Themen für Bachelorarbeiten

Beschreibung: Research on personality?s implications has increasingly shifted from a focus on psychological outcomes to broader economic and financial consequences. Personality traits, like the Big Five (Goldberg, 1990), are routinely linked to a wide range of financially relevant outcomes, including educational attainment, labor market success, income, wealth accumulation, health-related expenditures, and financial decision-making (Almlund et al., 2011; Borghans et al., 2008). For instance, conscientiousness is consistently related to higher earnings, greater job stability, and lower healthcare costs (Atherton et al., 2024; Bogg & Roberts, 2013; Duckworth et al., 2012), whereas the same is true for neuroticism with lower income, increased unemployment risk, and higher medical expenditures (Cuijpers et al., 2010; Lahey, 2009). Similar associations for the other Big Five traits are less clear, but agreeableness has been linked to lower wages whereas extraversion and openness have been linked to entrepreneurial performance and financial risk-taking (Judge et al., 2012; Zhao et al., 2010). Despite these findings, literature on this topic remains fragmented across disciplines and varies widely in how financial ?costs? are defined and measured. Moreover, many studies focus on single traits, rely on cross-sectional data, only examine short-term outcomes, and use samples from Western, high-income countries, limiting conclusions about cumulative and long-term financial consequences. A comprehensive synthesis of existing evidence on this topic, and its major limitations and gaps in knowledge, is therefore needed. This thesis will thus review existing literature on the financial costs and outcomes associated with the Big Five traits to help inform what is currently known about these effects and outline what the major gaps and limitations in this research are. This thesis will be written in English. References Almlund, M., Duckworth, A. L., Heckman, J., & Kautz, T. (2011). Personality Psychology and Economics. In Handbook of the Economics of Education (Vol. 4, pp. 1?181). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53444-6.00001-8 Atherton, O. E., Willroth, E. C., Weston, S. J., Mroczek, D. K., & Graham, E. K. (2024). Longitudinal associations among the Big Five personality traits and healthcare utilization in the U.S. Social Science & Medicine, 340, 116494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116494 Bogg, T., & Roberts, B. W. (2013). The Case for Conscientiousness: Evidence and Implications for a Personality Trait Marker of Health and Longevity. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 45(3), 278?288. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-012-9454-6 Borghans, L., Duckworth, A. L., Heckman, J. J., & Weel, B. ter. (2008). The Economics and Psychology of Personality Traits. Journal of Human Resources, 43(4), 972?1059. https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.43.4.972 Cuijpers, P., Smit, F., Penninx, B. W. J. H., de Graaf, R., ten Have, M., & Beekman, A. T. F. (2010). Economic Costs of Neuroticism: A Population-Based Study. Archives of General Psychiatry, 67(10), 1086?1093. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.130 Duckworth, A. L., Weir, D. R., Tsukayama, E., & Kwok, D. (2012). Who Does Well in Life? Conscientious Adults Excel in Both Objective and Subjective Success. Frontiers in Psychology, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00356 Goldberg, L. R. (1990). An alternative ?description of personality?: The Big-Five factor structure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59(6), 1216?1229. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.59.6.1216 Judge, T. A., Livingston, B. A., & Hurst, C. (2012). Do nice guys?and gals?really finish last? The joint effects of sex and agreeableness on income. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102(2), 390?407. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026021 Lahey, B. B. (2009). Public health significance of neuroticism. American Psychologist, 64(4), 241?256. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015309 Zhao, H., Seibert, S. E., & Lumpkin, G. T. (2010). The Relationship of Personality to Entrepreneurial Intentions and Performance: A Meta-Analytic Review. Journal of Management, 36(2), 381?404. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206309335187
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Eingabedatum: 16.12.2025
Kontakt: Dr. Amanda Wright, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Research in the last decades has demonstrated the importance of close social relationships for the development of both personality traits (e.g., Big Five) and well-being (e.g., life satisfaction, affect, loneliness). Models of dynamic transactions between personality traits and social relationships describe bidirectional associations: (1) levels of personality and well-being are predictive of which social relationships we enter and how we maintain them; and (2) our social relationships affect the longer-term development of personality traits and well-being. Initial empirical support for this model exists but seems to be dependent on the types of social relationships, with most empirical support originating from research into committed romantic partners. Much less is known on the role of close friendships and, specifically, their role for people in long-term singlehood. At the same time, theoretical accounts of thriving in singlehood emphasize the increased importance of friendships for singles, and that long-term singles may even be in a better position to maintain and cherish close friendship bonds compared to those in long-term romantic relationships. Thus, they might also experience different transactions with regard to personality development. This thesis focuses on reviewing the relevant literature on longitudinal transactions between psychological traits (e.g., Big Five, well-being) and friendships in long(er)-term singles. Thus, the goal is to take a deep dive into this specific and growing demographic group and summarize the literature on friendships from a lifespan personality development perspective. Within that topic space, different more specific thesis goals are possible, for example, focusing either more on well-being or Big Five personality. The thesis is intended to be written in English and requires some basic understanding of longitudinal models. Einstiegsliteratur Harris, K., & Vazire, S. (2016). On friendship development and the Big Five personality traits. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 10(11), 647?667. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12287 Wrzus, C., & Neyer, F. J. (2016). Co-Development of Personality and Friendships Across the Lifespan. European Psychologist, 21(4), 254?273. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000277
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Eingabedatum: 10.12.2025
Kontakt: Dr. Michael Krämer, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Psychologische Diagnostik muss häufig einen Zielkonflikt zwischen inhaltlicher Breite und ökonomischer Durchführbarkeit lösen. Je kürzer ein Test, desto geringer ist in der Regel der Erhebungsaufwand ? gleichzeitig steigt jedoch das Risiko, dass ein Konstrukt nur unzureichend repräsentiert wird und zentrale beeinträchtigt sind. In der Persönlichkeitspsychologie reicht das Spektrum entsprechend von sehr umfangreichen Instrumenten mit mehreren Hundert Items bis zu extrem kurzen Verfahren, die zum Beispiel die Big Five mit nur wenigen Items erfassen. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, die theoretischen Grundlagen und empirischen Befunde zum Einsatz von Kurzskalen systematisch aufzuarbeiten. Ausgehend von den klassischen Testgütekriterien und ökonomischen Anforderungen wird anhand eines konkreten Beispiels (z. B. Lebenszufriedenheit oder Big Five) analysiert, welche psychometrischen Vor- und Nachteile (Ultra-)Kurzskalen im Vergleich zu längeren Instrumenten aufweisen. Dabei sollen Bedingungen in der Forschung identifiziert werden, unter denen Kurzskalen sinnvoll eingesetzt werden können, sowie Situationen, in denen längere Verfahren vorzuziehen sind. Abschliessend soll eine begründete Handlungsempfehlung formuliert werden, wann sich der Einsatz von Kurzskalen in der psychologischen Diagnostik lohnt und welche Mindeststandards für ihre Entwicklung und Anwendung gelten sollten. Einstiegsliteratur Allen, M. S., Iliescu, D., & Greiff, S. (2022). Single Item Measures in Psychological Science: A Call to Action. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 38(1), 1?5. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000699 Rammstedt, B., Danner, D., Soto, C. J., & John, O. P. (2018). Validation of the Short and Extra-Short Forms of the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2) and Their German Adaptations. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 1?13. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000481
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Eingabedatum: 09.12.2025
Kontakt: Dr. André Kretzschmar, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Die zunehmende Urbanisierung und der damit verbundene Verlust direkter Naturerfahrungen haben Auswirkungen auf das menschliche Wohlergehen. Gleichzeitig zeigt eine wachsende Zahl empirischer Untersuchungen, dass der Kontakt mit der Natur Stress abbaut, das emotionale Wohlbefinden stärkt und regenerative Prozesse unterstützt. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, den aktuellen Forschungsstand zur Bedeutung von Naturverbundenheit und Naturerleben für das Wohlbefinden und die kognitive Funktionsfähigkeit darzustellen. Dabei sollen zentrale theoretische Ansätze vorgestellt und die vorhandene empirische Evidenz zusammengefasst werden. Zudem soll erläutert werden, über welche Mechanismen Naturerfahrungen wirken und inwiefern naturbasierte Interventionen effektiv sind. Die Arbeit kann in Deutsch oder Englisch verfasst werden. Einstiegsliteratur Bratman, G. N., Mehta, A., Olvera-Alvarez, H., Spink, K. M., Levy, C., White, M. P., Kubzansky, L. D., Gross, J. J. (2024). Associations of nature contact with emotional ill-being and well-being: The role of emotion regulation. Cognition and Emotion, 38(5), 748-767. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2024.2316199
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Eingabedatum: 10.12.2025
Kontakt: Dr. Doris Baumann, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Voting is fundamental to democratic governance, allowing citizens to shape their society's future direction. Understanding how individual differences relate to voting behavior is an important question in personality science, as it reveals how psychological characteristics influence political decision-making. Cognitive ability, in particular, may shape how voters process political information, evaluate candidates, and form electoral preferences. This thesis aims to review and synthesize empirical studies examining the relationship between cognitive ability and voting behavior in U.S. presidential elections, with a particular focus on research that analyzes actual vote choice rather than general political attitudes or party identification. The thesis can be written in either German or English. Literature Ganzach, Y., Hanoch, Y., & Choma, B. L. (2019). Attitudes Toward Presidential Candidates in the 2012 and 2016 American Elections: Cognitive Ability and Support for Trump. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 10(7), 924?934. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550618800494 Choma, B. L., & Hanoch, Y. (2017). Cognitive ability and authoritarianism: Understanding support for Trump and Clinton. Personality and Individual Differences, 106, 287?291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.10.054
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Eingabedatum: 09.12.2025
Kontakt: Till Lubczyk, E-Mail

