Social Sciences – Master's level (all)

Elections are the central focus of political activity in democracies. The characteristics of politics, parties and electoral systems are fundamental to the outcome of elections, which differ across and within countries. To better understand elections we need to study them comparatively, therefore this course focuses on comparative research on elections. The course focuses on the context in which elections are fought and how this affects electoral outcomes. A number of contextual effects of electoral behaviour will be covered, such as institutional configurations, election campaigns, the strategies of political parties and the importance of events in understanding the dynamics of electoral outcomes. We will consider competing theoretical and empirical explanations of the electoral process in democratic as well as partially democratic and even non-democratic countries.

This seminar starts from the premise that the current epistemic political crisis is not rooted in a denial of scientific facts, but in the ubiquitous tendency to evaluate scientific findings selectively and according to one's own political ideas. Researchers, too, are ordinary people and therefore politically motivated information processors. They seek information that supports their political ideas and avoid information that contradicts their ideas. They also seem to consider study results more plausible when they are consistent with their political ideas and to doubt study results that contradict their political beliefs. If this tendency, known as myside bias, meets the possibility of flexible presentation of results and a politically unbalanced disciplinary environment, politically biased findings are a very real danger and epistemic distrust an obvious, if not indicated, consequence. In this seminar we will discuss what political biases in science exist, where they come from, what consequences they have and what we can do about them.

The objective of this course is to provide students with the basics of formal modeling in political science. The course has some breadth in coverage in the sense that it provides a graduate-level introduction and overview to different areas in game theory. It is also narrow in the sense that the emphasis is not on application and model testing but getting trained in reading and writing down formal models. At the conceptual level the course will cover the following topics: normal form games, Nash equilibria, extensive form games, subgame perfect equilibria, repeated games, bargaining, games with incomplete and imperfect information, Bayesian perfect equilibria, signaling games, preferences and individual choices, basics of decision theory and social choice. At the substantial level, we will use these concepts to study, as examples, candidate competition, political lobbying, and war and deterrence.

This course gives an overview of data used in political science and their measurement properties. At the beginning of the course we will focus on survey data and traditional statistics and move to data science approaches for big data towards the end of the course. Topics covered include the Total Survey Error (TSE) framework, operationalizing research questions, guidelines for writing survey questions, testing questions with cognitive interviews and eye-tracking, sampling, coverage, and nonresponse of survey and big data, and data analytics approaches in data science.

The course is mandatory for students of the M.A. in Political Science and consists of lectures (6 ECTS) and tutorials (2 ECTS). During the lectures the theory covered in the course readings is discussed. The tutorials offer hands-on practice and experience during individual and group exercises.

The course introduces students to quantitative methods in political science. During the first half of the course, we will focus on linear regression models. The topics covered include discussions of the mathematical bases for such models, their estimation and interpretation, model assumptions and techniques for addressing violations of those assumptions, and topics related to model specification and functional forms. During the second half of the course, students will be introduced to likelihood as a theory of inference, including models for binary and count data.

The main goals of this course are to develop sound critical judgment about quantitative studies of political problems, to understand the logic of statistical inference, to recognize and understand the basics of the linear regression model, to develop the skills necessary to work with datasets to perform basic quantitative analyses, and to provide a basis of knowledge for more advanced statistical methods.

In the accompanying course “Tutorial Multivariate Analyses” students will develop the necessary expertise in using statistical software to conduct quantitative research in political science.

All researchers face similar challenges posed by core issues of research design. A research design is a plan that specifies how you plan to carry out a research project and, particularly, how you expect to use your evidence to answer your research question. This course aims to provide an overview of potential research designs for establishing causal inference and their advantages and disadvantages. Students should also understand the trade-offs involved in choosing a particular research design. Students are expected to have their own ideas about potential research questions to be able to actively participate in seminar-style meetings that are organised within this lecture course

Summary

This course gives an overview of data used in political science and their measurement properties. At the beginning of the course we will focus on survey data and traditional statistics and move to data science approaches for big data towards the end of the course. Topics covered include the Total Survey Error (TSE) framework, operationalizing research questions, guidelines for writing survey questions, testing questions with cognitive interviews and eye-tracking, sampling, coverage, and nonresponse of survey and big data, and data analytics approaches in data science.

