As a social and cultural psychologist, I use experimental methods as well as qualitative interview, observation and archival data. My research is characterized by two approaches: Firstly, I am fascinated by the collaborative construction of meaning among individuals in diverse cultural contexts. Secondly, I focus on the embodiment of human experiences and interpersonal interactions - for example, by analyzing how spatial positions in space are linked to social roles and relationships.
I am currently working on three research projects:
1. “CrowdING. Integrating the physics and social psychology of crowd movement,” ERC Synergy Grant, April 2026 – March 2032 (at Forschungszentrum Jülich)
2. “CrowdGaze. A Dual Approach to Studying Gaze Interactions in Stationary and Moving Crowds Using Eye Tracking in Real and Virtual Environments,” DFG, April 2026 – March 2029 (at Forschungszentrum Jülich)
3. “Social-Psychological Processes in Civil Protection Situations. Preparedness, Trust, and Community-Building in Germany and Finland,” BBK, October 2025 – September 2028 (BUW)
I am primarily working on crowds and pedestrians. The body plays a crucial role in this context: individuals in crowds often communicate and orient themselves through non-verbal cues, such as body language and movement impulses. Together with colleagues, I am investigating how social norms are perceived, negotiated, or changed using large-scale experiments but also with the help of observation and survey methods.
Second, I examine family relationships in a German-Turkish cultural comparison (couple relationships and parent-child relationships).
Third, I am interested in processes of transformation, translation and recombination of knowledge, especially popular scientific, psychological knowledge. As a member of the Research Training Group "Transformations of Science and Technology since 1800", I study psychological knowledge from a historical and sociological perspective.
Prior to my appointment as Jülich Professor at BUW and Forschungszentrum Jülich in 2024, I was Associate Professor of Cultural and Social Psychology at the University of St. Gallen from 2022-2024. I completed my doctorate (2013) and habilitation (2022) at the Ruhr University Bochum at the interface of psychology and sociology at the Chair of Social Theory and Social Psychology. I studied psychology in Freiburg and Cologne and graduated with a diploma (2007). I completed an additional Master's degree in Gender & Culture at Goldsmiths College in London (2008).
