Centre for Interpersonal Dynamics (IID)
The Centre for Interpersonal Dynamics (IID) of the Faculty of Health at Witten/Herdecke University was founded on 1 September 2025 with the aim of conducting comprehensive research into the complex dynamics of the interaction of processes between and within individuals. The research findings serve to develop practice-relevant strategies for professionals to explore and reflect on their own experience and behaviour in the context of interpersonal relationships.
Events at the IID
Kick-off event of the newly founded research centre with a series of talks.
Interpersonal dynamics as a field of research
People actively and purposefully influence their environment in order to satisfy their psychological needs, such as attachment, selfesteem and autonomy, and to protect themselves from threats and harm. A central component of this environment is interpersonal relationships, in which people come into contact with one another and influence each other. The Institute for Interpersonal Dynamics aims to comprehensively research the complex dynamics of interaction between two or more people and their internal processes. This is done on the basis of fundamental psychological research, empirical and formal modelling methods, and in conjunction with the practice of psychological therapy.
The complexity of interpersonal relationships as a dynamic research topic requires interdisciplinary psychological collaboration with different theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. The IID offers an integrative and supportive platform for this. Members contribute backgrounds in personality, motivation, development, health, family and clinical psychology, as well as psychotherapy, among other areas. Our repertoire of methods is correspondingly broad: it ranges from the everyday recording of dyadic experiences and behaviour using intensive longitudinal data (e.g. experience sampling, mobile sensing, etc.) to laboratory-based recording of interpersonal interaction processes (e.g. behavioural observation with video recordings) to experimental psychological measurement methods for interpersonal motives.
Cooperating chairs and professorships
The IID co-operates with the following chairs and professorships:
- Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV
- Chair of Personality Psychology and Diagnostics
- Professorship of Health Psychology
- Professorship of Developmental and Educational Psychology
Current research projects
- Interpersonal expectations in depression (Marcel Riehle, Stefan Westermann)
- Formal modelling of interpersonal processes (Stefan Westermann)
- MovES: an interactive paradigm for the assessment of interpersonal experience and behaviour (Nele Kost, Stefan Westermann)
- Assessment of interpersonal motives (Michael Dufner)
- Investigating the consequences of affective contingencies for interpersonal processes (Michael Dufner)
- Accuracy and distortions in interpersonal perception (Michael Dufner)
- Re-PAIR: Interpersonal emotion regulation during couple conflicts (Anne Milek)
- Parental interpersonal stress regulation and child well-being (Anne Milek)
- Interpersonal effects of digitalisation in everyday family life (eMotion) (Anne Milek)
- Interpersonal consequences of expression flattening in schizophrenia (Marcel Riehle)
- Influence of dimensional aspects of psychopathology on the experience and regulation of affect in interpersonal contexts (Marcel Riehle)
- Transgenerational loneliness between parents and their children (Susanne Bücker)
- Parental and child emotion regulation and child loneliness (Susanne Bücker)
- Loneliness in the transition to parenthood (Susanne Bücker)
- Everyday loneliness and closeness in family life (Susanne Bücker)
Publications
Institute members
Univ.-Prof. Dr.
Susanne Bücker
Professor
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Professorship of Developmental and Educational Psychology
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 44
58455 WittenRoom number: 1.118B
Univ.-Prof. Dr.
Michael Dufner
Chair holder
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Chair of Personality Psychology and Diagnostics
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 44
58455 WittenRoom number: 1.124d
Nele Mathei, M. Sc.
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 44
58455 WittenRoom number: 1.119A
Univ.-Prof. Dr.
Anne Milek
Chairwoman of the Institute Conference
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Center for Interpersonal Dynamics
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 44
58455 WittenRoom number: FEZ, Raum 1.120B
Dr rer. nat. Dipl.-Psych.
Marcel Riehle
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV
Alfred-Herrhausen-Str. 44
58455 WittenRoom number: FEZ, 1.119A
Titus Schauf, M. Sc.
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV
- +49 2302 926-7365
Orcid ID: 0000-0003-2571-968X
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50
58448 WittenRoom number: FEZ, 1.119A
Univ.-Prof. Dr.
Stefan Westermann
Institute management
Faculty of Health (School of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Center for Interpersonal Dynamics
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 44
58455 Witten