institutions of Freie Universität, founded in 1948, was the Psychological
Institute. Here, under the guidance and leadership of such renowned scientists as Kripal
Singh Sodhi and Hans Hörmann, successful programs were developed, especially in the ar-
eas of Social Psychology and Psycholinguistics. Today the Department of Psychology is one
of the biggest and most successful in Germany.
In 2007 Freie Universität Berlin emerged as one of the nine successful universities to have
competed in the Excellence Initiative of the German Federal and State Governments. It was Prof. Dr. Dieter Lenzen
awarded the approval for a number of competition applications: five graduate schools, three
clusters and, in addition, its future strategy concept “International Network University”.
The Department of Psychology has also helped to decisively bring about this success and
it is participating here directly, namely through Arthur M. Jacobs and the successful excel-
lence cluster “Languages of Emotion”. In the sense of its future strategy concept, to which
Freie Universität is bound from the very beginning due to its eventful history, the Divisions
of Psychology maintain contact in manifold ways to both national as well as international
research institutes and non-scientific institutions. A global network that connects. I would
like to extend a warm welcome to you all here at Freie Universität Berlin.
Prof. Dr. Dieter Lenzen

President of Freie Universität Berlin
Department of Psychology | 1
Freie Universität Berlin: Some Facts
A Leading University
Freie Universität Berlin is a leading, internationally oriented university which consistently

ranks among the Top 10 universities in German national comparisons and always achieves
first position among these Top 10 universities in terms of the number of placements in a
wide range of rankings. Freie Universität offers more than 100 study programs in all scientific
and academic fields that make up a traditional comprehensive, multi-discipline university.
Freie Universität was founded in 1948 in response to the extreme restrictions placed on
students and faculty at the Universität Unter den Linden (from 1949 on Humboldt-Uni-
versität) located within the Soviet sector of the divided city of Berlin. During its founding
years, situated in West Berlin and being physically separated from the Federal Republic of
Germany, Freie Universität had to rely on its connections to and partnerships with organi-
zations and renowned personalities in West Germany, Europe, and the entire world in or-
der to survive both academically and intellectually. What started out as a necessity for sur-
“The Brain” – the library building designed by the Brit- vival rapidly became a strategy for success, and the policy of internationalization emerged
ish architect Lord Norman Foster.
as a guarantor for academic excellence. Freie Universität quickly developed into one of the
largest universities in Germany.
A Network University
Freie Universität cooperates closely with the other Berlin universities and with extramu-
ral institutions in the region. Due to its founding history as an international university, it
has a unique international network of more than 100 partners worldwide. The basis for the
2 | Freie Universität Berlin

Freie Universität Berlin: Some Facts
expansion of its networks is the cluster strategy that Freie Universität Berlin began imple-
menting in 2003. By providing a network for junior researchers, the Center for Graduate
Studies in Dahlem Research School coordinates the university’s structured Ph.D. programs
in accordance with international standards. In addition, the Alliance of Berlin Graduate
Schools, set up by the three large universities, works to further improve the education net-
work for junior researchers in Berlin.
Leading the Field in University Rankings

According to internal statistics, the excellent results for Freie Universität in the various re- The building complex for the Humanities and Social
Sciences has been completely reconstructed and now
cent university rankings can be attributed to the university’s exceptional increase in per-
reflects a new image. Its reconstruction was part of a
formance within all subject areas during the last years: third-party external funding, Ph.D. restoration process involving the entire central campus.
degrees, postdoc lecture qualifications and publications. This all took place even though
the number of appointed professorships dropped in the same period. In relevant univer-
sity rankings, Freie Universität holds a top placement position. It received the Total E-
Quality Award three times in succession for its equal opportunity policies (the proportion
of women completing Ph.D. degrees is 50 per cent) and has received awards for its family-
friendly policy. The international attraction of Freie Universität has increased considerably
in recent years. In The Times Higher Education Supplement the Social Sciences of Freie
Universität reached third place among all German universities, and the Humanities even
managed to climb the ladder to the top and come in first.
Inside the Philological Library.
Preface of the Vice-Dean of the Department of Psychology
Dear Colleagues,
It is my delight to welcome you on behalf of the Psychology Department of Freie Univer-

sität Berlin to the XXIX International Congress of Psychology 2008 (ICP 2008). ICP 2008 of-
fers an outstanding opportunity to obtain a representative picture of the state of the art in
our rapidly evolving discipline, which currently promises to unify social, cognitive, affec-
tive, and developmental approaches to mental life and human behavior.
Our department at Freie Universität mirrors this development very well. It offers cutting
edge neurocognitive methods, innovative programs in health, clinical, or developmental
psychology, as well as the latest statistical and neurocomputational modeling techniques.
These are used both to fill the gap between subjective experience, observable behavior, and
Prof. Dr. Arthur M. Jacobs brain activity, and to open new avenues to diagnostic and intervention programs in clini-
cal, educational, or organizational contexts. Two new positions dedicated to neuroscience
of emotion and to evolutionary psychology reflect our continuing efforts to increase the
cross-fertilization with other disciplines.
Current psychology has a lot to offer for a better understanding and managing of human
life. Come and join us in this fascinating enterprise!
Prof. Arthur M. Jacobs

Vice-Dean of the Department of Psychology
Chair of the Scientific Committee of ICP 2008

The Department of Psychology
The Department of Psychology at Freie Universität Berlin nowadays (2008) employs 12 full
and 3 junior professors, 62 research associates and 44 graduate assistants. Social, Behavio-
ral, and Neurocognitive Sciences make up the profile of the Department. In the future, Psy-
chology at Freie Universität Berlin will be especially dedicated to Health Psychology, Clini-
cal Psychology and Psychotherapy, Occupational and Industrial Psychology, and Experi-
mental as well as Neurocognitive Psychology. Research and teaching domains in detail:
3 Experimental and Neurocognitive Psychology, Biopsychology, Clinical Neuropsychology Aerial photo: “Rost- and Silberlaube”, the largest uni-
versity building complex in Dahlem, with the Philologi-
(pp. 10-17)
cal Library.
3 Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Health Psychology, Developmental Science
(pp. 18-27)
3 Occupational and Social Psychology (pp. 28-31)
3 Differential and Personality Psychology, Psychological Assessment (pp. 32-35)
3 Methods, Evaluation (pp. 36-39)
The Department of Psychology provides a sociopolitical benefit for both the region of Ber-
lin-Brandenburg as well as Germany by developing diagnostical and statistical/methodo-
logical techniques, offering counseling and therapy services, designing prevention pro-
grams (e.g. health promotion, violence prevention), training professionals from other dis-
ciplines (e.g. teachers), and applying research findings to practice.
Research Networks
In terms of the “International Network University”, a strategy that Freie Universität is
bound to since its foundation and also due to its eventful history, the Department of Psy-
chology cooperates closely with the other Berlin universities, extramural institutions in the
region, and international partners in the following research networks:
* German Research Foundation DFG 3 DFG* Research Unit “Between Interference and Optimization: Conflicts as Signals in
(Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
Cognitive Systems”
3 DFG Research Unit “Computational Modeling of Behavioral, Cognitive, and Neural
Dynamics”
3 Future Leaders of Aging Research in Europe (FLARE)
3 Autonomy Despite Multimorbidity in Old Age (AMA)
Main entrance of Habelschwerdter Allee 45. 3 Multimorbidity in Old Age and Selected Care Problems (GRADMAP)
3 Personal Resources of Elderly People With Multimorbidity: Fortification of Effective
Health Behavior (PREFER)
3 Fostering Lifelong Autonomy and Resources in Europe: Behavior and Successful Aging
(FLARE-BSA)
3 Collaborative Research Centre “Aesthetic Experience and the Dissolution of Artistic Limits”
3 “Languages of Emotion”, one of the three research clusters in the context of the federal
and state Excellence Initiative (see pp. 44-45)
A selection of the department’s wide ranging contacts can be found on page 46.

