Empirical Social Research

Research

(1) Methods of Empirical Social Research

  •  Survey Research (Paradata and Response Latencies, 
    cross-national Surveys, Online-Surveys, Surveys on Tablets, Big Data)

  •  Social Cognition in Surveys (Response Behavior, Response-Effects,
    Social Desireability)

  • Cross-National Surveys

  •  Structural Equation Modeling (Models of Causal Inference,
    Longitudinal Designs, Measurement Equivalance)

(2) Theory-driven Social Research

  • Attitude Research (Attitude-Behavior Relation,
    Change and Stability of Attitudes    )

  •  Social Context Effects and social Mechanisms

  •  Bounded Rationality and Framing 

  •  Substantial Fields:
    - Social Engagement (donation behavior, prosocial behavior),
    - Postmodern Attitudes and Value Clusters
      (Environmental Concern, Health Attitudes, Subjective Wellbeing and Quality of Life,
      Technology Acceptance)
    - Political Attitudes
    - Attitudes towards Diversity     (Ethnocentrism, Migration, Islamophobia)

 

 

Current research Projects

2017-2020

„Sensitive Questions and Social Desirability – Theory and Methods“ (DFG-Projekt, mit Dr. Felix Wolter/Universität Mainz)

Identification and explanation of social desirable behavior in surveys.

 

2017-2020

„D-Masterguide“ (BMBF-Verbundprojekt, cooperation with Prof. Dr. Lachmann (TU KL))

Test, evaluation and  social acceptance of digital learning Systems

 

2017-2020

„ConWearDi“ (BMBF-Verbundprojekt, cooperation with Prof. Dr. Lachmann (TU KL))

Investigation of social acceptance of digital wearables.

 

2015-2017

„SmartWerk“ (BMBF-Verbundprojekt, cooperation with Prof. Dr. Lukowicz (DFKI), Prof. Dr. Lachmann (TU KL))

Investigation of the social acceptance of new "smart" technologies of man-machine interaction for workers in construction; Examination of attitude-behavioral models in the context of technical perceptions and technical behavior

 

2016-2019 (Cooperation with Dr. C. Thyssen, TU Kaiserslautern)

Research project "LiFe Feedback" in the course of the BMBF project "U.Edu - Quality-Promotional Teacher Training" (cooperation with Prof. Dr. G. Hornung and Dr. C. Thyssen, TU Kaiserslautern)

Usage behavior and attitudes towards digital technologies in university and school teaching

 

2014-2017

Evaluation of attitudes, behavior and intentions to experiments, trials and work methods in the interdisciplinary teacher training at the university and school (EVA3plus) (funded by the MBWWK Rheinland-Pfalz)

(Cooperation with Apl. Prof. Dr. G. Hornung and Dr. C. Thyssen, TU Kaiserslautern)

Standardized computer-based online survey (tablet computer) of approx. 80 referendars in Rhineland-Palatinate in longitudinal section (four panel survey waves); Quasi-experimental design (two training groups: BA / MA vs. state sex); Topic: Moderators of the attitude-behavior-relation to the implementation of university teaching content in the school.

 

2014-2017

Lehrevaluation plus

(Cooperation with Dr. Nadine Bondorf, Department for Quality in Study and Teaching, TU KL)

Multi-method design for the testing of new measuring instruments for the acquisition of teaching quality by means of a teaching event survey in several survey modes with experimental design; Development of cross-sectional and longitudinal cutting methods; "Live survey" using tablets and smartphones

 

2016

Research project "Attitudes towards the Afghanistan Mission in international comparison", cooperation with Prof. Dr. Zowislo-Grünewald

International comparative study on attitudes and perceptions in Germany, the UK, Italy, Poland and the Netherlands towards the Afghanistan Mission (random samples, 1000 interviewees per country, CATI surveys)