Themen für Bachelorarbeiten

Beschreibung: Work demands and efforts expended at work often results in feelings of exhaustion and depleted internal resources. The need for recovery refers to the desire and sense of urgency to take a break from work demands and efforts expended at work, such that internal resources may be restored. As the need for recovery after the working day changes across adults? lifespan, older and younger adults may also differ vastly in how they ease their need for recovery. For example, older and younger adults may differ in the types of leisure activities (e.g., physical, social) they participate in. As our understanding is limited relating to psychological recovery processes among aging adults, this thesis aims to examine whether younger and older adults differ the types of leisure activities they pursue in relation to their need for recovery.

References:
Kiss, P., De Meester, M., & Braeckman, L. (2008). Differences between younger and older workers in the need for recovery after work.?International archives of occupational and environmental health,?81(3), 311-320. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-007-0215-y

Korpela, K., & Kinnunen, U. (2010). How is leisure time interacting with nature related to the need for recovery from work demands? Testing multiple mediators.?Leisure sciences,?33(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2011.533103

Sonnentag, S., Venz, L., & Casper, A. (2017). Advances in recovery research: What have we learned? What should be done next? Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), 365?380. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000079
Kontakt: Dr. Kang Leng Ho, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Retirement represents a major life transition, characterized by various changes in activities, routines, and social life when a person leaves active employment. As employment generally reduces the time and energy one has for leisure activities, when people retire, they now have an abundance of time for such pursuit. They either continue to pursue leisure activities they have already been involved in their earlier life, or new activities which may be related or unrelated to their existing leisure activities. They may also begin to pursue activities that they have been wanting to pursue for a long time but have not been able to do so. Factors that influence the types of leisure activities pursued include the extent to which work is central to an individual?s identity. This thesis aims to explore the different types of leisure activities people pursue before and during retirement, as well as the factors that influence the types of leisure activities pursued.

Reference:
Henning, G., Stenling, A., Bielak, A. A., Bjälkebring, P., Gow, A. J., Kivi, M., & Lindwall, M. (2021). Towards an active and happy retirement? Changes in leisure activity and depressive symptoms during the retirement transition. Aging & mental health, 25(4), 621-631. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2019.1709156
Kontakt: Dr. Kang Leng Ho, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Prosocial behavior toward older adults can include caregiving, volunteering, advocacy, and efforts to improve their quality of life. Such behavior may stem from empathy, social responsibility, intergenerational solidarity, and concerns about one's own future in old age. However, support for older adults may also reflect age-related stereotypes and paternalistic beliefs about their competence and independence, potentially reinforcing negative stereotypes. The aim of this thesis is to review the literature on prosocial behavior directed toward older adults, to examine its antecedents and consequences, and to discuss the motives underlying such support.

This thesis can be written in English or German.

Blais, S., McCleary, L., Garcia, L., & Robitaille, A. (2017). Examining the Benefits of Intergenerational Volunteering in Long-Term Care: A Review of the Literature. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 15(3), 258?272. https://doi.org/10.1080/15350770.2017.1330056

Ma, G., Chen, Z., Zou, W., & Zhang, X. (2024). To help or not: Negative aging stereotypes held by younger adults could promote helping behaviors toward older adults. Current Psychology, 43(2), 1041?1051. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04371-0
Kontakt: Lidia Borkovic, MSc, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Throughout adulthood, people can contribute to the well-being of younger generations through mentoring, caregiving, volunteering, and actions that benefit future generations, such as pro-environmental behavior. Research suggests that motivations to support younger others change across adulthood as people take on different social roles, responsibilities, and future-oriented perspectives. Adults may also differ in their desire to leave a positive legacy. The aim of this thesis is to review the literature on prosocial behavior directed toward younger and future generations, to examine how such behaviors develop over the lifespan, and to discuss the factors that motivate people to invest in the well-being of younger others.

This thesis can be written in English or German.

McAdams, D. P., & de St. Aubin, E. (1992). A theory of generativity and its assessment through self-report, behavioral acts, and narrative themes in autobiography. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62(6), 1003?1015. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.62.6.1003



Syropoulos, S., Watkins, H. M., Goodwin, G. P., & Markowitz, E. M. (2023). Disentangling the contributions of impact-oriented versus reputation-focused legacy motives on intergenerational concern and action. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 90, 102092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102092
Kontakt: Lidia Borkovic, MSc, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Some public events are remembered in remarkable detail. People often recall exactly where they were, what they were doing, and how they first learned about events such as terrorist attacks, political elections, natural disasters, or major sporting victories. These vivid recollections are known as flashbulb memories.

Digital media have transformed how information about major public events is shared. In this thesis, you are invited to explore how different information sources such as traditional news media, social media, and personal communication influence memory for important public events. You might investigate how these sources affect memory vividness, confidence, and accuracy, or how factors such as age, culture, emotion, and social identity shape the way people remember impactful public events.

Hirst, W., & Phelps, E. A. (2016). Flashbulb Memories. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 25(1), 36?41.
Kontakt: Tove Hensler, MSc, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Cooperation and helping behaviors are important to human social interaction. In this thesis, you are asked to explore the role of situational variables - such as visibility, resource availability and perceived threat levels in determining what makes help more likely. The thesis could either be focused on what makes people seek and accept help or offer help.