External Funding
In 2007, the salaries of 20 research associates and 13 graduate assistants were paid by ex-
ternal funding (e.g. Federal Ministries, German Research Foundation, and several other
Foundations). A sum total of several million Euro in funding has been procured in the
last years.
Lab Facilities
The equipment of the department allows us to perform exceptional work both in research
and education. Behavioral, neurocognitive and biopsychological labs are available (includ-
ing 3T fMRI, EEG, high-speed eye tracking etc.) as well as sleep research labs. An outpatient
treatment facility for psychotherapy will be established soon. Students of Psychology and
other disciplines are able to gain competencies in the fields of assessment, methods, inter-
vention, prevention, counseling, and are trained in the use of the technical equipment.
Study Programs
With the end of the fall term 2007/08, the diploma program Psychology at Freie Universität
Berlin was replaced by a Bachelor of Science program. The Master of Science program will
start in 2010. The Department of Psychology additionally offers a postgraduate masters de-
gree (Master of Public Health – MPH) in “Psychosocial Prevention and Health Promotion”.
In addition to more than 1,000 full term students in Psychology, students from other disci-
plines such as Educational Science also take courses and exams at the Department of Psy-
chology (see pp. 40-41).
The Psychology Department: Historical Notes
Graduate and Ph.D. Programs

To improve the education network for junior researchers, an alliance of graduate schools
and Ph.D. programs is provided. This includes the “Berlin School of Mind and Brain”,
“Neuropsychiatry and Psychology of Aging”, and the International Max-Planck Research
School “The Life Course: Evolutionary and Ontogenetic Dynamics (LIFE)” (see pp. 42-43).
The Department of Psychology at Freie Universität Berlin has a leading position in Ger-
many regarding the number of Ph.D. degrees awarded with an annual rate of 23 gradua-
tions on average (nearly 2 per professor). Among these graduates one can find a high per-
centage of international students who have received a DAAD (German Academic Exchange
Service) scholarship. Currently there are more than 100 Ph.D. students in Psychology.
The Department of Psychology: Historical notes
Three large universities is what you would expect nowadays, in a city of three million, that
attracts thousands of students and scholars every year both on a national level and from
all over the world. However, when Freie Universität Berlin was founded in 1948 during the
“Cold War” – back then located politically in the west and geographically in the south of
Berlin – the primary concern was not to accommodate more students or provide new re-
Wolfgang Schönpflug, the author of this section, search facilities for the faculty. Freie Universität was founded as an alternative academic in-
is Professor emeritus at Freie Universität Berlin.
stitution to escape the repression that the Soviet administration imposed on the students
and the faculty of the city’s traditional university – back then politically in the east although
it was geographically in the center of the city.

The Psychology Department: Historical Notes
Among the first departments of the newly founded Freie Universität was the Psychologi-
cal Institute. Under the leadership of researchers such as Kripal Singh Sodhi, Hans Hör-
mann and Klaus Holzkamp, the Psychology Department of Freie Universität developed
highly successful programs, especially in Social Psychology and Psycholinguistics. Since
then it has become one of the largest psychology departments in the nation.
In the late 1960’s, Freie Universität became heavily involved in the student protest move-
ment. In response to extreme political conflicts, the Psychology Department was divided
into two competing institutes. One institute pursued a program of Critical Psychology in
the tradition of Marxism, whereas the other institute followed the political mainstream by
offering research and training in the various fields of basic and applied psychology. After
two decades of separation, a new generation of faculty members came into office, and the
two institutes were reunited to become a single department with a variety of sections, rang-
ing from Cognitive Neuroscience to Organizational, Health, and Clinical Psychology. When World famous Gestalt theorist Wolfgang Köhler. In
1933 Professor Köhler resigned his chair at the tradi-
recently, during the national competition for academic excellence, Freie Universität was
tional Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Berlin in protest
named as being one of Germany’s top universities, the Psychology Department effectively against the National Socialist regime. In 1957 he re-
turned to Berlin to accept an honorary professorship at
contributed to this significant achievement.
the newly founded Freie Universität Berlin. He was also
The Psychology Department of Freie Universität Berlin welcomes the participants of the awarded an honorary membership at Freie Universität,
29th International Congress of Psychology and takes pride in its members who participat- a distinction that he shared with US President John F.
Kennedy.
ed in the preparation of the Congress and put in a lot of hard work – in particular Profes-
sor Ralf Schwarzer, vice-president of the Congress, and Professor Arthur M. Jacobs, chair-
man of the Scientific Committee.
The Divisions of the Department
Division of Experimental Psychology and Neuropsychology

(Allgemeine Psychologie und Neuropsychologie)
The Division of Experimental Psychology and Neuropsychology consists of Professor Michael

Niedeggen, Maria Hoffman and Michael Cugialy (lecturers), as well as research assistants.
Research Area
Research in our division is focused on the Experimental and Clinical Neuropsychology of
visual perception. By developing novel experimental designs, we examine the interaction
of visual stimulation, brain activation and stimulus appearance. Our experiments intend
to give a deeper insight into the mechanisms which support the conscious access to our
Prof. Dr. Michael Niedeggen visual environment. In our experiments on healthy observers, behavioral and physiological
data (EEG, ERP, EMG) are simultaneously recorded in order to identify the sensitive stage
of information processing. The experiments with neurological patients intend to identify
the brain regions crucial for visual processing.
The division carries out an extensive program of research, with projects especially devot-
ed to:
3 Visual Attention and Visual Awareness: Using the paradigm of ‘attention induced motion
blindness’, we examine the prerequisites of visual awareness of simple visual stimu-
li. National network project (www.uni-ulm.de/unbewusst). Research Grant: German Re-
search Foundation (2008-2011).

3 Decoding of Affective Stimuli (Faces, Voice) and Emotional Competencies: We aim to identify the
relevant factors which contribute to the decoding of affective states in other persons.
Cooperation with Professor M. Eid and Dr. T. Lischetzke (both Freie Universität Berlin).
Research Grant: Cluster of Excellence “Languages of Emotion” (2008-2010).
3 Processing of Illusory Words: The phenomenon of illusory words reflects the competi-
tion between visual word forms in the brain. We examine whether the affective valence
of a word produces a bias in this competition. Cooperation with Professor A. Jacobs
(Freie Universität Berlin). Research Grant: Cluster of Excellence “Languages of Emo-
tion” (2008-2010).
3 Clinical Neuropsychology of Visual Perception and Attention: Using a computer-based ap-
proach, we examine the higher visual function in neurological patients (stroke), and the
factors contributing to the recovery of a temporary dysfunction.
Within the next years, we aim to strengthen the following approaches:
3 Brain imaging techniques (fMRI) will be used to identify the neural implementation of Prof. Dr. Michael Niedeggen
functional processes mediating visual awareness. Freie Universität Berlin

Department of Education and Psychology
3 The clinical use of experimental paradigms testing visual attention (change blindness, Division of Experimental Psychology and
illusory words) will be examined. Neuropsychology
Habelschwerdter Allee 45
3 A computer-based test procedure for specific visual functions will be established. It will
14195 Berlin, Germany
be applicable in clinical settings as well as in the assessment of the road traffic licensing
niedegg@zedat.fu-berlin.de
board. www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/expneuro
Division of Experimental and Neurocognitive Psychology

(Allgemeine und Neurokognitive Psychologie)
The division investigates the neurocognitive basis of the interplay between language, emo-
tion and cognition using a multimethod approach which includes high-speed eye tracking,
EEG or fMRI. Its chair, Arthur Jacobs, has held a wide variety of positions including those
of senior researcher at the CNRS in Paris, Director of the Brain and Language Group at the
Center for Cognitive Neuroscience in Marseille, France and Professor of Psychology at the
Universities of Marburg and of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. He is principal investigator in three
DFG (German Research Foundation) grants, the excellence cluster “Languages of Emotion”,
and two grants of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The amount of external
Prof. Dr. Arthur M. Jacobs funding that the division has received in the last three years exceeds € 2 million. Current-
ly, about 25 persons work in the division, including three postdoc fellows and eight Ph.D.
students. With more than 100 international publications, a cumulative Scientific Citation
Index of 1590, and a cumulative Impact Factor of 250, the division hosts one of the leading
research groups in German Psychology.
The main focus of the division is research on reading and language processing. It in-
cludes areas such as word recognition, sentence and text comprehension, bilingualism,
specific learning disorders such as dyslexia and dyscalculia as well as the development of
new approaches to early diagnostic and intervention programs. Further research topics
are tackled in multiple collaborations (e.g. with Humboldt-Universität, Universität Pots-
dam and Freie Universität Berlin excellence cluster “Languages of Emotion”), including

the basic neurocognitive mechanisms of conflict resolution in recognition memory, the

integrated measurement of eye movements and brain-electrical signals in reading tasks as
well as language-dependent emotional reactions in normal populations and populations
with specific impairments. The combination of methods such as eye-tracking, EEG and
fMRI, and the integration of neuroimaging with computational modeling is another focus
of interest. Apart from several eye trackers and EEG systems, our research labs will also in-
clude a near-infrared spectrometer (NIRS), equipment for transcranial magnetic stimula-
tion (TMS) and a 3 Tesla MRI scanner within the year 2008. Teaching in the division, which
is partially done in English, focuses on training experimental techniques as well as the the-
oretical and methodological foundations of Neurocognitive Psychology.
The division offers a unique combination of wide-ranging research interests and ex-
traordinary neurocognitive lab facilities, thus providing fascinating opportunities for sci- 8-year-old participant in one of our EEG experiments.
entific collaboration to students, researchers and investors on a global scale. By integrating
basic research activities with more application-oriented projects, the division also attracts
practitioners from various fields of expertise, including pedagogy, psychotherapy and neu-
rotechnology.
Prof. Dr. Arthur Jacobs
Freie Universität Berlin
Division of Experimental and Neurocognitive Psychology
ajacobs@zedat.fu-berlin.de
www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/exppsy
Division of Cognitive Neuropsychology