Beschreibung: At the core of personality psychology is the distinction between personality states and traits. The former can be easily observed empirically, vary greatly over time, and their tendencies are often more related to the situations than the people. In contrast, personality traits are theoretical latent constructs that are assumed to be rather constant and determined by the person. Yet, the core assumption of personality psychology is that traits and states are related, that traits can explain states beyond situational influences and thus, allow distinguishing types of persons regarding their reactions to situations. This raises the question of how this relation between manifest states and theoretical traits is conceptualized in personality psychology. Is it just a descriptive correlation? Do personality traits affect people?s reactions, are traits derived from the states, or is there an interaction between states and traits? Do people have a self-concept of their personality or is personality just a description from the observer perspective? These and other questions can be targeted by this thesis, as long as the focus is on the theoretical concepts and their relations, and not on measurement. The thesis can be written in German or English. Literature Fleeson, W., & Jayawickreme, E. (2025). Getting from states to traits: Whole Trait Theory?s explanatory and developmental engine. European Journal of Personality, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/08902070251366709 Mischel, W., & Shoda, Y. (1995). A cognitive-affective system theory of personality: reconceptualizing situations, dispositions, dynamics, and invariance in personality structure. Psychological review, 102(2), 246. Wrzus, C., & Roberts, B. W. (2017). Processes of personality development in adulthood: The TESSERA framework. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 21(3), 253-277.
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Eingabedatum: 09.12.2025
Kontakt: Dr. Robert Tobias, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Die Konstruktion psychologischer Testverfahren ist ein komplexer und ressourcenintensiver Prozess. Mit der zunehmenden Leistungsfähigkeit künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) ? insbesondere sprachbasierter Systeme ? eröffnen sich potenzielle Möglichkeiten, einzelne Schritte der Testkonstruktion zu unterstützen, zu beschleunigen oder qualitativ zu verbessern. Zugleich entstehen neue Risiken, etwa hinsichtlich inhaltlicher Validität, Fairness, Transparenz und theoretischer Fundierung. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, die aktuelle Rolle von KI im Prozess der Testkonstruktion kritisch einzuordnen. Aufbauend auf dem Prozessmodell von Kemper et al. (2015) wird systematisch herausgearbeitet, in welchen Phasen KI sinnvoll eingesetzt werden kann und wo klare Grenzen bestehen. Darauf aufbauend werden aktuelle empirische Studien zum KI-Einsatz in der Testentwicklung zusammengefasst und hinsichtlich psychometrischer Qualität, methodischer Robustheit und praktischer Relevanz kritisch bewertet. Abschliessend soll eine strukturierte Bestandsaufnahme erfolgen, die evidenzbasierte Empfehlungen für den verantwortungsvollen Einsatz von KI in der Testkonstruktion formuliert und zentrale Forschungsdesiderate identifiziert. Einstiegsliteratur Oeljeklaus, L., Höft, S., & Danner, D. (2025). Comparing Psychometric Properties of Expert-Developed and AI-Generated Personality Scales. Psychological Test Adaptation and Development. https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1027/2698-1866/a000095 Kemper, C. J., Ziegler, M., Krumm, S., Heene, M., & Bühner, M. (2015). Testkonstruktion. In G. Stemmler & J. Margraf-Stiksrud (Hrsg.), Lehrbuch psychologische Diagnostik (S. 157?221). Verlag Hans Huber. Lee, P., Fyffe, S., Son, M., Jia, Z., & Yao, Z. (2023). A Paradigm Shift from ?Human Writing? to ?Machine Generation? in Personality Test Development: An Application of State-of-the-Art Natural Language Processing. Journal of Business and Psychology, 38(1), 163?190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-022-09864-6
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Eingabedatum: 09.12.2025
Kontakt: Dr. André Kretzschmar, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Online dating platforms have become a central context for initiating romantic and sexual relationships, offering new opportunities?but also new challenges?for how people present themselves, choose partners, and form connections. Emerging research suggests that individual differences in personality (e.g., broad traits, attachment patterns, sociosexuality) are systematically related to whether and how people use these platforms, the types of partners they seek, how attractive their profiles appear to others, and the quality and stability of the relationships that emerge. The aim of this thesis is to conduct a systematic review of the literature on personality and online dating, summarize and critically evaluate existing findings, and identify mechanisms and gaps that can guide future research. The thesis may be written in either English or German. Einstiegsliteratur / Literature Blackhart, G. C., Fitzpatrick, J., & Williamson, J. (2014). Dispositional factors predicting use of online dating sites and behaviors related to online dating. Computers in Human Behavior, 33, 113?118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.01.022 Toma, C. L. (2015). Online Dating. In C. R. Berger, M. E. Roloff, S. R. Wilson, J. P. Dillard, J. Caughlin, & D. Solomon (Eds.), The International Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Communication (1st ed., pp. 1?5). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118540190.wbeic118
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Eingabedatum: 09.12.2025
Kontakt: Rosalie Andrae, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Solitude is a common experience in many people?s daily lives with positive and negative psychological consequences for social relationships, health, and happiness. Solitude is usually defined as a behavioral state of not interacting with anyone, either through face-to-face interaction or computer-mediated communication. Therefore, solitude represents a neutral behavioral state independent of the emotional response and can reflect both a resource and a deficit depending on multiple personal and contextual factors. However, theories and empirical research on what makes solitude adaptive (e.g., relaxation, creativity) or adverse (e.g., loneliness, boredom) are underdeveloped. Interconnections between the contexts individuals live in and their solitude tendencies and experiences are poorly understood. This thesis focuses on reviewing the relevant literature on how different characteristics of the environment relate to solitude. Initial research has linked characteristics of the larger social network to solitude seeking. One?s living arrangements and immediate social surroundings also matter, as household size and density of apartment buildings relate to the dynamics of transitioning from solitude to social contact (Roos et al., 2024). In addition, certain social roles and activities involve contexts that are typically more conducive to solitude or even require it such as solitary hobbies and creative pursuits. However, there might be many other, essential contextual factors, for example, related to the availability of social contacts, time resources, and social demands and obligations. Although recent work describes several contextual factors relevant for the regulation of social contact (Roos et al., 2024) or reviews how norms and physical environments relate to solitude (Nguyen et al., 2023), much remains unknown and relevant empirical work is scattered across disciplines and subfields. The thesis is intended to be written in English. Einstiegsliteratur - Nguyen, T. T., Taylor-Bower, E., & Yau, K. (2023). Solitude in Context: A Systematic Review of How Societal Norms and Physical Environment Shape Perceptions of Solitary Experiences. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/xb8gd - Roos, Y., Krämer, M. D., Richter, D., & Wrzus, C. (2024). Persons in contexts: The role of social networks and social density for the dynamic regulation of face-to-face interactions in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 127(4), 920?935. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000512
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Eingabedatum: 02.12.2024
Kontakt: Dr. Michael Krämer, E-Mail