Lefevor, G. T., Fowers, B. J., Ahn, S., Lang, S. F. & Cohen, L. M. (2017). To what degree do situational influences explain spontaneous helping behaviour? A meta-analysis. European Review of Social Psychology, 28(1), 227-256. doi: 10.1080/10463283.2017.1367529
Kontakt: Tove Hensler, MSc, E-Mail

Beschreibung: The same activity, such as reading, exercising, and social interaction, may feel different depending on whether it is framed as work, leisure, study, or social activity. This review topic examines how life domains shape the experience of effort. A further question is whether effortful feelings are driven by task demands, or whether they are also influenced by people?s expectations, autonomy, obligation, enjoyment, and social context. The review aims to understand why some activities feel more effortful in one context but meaningful, enjoyable in another.

Reference:

Schüttengruber, V., & Freund, A. M. (2023). The role of subjective expectations for exhaustion and recovery: The sample case of work and leisure. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 18(5), 1009?1027. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916221134529

Campbell, A. V., Wang, Y., & Inzlicht, M. (2025). Experimental evidence that exerting effort increases meaning. Cognition, 257, 106065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2025.106065
Kontakt: Ziqi Zhang, M.Ed., E-Mail

Beschreibung: Motivation often promotes means of investment and persistence, but this relationship may change when success is unattainable or perceived as unlikely. This review examines how intrinsic and extrinsic motivation influence effort, persistence, and disengagement in low-attainability goal situations. Whether people continue to engage in an activity when the activity itself remains meaningful or rewarding, and whether external incentives still motivate action when the outcome can no longer be reached. The review could also consider when persistence is adaptive and when disengagement from an unattainable goal may better protect well-being. Overall, this review aims to clarify how motivation operates when success is out of reach.

Reference:

Riddell, H., Sedikides, C., Sivaramakrishnan, H., Wan, P., Maltagliati, S., Jackson, B., Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., Gucciardi, D. F., & Ntoumanis, N. (2026). A meta-analytic review and conceptual model of the antecedents and outcomes of goal adjustment in response to striving difficulties. Nature Human Behaviour, 10(2), 317?332. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02312-4
Kontakt: Ziqi Zhang, M.Ed., E-Mail

Beschreibung: Soziale Identität leistet einen wichtigen Erklärungsbeitrag, um zu verstehen, weshalb Personen riskantes Gesundheitsverhalten ausführen oder nicht. Personen identifizieren sich mit sozialen Gruppen und verhalten sich gemäss den sozialen Normen dieser Gruppen, wenn die soziale Identität mit dieser Gruppe salient ist. Wenn beispielsweise die Identität mit einer Gruppe von Freunden salient ist und es in dieser Gruppe die Norm ist, zu rauchen, dann könnten Personen, die sich mit der Gruppe identifizieren, eher bereit sein, ebenfalls zu rauchen. In diesem Projekt geht es darum, die Effekte von sozialer Identität auf das Gesundheitsverhalten im Erwachsenenalter zu untersuchen.

Referenz

Jetten, J., Haslam, S. A. & Haslam, C. (2012).?The case for a social identity analysis of health and well-being. In Jetten, J., Haslam, C., & Haslam, S. A. (Ed.).?The social cure: Identity, health and well-being?(pp. 4-19). London: Psychology press.
Kontakt: Sophie Kittelberger, MA, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Soziale Normen strukturieren unser Verhalten. In Krisenzeiten wie der Coronapandemie entstehen neue soziale Normen. Gerade in Krisenzeiten orientieren sich viele Menschen stärker an sozialen Normen. In dieser Bachelorarbeit soll untersucht werden, wie neue soziale Normen in Krisenzeiten entstehen und wie sich diese auf da Verhalten von Personen auswirken können.

Referenz
Rudert, S. C., & Janke, S. (2022). Following the crowd in times of crisis: Descriptive norms predict physical distancing, stockpiling, and prosocial behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 25(7), 1819-1835.

Kontakt: Sophie Kittelberger, MA, E-Mail

Beschreibung: People do not always do the things they intend to do. The discrepancy between intention and behavior is well-documented (for a review, see Sheeran & Webb, 2016). With regard to prosocial behavior, this gap may be particularly pronounced: not only do good intentions sometimes fail to translate into action, but reported intentions may also be inflated by social desirability. The aim of this thesis is to review empirical evidence and theoretical explanations for the intention-behavior gap in the context of prosocial behavior.

This thesis can be written in English or German.

Sheeran, P., & Webb, T. L. (2016). The Intention?Behavior gap. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 10(9), 503?518. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12265
Kontakt: Jasmin Weber, MSc, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Prosocial behavior can be defined as voluntary behavior that is intended to benefit others and involves a cost to the actor (for a review of definitions, see Pfattheicher et al., 2021). Studies use a wide range of methods to measure prosocial behavior including self- and other-report, economic games, and observational methods. The aim of this bachelor thesis is to review different measures of prosocial behavior and to discuss their strength and limitations.

This thesis can be written in English or German.

Pfattheicher, S., Nielsen, Y. A., & Thielmann, I. (2021). Prosocial behavior and altruism: A review of concepts and definitions. Current Opinion in Psychology, 44, 124?129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.08.021
Kontakt: Jasmin Weber, MSc, E-Mail