(Kognitive Neuropsychologie)
The Division of Cognitive Neuropsychology at Freie Universität Berlin provides brain and
behavior research as well as teaching in the field of Biological Psychology. Our teaching
services are related to student education within the BSc program with courses on Psycho-
physiology and higher brain functions. Moreover, we offer an academic setting for second
level and Diploma studies as well as graduate education in attentional, memory related and
social brain processes. Our division is currently staffed by one professor, an academic as-
sociate, a private lecturer and two student assistants.
Our research within the field of Cognitive Neuropsychology is mainly conducted in our
Prof. Dr. Rainer Bösel EEG lab and characterized by the employment and further development of state of the art
techniques that analyze brain signals. Apart from ERP analyses within the time domain, we
have some 30 years of experience in analyzing oscillatory brain activity within the frequen-
cy domain. We use cutting edge Fourier- and wavelet-based time-frequency methods to in-
vestigate the role of event-related oscillations in human information processing.
A small sleep research lab is available and fully equipped, used in conjunction with the
Biopsychology Division. Numerous external cooperative partnerships offer multiple op-
portunities for the use of various other psychophysiological and brain imaging methods
(e.g. EDA and fMRI) and provide links to applied fields in education (e.g. attention), health
(e.g. psychosomatic therapy), Industrial Psychology (e.g. interface design), or the Arts (e.g.
aesthetics). Some special projects are focused on EEG correlates of false memories in co-

operation with Forensic Psychology in order to develop diagnostic instruments to uncov-

er outcomes of suggestive questioning. Another research topic concerns Social Neuropsy-
chology (e.g. task-related EEG alterations in adolescents with behavioral problems) where
we focus on EEG effects related to impulsive reactions within gambling tasks or with re-
gard to making moral decisions.
In order to prepare students for positions in Psychiatry, Clinical Neuropsychology, or
Behavior Modification, we develop teaching materials such as textbooks on Physiological
Psychology, Functional Brain Anatomy, EEG Methods, and a CD atlas on Brain and Think-
ing. A small collection of psychological equipment that has been installed since the found- Collection of former psychological equipment: Meas-
uring value attribution in social psychology. An appa-
ing of Freie Universität is available to students.
ratus from the 1960’s, designed by Klaus Holzkamp, to
change coin diameters.
Prof. Dr. Rainer Bösel

Division of Cognitive Neuropsychology
EEG time frequency plot: rboesel@zedat.fu-berlin.de
Parietal alpha activity. www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/cogpsy
Division of Biopsychology (Biopsychologie)
The Biopsychology Division, led by Professor Dr. Peter Walschburger, conducts empirical
studies on different subjects in the fields of Psychophysiology and Sleep Research focused
both on basic as well as applied issues. We use a multimethod approach, including a com-
puter-assisted process analysis of biosignals from different functional systems of the body,
such as ANS (ECG, EDA, Blood pressure, Plethysmogram), SMS (EMG) and CNS (EEG) as
well as different behavioral measures and the assessment of verbal reports. The labs are un
der the supervision of Dipl.-Psych. Lars Michael. Teaching and research activities are sup
ported by several research associates and student assistants. Collaborations exist with other
research groups in Psychophysiology, as well as with several practitioners, primarily within
Prof. Dr. Peter Walschburger the fields of medicine and sports.
Psychophysiological research simultaneously considers the main somatic functions as
well as behavioral phenomena and verbal reports aiming at analyzing and answering dif-
ferent theoretical and practical questions. Our research areas include:
3 experimental studies and conceptual analysis on activation and motivation, on emotion

and the problem of specific emotional reaction pattern, on stress and coping,
3 psychophysiological studies of stress-strain-processes inside and outside the lab,
3 computer-aided design of diagnostic procedures and experimental methods for the as-
sessment of regulation processes and patterns, and of coping with stress and overload
in different fields as in clinical settings and within the field of sports,

3 experimental approaches on instructed and automatic attention shifts toward task-rel-

evant and personally significant stimuli, including basic research on lie-detection,
3 studies on subjective state perception during physiological sleep in healthy subjects
and in patients with various sleep disorders (collaboration with Dr. Hartmut Schulz,
Erfurt),
3 changes in physiological activation, subjective perception, and attentional processes
during total sleep deprivation.
Research and teaching activities focus

3 on the mechanisms and origins of human behavior and on the analysis of relations be-
tween human cognition, motivation, and emotion in human action,
3 on teaching and practice in specific methods within the domains of Psychophysiology
and Sleep Research,
3 on the conception of a Biopsychology of health emphasizing the course of person-envi-
ronmental interactions in health and disease,
3 on a more comprehensive biopsychological perspective and conception of Anthropo
Prof. Dr. Peter Walschburger
logy, considering human beings both as objects of the Natural Sciences (including
both a functional analysis of the evolutionary, historical and ontogenetic background Department of Education and Psychology
as well as investigations on physiological mechanisms underlying human behavior) Division of Biopsychology
and as subjects of the Humanities (including all characteristic methods of this kind
of research).
wa@zedat.fu-berlin.de
www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/biopsy
Division of Health Psychology

(Gesundheitspsychologie)
The field of Health Psychology is dedicated to the scientific study of psychological factors
within physical illness, stress and coping, health-compromising and health-enhancing be-
haviors as well as health promotion. The Division of Health Psychology at Freie Univer-
sität Berlin endeavors to provide a stimulating academic environment that advances schol-
arship and the pursuit of knowledge while striving for excellence in graduate education.
We aim at theory development, testing and refinement with different approaches, such as
conceptualizing health behavior changes as a continuous or stage process. Furthermore,
we translate research findings into practice, advise workplace health promotion programs,
Prof. Dr. Ralf Schwarzer and train health care professionals (e.g. diabetes counselors, practitioners).
Health behavior change refers to theories, analyses, and interventions regarding smok-
ing cessation, dietary behavior, physical activity, condom use, dental care, hygiene, and oth-
er behaviors. Moreover, special emphasis is placed upon health behavior change and suc-
cessful development across the life-span including the prevention of chronic diseases such
as diabetes, cardiovascular illness.
The Division of Health Psychology at Freie Universität comprises an active group of re-
searchers whose work is devoted to the entire field of Health Psychology. It consists of one
professor (Ralf Schwarzer), two lecturers and senior research scientists (Sonia Lippke and
Jochen P. Ziegelmann), junior lecturers, administrators, doctoral students, and research as-
sistants (partly funded by extramural funding). In the last 25 years, Health Psychology in