Beschreibung: At the population level, personality remains moderately stable but does evidence replicable patterns of normative development (Bleidorn et al., 2022). These relatively simplistic patterns of development in the population do not necessarily correspond with individual-level trajectories of development, though. That is, individual people have their own idiosyncratic patterns of development across the lifespan (Wright & Jackson, 2024). These unique person-level changes in personality, in conjunction with promising evidence for the predictive utility of mean-level changes in traits (e.g., Hoff et al., 2021; Mroczek & Spiro, 2007; Wright & Jackson, 2023), suggest that people?s life outcomes could thus be differentially affected, in part, by their personality changes. Research on the utility of mean-level changes in personality traits, namely with the Big Five, does suggest that this metric can have downstream effects in people?s lives ? or is at least a useful proxy for these mechanisms. However, these effects are typically far less plentiful and smaller in magnitude than similar effects that emerge for average levels of these same traits. It could be the case that changes in personality, on average, are just less impactful than average levels of traits. Alternatively, the utility of trait changes might be highly dependent on person-level and contextual factors such as age, gender, education level, income, or well-being. For example, changes in neuroticism could predict earlier mortality quite well in older adults but not younger adults. This thesis will review literature on moderators of personality change prediction, as well as moderators of personality change broadly to help inform the scope of potential moderators for personality change prediction. This thesis will be written in English. References - Bleidorn, W., Schwaba, T., Zheng, A., Hopwood, C. J., Sosa, S. S., Roberts, B. W., & Briley, D. A. (2022). Personality stability and change: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 148(7?8), 588?619. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000365 - Hoff, K. A., Einarsdóttir, S., Chu, C., Briley, D. A., & Rounds, J. (2021). Personality Changes Predict Early Career Outcomes: Discovery and Replication in 12-Year Longitudinal Studies. Psychological Science, 32(1), 64?79. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620957998 - Mroczek, D. K., & Spiro, A., 3rd. (2007). Personality change influences mortality in older men. Psychological Science, 18(5), 371?376. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01907.x - Wright, A. J., & Jackson, J. J. (2023). Do changes in personality predict life outcomes? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 125(6), 1495?1518. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000472 - Wright, A. J., & Jackson, J. J. (2024). Individual differences in the forms of personality trait trajectories. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000520
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Eingabedatum: 02.12.2024
Kontakt: Dr. Amanda Wright, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Sexual behavior encompasses a wide range of activities that individuals engage in to express their sexuality, which are theorized to be influenced by an interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. Personality traits, as relatively stable individual differences in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, are thought to play a key role in shaping sexual attitudes and behaviors. Understanding the relationship between personality and sexual behavior is not only of theoretical interest but also has implications for sexual health interventions and education. Thus, the purpose of this thesis is to examine the existing literature on the associations between personality traits and various aspects of sexual behavior. It can be submitted in English or German. Einstiegsliteratur / Literatur - Allen, M. S., & Walter, E. E. (2018). Linking big five personality traits to sexuality and sexual health: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 144(10), 1081?1110. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000157 - Hoyle, R. H., Fejfar, M. C., & Miller, J. D. (2000). Personality and sexual risk taking: a quantitative review. Journal of personality, 68(6), 1203?1231. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.00132
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Eingabedatum: 02.12.2024
Kontakt: Rosalie Andrae, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Personality traits have been found to predict a broad range of relevant life outcomes including mental and physical health, relationship success, or work-related outcomes. Higher levels of agreeableness, extraversion, and emotional stability in emerging adulthood have, for instance, been linked to higher life satisfaction, better mental health, and relationship success later in life However, these findings stem almost exclusively from Western countries, leaving it unclear whether findings generalize to other cultural contexts. Assuming that findings from Western countries generalize to all people ignores that many, if not most, psychological phenomena have been seen to be impacted by cultural context. Thus, testing psychological phenomena outside Western contexts is necessary to assess which aspects are human universals and which are culturally specific. The goal of this Bachelor thesis is to summarize and integrate the existing evidence on personality-outcome prediction in non-Western countries to identify findings that generalize across cultures and directions for future research. Einstiegsliteratur / Literature - Bleidorn, W., Hill, P. L., Back, M. D., Denissen, J. J. A., Hennecke, M., Hopwood, C. J., Jokela, M., Kandler, C., Lucas, R. E., Luhmann, M., Orth, U., Wagner, J., Wrzus, C., Zimmermann, J., & Roberts, B. (2019). The policy relevance of personality traits. American Psychologist, 74(9), 1056?1067. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000503 - Thalmayer, A. G., Toscanelli, C., & Arnett, J. J. (2021). The neglected 95% revisited: Is American psychology becoming less American? American Psychologist, 76(1), 116?129. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000622
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Eingabedatum: 02.12.2024
Kontakt: Dr. Peter Hähner, E-Mail

