Research
My research concentrates on the following topics:
1) Combining structural and process-oriented approach to
personality psychology
An important task of personality psychology is to identify social,
cognitive, and emotional processes that give rise to the development,
change, and consolidation of personality characteristics. For example,
in a study together with Lars Penke, David Schmitt, and Marcel van
Aken, I could show that self-esteem is largely dependent on differences
in the quality and quantity of interactions with friends.
2) Dynamic-interactionist approaches to lifespan development
Besides describing universal developmental tendencies it is
increasingly important to describe and explain individual differences
in age-dependent personality changes. For example, using data from the
LOGIC study, I, Jens Asendorpf, and Marcel van Aken could show that
personality types differ with regard to the developmental trajectories
of shyness and aggressiveness. In turn, these differences were shown to
be partly mediated by the timing of social roles.
3) Developmental psychopathology
A major assumption of current developmental psychopathology is hat
there are no clear boundaries between "normal" and "pathological"
development. Personality traits are one of the possible moderating
factors that could explain why some people respond to adverse life with
successful coping strategies, whereas others develop internalizing or
externalizing behavioral tendencies.