Berlin has developed remarkably in terms of academic appointments, collaborating insti-

tutions, and research funding. It attracts many doctoral students and visitors from all over
the world. The division carries out an extensive program of research and teaching in these
areas. It specializes in health behavior change across the lifespan, in particular physical ac-
tivity, dietary behaviors, and smoking cessation. Moreover, we conduct studies on stress,
coping, and social support (e.g. in the context of surgery).The division is devoted to teach-
ing within the entire field of Health Psychology. Its educational contribution is reflected
by prominent modules in the Diploma, Bachelor and Master programs. In particular, there
is a joint Master of Science program in Clinical and Health Psychology with the first group
of students starting their studies in 2010. Joint Ph.D. programs: International Max Planck
Research School on the Life Course; Neuropsychiatry and Psychology of Aging; Multimor-
bidity in Old Age and Selected Care Problems.
Health Psychology at Freie Universität Berlin is part of an international network. Ralf
Schwarzer is also adjunct professor at York University (Canada). He has received the Ger-
man Psychology Award 2007. Sonia Lippke is a research associate at the University of Alberta
(Canada) and is cooperating with the University of Hawai’i (USA). Jochen P. Ziegelmann is
Prof. Dr. Ralf Schwarzer
the chair of the interdisciplinary research consortium Fostering Lifelong Autonomy and Re-
sources in Europe: Behavior and Successful Aging (FLARE-BSA) (www.health-and-aging.de). Department of Education and Psychology
Health Psychology Division
ralf.schwarzer@fu-berlin.de
www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/healthpsy
ivision of Developmental Science and Applied Developmental Psychology

D
(Entwicklungswissenschaft und Angewandte Entwicklungspsychologie)
Developmental Science is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of biopsychosocial fac-

tors constituting normative as well as deviating human development across the life-span.
The aim of Applied Developmental Psychology is the translation of findings from Devel-
opmental Science into practice (e.g. development of appropriate prevention and interven-
tion programs).
The division is currently (2008) staffed by one junior professor, one honorary and one
professor emeritus, eight academic staff, five student assistants, two fellowship holders, one
administrative officer, and several freelance staff. External funding is available from gov-
Prof. Dr. Herbert Scheithauer ernmental organizations and foundations. A sum total of approx. € 1.2 million in funding
has been procured in the last years (2004-2008).
Recent research projects:

3 The development of social-emotional competence and design/evaluation of preven-
tive interventions in preschool education: e.g. Papilio and ALEPP-Study (www.papilio.de);
BELLA-Study (Mental Health Module; www.bella-studie.de).
The European Journal of 3 The development of social-emotional/moral competence, bullying in schools and gen-
Developmental Science
der differences in the development of aggression in children and adolescents as well as
– launched in 2007.
the design/evaluation of preventive interventions for adolescents: e.g. fairplayer.manual
and fairplayer.sport (www.fairplayer.de).

3 The development and prevention of school shootings and amok runs: e.g. the Berlin
Leaking Project (www.leaking-projekt.de).
Research projects are jointly undertaken in cooperation with various partners, e.g.: Max
Planck Institute for Human Development Berlin, Robert Koch Institute Berlin, Charité Ber-
lin, or beta Institut für sozialmedizinische Forschung und Entwicklung gGmbH Augsburg.
The division is one of the first divisions in Germany offering lectures and programs de- Marionette “Zornibold” – representing the basic emo-
tion “anger”. Part of the prevention programm “Papil-
voted to Developmental Science. Professor Scheithauer is Editor-in-Chief of the Europe-
io” for preschool children in cooperation with beta In-
an Journal of Developmental Science (www.ejds.net) and co-author of the first textbook on stitut, Augsburg, and the “Augsburger Puppenkiste”
(http://www.diekiste.net).
Developmental Science, “Entwicklungswissenschaft” (2004).
Students are educated and trained in the implementation and evaluation of several pre-
vention programs. The division offers study courses in the BSc and diploma degree pro-
grams in Psychology. Professor Scheithauer is Faculty Member at the International Max
Planck Research School “LIFE”.
During the next years, experimental design and longitudinal research projects on the de-
velopment of social-emotional competence, bullying/cyberbullying and aggression/social Prof. Dr. Herbert Scheithauer
ostracism will be conducted. It is one major goal of the division to edit scientific knowl- Freie Universität Berlin
edge on human development across the life-span and to make it available to both policy- Division of Developmental Science and Applied
makers and the general public. Developmental Psychology
hscheit@zedat.fu-berlin.de
www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/devsci
Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy

(Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie)
The Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at Freie Universität is devoted to

research, teaching, and intervention in order to obtain advanced knowledge about mental
health and mental health care. Additional topics include psychosocial factors in physical
illness, prevention, and resource-oriented interventions. Teaching is centered on theory as
well as on the practice of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy in accordance with the
scientist-practitioner model. The goal is to prepare students so that they can work in vari-
ous fields (e.g. in- and outpatient psychotherapy and rehabilitation, clinical assessment,
prevention, counseling, and research). Teaching of the division contributes to the diploma,
Prof. Dr. Babette Renneberg bachelor, and master programs. In particular, there is a joint Master of Science program
of the divisions of Clinical and Health Psychology, whose first students will start studying
in 2010.
Soon, a new outpatient treatment facility (Hochschulambulanz) for psychotherapy will
be established providing services for adults and children. This center will develop and eval-
uate state of the art treatment for selected disorders and problems. Students have the op-
portunity to participate here.
Two teams (two full professors, Babette Renneberg and Anna Auckenthaler, seven re-
search associates, several Ph.D. students, and research assistants) with different emphases
represent Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at Freie Universität.

Professor Babette Renneberg’s Team

Based on cognitive and learning theories we focus on the etiology, maintenance, and treat-
ment of mental disorders as well as the promotion of mental health. Our approaches in-
clude experimental and empirical methods. One focus is the transfer from theory and basic
research to application within clinical settings. A postgraduate training program for child
and adolescent psychotherapy will be established leading to a master’s degree as well as a
state license (Approbation).
Main research interests:

Anxiety disorders, personality disorders, cognitive-behavior therapy, psychosocial factors in
physical illness, implementation of psychosocial treatment for patients with severe burn in-
juries, emotion regulation in clinical populations, autobiographical memory, interactional
behavior and nonverbal behavior, adherence to treatment approaches
Extramural funding:
Evaluation and implementation of psychotherapeutical intervention after severe burn in-
Prof. Dr. Babette Renneberg
juries (Deutsche gesetzliche Unfallversicherung, DGUV)
Cooperation: Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
Charité Berlin (Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy), UKB Marzahn (Zentrum für
Schwerbrandverletzte), Postgraduate Psychotherapy Training Program (www.zphu.de), Ger-
b.renneberg@fu-berlin.de
man Chinese Academy of Psychotherapy (DACP) www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/clinpsy
Professor Anna Auckenthaler’s Team

Based on a comprehensive contextual approach of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy,
Anna Auckenthaler, Jeannette Bischkopf, Anja Hermann, and Ingeborg Schürmann focus
on interpersonal and relational understandings of mental health and mental disorders.
A central aspect of our program is a resource-oriented and salutogenetic perspective
with special emphasis on concepts and conditions that contribute to psychological health
and on resources that help people cope with adverse life conditions, stressful life events
and psychological disorders.
Main research and teaching interests:

The social and historical context of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, developments
Prof. Dr. Anna Auckenthaler and trends in mental health care, training and development of psychotherapists, clinical su-
pervision, psychotherapy process research, mechanisms of change, experiential psychother-
apies, depression, Psycho-oncology, concepts and methods of Community Psychology.
We utilize a broad range of qualitative and quantitative research methods in the context
of process research, practice-based research, and participatory research. Our program has
a strong focus on computer-assisted techniques for coding verbal materials, and we are in-
terested in the integration of various research approaches from qualitative and quantita-
tive traditions.
All of the instructors have practical professional experience and skills in the areas of
Psychotherapy, Counseling, and Psychiatry. Since 2002, the group has participated in the
postgraduate training of psychotherapists that Freie Universität Berlin has being operat-

ing in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Verhaltenstherapie (www.dgvt.de).

