Research projects in psychology

In addition to the focus on clinical psychology, the neurosciences and the foundations of human experience and behaviour form two further pillars of the research profile at the Department of Psychology of the Faculty of Health at Witten/Herdecke University. They are complemented by work in the field of epistemology and philosophical foundations.

 

Research projects can be filtered in two ways:

  • either by entering a keyword in the search field
  • or by selecting a topic from the drop-down menu

The search is started by clicking on the magnifying glass symbol.

BDD-VITAC

The project investigates body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), i.e., a distorted perception of one's own body. It primarily examines visual and tactile body representations in BDD.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Systemic Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorders in Adults

How effective are systemic therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy for social anxiety disorder in adults?

Computational Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Network (ccpp.network)

The aim of the network is to expand the boundaries of research in clinical psychology and psychotherapy, among other things by using agent-based modelling.

Digital sign app as an assessment tool

In this project, statistical methods were developed to extract elements for the early detection of diseases from the entire drawing process in art-based assessment instruments.

Effectiveness of Body, Breath & Mind

Testing the effectiveness of Body, Breath & Mind (BBM). BBM is an online self-help program that combines Qi Gong exercises with behavioral activation.

Effectiveness of fascia training for depression

The study investigates whether targeted fascia training can reduce symptoms in depressed people.

Efficacy and Experience of System Constellation Seminars in Virtual Reality

The project investigates how effective system constellations are in virtual reality.

Efficacy of Family Constellation Seminars

The study examines how effective family constellations are as an individual intervention in a group setting for chronic psychosocial conflicts.

Emotions study

Project on loneliness, emotion regulation and personality in childhood and adolescence

Evidence-based interventions against loneliness

Project on risk and protective factors of loneliness in different phases of life and the evaluation of loneliness interventions

Formal modelling and empirically-informed simulation of motive dynamics

The project uses computer simulations to show how a person's inner drives interact, how conflicts arise and influence behaviour.

Formal modelling of interpersonal processes

The project investigates the underlying mechanisms of the development and maintenance of interpersonal relationships with the help of evolutionary game theory.

In search of self-knowledge

This research project is the first to comprehensively and systematically analyse inter-individual differences in the self-insight motive.

Interaction-focused music therapy with cancer affected children and their significant others

The study investigates how music therapy affects the interaction between parents and children with cancer as well as various psychotherapeutic aspects.

Interactive psychological paradigms

The pilot project developed a non-verbal interaction paradigm that explores interpersonal behaviour and dynamic interactions with virtual counterparts.

Interpersonal expectations in depression

The project investigates the connection between interpersonal expectations, motives, problems and mental disorders such as depression.

Language in Psychotherapy

The study analyses implicitly recorded language in psychotherapeutic processes.

MeKidS.best - Medical child protection in the Ruhr region

The project looks at how child endangerment can be better recognised, diagnosed, documented and dealt with.

Mental Health in Entrepreneurial Family

The project examines the state of mental health in family businesses and which processes can maintain or restore their mental health.

Meta-analyses and systematic literature reviews

The project at the Professorship of Developmental and Educational Psychology is concerned with meta-analyses and systematic literature reviews.

Multi-method measurement of socio-emotional phenomena

Project of the Professorship of Developmental and Educational Psychology on the convergence of subjective and objective measures of psychological phenomena

Multi-person setting in psychotherapy

The joint project analyses the multi-person setting in health insurance-funded systemic therapy and examines its effects on the course of therapy, indications and effectiveness.

Multi-person Settings in Psychotherapy

Weighing up the reasons for and against the implementation of the multi-person setting as a standard setting for systemic therapy in health insurance-funded practice

PACIfIC

The study investigated how the positive affect of patients develops during cognitive behavioural therapy and how it affects the course of therapy.

Parents' stress management and children's well-being

Professorship of Health Psychology project on dyadic coping, a concept from couple research

Perception of resources in the course of psychotherapy

The project investigates how patients' self-perceived resources develop over the course of psychotherapy.

Psychotherapeutic changes in a multi-person setting (CHAMPS)

The project investigates how psychotherapy works when it involves all significant members of a social system (e.g. family, couple) in a needs-orientated way.

Queer Mental Health

The study records the psychological stress and well-being of queer people in German-speaking countries.

Ressources and Disorders in Social Networks

How do structural and functional aspects of social networks affect health? The focus is on the adaptation of the hierarchical network mapping technique for psychological diagnostics.

Side effects of mindfulness

The project compares Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy and the Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy in depressed patients.

Socio-emotional development across the lifespan and in daily life

Project at the Professorship of Developmental and Educational Psychology to record socio-emotional development processes.

SocNet-TNB

The SocNet-TNB study aims to analyse the supportive and stressful relationships of trans* and non-binary people in a more differentiated way than before.

Spirituality and interoceptive awareness

The project examines the inner, subjective side of bodily experience, the so-called interoceptive awareness.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of systemic therapy

This project provides an overview of the randomised controlled studies on systemic therapy to date, with a focus on developing a search strategy for studies on this topic.

The everyday lives of couples in a digitalised world

Professorship of Health Psychology project on "Digitalisation, Burnout & Family Time: (eMotion)"

Wie Psychotherapeut:innen ausgebildet werden

The study looks at the training and development of psychotherapists.