The course is mandatory for students of the M.A. in Political Science and consists of lectures (6 ECTS) and tutorials (2 ECTS). During the lectures the theory covered in the course readings is discussed. The tutorials offer hands-on practice and experience during individual and group exercises.

This tutorial accompanies the graduate-level introductory lecture in game theory. Its main objective is to practice solution concepts for static and dynamic games of complete and incomplete information. The contents are centered around the material covered in the lecture. Thus, the following key areas will be discussed: normal-form games, dominance, Nash equilibria, mixed strategies, continuous strategies, sequential games with perfect and incomplete information, subgames and subgame perfection, Bayesian equilibria, signaling and cheap talk games, expected utility and decision theory, bargaining theory, and social choice. At the substantial level, we will use these concepts to study, as examples, candidate competition, political lobbying, and war and deterrence.

This tutorial accompanies the course “Multivariate Analyses” in the M.A. program in Political Science. The lab sessions will focus on the practical issues associated with quantitative methods, including obtaining and preparing data sets, how to use statistical software, which tests to use for different kinds of problems, how to graph data effectively for presentation and analysis, and how to interpret results. The seminar will also serve as a software tutorial. No prior knowledge of statistical programming is expected.

This tutorial accompanies the course “Multivariate Analyses” in the M.A. program in Political Science. The lab sessions will focus on the practical issues associated with quantitative methods, including obtaining and preparing data sets, how to use statistical software, which tests to use for different kinds of problems, how to graph data effectively for presentation and analysis, and how to interpret results. The seminar will also serve as a software tutorial. No prior knowledge of statistical programming is expected.

This tutorial accompanies the course “Multivariate Analyses” in the M.A. program in Political Science. The lab sessions will focus on the practical issues associated with quantitative methods, including obtaining and preparing data sets, how to use statistical software, which tests to use for different kinds of problems, how to graph data effectively for presentation and analysis, and how to interpret results. The seminar will also serve as a software tutorial. No prior knowledge of statistical programming is expected.

The main focus lies on the introduction to statistical models and estimators beyond linear regression useful to a social scientists. A good understanding of the classical linear regression model is a prerequisite and required for the further topics of the course. We will first discuss violations of the asymptotic properties of the linear regression model and ways to address these violations (heteroscedasticity, endogeneity, proxy variables, IV-estimator). The second part of the class is dedicated to first the maximum likelihood estimator and second to generalized linear models (GLS) for binary choice decisions (Logit, Probit), ordinal dependent variables, and count data (Poisson, Negative Binomial). Classes will be accompanied by lab sessions to repeat and practice the topics from the classes. We will use the statistical package Stata.

Lab sessions will repeat and practice topics from the lecture based on weekly exercises. These exercises follow the lecture, so that you will have a week to solve each exercise. We will do some applied exercises by hand and use the statistical package Stata. The goal of the lab session is:

a) to practice the topics you learned in applied form,
b) offer a opportunity for questions, and
c) give you and discuss with you hands-on approaches for your further empirical work (e.g. graphical representation of results).

Lab sessions will repeat and practice topics from the lecture based on weekly exercises. These exercises follow the lecture, so that you will have a week to solve each exercise. We will do some applied exercises by hand and use the statistical package Stata. The goal of the lab session is:

a) to practice the topics you learned in applied form,
b) offer a opportunity for questions, and
c) give you and discuss with you hands-on approaches for your further empirical work (e.g. graphical representation of results).