Beschreibung: For decades, psychologists, educators, and the public have sought to improve intelligence through training. These trainings often involve teaching people how to think better and solve problems. A meta-analysis of Klauer's inductive reasoning training program, for example, demonstrated an average increase of 9 IQ points, while other programs such as working memory training have so far failed to provide evidence of improved cognitive skills. This bachelor's thesis aims to conduct a comprehensive literature review on the effects of cognitive training on (fluid) intelligence. The primary objective is to explore and critically analyze current research examining whether (fluid) intelligence can be enhanced through cognitive training interventions. Literature reviewed for this paper should not be older than 10 years (from 2014 onwards). The resulting paper can be written in German or English (Note that some exemplary literature listed below is in German). Einstiegsliteratur / Literature - Klauer, K. J. (2014). Training des induktiven Denkens - Fortschreibung der Metaanalyse von 2008. Zeitschrift Für Pädagogische Psychologie, 28(1?-), 5?19. https://doi.org/10.1024/1010-0652/a000123 - Melby-Lervåg, M., Redick, T. S., & Hulme, C. (2016). Working Memory Training Does Not Improve Performance on Measures of Intelligence or Other Measures of Far Transfer?: Evidence From a Meta-Analytic Review. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11(4), 512-534. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691616635612
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Eingabedatum: 08.07.2024
Kontakt: Till Lubczyk, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Mit dem "Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Skills Inventory (BESSI)" wurde ein diagnostisches Instrument entwickelt, das soziale, emotionale und verhaltensbezogene Kompetenzen in Abgrenzung zu kognitiven (z.B. Intelligenz) und nicht-kognitiven (z.B. Big Five) Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen erfassen soll. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, die Kriteriumsvalidität des BESSI (und ggf. weiterer Messinstrumente zu SEB skills) systematisch zu untersuchen: Für welche Alltagskriterien (z.B. beruflicher Erfolg, Wohlbefinden) findet sich eine inkrementelle Kriteriumsvalidität über etablierte kognitive und nicht-kognitive Persönlichkeitsmerkmale? Damit leistet die Arbeit einen wichtigen Beitrag zu einem umfassenderen Verständnis von Persönlichkeitseigenschaften und deren Diagnostik. Die Arbeit kann in deutscher oder englischer Sprache verfasst werden. Einstiegsliteratur / Literatur - Soto, C. J., Napolitano, C. M., & Roberts, B. W. (2021). Taking skills seriously: Toward an integrative model and agenda for social, emotional, and behavioral skills. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 30, 26-33. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721420978613 - Napolitano, C. M., Sewell, M. N., Yoon, H. J., Soto, C. J., & Roberts, B. W. (2021). Social, emotional, and behavioral skills: An integrative model of the skills associated with success during adolescence and across the life span. Frontiers in Education, 6, 679561. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.679561
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Eingabedatum: 02.12.2024
Kontakt: Dr. André Kretzschmar, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Over the lifespan, people and their environments are characterized by both change and stability. For example, personality traits, such as the Big Five, are moderately stable over the life course in terms of rank-order stability, mean-level changes, and ipsative profile consistency (Bleidorn et al., 2022; Roberts et al., 2006; Wright & Jackson, 2023). There are three processes believed to underlie these patterns of stability and change: developmental constants with biological or genetic origins, transactional processes with the environment, and stochastic influences (Fraley & Roberts, 2005). Of these processes, stability in personality is promoted via developmental constants whereas changes in personality are theorized to occur via environmental transactions, such as in the case of life events. However, it seems plausible that environments could likewise support long-term stability and prevent change from occurring to the degree that they remain constant. However, unlike personality, it is unclear how stable people?s environments are. This thesis will review literature on environmental stability, broadly covering variables within domains such as relationships (e.g., marriage duration), family (e.g., number of children), and work (e.g., length of tenure at job), as well as more objective characteristics like geographical location. This thesis will be written in English. References - Bleidorn, W., Schwaba, T., Zheng, A., Hopwood, C. J., Sosa, S. S., Roberts, B. W., & Briley, D. A. (2022). Personality stability and change: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 148(7?8), 588?619. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000365 - Fraley, R. C., & Roberts, B. W. (2005). Patterns of Continuity: A Dynamic Model for Conceptualizing the Stability of Individual Differences in Psychological Constructs Across the Life Course. Psychological Review, 112(1), 60?74. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295x.112.1.60 - Roberts, B. W., Walton, K. E., & Viechtbauer, W. (2006). Patterns of mean-level change in personality traits across the life course: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 132(1), 1?25. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.132.1.1 - Wright, A. J., & Jackson, J. J. (2023). Are some people more consistent? Examining the stability and underlying processes of personality profile consistency. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 124(6), 1314?1337. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000429
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Eingabedatum: 02.12.2024
Kontakt: Dr. Amanda Wright, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Ehrfürchtiges Staunen ist eine selbsttranszendente und vielschichtige Emotion. Während Emotionen wie Angst aufgrund ihrer entscheidenden Rolle für das menschliche Überleben ausgiebig untersucht wurden, hat das ehrfürchtige Staunen erst in jüngster Zeit wegen seines bedeutenden Beitrags zum menschlichen Wohlbefinden an Aufmerksamkeit gewonnen. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, einen umfassenden Überblick über die theoretischen und empirischen Erkenntnisse zum ehrfürchtigen Staunen zu geben und seine Entstehung, Mechanismen und Auswirkungen kritisch zu untersuchen. Dabei soll auch das Erleben von ehrfürchtigem Staunen über die Lebensspanne thematisiert werden. Die Arbeit kann in Englisch oder Deutsch verfasst werden. Einstiegsliteratur / Literature Chen, S. K., & Mongrain, M. (2021). Awe and the interconnected self. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(6), 770-778. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1818808
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Eingabedatum: 01.07.2024
Kontakt: Dr. Doris Baumann, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Childhood maltreatment is defined by parents either committing harmful acts towards their child (i.e. abuse) or omitting responsibilities aimed at fulfilling their child's needs (i.e. neglect). While maltreatment can also be of sexual and physical nature, emotional abuse and neglect have been shown to be the most common forms of maltreatment and represent a significant global health issue. For example, it is well documented that childhood maltreatment is associated with a range of negative outcomes in adulthood, such as increased incidence of anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptomatology, adjustment problems, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and poor physical health. One factor theorized to form a pathway between childhood emotional maltreatment and later mental and physical problems is self-esteem, i.e. a person's relatively enduring appraisal of their own worth. Thus, the purpose of this thesis is to review the literature on how childhood emotional abuse and neglect impact self-esteem in later life. It can be submitted in English or German. Einstiegsliteratur / Literatur - Finzi-Dottan, R., & Karu, T. (2006). From emotional abuse in childhood to psychopathology in adulthood. Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 194(8), 616?621. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nmd.0000230654.49933.23 - Oshri, A., Carlson, M. W., Kwon, J. A., Zeichner, A., & Wickrama, K. K. (2016). Developmental growth trajectories of self-esteem in adolescence: Associations with child neglect and drug use and abuse in young adulthood. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46(1), 151?164. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0483-5 - Zhang, H., Wang, W., Liu, S., Feng, Y., & Wei, Q. (2022). A meta-analytic review of the impact of child maltreatment on self-esteem: 1981 to 2021. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 24(5), 3398?3411. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380221129587
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Eingabedatum: 01.07.2024
Kontakt: Rosalie Andrae, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Parenthood has been described as an ambiguous life event, with many positive facets that ? on average ? benefit well-being aspects such as life satisfaction and satisfaction with family life, but also several negative facets that adversely affect sleep or personal income (Krämer & Rodgers, 2019), as well as the available leisure time and social time with friends. From a theoretical perspective, such ambiguous effects of parenthood can be viewed within the frameworks of both role enhancement theory and role strain theory, especially for the first-time occurrence of childbirth, when parents add a completely new social role to the roster of already existing social roles. This thesis focuses on loneliness in the context of parenthood which has not yet been examined extensively. Initial results relying on data from a representative Dutch panel study indicated that parenthood related to an increase in loneliness starting in the second year after the event (Buecker et al., 2019). Still, it remains unclear whether this finding replicated in other populations, with other measures related to social connectedness, and which factors associated with parenthood moderate the effect (e.g., gender, parity, partner/marital status, or socio-economic status). In addition, given that research on this is available, potential mechanisms (= mediators) of the effect of parenthood on loneliness may be examined. In its review of the empirical literature, this thesis should take an interdisciplinary approach (beyond psychology also looking into the demographic and sociological literatures) and aim to differentiate between different conceptualizations of loneliness (or social connectedness) as well as methods of assessment and analysis. The thesis is intended to be written in English. Einstiegsliteratur - Buecker, S., Denissen, J. J. A., & Luhmann, M. (2021). A propensity-score matched study of changes in loneliness surrounding major life events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 121(3), 669?690. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000373.supp - Krämer, M. D., & Rodgers, J. L. (2020). The impact of having children on domain-specific life satisfaction: A quasi-experimental longitudinal investigation using the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) data. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 119(6), 1497?1514. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000279
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Eingabedatum: 29.11.2023
Kontakt: Dr. Michael Krämer, E-Mail