Furthermore, the division is also involved in curriculum development and teaching of
postgraduate training courses for mental health professionals at the Gesundheitsakademie
der Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.
Research Projects:
3 Emotional processing in the treatment of depression
3 Psychotherapeutic orientation and identity of psychotherapists in training
3 Failure in psychotherapy from the client’s perspective
3 Development of self-help structures for patients with aggressive fibroid tumors
3 Evaluation and development of the NetzWerkstatt as prototype of a scientific virtual community
Cooperation:
3 Psychotherapy Research Clinic, York University, Toronto, Canada
3 Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
3 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Verhaltenstherapie (DGVT)
Prof. Dr. Anna Auckenthaler
3 Institut für Emotionsfokussierte Therapie, Munich
3 ajb GmbH Berlin (gemeinnützige Gesellschaft für Jugendberatung und psychosoziale Department of Education and Psychology
Rehabilitation) Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
3 Abteilung Spezielle Chirurgische Onkologie und Thoraxchirurgie, Universitätsklini-
kum Mannheim
a.auckenthaler@fu-berlin.de
3 Institut für Qualitative Forschung, Berlin www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/clinpsy
Division of Prevention and Psychosocial Health Research

(Prävention und psychosoziale Gesundheitsforschung)
Health promotion and prevention pose a challenge for medical and psychological services.
The Division of Prevention and Psychosocial Health Research at Freie Universität Berlin is
devoted to sustaining Health Promotion and Prevention in research, teaching and practice.
Since 1991 the Division of Prevention and Psychosocial Health Research offers a two-year
postgraduate program for health professionals (physicians, psychologists, educational pro-
fessionals, etc.) in “Psychosocial Prevention and Health Promotion” (www. fu-berlin.de/ipg).
The students earn a master’s degree (Master of Public Health – MPH).
The team consists of one Professor (Dieter Kleiber), two lecturers (Burkhard Gusy and
Prof. Dr. Dieter Kleiber Rüya Kocalevent), four junior lecturers, administrators, several Ph.D. students, and two re-
search assistants. We conduct research and teach courses in the field of Public Health with
special focus on public mental health and mental health promotion. The members of the
team think of themselves as being service providers that develop, survey, carry out and eval-
uate intervention programs.
Postgraduate Program and Academic Curriculum

There is clear agreement in politics concerning the necessity of prevention. To establish
contemporary, effective, and lasting Health Promotion and Prevention, specifically educat-
ed skilled personnel is needed. The division offers a postgraduate master program (Master

of Public Health – MPH) in “Psychosocial Prevention and Health Promotion” to impart

this knowledge and provide the respective qualification.
Research Projects
Research is focused on questions concerning psychosocial aspects of health. Research top-
ics are HIV infection/AIDS, drug abuse, and the implementation of evaluation studies in
Prevention and Health Promotion.
Current Projects:
3 Evaluation of a nationwide HIV prevention campaign for MSM (men having sex with
men)
3 Evaluation of intervention programs to prevent back pain
3 Health status and behavior of students: A longitudinal study.
Co-operations
The division is part of a network of public health institutions in Berlin. Cooperating insti-
Prof. Dr. Dieter Kleiber
tutions in our postgraduate program are engaged in health research, administration, epide-
miology and health services. We are a member of the Association of Schools of Public Health Department of Education and Psychology
in the European Region (ASPHER) and the German Society of Public Health (DGPH). Our Division of Prevention and Psychosocial Health Research
current projects are funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), occupational health
and safety agencies as well as regional public authorities.
Dieter.Kleiber@fu-berlin.de
www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/prevpsy
Division of Industrial and Social Psychology

(Wirtschafts- und Sozialpsychologie)
The division of Industrial and Social Psychology, for university teaching purposes, pro-
vides both basic subjects (Social Psychology) in overview as well as applied subjects
(Organizational, Industrial, Market and Advertising Psychology as well as Assessment/
Aptitude Testing) in depth. Our tasks and services provided are related to the education of
students in both programs Major and Minor Psychology as well as the BSc program. There-
by we also act as a nodal point to other disciplines such as Business Studies and Econom-
ics. Our profile in research and teaching is made up of the following focal points: Person-
nel and Organizational Development / Human Resources, Assessment / Aptitude Testing
Prof. Dr. Detlev Liepmann and Corporate Culture, Evaluation and Quality Management of Personnel Development
Measures, Transport Psychology, Market and Advertising Psychology, and Training, Coach-
ing, Consulting. The setting up of a MSc study program that focuses on Industrial Psy-
chology aspects is planned in the near future. For this, projects in the areas of Personnel
Psychology (Assessment / Aptitude Testing, Test Development) will be realized and are cur-
rently being planned.
The division is currently staffed by one professor (plus one professor emeritus), two lec-
turers, five research associates and seven academic project staff. External funding is cur-
rently available from one federal ministry, the automotive sector as well as scientific insti-
tutions and research institutes. All-in-all, a sum total of approx. € 5 million in funding has
been procured in the last years.

Research in our field takes place in close cooperation with numerous external, non-
university institutions (production, administrative, and scientific organizations). External-
ly funded projects are focused on the topics Work, Organizational as well as Industrial Psy-
chology. Especially problems and research aspects of Assessment/Aptitude Testing, Leader-
ship Research and Corporate Culture are the current focal areas. Vis-à-vis our partners we
provide and guarantee consulting and advice services on all queries and problems having
to do with methods, content and the professional area that we are dealing with, represent-
ing the nodal point between research/theory and the practical side of things. Our field is
highly focused on empirics and works in an interactive manner with the respective part-
ners. Our dictum is reacting quickly, clearly and concisely to the needs of our practical
partners and this on a highly professional academic level.
Our field sees itself as having the duty of preparing students for the varied practical work
areas they will face later in life as well as also training and supporting the next generation
of young academics and scientists. As an example: ten former employees of the division
Industrial and Social Psychology are now working as university professors and lecturers at
relevant institutions.
Prof. Dr. Detlev Liepmann
Division of Industrial and Social Psychology
liepmann@zedat.fu-berlin.de
www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/indsocpsy
Division of Work, Occupational, and Organizational Psychology

(Arbeits-, Berufs- und Organisationspsychologie)
The division is primarily dedicated to research and teaching in the domains of structural
change in the nature of work, organizational development, individual career development,
and work–life balance across the life-span. Defining qualities of the division are a develop-
mental perspective on Work and Organizational Psychology, a focus on the development of
professions and gender relations, close connections to sociological research as well as the
critical reflection on structural change within the nature of work.
The team consists of Professor Dr. Ernst-H. Hoff, Dr. Hans-Uwe Hohner, Dr. Ulrike
Schraps, Dipl.-Psych. Dipl.-Ök. Luiza Olos, and Dipl.-Psych. Johannes Geffers.
Prof. Dr. Ernst-H. Hoff Research in the division focuses on the career development of working women, men,
and couples. Following earlier projects on personality development in the occupational
biographies of skilled workers, the development of ecological responsibility within the
workplace, and the development of individuals setting up their own business, a DFG-fund-
ed (German Research Foundation) project traced career trajectories in two graduate pro-
fessions, namely Medicine and Psychology, over a period of several years. Our findings
showed that the different career paths taken by men and women (and their corresponding
career successes) emerge in connection with various forms of life management and “work–
life balance”. Ways of configuring the relationships between work and leisure time, career
and family, and the occupational and private biography as a whole were also the focus of
a BMBF-funded (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) project on young entrepre-

neurs and employees in small, innovative IT companies. In addition to the development

of forms of organizational cooperation and conflict, we were particularly interested in the
work-driven lifestyles of people for whom the boundaries between working and private
life have almost ceased to exist. These research topics will be examined further in future
projects. The findings of our research provide a conceptual framework for practice-based
career and development coaching.
Students are introduced to Occupational/Organizational Psychology, career develop-
ment from the gender perspective, structural change in the nature of work, new career bi-
ographies and entrepreneurship, forms of cooperation and conflict in organizations. They
are trained in methods of conflict management (facilitation, mediation, coaching), work–
life balance and gender, dual-career couples, career development diagnosis as well as em-
ployee selection.
The division is committed to forging strong links between theory and practice; to this
end, practitioners are regularly invited to give lectures and teach courses.
Services available to partner institutions and sponsors are consultancy as well as the
development and evaluation of programs on organizational and individual career devel- Prof. Dr. Ernst-H. Hoff
opment. Freie Universität Berlin

The ever increasing pace of structural change within the nature of work implies new Division of Work, Occupational, and Organizational
forms of life management and career strategies. It thus seems particularly important to Psychology
include research and teaching in Occupational and Organizational Psychology within the
Masters program in Psychology that will start in 2010.
ehoff@zedat.fu-berlin.de
www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/occorgpsy
Division of Psychological Assessment, Differential and Personality Psychology

(Psychologische Diagnostik, Differentielle und Persönlichkeitspsychologie)
Differential and Personality Psychology deals with the description, analysis, and explana-
tion of intra- and interindividual differences, whereas Psychological Assessment, building
upon the knowledge bases provided by Differential and Personality Psychology, is con-
cerned with the development, evaluation, and use of methods, strategies, and instruments
to assess person and situation variables and their systematic interaction.
The Division of Psychological Assessment, Differential and Personality Psychology sets a

focus on basic research subjects as well as on applied topics in research and teaching. In
Prof. Dr. Tuulia Ortner our lectures and courses in the domain of Psychological Assessment, we provide students
with a modern and detailed view of the various possibilities of Psychological Assessment.
Apart from basic methodological knowledge, students are expected to obtain core compe-
tencies in the evaluation of assessment methods and the assessment process as a whole
within the different areas of application. In the course of their studies, students should
make their own experiences and trials; therefore, proper training courses related to the
transfer of practical skills (e.g. test application and scoring, interviewing, behavior obser-
vation, report writing) are provided. In our teaching, we would like to ensure that students
take a critical view of matters, which should not bind their hands with regard to the practi-
cal side of things, but encourage them to responsibly and thoughtfully use their acquired
knowledge of psychological assessment.