This lecture introduces incoming students to the fundamental principles of (social) science, different theoretical paradigms in sociology, and empirical-analytical sociological research on social mechanisms. First, as an introduction into the epistemological foundations of social sciences, we will address key insights of the philosophy of sciences, sociological theory and analytic sociology on social mechanism. What is a reasonable (causal) explanation of social phenomena and how can it be verified? Furthermore, we will study the different paradigms in the social sciences and in particular important variants of sociological theory ranging from interpretative approaches to rational choice theory. In how far are these complementary or do these represent disparate perspectives? Finally, actual sociological applications of analytical sociology studying particular social mechanisms will be discussed.

Course description
The methodological toolbox that is available to social scientists has considerably increased in recent years. Unfortunately, however, this increased methodological precision is not always accompanied by theoretical precision. In this course, we aim to shift attention from identifying causal mechanisms empirically to theorizing about them.
For this purpose, we discuss how selected exemplary studies tackle the key questions of applied sociological theorizing. Roughly speaking, we proceed in three steps. In a first step, we ask what, exactly, the scientific or social problem under study and the related research question is. This question may sound almost trivial, but it is not, given that everything else depends on a clear understanding of the underlying problem. After establishing the explanandum, our second step is to examine the theoretical explanation that the authors offers to explain the observed phenomena or pattern. In order to do so, we discuss the (sometimes hidden) assumptions and scope conditions of respective theories. We also discuss how convincing these theoretical explanations are, what observable implications they have, and how the authors test these implications empirically. In the final step, we assess whether the study has succeeded in advancing our (theoretical) understanding of the problem it sought to address.

The aim of this research seminar is to conduct an analysis of secondary data and to write a short research paper. Topics may include comparative welfare state research, public opinion, labour market, life course and aging sociology. Students can choose the topic on their own and can either opt for a replication of a published research paper or work on an original research paper. Studies on topics related to the social consequences of the Corona pandemic are highly welcome. In the first session we will discuss how to select a research question and a research design. In the following sessions the instructor will briefly introduce two to three datasets (depending on the research interests of the participating students) which are particularly suitable for addressing research questions in the fields mentioned above (e.g., German Internet Panel (GIP, including the Mannheim Corona-Study); German Socio-economic Panel (SOEP); Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE); European Social Survey (ESS)). One or two additional sessions will deal with the workflow of data analysis using Stata (focus on writing accessible and effective do-files). In the remaining weeks of the seminar the students are working on their research projects. Students will develop hypotheses, write a review of research related to these hypotheses and conduct an empirical test using secondary data. The seminar takes place on-site and may be switched online if regulations change.

How do we know which research design fits best our research question? What requirements must be in place for good descriptive, causal and predictive inference? How do we estimate causal effects? How do we design and analyze experiments? Can we make causal claims from observational data? Researchers in the social sciences must be able to answer all of these questions.
This course teaches the fundamental concepts behind the estimation of causal effects, including potential obstacles to causal inference. Real-world examples will be discussed in detail and students will apply the techniques learned with real datasets in R. Students will come away with an understanding of how to estimate causal effects in both randomized and observational settings, with a particular focus on the careful design of both types of studies.

Seminar: „Social Networks”
MA Modul “Sociological Research Fields”
Friday 10.15‐13.30, 16.09., 30.09., 28.10., 11.11., 18.11., 25.11., 02.12.


This course introduces students to concepts, theories and empirical research on social networks. We begin by highlighting the origins of social network analysis, followed by a discussion of major concepts used in this line of social research. Next we focus on methods to collect data for whole and ego-centric networks and briefly discuss how to analyze these data. Then we cover the strength of weak ties, models for the network diffusion of innovations, the small world phenomenon and finally the instrumental value of social ties in occupational careers. The course ends with ideas for a network theory of social inequality.