Beschreibung: It is still debated whether the relation between social interactions and well-being depends on a person?s traits. From a theoretical perspective of social need satisfaction, Sheldon (2011) hypothesized that individuals experience equal well-being benefits when they satisfy their needs regardless of their dispositions. However, some recent empirical evidence indicated that people do differ in how satisfying need satisfaction is depending on their social traits such as affiliation motive or extraversion (e.g., Kersten et al., 2022). This finding is more in line with assumptions of motive disposition theory that people can expect differential well-being benefits from social experiences depending on learning processes of reward and punishment, that mostly occurred in childhood (McClelland, 1987). At the same time, research with a focus on the Big Five traits has mostly failed to support the related hypothesis of differential well-being reactivity to social contact depending on extraversion levels (e.g., Kroencke et al., 2023). Thus, the question remains whether engaging in meaningful social interactions (and thereby satisfying social needs) generally feels the same for people regardless of their social traits. In its review of the empirical literature, this thesis should aim to differentiate between different traits and dispositions and as well as methods of assessment and analysis. The thesis is intended to be written in English. Einstiegsliteratur - Kersten, P., Borschel, E., Neyer, F. J., & Mund, M. (2022). The social side of personality: Do affiliation and intimacy motives moderate associations of personal relationships with well?being? Journal of Personality. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12746 - Kroencke, L., Humberg, S., Breil, S. M., Geukes, K., Zoppolat, G., Balzarini, R. N., Alonso-Ferres, M., Slatcher, R. B., & Back, M. D. (2023). Extraversion, social interactions, and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: Did extraverts really suffer more than introverts? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 125(3), 649?679. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000468
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Eingabedatum: 29.11.2023
Kontakt: Dr. Michael Krämer, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Studies in personality psychology have shown that personality traits are not as temporally stable as once thought but rather change and develop over time. This has, e.g., been demonstrated for the Big Five personality traits (Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Openness), which can and do change across the entire life span. This bachelor?s thesis aims at expanding this view on personality change to cognitive abilities and to examine whether cognitive ability tests scores also change over time. For this purpose, the thesis will review the individual-change of manifest test scores in adults in the timespan of one year, while including studies with at least three measurement points. The thesis can be submitted in English or German. Einstiegsliteratur / Literature - Breit, M., Scherrer, V., & Preckel, F. (2021). Temporal stability of specific ability scores and intelligence profiles in high ability students. Intelligence, 86, 101538. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2021.101538 - Breit, M., Scherrer, V., & Preckel, F. (2022). Temporal stability and change in manifest intelligence scores: Four complementary analytic approaches. MethodsX, 9, 101613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2021.101613 - Estevis, E., Basso, M. R., & Combs, D. (2012). Effects of Practice on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV Across 3- and 6-Month Intervals. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 26(2), 239?254. https://doi.org/10.1080/13854046.2012.659219
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Eingabedatum: 30.11.2023
Kontakt: Till Lubczyk, E-Mail

Beschreibung: In den letzten Jahrzehnten hat ein Paradigmenwechsel im Bereich der Behinderungen stattgefunden, indem vermehrt Stärken und positive Eigenschaften in den Fokus gerückt sind. Diese Verschiebung von der Defizitperspektive hin zur Stärkenorientierung bietet die Chance, ein gutes Leben für alle Menschen zu fördern. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit besteht darin, Initiativen zur Identifizierung und Förderung von Charakterstärken bei Menschen mit Behinderungen zusammenzufassen. Zudem soll untersucht werden, warum und wie die Charakterstärken für Menschen mit Behinderungen von besonderer Bedeutung sind. Die Arbeit kann in Deutsch oder Englisch verfasst werden. Einstiegsliteratur - Wehmeyer, M. L. (2021). The future of positive psychology and disability. Frontiers in Psychology, 12: 790506. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.790506 - Schwartz, A. E., Caoili, A., Beasley, J. B., Kramer, J. M., & Kalb, L. G. (2023). Clinical applications of the VIA Inventory of Strengths with Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 18(3), 439-448. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2022.2036797
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Eingabedatum: 29.11.2023
Kontakt: Dr. Doris Baumann, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Stressful experiences do not fall randomly from the sky. Some people experience more stressful events than others due to their personal characteristics and cognitive styles, a phenomenon called stress generation. So far, stress generation has mostly been examined over relatively long time intervals of several months or years. However, stress generation can also take place over shorter time frames in daily life. That is, people?s everyday thoughts, feelings, and behaviors predict the occurrence of stressful daily events. The goal of this thesis is to summarize the existing daily diary and experience sampling research on stress generation. The thesis can be written in German or English. Einstiegsliteratur / Literatur - Rnic, K., Santee, A. C., Hoffmeister, J.-A., Liu, H., Chang, K. K., Chen, R. X., Neufeld, R. W. J., Machado, D. A., Starr, L. R., Dozois, D. J. A., & LeMoult, J. (2023). The vicious cycle of psychopathology and stressful life events: A meta-analytic review testing the stress generation model. Psychological Bulletin, 149(5?6), 330?369. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000390 - Vize, C. E., Kaurin, A., & Wright, A. G. C. (2023). Personality Pathology and Momentary Stress Processes. Clinical Psychological Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/21677026231192483
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Eingabedatum: 29.11.2023
Kontakt: Dr. Peter Hähner, E-Mail

Beschreibung: In der Forschung finden sich mehr oder weniger klare Kriterien dafür, wie eine konstruktrepräsentative und inhaltsvalide Messung von Intelligenz aussehen sollte, auch wenn sich bisher kein Goldstandard für die Messung von Intelligenz etabliert hat. In dieser Arbeit soll untersucht werden, wie die Messung von Intelligenz in der aktuellen Forschung tatsächlich umgesetzt wird. Dazu werden ausgewählte wissenschaftliche Publikationen einer für das Forschungsfeld relevanten Fachzeitschrift (z.B. Intelligence) hinsichtlich der verwendeten Intelligenztests untersucht, beispielsweise: Was misst der Test auf Basis der etablierten Intelligenzstrukturtheorien (d.h. Cattell-Horn-Carroll-Modell und Berliner Intelligenzstrukturmodell; vgl. Süß und Beauducel, 2011)? Wie inhaltsvalide sind die eingesetzten Tests in Bezug auf die intendierten Konstrukte? Lassen sich bestimmte Muster in der Verwendung von Intelligenztests in der Forschung erkennen? Ziel der Arbeit ist es, auf Basis der aktuellen Literatur eine eigene Einschätzung zur Verwendung von Intelligenztests in der Forschung zu entwickeln. Die Arbeit kann in deutscher oder englischer Sprache verfasst werden. Einstiegsliteratur Süß, H.-M., & Beauducel, A. (2011). Intelligenztests und ihre Bezüge zu Intelligenztheorien. In L. F. Hornke, M. Amelang, & M. Kersting (Hrsg.), Enzyklopädie der Psychologie, Band. 3: Serie Psychologische Diagnostik: Leistungs-, Intelligenz- und Verhaltensdiagnostik (S. 97?234). Hogrefe.
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Eingabedatum: 29.11.2023
Kontakt: Dr. André Kretzschmar, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Die DIN 33430 und die für 2024 geplante SN 33430 legen fest, dass Eignungsdiagnostik-Testnormen alle acht Jahre einer Überprüfung unterzogen werden müssen, um ihre fortlaufende Relevanz und Gültigkeit zu gewährleisten. Es ist unklar, inwieweit gegenwärtig häufig verwendete Persönlichkeitsinventare diesen Standard erfüllen. Ziel dieser Literaturarbeit ist es, einen Überblick über das «Ablaufdatum» dieser häufig verwendeten Persönlichkeitsinventare zu schaffen und aufzuzeigen, in welchen Fällen eine Neunormierung oder eine Erweiterung der bestehenden Normen angebracht wäre. Einstiegsliteratur Kersting, M. (2018). Qualitätssicherung und -optimierung in der Eignungsdiagnostik. In: Diagnostik- und Testkuratorium (Hrsg.) Personalauswahl kompetent gestalten: Grundlagen und Praxis der Eignungsdiagnostik nach DIN 33430 (S. 2?20). Berlin: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-53772-5
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Eingabedatum: 29.11.2023
Kontakt: Dr. Alexander Stahlmann, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Intelligenztests sind umfassend erforschte und validierte Diagnostikinstrumente der Psychologie. In der Literatur finden sich verschiedene Empfehlungen, wie umfangreich ein Intelligenztest sein sollte, um die allgemeine Intelligenz (g) zu erfassen. So überrascht es nicht, dass es eine Vielzahl an Intelligenztest gibt, deren Umfang von einer einzelnen Aufgabenart bis zu mehreren Duzend unterschiedlicher Aufgabenformaten reicht. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, theoretische Überlegungen und aktuelle Forschungsbefunde aufzubereiten und zusammenzufassen. Am Ende sollen praxisrelevante Empfehlungen zur Messung der Intelligenz formuliert werden können. Literatur - Jensen, A. R., & Wang, L.-J. (1994). What is a good g? Intelligence, 18, 231?258. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-2896(94)90029-9
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Eingabedatum: 16.08.2021
Kontakt: Dr. André Kretzschmar, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Moral character and character strengths encompass personality traits that are often described as morally commendable, admirable, and exemplary, including traits such as open-mindedness, bravery, and mercy. While there is substantial evidence pointing towards the positive impacts of these traits?on life satisfaction and academic performance, for instance?the consensus on their number and definition is less established. Especially in recent years, there has been a surge in various measures that group diverse traits under this category, though the extent of their conceptual overlap remains ambiguous. The objective of this thesis is to critically review these diverse measures and contrast the traits they encompass. The final paper can be submitted in either English or German. Einstiegsliteratur Wagner, L., & Ruch, W. (2022, February 7). Assessment of character strengths. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ed8ap
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Eingabedatum: 18.07.2023
Kontakt: Alexander Stahlmann, E-Mail