The division’s contributions to research within the domain of Psychological Assessment

focus on the connection of basic and experimental findings and their practical implica-
tions. Recent projects emphasize two areas of research:
3 We investigate gender effects and fairness issues within standardized Psychological As-
sessment. We seek to know more about the contribution of gender stereotypes and per-
sonality characteristics upon intellectual performance. We also investigate the effects
arising from the application of different ways of test administration and item presenta-
tion on test takers that differ in their personality characteristics.
3 Another focus is laid on Objective Tests in the sense of R.B. Cattell: They aim to deduce Research Network: http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/phil/psych/
professuren/diffpsy/Netzwerk-OPT/index.php
personal characteristics of style from observable behavior on experimentally varied
(mostly achievement orientated) performance tasks. Innovative concepts are designed
for computerized assessment and clearly benefit from computer-aided design. In co-
operation with national and international investigators, a research network has been
established linking different related projects, mostly focusing on aspects of validity.
Prof. Dr. Tuulia Ortner
As far as the domain of Differential and Personality Psychology is concerned, the division Freie Universität Berlin
pursues a social-cognitive approach to personality. Individuals are conceived of as entities Division of Psychological Assessment, Differential and
that construct themselves as well as their physical and social environments in individu- Personality Psychology
al ways. There are close connections to the theory of personal constructs by George Kelly
and the cognitive-affective personality system theory that stems from Walter Mischel and
tuulia.ortner@fu-berlin.de
Yuichi Shoda. Both theories are combined with a social-constructionist view of Psychology www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/diagpers
and science at large. For us, personality itself is a construct constructed in very different
ways within Personality Psychology. No reality or nature of personality beyond these vari-
ous constructions has been discovered as yet. Even the concepts of reality and nature are
the results of constructions.
To declare personality as a (socially) constructed entity is not the end, but only the begin-
ning of proper empirical investigations. Therefore, we are interested when it comes to our
research in the construction process, its preconditions, consequences, and side effects. We
would like to know how persons proceed when constructing themselves and the situations
in which they are, on what circumstances their constructions depend, and what the con-
sequences are that their constructions have for the persons themselves and their environ-
ments. In accordance with a social-constructionist view, social influences are of primary
Prof. Dr. Hans Westmeyer importance and have to be considered from the very start.
Another topic of our research is the concept of creativity. We do not follow tradition-
al approaches that construct creativity as a property of persons, processes, products, and/
or environments, but rather favor a relational view building upon the systems perspective
of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. The logical structure of the creativity concept is not that of a
property (e.g. an ability), but that of a multi-placed relation which includes, besides an in-
dividual and his or her product, a domain as well as the respective field. This way of con-
structing the creativity concept has interesting consequences for assessment and research
within this area.
In addition, the Division of Psychological Assessment, Differential and Personality Psy-
chology is open to research on methodological issues. Theoretical Psychology is no longer

part of the curriculum of the new study programs (BSc., MSc.), but will retain its place in
our division. Persons interested in foundational problems of psychology are, therefore, en-
couraged to pursue their interests within our division.
The division is represented by two professorships, Tuulia Ortner with her focus on Psy-
chological Assessment and Hans Westmeyer with his focus on Differential and Personal-
ity Psychology, working with a team that includes four associated scientists and two stu-
dent assistants. It maintains a modern computer lab with six PCs, including modern test
software and an observer station for data collection. This is implemented within teach-
ing courses and can also be used by students assessing data for their projects as well as for
projects in cooperation with public organizations and companies. We also heartily wel-
come students and researchers from abroad who would like to join our research for a cer-
tain time. One cubicle of our test lab.
Prof. Dr. Hans Westmeyer

Division of Psychological Assessment, Differential and
Personality Psychology
Hans.Westmeyer@fu-berlin.de
www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/diagpers
Division of Methods and Evaluation (Methoden und Evaluation)
The Division of Methods and Evaluation (Head: Michael Eid) consists of one full professor
and nine researchers. The division is responsible for the teaching of research methodology,
data analysis, and evaluation. We conduct research on many different topics:
3 Development, testing, and application of new multivariate statistical models. We are

particularly interested in new methods for the analysis of longitudinal data and multi-
trait-multimethod (MTMM) data, including models that allow for an analysis of longi-
tudinal MTMM (“multitrait-multimethod-multioccasion”) data. In future projects, we
also plan to develop longitudinal MTMM models for categorical data. Moreover, we are
Prof. Dr. Michael Eid working on a mixture distribution longitudinal model to identify subpopulations (la-
tent classes) of individuals who differ with respect to their stability and variability on
psychological dimensions.
3 Mood regulation processes. One line of our research focuses on the direct and indirect
assessment of individual differences in meta-mood processes and the role of attention
to feelings and affective clarity in mood regulation. Another focus is on personality and
mood regulation (e.g. how does mood regulation explain the link between personality
and subjective well-being?).
3 Genetic and cultural influences on subjective well-being. Currently, we are exploring
cultural differences within norms for emotions and ideal affect between German and
Turkish populations in a multimethod study collaborating with social anthropologists.

3 SWB and adaptation to life events. Our research focuses on the adaptation to multiple
events. In particular, we are interested in adaptation process when one event (e.g. unem-
ployment, divorce) occurs several times, and how the experience of multiple events of
the same type influences subjective well-being.
3 Skin cancer prevention. Another focus of research is on health education and promo-
tion (e.g. skin cancer prevention). Our current research concentrates on theory-based
interventions for adolescents. In this age group, it is important to go beyond the wide-
spread knowledge-building interventions that aim to increase risk perception as ado-
lescents tend to strongly underestimate the long-term risks of behaviors.
3 Gender Differences in Mental Rotation. We study gender differences in mental rotation
in detail and seek to identify correlates and causes of these differences.
The division combines substantive and methodological research. In collaborative projects

we provide our expertise in methodology, for example by offering sophisticated methods
of data analysis (e.g. latent structural equation analyses of longitudinal MTMM data). Stu-
dents benefit from a large number of theoretical and application-oriented classes on re-
Prof. Dr. Michael Eid
search methodology and statistics. Furthermore, students can complete their Diploma and
Bachelor’s theses in our group and choose between a variety of substantive and methodo- Department of Education and Psychology
logical topics. Division of Methods and Evaluation
Our research is currently funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), and has
been funded by other research foundations and private companies in the past.
eid@zedat.fu-berlin.de
www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/psymeth
Division of Evaluation, Quality Assurance and Quality Management

in Educational Science and Psychology (Evaluation, Qualitätssicherung und
Qualitätsmanagement in Erziehungswissenschaft und Psychologie)
The division “Evaluation, Quality Assurance and Quality Management in Educational Sci-
ence and Psychology“ is represented by Professor Renate Soellner, eight research assistants
and five student assistants. Seven research assistants are engaged in four research projects
financed by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Federal Ministry of Education
and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).
At the interface of psychology and educational science we offer programs for the diplo-
ma, bachelor’s, and master’s degree.
Prof. Dr. Renate Soellner Our main focus is on methods of evaluation research. We encourage the acquisition of
knowledge in evaluation and quality assurance during academic formation. We are special-
ized in applied research and undertake this by transferring scientific knowledge to practice.
Following services are provided:

3 Planning, conducting and analyzing evaluation studies
3 Counseling for planning, conducting and analyzing evaluation projects
3 Advanced education and training in evaluation research methods, meta-evaluation, sta-
tistics and analysis with SPSS
3 Training courses for teaching and learning in higher education (academic staff development)
3 Evaluation research in the fields of education, health promotion and prevention.