Students are required to attend all classes (one absence will be excused). Credits will be granted for active participation, an oral presentation and a paper on one of the themes of the seminar.
Active participation is demonstrated by regular attendance, by reading required basic articles, by preparing questions to initiate the discussion and by contributing to the discussion.
In oral presentations participants present key aspects of texts and themes; presentations (PowerPoint or similar) should be submitted to the instructor at least four days prior to the presentation.
Papers will usually focus on the same or similar aspect as the presentation and should be 5,000 words long (excluding tables, figures, references). Papers have to be delivered to the instructor in electronic form (preferably as pdf-document) no later than January 31, 2023.
Basic references to sessions are given below; the underlined references are required readings for every participant. All texts will be provided to participants through the student portal ILIAS.

Participants may apply for a presentation by writing to the instructor. Please give your first, second and third priority. Themes will be allocated to participants in order of application (first come-first served).

Dates and Themes

16.09.    Introduction: History of network analysis


30.09.    Concepts & Theories


28.10.    Methods for data collection and analysis of whole networks


11.11.    Methods for data collection and analysis of egocentric networks: Name generators


18.11.    The strength of weak ties

The diffussion of innovation


25.11.    Small worlds

Social capital and occupational careers


02.12.    Social Networks and Inequality

The comparative method is according to Durkheim ‘the’ method of sociology. This seminar provides an introduction to comparative strategies and methods, particular those used in cross-national comparison of modern welfare states and market economies. In the seminar, the different quantitative and qualitative methods and strategies to compare internationally and to analyse processes over time will be discussed. It begins with an overview of the traditional approaches to historical and comparative sociology (Durkheim, Weber) and the differences in current research practice between variable-and case-oriented sociological analysis. Comparative welfare state analysis and the varieties of capitalism perspective use macro-comparative typologies to explain cross-national differences, using both qualitative and quantitative methods to explore cross-national differences. Qualitative comparative methods (QCA, fuzzy set), comparative or time-related quantitative methods (cluster analysis, pooled time series) will be discussed. In addition, the method of within-case analysis, in particular process tracing, that seeks to establish tests for evaluating evidence about causal mechanism over time will be discussed. The application of these methods and approaches will be illustrated by examples from comparative studies of welfare states and market economies. Finally, recent debates on the pro/cons of using comparative methods will be discussed.

Up to the mid-1980s immigration was one of the least politicized issues on the political agenda of European countries. Since then, however, it has become one of the most important topics on the political agenda. Mass immigration has resulted in widespread xenophobia and fierce debates on the difficulties of integrating new arrivals. Muslim migration in particular seems to pose a special challenge to Western Europe, leading to widespread Islamophobia throughout the region. In this seminar we will consider reactions to Muslim immigration in Western Europe at various levels. What kind of policies do the European states implement in order to regulate mass immigration and integration? How do nationals react to this and how can we explain Islamophobia?

This advanced seminar will explore classic and recent social science research that seeks to explain variation in organizational behavior and development. We will consider a variety of research questions that tap into both formal and informal ways of organizing: what kinds of institutions are necessary to make economic organization work? Where do such institutions come from? Why do we observe very different outcomes across contexts even though they share the same market-supporting institutions? Why do some organizations survive even though they face the most unfavorable environments? How do conditions at the time of an organization's birth shape its development? To address these and further questions, we will rely both on recent theoretical advances and on empirical studies in a various settings.

Poverty and social exclusion are extreme forms of inequality in modern societies. In Europe, these phenomena show up in different forms and imply different consequences for the people at risk. The seminar will provide an introduction into various concepts, dimensions and measures of poverty and social exclusion. We will discuss theories on the causes of poverty and social exclusion, learn about most vulnerable groups in Europe and the variation of poverty and social exclusion in Europe. We focus on consequences of living in poverty and we discuss different policies throughout Europe to lower poverty.

Social norms can be defined as shared rules that provide the standard of behavior within a wide range of settings (Coleman, 1990; Hechter and Opp, 2001; Bicchieri, 2005), and the behavior that people are to expect in particular situations. This course will give an introduction to social norms: what they are, their dynamics, and how they change. Often, social norms are beneficial and help coordination within groups. However, social norms can also be inefficient and very difficult to change. This course will deal with mechanisms of normative change and how a change in norms can bring about social change.

