Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology

The Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology is dedicated to the study and promotion of developmental and educational processes across the entire lifespan. The department’s research combines approaches from developmental, educational and differential psychology, drawing on methods such as experimental designs, neuropsychological investigations, ambulatory assessments, observational studies, the development and evaluation of psychological diagnostic tests, methods of classical test theory and item response theory, and research syntheses.

A central focus lies on the development of cognitive abilities and social and emotional development. This explores topics such as the social development of babies and children, the role of the parent-child relationship, the transition to adulthood and changes in old age. A particular focus is on fostering competencies for self-regulated learning, motivation and well-being in various learning and performance contexts. This also includes investigating how gender stereotypes arise in educational processes and how they can be changed.

The department responds to current societal challenges such as the digital transformation and increasing diversity in educational contexts. For example, it investigates the significance of multilingualism in the development of school performance, the diagnosis of learning disorders, and the similarities and differences between artificial and human intelligence.

In the area of psychological coping with challenges, research is conducted into how educational processes can be designed to strengthen resilience, motivation and emotional stability. This encompasses the development and evaluation of intervention programmes that improve coping with performance pressure, negative (social) emotions and social conflicts (including bullying) in educational contexts.

Through its integration into international research networks and collaboration with related disciplines such as neuroscience, cognitive science, education and social sciences, the department makes well-founded contributions to the evidence-based improvement of educational and developmental processes. It thus plays a decisive role in supporting the development of children, young people and adults into old age and in shaping a future-oriented educational landscape.