Contents of our current research projects are:

3 Health literacy: conceptualization and validation of a competence model
3 Assessment of the development of professional competencies during students’ intern-
ships
3 Teachers’ beliefs and approaches to teaching in higher education
3 Evaluation of children’s back-up care at Freie Universität Berlin
3 Evaluation of cognitive behavioral telephone interventions for caregivers of patients
with dementia
3 Evaluation of socio-therapeutical tandem groups of persons with dementia and their
caregivers.
The department is embedded in diverse joint research projects with partners at Freie Uni-
versität Berlin and other universities (e.g., Bonn, Darmstadt, Halle, Siegen), as well as with
companies in the field of education, culture and business. We are also committed members
of the German Association for Evaluation (DeGEval).
One of our key competencies lies in bridging the gap between practical fields and sci- Prof. Dr. Renate Soellner
ence. This is often requested by our clients against the background of the growing impor- Freie Universität Berlin
tance of high-quality evaluation. Division of Evaluation, Quality Assurance and Quality
Besides teaching evaluation research methods, we also educate students in social and Management in Educational Science and Psychology
personal competencies that are required by evaluators. Additionally, we provide students
the possibility of participating in real evaluation projects in which they gain hands-on ex-
soellner@zedat.fu-berlin.de
perience within the field of evaluation. www.fu-berlin.de/psychology/evalqsqm
Studying Psychology at Freie Universität Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin offers a bachelor program leading to the degree “Bachelor of Sci-
ence” and a master program leading to the degree “Master of Public Health (MPH)”. Fur-
ther master programs (Master of Science in Psychology) focusing on Clinical and Health
Psychology, on Industrial and Work Psychology as well as on Neurocognitive Research will
start in 2010.
The bachelor program runs three years with a total of 180 Credits (ECTS). It starts with
introductory courses in Experimental, Biological, Social as well as Differential Psychology
and Statistics accompanied by tutorials and computer courses. The second year is charac-
terized by its early connection of fundamental with applied fields of psychology. Students
take courses in Developmental and Neurocognitive Psychology as well as in Organizational
and Industrial Psychology and Psychological Intervention. In addition, there are extensive
courses in Psychological Assessment and a practical course where students perform their
own research work within a group context. In the third year students take advanced courses
in Clinical, Health, and Work Psychology. In the last year they will also carry out their own
research projects. In lieu of this, students can also choose to carry out work on a library dis-
Recommended reading: Einführung in die Psychologie by sertation (bachelor’s thesis). As part of the bachelor program students have to complete a
Wolfgang Schönpflug (2006: Beltz/PVU) or Psychology
12-week internship in a relevant occupational field of Psychology.
and Life by Richard Gerrig and Philip Zimbardo (2007:
Prentice Hall) [German edition 2008: Psychologie. However, due to common misconceptions about Psychology, it is advisable to read an in-
München: Pearson Studium].
troduction to the subject before applying to study Psychology.

The interdisciplinary master program Psychosocial Prevention and Health Promotion

is committed to higher level education in the field of public health. During four semes-
ters students are qualified in research work and the application of health equity, health
promotion and prevention, improvement of quality of life, evaluation of health problems
and programs as well as quality management in health care systems. Behavioral Sciences/
Health Education, Health Promotion and Prevention, Demographics and Epidemiology,
Biostatistics and project-based courses are core courses of this program.
Admission to the bachelor program is possible once a year during the fall semester.
For details please contact Freie Universität Berlin (www.fu-berlin.de) or Dr. Stefan Petri at Application details are listed at www.ipg-berlin.de/
postgraduales_studium
the Psychology Information Office (www.ewi-psy.fu-berlin.de/sbpsy). Admission to the master
program is possible every second year in October. Prospective students need a degree (BA)
from health-related disciplines.
Freie Universität Berlin has a long tradition of welcoming international students. Al-
though the number of regular students coming from all walks of life throughout the coun- For further information please view: www.fu-berlin.de/en/
studienbewerber/kompass/index.html
try is restricted, we have a remarkable number of visiting students from European and
non-European countries. On the bachelor and master level most courses are taught in Ger-
man; thus a good command of the German language is compulsory.
At the beginning of each summer Freie Universität Berlin holds two Open Days to give Open Days: www.infutage.de for further information
(in German)
prospective students the opportunity to get information on all of the programs, talk to cur-
rent students and to visit the departments as well as selected lectures.
To improve the education network for junior researchers, an alliance of graduate schools
and structured Ph.D. programs is provided, offering a training curriculum, intensive indi-
vidual supervision, and an array of additional support and funding schemes.
Berlin School of Mind and Brain The Berlin School of Mind and Brain offers a three-year Ph.D. program in English, cov-
www.mind-and-brain.de
ering all fields relevant to mind/brain-related research. This lay the foundations for inter-
www.neuroscience-berlin.com
disciplinary work. The focus is on the interface of humanities and behavioral sciences with
neurosciences. Students are supervised by two professors from the ‘mind sciences’ and the
‘brain sciences’ respectively. Research concentrates on three cognitive topics: ‘perception’,
‘decision-making’ and ‘language’, and on the two key determinants of any mental function:
‘brain plasticity and lifespan ontogeny’ as well as ‘mental disorders and brain dysfunction’.
Students are provided with scientific soft skills courses (e.g. scientific writing, grant ap-
plication writing, high-performance presentations), dissertation coaching, mentoring, and
career counseling. They attend journal and methods clubs, workshops, and a regular inter-
national lecture series.
LIFE The International Max Planck Research School “The Life Course: Evolutionary and
www.imprs-life.mpg.de
Ontogenetic Dynamics (LIFE)” is a joint international Ph.D. program of the Max Planck
Institute for Human Development, the Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Freie Universität
Berlin, the University of Michigan, USA, and the University of Virginia, USA. The curricu-
lum combines psychology, educational science, neuroscience, and biology and puts a spe-
cial emphasis on the systematic changes in human behavior over evolutionary and ontoge-

netic time. LIFE takes an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to understanding hu-
man development in a changing world, connecting evolutionary, ontogenetic, historical,
and institutional perspectives. The focus is on the evolution and interaction of individual
and institutional development.
Multimorbidity in Old Age and Selected Care Problems is a Ph.D. Program, sponsored Multimorbidity in Old Age and Selected Care Problems
www.charite.de/gradmap
by the Robert Bosch Foundation, which was established in 2003 and will start a new in-
take in June 2008. This Ph.D. program offers young scientists the opportunity to conduct a
three-year research project on a topic related to problems specifically concerning various
aspects of geriatric care. Simultaneously they will earn a Ph.D. degree in their respective
discipline. The program is set within a multidisciplinary approach. Accordingly, the indi-
vidual research projects are supervised and counseled by members of diverse faculties, all
the way from social medicine, nursing and health sciences to sociology and psychology.
The participation of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin ensures the integration of medi-
cal research with practical aspects of care for the elderly. Postgraduates are committed to
putting their research results into health care practice. Therefore, they are inclined to par-
ticipate as lecturers (e.g. in vocational training programs) as far as their particular fields of
research are concerned.
Excellence Initiative
Top Level Research, Made in Germany

Freie Universität Berlin has been very successful in the federal and state Excellence Initia-
tive: five graduate schools and three clusters of research have been accepted for funding. Of
the latter, two are in the Humanities – a situation that is unique in Germany – and the third
in Medicine. In addition, Freie Universität is one of nine German universities to receive
funding for its strategy for the future – the “International Network University.”
The Excellence Initiative

The federal and state Excellence Initiative was established in 2005 with the aim of im-
proving top research at universities in Germany. Between 2006 and 2012, altogether 1.9
billion euro have been earmarked for funding top level research within the framework of
the Excellence Initiative. Evaluations were undertaken in two rounds of approval for three
funding lines. First, graduate schools: structured Ph.D. programs for educating junior re-
searchers. Second, excellence clusters: interdisciplinary research alliances. Third, strate-
gies for future development: their goal is to improve top level research at universities in
Germany and to make it more competitive at an international level. Eligible for funding
in this line are all measures that put universities in a position which enable them to fur-
ther develop the areas where their performance is already outstanding at an international
level and to establish the university’s position among the best international research in-
stitutions. One prerequisite for a university to be approved so that it receives funding for

its future development strategy was the go-ahead of at least one excellence cluster and one
graduate school.
Freie Universität was selected for its institutional strategy in the second round of the
Excellence Initiative and is now one of nine universities of excellence in Germany. Freie
Universität was successful with its future development strategy of an “International Net-
work University.” Two excellence clusters and two graduate schools were also approved for
funding, as well as one cluster and one graduate school at Charité – Universitätsmedizin
Berlin, the medical school operated jointly by Freie Universität and Humboldt-Universität.
In addition, Freie Universität is participating in a cluster at Technische Universität Berlin
on catalysis research. Two graduate schools had already been approved in the first fund-
ing round.
About Languages of Emotion