The course will cover the basic theory of social norms and will address questions, such as why Individuals are motivated to understand norms in their social environment, how are social norms inferred from the context, how to distinguish them from other social constructs, and how norms change. Besides, a main part of the course will be devoted to investigating how social norms can help understand different social phenomena. For instance, the course will cover how social norms regulate the support for stigmatized political ideologies (Dinas et al., 2022), the expression of prejudice (Alvarez-Benjumea and Winter, 2018), or how collective risks are managed (Szekely et al., 2021)

This is a highly interactive course so participation is expected. Students will present their proposal for a study investigating social norms. The proposals are open to different methods and topics, but students are encouraged to apply the theory of social norms to their area of interest. Finally, at the end of the course, participants are expected to hand in a written project proposal that expands their presentation.

In dieser Vorlesung werden die formalen Grundlagen und zentralen Verfahren der multivariaten Statistik eingeführt und empirisch illustriert. Dabei werden zunächst die multiple Regression, das Allgemeine Lineare Modell und die Mehrebenenanalyse behandelt. Darauf aufbauend werden multivariate Auswertungsverfahren für Mittelwertsvergleiche und zur Diskrimination sowie Verfahren der exploratorischen Faktorenanalyse vorgestellt. Abschließend erfolgt eine Einführung in lineare Strukturgleichungsmodelle und konfirmatorische Faktorenanalyse.

Zu den einzelnen Verfahren werden die mathematischen Grundlagen dargelegt und Anwendungsmöglichkeiten und Einsatzgebiete in der psychologischen Forschung diskutiert.

Das Modul vermittelt Kenntnisse über diagnostische Verfahren und ihren Einsatz für fundierte Entscheidungen und Beratungen in unterschiedlichen Anwendungsbereichen der psychologischen Diagnostik. Damit erlangen die Studierenden eine zentrale Schlüsselqualifikation für ihre berufliche Tätigkeit im Anschluss an das Studium. Darüber hinaus werden aktuelle Entwicklungen der testtheoretischen Modellbildung und der Testkonstruktion behandelt.

Spezifische Inhalte: Übersicht über Testverfahren, Strategien, mögliche Fehlerarten, rechtliche und gesellschaftliche Rahmenbedingungen sowie Kosten-Nutzen-Analysen der diagnostischen Entscheidung und Klassifikation in unterschiedlichen Problemfeldern, wie etwa der beruflichen Eignungsdiagnostik, der pädagogisch-psychologischen Diagnostik oder der neuropsychologischen Diagnostik.

Diese Ringvorlesung vermittelt vertiefte Kenntnisse zu Diagnostik, Ätiologie sowie Störungs- und Behandlungswissen der Klinischen Psychologie und Psychopathologie des Kindes-, Jugend- und Erwachsenenalters. Zu den behandelten Themengebieten gehört u.a. die kritische Auseinandersetzung mit der klassifikatorischen Diagnostik und mit aktuellen Kontroversen der Klinische Psychologie. Darüber hinaus befassen sich die Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer mit aktuellen Forschungstätigkeiten und etablierten Forschungsmethoden aus ausgewählten Bereichen der Klinischen Psychologie und Psychopathologie.

This Lecture provides an advanced treatment of research methods in cognitive psychology as well as an overview of research topics of Cognitive Psychology in Mannheim.

Exemplary Topics:

•     Basic methodology of Cognitive Psychology
•     Stochastic Modeling of Cognitive Processes
•     Model selection
•     Information Search in Decision Making
•     Visual short-term memory
•     Investigating cognitive processes using mouse-tracking
•     Strategy Contributions to Cognitive Aging
•     The Truth Effect

In diesem Seminar werden Forschungsthemen des Lehrstuhls für Allgemeine Psychologie und aktuelle Projektthemen besprochen und vertieft. Ausgehend von aktuellen und geplanten DFG-Projekten erarbeiten wir gemeinsam grundlegende und aktuelle Literatur zu den Themengebieten Metakognition, Urteilen und Entscheiden.

