Main Content

Research

Social Psychology is one of the classic disciplines of empirical psychology and has a high relevance in daily life. Social Psychological research investigates how people perceive their social environment and understand how they are influenced by others in their thinking, feeling and actions (e.g. through instructions or threats, peer pressure, norms and discourses in society). In addition, it is investigated, how people themselves exert an influence on others and – together with other humans – can contribute to social change.

In the Social Psychology Department at the University of Marburg, we take into consideration that such phenomena do not only reflect individual judgments and feelings but are also influenced by the membership of social groups as well as by social and cultural conditions and changes (e.g. diversity, globalization). In accordance with that, we use theoretical concepts such as social identity, social representations or narratives. On a methodological level, we apply quantitative and qualitative as well as fundamental and application-oriented (e.g. evaluation research) approaches.

Please do also note our “Mission statement”.

Our research focus can be assigned to four areas:

1) Dynamics of political positioning and polarization

In this area, we are interested in how people structure the political field, why they position themselves politically in a certain way and what role their affiliation with political parties plays in this. In addition, we investigate how dynamics of political positioning and polarization affect political discussions (especially between contrary-minded people). Here we also look at the circumstances under which people are interested in political exchange and how such exchange can become more constructive, e.g. by promoting intellectual humility and through respectful interaction that accounts for the respective needs of the communication partners.

Selected publications:

Knöchelmann, L., & Cohrs, J.C. (2024). Effects of intellectual humility in the context of affective polarization: Approaching and avoiding others in controversial political discussions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000462

Rothers, A., & Cohrs, J.C. (2023). Felt respect in political discussions with contrary-minded others. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 40, 3858-3881. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075231195

Rothers, A. (2023). The poles in polarization: Social categorization and affective polarization in multi-party systems. Preprint available at: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/y8x6b

2) Collective identification and relationships between social groups

In this area, we examine the content of collective identities (especially national identity and European identity), processes of identification and disidentification and their effects on perceptions of threat, prejudice and discrimination against other social groups, but also on the willingness to show solidarity across group boundaries. We are also interested in feelings of belonging and home/homeland as well as perceptions of social inclusion and marginalization and how these contribute to political attitudes and the devaluation of other groups.

In a collaborative project with colleagues from political science and sociology, we are investigating dynamics of European (and national) identification and their consequences for solidarity (EUNIDES: European and National Identification: Causes, Forms and Consequences for Solidarization and Desolidarization; funded by the BMBF, duration 2021-2023).

Selected publications:

Cohrs, J.C., Westle, B., Bastias, F., Eckerle, F., Karić, T., Agunyego, W., Grimm, K., & König, P. (2024). Europäische und nationale Identifikation: Ursachen, Formen und Folgen für Solidarisierung und Entsolidarisierung (EUNIDES) (Abschlussbericht). 

Karić, T., & Cohrs, J.C. (2023). Failed to unite? Conceptualizations of Bosnian–Herzegovinian national identity. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology. Advance online publication, https://doi.org/10.1037/pac0000681

3)  Challenges in dealing constructively with intergroup conflicts

In this area, as conflicts between social groups often have a long history, we investigate how past collective experiences of victimization or discrimination affect current relationships between social groups and how this can nevertheless lead to constructive interaction towards reconciliation between social groups. We also investigate the interplay between perceptions of threat, social identity, outgroup images, victimization beliefs and reconciliation between social groups - a particular challenge as the groups involved often mean different things when they refer to reconciliation. We also explore these topics in the context of societal conflicts around the transition to a more sustainable society.

Selected publications:

Karić, T., & Mihić, V. (2020). Construing reconciliation – Lay people definitions in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A qualitative approach. Primenjena psihologija, 13(2), 211-242. 

Lienen, C.S., & Cohrs, J.C. (2023). Kollektives Gedächtnis: Wie der Umgang mit der Vergangenheit Konflikte in der Gegenwart beeinflusst. In J.C. Cohrs, N. Knab, & G. Sommer (Eds.), Handbuch Friedenspsychologie. Marburg: Forum Friedenspsychologie. https://doi.org/10.17192/es2022.0053 

Lienen, C.S., & Cohrs, J.C. (2021). Redefining the meaning of negative history in times of political change: A social creativity approach. Political Psychology, 42, 941-956. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12725

Lienen, C.S., Eckerle, F., & Cohrs, J.C. (2024). How do members of a perpetrator group negotiate multiple past ingroup transgressions? A German case study. Memory Studies. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/17506980241247269

Vollhardt, J. R., Cohrs, J.C., Szabó, Z. P., Winiewski, M., Twali, M.S., Hadjiandreou, E., & McNeill, A. (2021). The role of comparative victim beliefs in predicting support for hostile versus prosocial intergroup outcomes. European Journal of Social Psychology, 51, 505-524. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2756

Karić, T., Van Assche, J., & Swart, H. (2024). ‘It always seems impossible, until it is done’: Perspectives on reconciliation and its underlying processes in post‐conflict societies. European Journal of Social Psychology, 54(5), 1015-1021. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.3066

4)  Promoting social justice: Political solidarity and collective action

In this area, we examine the conditions for successful understanding and support across group boundaries as well as for collective action in solidarity against injustices and for social change: Under what conditions do people turn against injustice and actively engage in solidarity-based action? We are also interested in the question of which mechanisms can counteract the ideological justification of injustice, e.g. an awareness of one's own privileges and aspects of moral judgment. These questions are also highly relevant in the context of climate change. Here, we examine how neoliberalism as a dominant societal ideology shifts the responsibility for climate change from social and economic structures to individuals and their behaviours, and how awareness of this ideological influence can lead to system challenge.

Selected publications:

Eckerle, F., Clarke, E.J., & Lutz, A.E. (2024). Wider die Reproduktion neoliberaler Ideologien in der Umwelt- und Sozialpsychologie. In Arbeitskreis Kritische Umweltpsychologie der Initiative Psychologie im Umweltschutz e.V. & Psychologists/Psychotherapists for Future e.V. (Hrsg.), Kritische Umweltpsychologie (S. 61-86). Psychosozial-Verlag. https://doi.org/10.30820/9783837962574 

Eckerle, F., Rothers, A., Kutlaca, M., Henss, L., Agunyego, W., & Cohrs, J. C. (2023). Appraisal of male privilege: On the dual role of identity threat and shame in response to confrontations with male privilege. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 108. Advance online publication, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2023.104492