Beschreibung: There is ongoing debate whether and to what degree computer-mediated communication (e.g., calls, texting, social media), contributes to well-being and the satisfaction of social needs. Theories have proposed that humans have evolved to optimize the balance in their social interactions between time or energy spent and need satisfaction rewards. Thus, humans favor relationships that offer high returns in terms of satisfying social needs but require low social energy. However, there is mixed evidence where computer-mediated communication falls on this spectrum when compared to in-person contact. This thesis reviews research on well-being effects of mobile phone use with a focus on social media apps. Research on the effects of mobile phone and social media usage is hotly debated: On the one hand, some researchers state that phone use and online communication through social media disrupt daily life and supplant in-person interactions leading to decreased well-being and even a marked increase in teenage depression prevalence (e.g., Haidt, 2023). On the other hand, other researchers have pointed out that moderate use of these technologies is not harmful and can alleviate social isolation, and that social media usage only has comparatively small effects on well-being (e.g., Orben & Przybylski, 2019). One important caveat, however, is that most previous studies have relied only on self-report data. This over-reliance on self-reports potentially produced biased results from evaluative and recall biases and may have inflated shared variance due to common method bias. In its review of the empirical literature, this thesis should also aim to differentiate between different methods of assessment and analysis. The thesis can be written in English or German. Literatur - Haidt, J. (2023, February 22). Social media is a major cause of the mental illness epidemic in teen girls. Here?s the evidence. [Substack newsletter]. After Babel. https://jonathanhaidt.substack.com/p/social-media-mental-illness-epidemic - Orben, A., & Przybylski, A. K. (2019). Screens, teens, and psychological well-being: Evidence from three time-use-diary studies. Psychological Science, 30(5), 682?696. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797619830329
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Eingabedatum: 13.07.2023
Kontakt: Dr. Michael Krämer, E-Mail

Beschreibung: People have enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors?called personality traits. Although personality traits are relatively stable, they change throughout the life span. These changes can be caused by biological mechanisms, social roles, and disruptive major life events. But can people also change their personality traits volitionally? This research question recently gained interest in personality psychology and revealed that most people want to change their personality traits. Furthermore, first interventions to support volitional personality change were developed. This thesis aims at reviewing current research on volitional personality change (e.g., change goals, existing interventions). The thesis can be submitted in English or German. Literatur - Hudson, N. W., & Fraley, R. C. (2015). Volitional personality trait change: Can people choose to change their personality traits? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109(3), 490?507. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000021 - Hudson, N. W., Fraley, R. C., Chopik, W. J., & Briley, D. A. (2020). Change Goals Robustly Predict Trait Growth: A Mega-Analysis of a Dozen Intensive Longitudinal Studies Examining Volitional Change. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 11(6), 723?732. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550619878423
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Eingabedatum: 10.07.2023
Kontakt: Dr. Peter Hähner, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Of the three classical goals of the good life - truth, beauty, and the moral good - the psychological study of the trait of beauty has been neglected. Within the classification of good character, the appreciation of beauty and excellence was introduced as a strength associated with the virtue of transcendence. Appreciation of beauty and excellence refers to the perception and appreciation of beauty, virtue, mastery, and the exceptional in everyday life. The expression of this strength is related to positive emotions that transcend oneself, such as awe, wonder, and elevation. Different emotions are evoked depending on the type of beauty, such as feelings of elevation in the case of moral goodness. This paper aims to provide an overview of (1) the sources of beauty, the associated emotional responses, and their motivational and behavioral consequences, (2) the relationship between appreciation of beauty and other positive constructs, (3) the evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to enhance appreciation of beauty and interventions to increase well-being through appreciation of beauty. The paper may be written in German or English. Literatur: Proyer, R. T., Gander, F., Wellenzohn, S., & Ruch, W. (2016). Nine beautiful things: A self-administered online positive psychology intervention on the beauty in nature, arts, and behaviors increases happiness and ameliorates depressive symptoms. Personality and Individual Differences, 94, 189-193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.01.028
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Eingabedatum: 09.01.2023
Kontakt: Dr. Doris Baumann, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Character strengths, such as kindness, integrity, and citizenship, are individual differences that contribute to individual fulfillment, satisfaction, and happiness broadly construed. Several studies show that character strengths also contribute to important workplace outcomes, such as job satisfaction, job performance, and perceived calling. This thesis aims at reviewing the literature in view of these and other important workplace outcomes. The resulting paper can be submitted in English or German. Literatur Ruch, W., & Stahlmann, A. G. (2019). 15 years after Peterson and Seligman (2004): A brief narrative review of the research on the 12 criteria for character strengths ? the forgotten treasure of the VIA classification. In M. Brohm-Badry, C. Peifer, J. M. Greve, & B. Berend (Eds.), Zusammen wachsen ? Förderung der positiv-psychologischen Entwicklung von Individuen, Organisationen und Gesellschaft (pp. 142?172). Pabst Science Publishers.
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Eingabedatum: 28.11.2022
Kontakt: Alexander Stahlmann, E-Mail