Die Erarbeitung der Literatur erfolgt:

1. In Form eines Literaturseminars mit Diskussion über die Inhalte und/oder
2. Durch Referate mit anschließender Diskussion und Entwicklung von Ideen für weitere Forschung.

Globale Gedächtnismodelle sind formalisierte mathematische Modelle mit der gemeinsamen Annahme, dass der Abruf von Information von allen im Gedächtnis gespeicherten Ereignissen abhängt. Mit wenigen Annahmen lassen Sie sich auf eine Vielzahl von Paradigmen aus der Gedächtnispsychologie und verwandten Gebieten anwenden. N dem Seminar erarbeiten wir die Grundlagen dieser Modellklasse anhand der Modelle Sam und MINERVA 2. Später werden Anwendungen dieser Modelle vorgestellt und diskutiert.

This course provides an overview of core topic within work and organizational psychology. We will focus on recent theoretical approaches and empirical research findings. In addition, we will discuss practical implications. Topics include: Work motivation, stress and health, leadership, teams, personnel selection.
This course provides an overview of core topic within work and organizational psychology. We will focus on recent theoretical approaches and empirical research findings. In addition, we will discuss practical implications. Topics include: Work motivation, stress and health, leadership, teams, personnel selection.

AG4/BD4: VERTIEFUNG SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE

Durchgeführt von: Prof. Dr. Herbert Bless/ Prof. Dr. Jochen Gebauer

Raum: B244

Teilnahmemöglichkeit: Präsenz live (not recorded)

Zeit: Mo 13.45 – 15.15 Uhr

Erster Termin: 05.09.2022

Inhalt: In der Veranstaltung sollen aufbauend auf dem im Bachelorstudiengang erworbenen Wissen ausgewählte Forschungsgebiete vertiefend behandelt werden. Im Einzelnen können Themen behandelt werden wie Umfrageforschung/ Kontexteffekte in Fragebogen, subjektives Wohlbefinden (Glück und Zufriedenheit), Kultur als sozialer Kontext und evolutionäre Erklärungen für Sozialverhalten.

Erworben werden können: 4 ECTS

Anmeldung: Über das Studierendenportal

Sprechstunde:
Prof. Dr. Herbert Bless nach Anmeldung, siehe Homepage, A 433
Prof. Dr. Jochen Gebauer: Kontaktmöglichkeiten finden Sie auf www.psy.de

Materialien: Über das Studierendenportal

Techniken der beruflichen Eignungsdiagnostik können für unterschiedliche Personalmaßnahmen eingesetzt werden. Im Seminar werden zwei Anwendungsszenarien (in der Personalauswahl und für die berufliche Laufbahnberatung) genauer untersucht werden. Mit Mittelpunkt stehen zunächst grundlegende Herangehensweisen und Verfahrenstechniken der beruflichen Eignungsdiagnostik. Anhand eines fiktiven Anwendungsfalls sollen dann eignungsdiagnostische Untersuchungen im Grundprinzip geplant und auch praktisch umgesetzt werden. Die Untersuchungsergebnisse sollen anwendungs- und zielpersonengerecht mündlich und schriftlich kommuniziert werden.

lab.js is a simple, graphical tool to help you build studies for the web and the laboratory – in addition, it is free and open-source. Many standard tasks can be implemented in lab.js using its graphical user interface. Further, more complex tasks can be realized through the underlying programming language JavaScript.

The goal of the workshop is to provide an introduction to both approaches. In doing so, the workshop involves both structured input from the instructor as well as a number of practical exercises so that participants can directly explore the features of lab.js.

No prior knowledge of the software or JavaScript is required. As an assignment, participants will create their own experiment based on the requirements discussed in the workshop.