The Department of Psychology is contributing to Languages of Emotion, one of the three
clusters of research that have been accepted for funding. The research program of the clus-
ter Languages of Emotion is devoted to the study of the relationships between emotions
and symbolic practices. The cluster brings together scholarship from more than 20 disci-
plines. Several outstanding non-university research institutions are collaborating in this
cluster, including three Max Planck Institutes and the Center for Research in Literature
and Culture. In the context of the Excellence Initiative, an additional professorship for
Emotional Psychology and a junior professorship for Evolutionary Psychology will be es-
tablished.
Partners
Partners (selection)
The Department of Psychology cooperates closely with 3 Humboldt-Universität Berlin – http://www.hu-berlin.de/index_html-en

the other Berlin universities, extramural institutions in the 3 Technische Universität Berlin – http://www.tu-berlin.de/menue/home/parameter/en/
region, and international partners. 3 Universität Potsdam – http://www.uni-potsdam.de/english/
3 Max-Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin – http://www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/
3 Max-Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Science, Leipzig – http://www.cbs.mpg.de/
MPI_Base/NEU
3 German Centre of Gerontology, Berlin – http://www.dza.de/EN
3 Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin – http://www.charite.de/en
3 Robert Koch Institute, Berlin – http://www.rki.de/EN
3 Social Science Research Center, Berlin – http://www.wzb.eu/default.en.asp
3 Ann Arbor University, Michigan, USA – http://www.umich.edu
3 York University, Toronto, Canada – http://www.yorku.ca/web/index.htm
3 University of Warsaw, Poland – http://www.uw.edu.pl/en/
3 Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands – http://www.vuamsterdam.com
3 Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina – http://www.unr.edu.ar
3 Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA – http://hms.harvard.edu
3 La Salpêtrière, Paris, France – http://www.aphp.fr/index.php?module=portail&action=afficherPortai
l&vue=portail&NIHOPITAL=30
3 University of California, Berkley, USA – http://www.berkeley.edu/
3 Universidad València, Spain – http://www.uv.es/~webuv/ingles/index.htm
3 University of Hawaii, Manoa, USA – http://www.hawaii.edu/
3 University of Zürich, Switzerland – http://www.uzh.ch/index_en.html

Contacts with Addresses
Contacts with Addresses
Department of Psychology International Max Planck Research School LIFE

Freie Universität Berlin Koenigin-Luise-Strasse 5
Habelschwerdter Allee 45 14195 Berlin, Germany
14195 Berlin, Germany Phone: +49-30-82406-588
Phone: +49-30-838-557 20 Fax: +49-30-82406-571
www.fu-berlin.de/psychology imprs@mpib-berlin.mpg.de
www.imprs-life.mpg.de
Psychology Information Office
Habelschwerdter Allee 45 Multimorbidity in Old Age and Selected Care
14195 Berlin, Germany Problems
Phone: +49-30-838-543 13 Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin Freie Universität’s leafy central campus is spacious
Fax: +49-30-838-546 56 Center for Humanities and Health Sciences and has many trees and shrubs. The building complex
studienbuero.psychologie@fu-berlin.de Luisenstraße 13 for the Humanities and Social Sciences features many
www.ewi-psy.fu-berlin.de/sbpsy 10117 Berlin, Germany small inner courtyards as well as roof gardens.
Phone: +49-30-450.529184
Berlin School of Mind and Brain Fax: +49-30-450.529984
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin gradmap@charite.de
Unter den Linden 6 www.charite.de/gradmap
info@mind-and-brain.de Office for Exchange Program Students (DAAD)
www.mind-and-brain.de Brümmerstr. 52
Phone: +49-30-838-739 21
Fax: +49-30-838-739 01
bruemmer@fu-berlin.de
www.fu-berlin.de/en/einrichtungen/verwaltung/zuv/
abt-4/ivb/programmstud.html
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Published by the Department of Education and Psychology Translation/proof-reading: Marc Heinitz
© Freie Universität Berlin, 2008
www.ewi-psy.fu-berlin.de Design: UNICOM Werbeagentur GmbH, Berlin
This booklet was initiated by Herbert Scheithauer, Ralf Schwarzer, Photographs: Ausserhofer, David (cover-l, cover-r, 1, 5b., 7, 40, 41, 44.); beta Institut (21); Görner, Reinhard (3t., 3b., 5t., 47);
Arthur Jacobs, Petra Gips, Jochen Ziegelmann. istockphoto (cover-c); Macroman, Fotolia (46); Photocase (45b); Recklinghausen, Schönpflug, Wolfgang (8); Wannenmacher,
Bernd (2, 4, 6, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38); Wegner, Mary (19, 43)
Concept and Realization: Public Relation Representative Herbert
Scheithauer & Kay Niebank in Cooperation with the Office of News Cover Photograph (left): The Philological Library, seen from the entrance.
and Public Affairs of Freie Universität Berlin (Kerrin Zielke). Designed by Foster and Partners, the building was opened in 2005.
www.ewi-psy.fu-berlin.de
www.fu-berlin.de/psychology

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Department of Psychology

1 Preface of the President of Freie Universität Berlin

The Department of Psychology is part of the entire Department of Education

Prof. Dr. Dieter Lenzen

Freie Universität Berlin is a leading, internationally oriented university which consistently

2 | Freie Universität Berlin

Leading the Field in University Rankings

Inside the Philological Library.

It is my delight to welcome you on behalf of the Psychology Department of Freie Univer-

Prof. Arthur M. Jacobs

4 | Freie Universität Berlin

The Department of Psychology

A selection of the department’s wide ranging contacts can be found on page 46.

6 | Freie Universität Berlin

Graduate and Ph.D. Programs

The Department of Psychology: Historical notes

8 | Freie Universität Berlin

Division of Experimental Psychology and Neuropsychology

The Division of Experimental Psychology and Neuropsychology consists of Professor Michael

10 | Freie Universität Berlin

Within the next years, we aim to strengthen the following approaches:

functional processes mediating visual awareness. Freie Universität Berlin

Division of Experimental and Neurocognitive Psychology

12 | Freie Universität Berlin

the basic neurocognitive mechanisms of conflict resolution in recognition memory, the

Division of Cognitive Neuropsychology

14 | Freie Universität Berlin

operation with Forensic Psychology in order to develop diagnostic instruments to uncov-

Prof. Dr. Rainer Bösel

Division of Biopsychology (Biopsychologie)

3 experimental studies and conceptual analysis on activation and motivation, on emotion

16 | Freie Universität Berlin

3 experimental approaches on instructed and automatic attention shifts toward task-rel-

Research and teaching activities focus

Division of Health Psychology

18 | Freie Universität Berlin

Berlin has developed remarkably in terms of academic appointments, collaborating insti-

­ ivision of Developmental Science and Applied Developmental Psychology

Developmental Science is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of biopsychosocial fac-

Recent research projects:

20 | Freie Universität Berlin

Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy

The Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at Freie Universität is devoted to

22 | Freie Universität Berlin

Professor Babette Renneberg’s Team

Main research interests:

Professor Anna Auckenthaler’s Team

Main research and teaching interests:

24 | Freie Universität Berlin

ing in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Verhaltens­therapie (www.dgvt.de).

Division of Prevention and Psychosocial Health Research

Postgraduate Program and Academic Curriculum

26 | Freie Universität Berlin

of Public Health – MPH) in “Psychosocial Prevention and Health Promotion” to impart

Division of Industrial and Social Psychology

28 | Freie Universität Berlin

Division of Work, Occupational, and Organizational Psychology

30 | Freie Universität Berlin

neurs and employees in small, innovative IT companies. In addition to the development

opment. Freie Universität Berlin

ivision of Developmental Science and Applied Developmental Psychology

ing in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Verhaltenstherapie (www.dgvt.de).