Beschreibung: In der Persönlichkeitspsychologie existieren verschiedene Ansätze, das Zusammenspiel zwischen kognitiven und nicht-kognitiven Persönlichkeitseigenschaften zu erklären. So werden beispielsweise im Openness-Fluid-Crystallized-Intelligence (OFCI) Modell vier unterschiedliche längsschnittliche Wirkzusammenhänge postuliert. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist, die empirische Evidenz für die jeweiligen Wirkzusammenhänge vergleichend darzustellen und zu evaluieren, welche Mechanismen im OFCI-Modell am wahrscheinlichsten wirksam sind. Literatur - Ziegler, M., Danay, E., Heene, M., Asendorpf, J., & Bühner, M. (2012). Openness, fluid intelligence, and crystallized intelligence: Toward an integrative model. Journal of Research in Personality, 46(2), 173?183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2012.01.002
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Eingabedatum: 16.08.2021
Kontakt: Dr. André Kretzschmar, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Die bisherigen Forschungsergebnisse zeigen deutlich, dass Lebensereignisse und persönliche Erfahrungen Persönlichkeitsveränderungen bedingen können. Ein Beispiel dafür sind berufliche Übergänge aber auch der Übergang in den tertiären Bildungsbereich. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, theoretische Überlungen und bisherige wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse zum Zusammenhang von Studienbeginn und Persönlichkeitsveränderungen aufzubereiten. Welche Persönlichkeitseigenschaften spielen hierbei eine besondere Rolle? Unterscheiden sich die Ergebnisse von Entwicklungen nach beruflichen Übergängen und anderen Lebensereignissen? Einstiegsliteratur: Bleidorn, W., Hopwood, C.J., Lucas, R.E. (2018). Life events and personality trait change. Journal of Personality, 86, 83-96. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12286
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Eingabedatum: 09.01.2023
Kontakt: Lisa Pindeus, E-Mail

Beschreibung: The value of arts as a therapeutic and rehabilitation tool has been recognized in clinical settings. However, most studies of art therapies have focused primarily on mental health in terms of the absence or reduction of negative symptoms. Only more recently has the subfield of "positive art" been introduced to examine the arts as a means to promote well-being and help people lead fulfilling lives. Research demonstrates the potential of engaging in the arts for positive human functioning, including self-knowledge, self-expression, sense-making, hope, and resilience. This paper aims to provide an overview of the theoretical and empirical findings on the relationship between the arts, well-being, and health. Positive art interventions will be discussed regarding different populations (e.g., older adults, people with disabilities, inmates, and palliative care patients) and their effectiveness in promoting flourishing and positive development. The paper may be written in German or English. Literatur Wilkinson, R. A., & Chilton, G. (2013). Positive art therapy: Linking positive psychology to art therapy theory, practice, and research. Art Therapy, 30(1), 4-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2013.757513
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Eingabedatum: 09.01.2023
Kontakt: Dr. Doris Baumann, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Civic engagement describes how an active citizen participates in the life of a community in order to improve conditions for others or to help shape the community?s future. During the past two decades, six civic engagement indicators have been at the center of research and discussion: volunteerism, charitable giving, donating blood, posthumous organ donation, political voting, and vaccination. However, it is unclear whether these six indicators cover the range of important civic actions exhaustively. This thesis aims at reviewing different definitions of civic engagement to decide whether some important indicators have been neglected in the past. The resulting paper can be submitted in English or German. Literatur Adler, R. P., & Goggin, J. (2005). What do we mean by ?civic engagement?? Journal of Transformative Education, 3(3), 236?253. https://doi.org/10.1177/1541344605276792
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Eingabedatum: 28.11.2022
Kontakt: Alexander Stahlmann, E-Mail

Beschreibung: In den letzten Jahrzehnten steht das Thema «Wohlbefinden» wieder mehr im Fokus der (positiven) psychologischen Forschung. Zudem wird detaillierter zu Prädiktoren geforscht, welche Persönlichkeitsveränderung begünstigen. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, theoretische Überlungen und bisherige wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse zum Zusammenhang von Wohlbefinden und Persönlichkeitsveränderung aufzubereiten. Inwiefern begünstigt unser Wohlbefinden Entwicklungen der Persönlichkeit? Welche Persönlichkeitseigenschaften sind dabei von besonderem Interesse? Einstiegsliteratur: Soto, C. (2015). Is happiness good for your personality? Concurrent and prospective relations of the big five with subjective well-being. Journal of Personality 83(1), 45-55. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12081
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Eingabedatum: 09.01.2023
Kontakt: Lisa Pindeus, E-Mail

Beschreibung: In 2010, Paul McGhee published his seminal book "Humor as survival training for a stressed-out world: The 7 Humor Habits Program." Since then, several researchers worldwide have tested his program and investigated the relationships between humor training and mental health indicators (e.g., life, job, and partnership satisfaction). This Bachelor's Thesis involves synthesizing the findings from the studies that cite McGhee's book (a fraction of 148; Google Scholar, June 15, 2022). The thesis should comment on the program's effectiveness and outline areas for future research and application. Literatur Goldstein, J. & Ruch, W. (2018). Paul McGhee and humor research. HUMOR, 31(2), 169?181. https://doi.org/10.1515/humor-2018-0031
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Eingabedatum: 16.06.2022
Kontakt: Alexander Stahlmann, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Research in geographical psychology has shown that certain personality characteristics tend to cluster across geographic areas. Important differences appear to occur between rural and urban regions. For example, psychological and sociological research indicated that people from rural areas tend to score higher in extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness whereas a higher level of urbanization has been associated with higher levels of openness to experience. The goals of this thesis are to integrate the literature on 1) regional variation in aggregate scores of the Big Five personality traits across urban vs. rural areas and 2) discuss potential mechanisms underlying this variation. Literatur: - Jokela, M. (2020). Selective residential mobility and social influence in the emergence of neighborhood personality differences: Longitudinal data from Australia. Journal of Research in Personality, 86, 103953. - Rentfrow, P. J., Jokela, M., & Lamb, M. E. (2015). Regional personality differences in Great Britain. PloS one, 10(3), e0122245. - Ferguson, E., Zhao, K., O'Carroll, R. E., & Smillie, L. D. (2019). Costless and costly prosociality: Correspondence among personality traits, economic preferences, and real-world prosociality. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 10, 461-471.
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Eingabedatum: 16.08.2021
Kontakt: Prof. Dr. Wiebke Bleidorn, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Persönlichkeitseigenschaften wie die Big Five werden üblicherweise mittels Fragebogen erhoben. Neben dem Selbstbericht kommen dazu auch Fremdberichte von Freunden oder Familienangehörigen zum Einsatz. Die empirischen Befunde zeigen dabei, dass der Zusammenhang zwischen Selbst- und Fremdbericht nur schwach bis moderat ausfällt. Die Ziele dieser Arbeit sind: (1) einen aktuellen Überblick über den empirischen Zusammenhang zwischen Selbst- und Fremdbericht bzgl. der Big Five Persönlichkeitseigenschaften zu geben, (2) Erklärungsansätze für die Diskrepanz zwischen Selbst- und Fremdbericht vergleichend darzustellen, und (3) die jeweiligen Vor- und Nachteile von Selbst- bzw. Fremdbericht insbesondere bzgl. der Prädiktion/Kriteriumsvalidität zusammenzufassen. Literatur Vazire, S. (2010). Who knows what about a person? The self?other knowledge asymmetry (SOKA) model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(2), 281?300. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017908
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Eingabedatum: 16.08.2021
Kontakt: Dr. André Kretzschmar, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Blood donation and posthumous organ donation are core examples of health-related philanthropy that are vital to the health of modern societies and individual well-being. People differ in their willingness to engage in these behaviors. Thus, considerable potential lies in a greater understanding of the psychological factors that predict these behaviors. There is growing evidence that personality traits shape our willingness to engage in civic acts. The goal of this thesis is to review the literature on blood donation, posthumous organ donation, and personality differences to investigate the links and potential pathways between personality traits and these forms of civic engagement. Literatur: - Bekkers, R. (2006). Traditional and health-related philanthropy: The role of resources and personality. Social Psychology Quarterly, 69, 349-366. - Ferguson, E., Zhao, K., O'Carroll, R. E., & Smillie, L. D. (2019). Costless and costly prosociality: Correspondence among personality traits, economic preferences, and real-world prosociality. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 10, 461-471.
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Eingabedatum: 16.08.2021
Kontakt: Prof. Dr. Wiebke Bleidorn, E-Mail