The seminar gives an overview of

• standard and advanced linear models (incl. multiple regression with continuous and categorical predictors, product terms, regularization methods, and nonlinear regression),
• generalized linear models (incl. logistic regression, Poisson models, and log-linear models), and
• supervised and unsupervised classification methods (incl. discriminant analysis, clustering methods, regression trees, and mixture models).

Regression and classification models are essential in many fields of psychological research as well as in clinical and epidemiological contexts. In this seminar, the models are introduced with their mathematical and statistical foundations, including model equations, methods of parameter estimation, and criteria of statistical inference. Statistical concepts and model applications are illustrated with simulations and through analyses of real data with R.

The language of instruction is English.

Unternehmen kümmern sich zunehmend mehr um die Gesundheit ihrer Mitarbeiter/innen. Dies schlägt sich in entsprechenden Führungskonzepten sowie konkreten gesundheitsfördernden Maßnahmen nieder. Das Seminar beschäftigt sich somit mit der Frage, wie Unternehmen handeln können, um die Gesundheit der Mitarbeiter/innen langfristig zu erhalten. Dabei soll auch das individuelle gesundheitsbezogene Handeln der Mitarbeiter/innen thematisiert werden.
 Das Seminar besteht aus zwei Teilen. Im ersten Teil erarbeiten wir gemeinsam anhand aktueller Forschungsliteratur den Forschungsstand zum Thema. In dieser Zeit haben die Studierenden Gelegenheit, sich für ein Thema zu entscheiden, das sie im Rahmen ihrer Hausarbeit sowie im zweiten Teil des Seminars in Projektgruppen vertieft bearbeiten.
 
Im Rahmen von Projektgruppen werden die Studierenden im zweiten Teil des Seminars die gelernten und selbst erarbeiteten Inhalte in Form von Broschüren, Postern etc. praxisnah umsetzen.
Am Ende des Seminars erfolgt eine Präsentation der Projektgruppenergebnisse.
 
Neben einer inhaltlichen Diskussion legt das Seminar auch besonderes Gewicht auf die arbeits- und organisationspsychologischen Methoden, mit denen Gesundheit bei der Arbeit untersucht wird.

This seminar will deal with the topic of emotion regulation at the workplace. In increasing interdependence work environments and a growing service sector, emotion regulation is an important issue for consideration. In this seminar, we therefore deal with what is the role of emotion regulation in everyday work, what are the antecedents and consequences of different emotion regulation strategies, and how organizations take part in these processes. We will discuss theoretical models, as well as empirical findings, and practical implications.

Gegenstand des Seminars sind aktuelle Forschungstrends in der Pädagogischen Psychologie und dabei ganz besondere innerhalb der pädagogischen Motivationsforschung.

In dem Kurs werden aktuelle Forschungsdebatten zu neuen motivationalen Konstrukten (GRIT), sowie zur Erweiterung bestehender Theorien (Zielforschung) kontrovers diskutiert. Weitergehend wird der Wert aktueller Forschung für die Praxis thematisiert (sozialpsychologische Interventionen im Bildungskontext).

Das Seminar wird gegenstandsbezogen Forschungsprozesse und auch Anreizstrukturen im Wissenschaftssystem thematisieren, so dass ein tieferer Einblick in den Wissenschaftsbetrieb gelingt. Diesbezüglich wird auch aktuelle motivationspsychologische Forschung des Lehrstuhl für Pädagogische Psychologie zu Betrugsverhalten, Motivation von Hochschuldozierenden und Studienwahlmotivation thematisiert

Modul: BM1/BN1: Ausgewählte Probleme der Sozialpsychologie I/II

Titel: Sozioökologische Einflüsse in Theorie und Anwendung

Durchgeführt von: Dr. Tobias Ebert

Raum: B 318 (A5, 6)

Termin: Dienstag, 15:30–17:00 Uhr

Veranstaltungszeitraum: 06.09.-06.12.2022

Inhalt:
Beeinflusst unsere Makroumwelt wie wir denken, fühlen, und handeln? Wirkt sich bspw. das Wetter auf unsere Stimmung aus, verändern Wirtschaftskrisen wie wir miteinander umgehen, und verhalten sich Leute in der Stadt anders als auf dem Land? Mit Fragen wie diesen beschäftigt sich die Sozioökologische Psychologie. Im Rahmen des Seminars werden die Grundlagen der Sozioökologischen Psychologie vorgestellt und in die psychologische Forschungslandschaft eingeordnet. Wir werden verschiedene Dimensionen von sozioökologischen Einflüssen (von demographischen, über ökonomische, bis zu naturräumlichen Umweltfaktoren) kennenlernen und diskutieren. Hierauf aufbauend werden wir versuchen herauszuarbeiten, ob und wie sich aus den bestehenden Befunden Handlungsempfehlungen für die politische Praxis ableiten lassen.

Erworben werden können: 4 ECTS

Anmeldung: Portal2

Sprechstunde: Nach Vereinbarung

Modul: BM1/BN1: Ausgewählte Probleme der Sozialpsychologie I/II

Titel: Sozialpsychologische Theorien in der Anwendung

Durchgeführt von: Dr. Jennifer Eck

Raum: B 318 (A5, 6)

Termin: Montag, 12:00–13:30 Uhr

Veranstaltungszeitraum: 05.09.-05.12.2022

Inhalt:
Die (Weiter-)Entwicklung von Theorien ist ein fundamentaler Bestandteil der Wissenschaft. Idealerweise helfen uns Theorien dabei, bestimmte Ereignisse und Phänomene besser zu verstehen. Durch die Beschreibung von kausalen Mechanismen zeigen Theorien Möglichkeiten auf, um in Phänomene eingreifen und den Verlauf von Ereignissen verändern zu können. Die praktische Anwendung von Theorien zum Lösen von konkreten Problemen wird häufig aber dadurch erschwert, dass die Theorien relativ abstrakt formuliert sind. Im Rahmen des Seminars werden verschiedene sozialpsychologische Theorien näher beleuchtet und Möglichkeiten diskutiert, wie die Theorien zum Lösen konkreter Probleme in unterschiedlichen Kontexten angewandt werden können. 

Erworben werden können: 4 ECTS

Anmeldung: Portal2

Sprechstunde: Nach Vereinbarung

Die Art und Weise, wie wir miteinander kommunizieren, unsere Freizeit gestalten und unserer Arbeit nachgehen, hat sich in den letzten Jahren aufgrund der zunehmenden Verbreitung der Medien stark verändert. Die Fragen, wie und warum Menschen bestimmte Medienangebote nutzen, auf welche Weise sie diese verarbeiten und welche Folgen daraus resultieren, sind daher von hoher Bedeutung. Einige Beispiele sind: (1) Wieso schauen wir gerne traurige Filme, obwohl Menschen doch eigentlich lieber fröhlich sein wollen? (2) Welchen Einfluss hat politische Satire (z. B. Fernsehsendungen wie die Heute-Show) auf die Einstellungen und Wahlabsichten der WählerInnen? (3) Wie verändert computervermittelte Kommunikation (z. B. über Messenger-Dienste wie WhatsApp oder soziale Netzwerkseiten wie Instagram) unsere zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen? Zur Beantwortung dieser und vieler weiterer Fragen werden die wichtigsten medienpsychologischen Ansätze/Theorien/Modelle aus den Bereichen der Medienselektion, -rezeption und -wirkung behandelt, in einem anwendungsbezogenen Kontext diskutiert und anhand aktueller Forschungsergebnisse aus wissenschaftlichen Fachzeitschriften vertieft. Die Studierenden nehmen dabei aktiv an den Sitzungen teil und arbeiten selbstorganisiert auch außerhalb der Sitzungen.