Beschreibung: The past 30 years have seen several studies on emotional intelligence and empathy?spearheaded by two research groups with very different definitions of the phenomena. The group around Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso postulates that emotional intelligence is a mental ability?similar to intelligence or creativity?that requires standardized testing. The group around Petrides, Furnham, and Saklofske postulates that emotional intelligence is a trait that pertains to a mixture of individual differences in well-being, self-control, emotionality, and sociability that can be measured through self-report questionnaires. Then, some critics believe that emotional intelligence is neither ability nor trait, and who point out shortcomings in both models that pertain to their demarcation from other phenomena and their reliable assessment. The Bachelor?s Thesis involves synthesizing the literature from all three perspectives to decide whether emotional intelligence should best be understood as a personality trait, a mental ability, or whether it should be abolished from the psychological discourse altogether. The resulting paper should be submitted in English. Literatur Mayer, J. D., Caruso, D. R., & Salovey, P. (2016). The ability model of emotional intelligence: Principles and updates. Emotion Review, 8(4), 290?300. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073916639667 Petrides, K. V., Mikolajczak, M., Mavroveli, S., Sanchez-Ruiz, M.-J., Furnham, A., & Pérez-González, J.-C. (2016). Developments in trait emotional intelligence research. Emotion Review, 8(4), 335?341. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073916650493
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Eingabedatum: 25.11.2021
Kontakt: Alexander Stahlmann, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Self-esteem is defined as people?s subjective evaluations of their own worth as a person and closely tied to the quality of social and intimate relationships. For example, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have established meaningful associations between self-esteem and the satisfaction with romantic relationships. Despite this knowledge, research linking self-esteem to the quantity and quality of intimate partners? sexual experiences remains scarce. The present thesis aims at reviewing and synthesizing the literature on links between self-esteem and sexual experiences (e.g., frequency of sex, satisfaction with sex) in couples. Moreover, potential moderating variables shall be discussed. The thesis can be written in German or English. Literatur: Choi, K. B., Jang, S. H., Lee, M. Y., & Kim, K. H. (2011). Sexual life and self-esteem in married elderly. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 53(1), e17-e20. Larson, J. H., Anderson, S. M., Holman, T. B., & Niemann, B. K. (1998). A longitudinal study of the effects of premarital communication, relationship stability, and self-esteem on sexual satisfaction in the first year of marriage. Journal of sex & marital therapy, 24(3), 193-206. Ménard, A. D., & Offman, A. (2009). The interrelationships between sexual self-esteem, sexual assertiveness and sexual satisfaction. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 18. Peixoto, M. M., Amarelo-Pires, I., Pimentel Biscaia, M. S., & Machado, P. P. (2018). Sexual self-esteem, sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction in Portuguese heterosexual university students. Psychology & Sexuality, 9(4), 305-316.
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Eingabedatum: 01.02.2022
Kontakt: Dr. Elisa Weber, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Empirical evidence suggests that neuroticism is correlated with more loneliness cross-sectionally and predicts an increase in loneliness longitudinally. Possible pathways linking higher levels of neuroticism to loneliness are heightened reactivity to social stressors and increased sensitivity to social rejection. For example, individuals high in neuroticism may be fearful of rejection, but display a tendency to experience negative and unpleasant emotions and be critical of others in social interactions, which renders them increasingly prone to be rejected and lonely as a result. This bachelor thesis aims at describing associations between neuroticism and loneliness, with a specific focus on mechanisms linking both constructs and a discussion of means by which individuals high in neuroticism may prevent feelings of loneliness. The thesis can be written in German or English. Literatur - Buecker, S., Maes, M., Denissen, J. J., & Luhmann, M. (2020). Loneliness and the Big Five personality traits: A meta?analysis. European Journal of Personality, 34(1), 8-28. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.2229 - Schutter, N., Koorevaar, L., Holwerda, T. J., Stek, M. L., Dekker, J., & Comijs, H. C. (2020). ?Big Five?personality characteristics are associated with loneliness but not with social network size in older adults, irrespective of depression. International psychogeriatrics, 32(1), 53-63. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610219000231
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Eingabedatum: 19.08.2021
Kontakt: Dr. Elisa Weber, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Neurotizismus bezeichnet eine stabile, überdauernde Persönlichkeitseigenschaft, welche sich im Alltag als emotionale Instabilität bzw. Tendenz, unangenehme Emotionen wie Furcht oder Ärger zu verspüren, bemerkbar macht. Als Folge machen Individuen mit hohen Neurotizismuswerten häufig von Emotionsregulationsstrategien wie Vermeidung (avoidance) oder Unterdrückung (suppression) Gebrauch, um sich von negativen Emotionen abzuschirmen. In dieser Bachelorarbeit sollen Zusammenhänge zwischen Neurotizismuswerten und Emotionsregulationsstrategien auf der Grundlage von empirischen Befunden zusammengetragen, beschrieben und kritisch diskutiert werden. Die Arbeit kann in Deutsch oder Englisch verfasst werden. Literatur - Bara?czuk, U. (2019). The five factor model of personality and emotion regulation: A meta-analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 139, 217-227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.11.025 - Connor-Smith, J. K., & Flachsbart, C. (2007). Relations between personality and coping: A meta-analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93(6), 1080?1107. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.93.6.1080
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Eingabedatum: 19.08.2021
Kontakt: Dr. Elisa Weber, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Both attachment style and self-concept clarity may impact upon the quality of social and intimate relationships across adolescence and adulthood. Self-concept clarity indicates the extent to which individuals exhibit a clearly defined, coherent and stable sense of who they are. Empirical evidence suggests that lower self-concept clarity and distortions in self-perceptions among adults are linked to insecure attachment, which may be characterized by fear of rejection or avoidance of intimacy. This bachelor thesis aims at (1) reviewing the literature on insecure attachment and self-concept clarity and (b) discussing the potential mechanisms and pathways by which insecure attachment and self-concept clarity are connected. The thesis can be written in German or English. Literatur - Emery, L. F., Gardner, W. L., Carswell, K. L., & Finkel, E. J. (2018). You Can?t See the Real Me: Attachment Avoidance, Self-Verification, and Self-Concept Clarity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 44(8), 1133?1146. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167218760799 - Wu, C. H. (2009). The relationship between attachment style and self-concept clarity: The mediation effect of self-esteem. Personality and individual differences, 47(1), 42-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.01.043
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Eingabedatum: 19.08.2021
Kontakt: Dr. Elisa Weber, E-Mail

Beschreibung: Empirische Befunde weisen auf einen Zusammenhang zwischen dem Selbstwert, d.h. der Bewertung oder auch Wertschätzung der eigenen Person als Ganze, und dem Verhalten und Erleben in Paarbeziehungen hin. In der vorliegenden Bachelorarbeit sollen empirische Befunde zu Zusammenhängen zwischen dem Selbstwert und der Beziehungszufriedenheit in Paarbeziehungen (1) zusammengetragen und (2) kritisch diskutiert werden. Vor allem sollen die psychologischen Mechanismen, die beide Konstrukte miteinander verbinden, beleuchtet werden. Die Arbeit kann in Deutsch oder Englisch verfasst werden. Literatur - Erol, R. Y., & Orth, U. (2016). Self-esteem and the quality of romantic relationships. European Psychologist, 21, 274-283. http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000259
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Eingabedatum: 19.08.2021
Kontakt: Dr. Elisa Weber, E-Mail