Behaviour Change and Well-Being

Mission statement

The Behaviour Change and Well-Being (BCW) group examines basic regulation processes that underlie behaviour change and wellbeing. In order to understand individual and social behaviour, we study a variety of psychological processes including for example self-control, implicit and explicit evaluations, goal pursuit, agency, mindful attention, psychological defence mechanisms and the role of sensory input (e.g. smell). Our research is generally grounded in social-cognitive psychological theory.

Driven by curiosity about the nature of human behaviour, our shared goal is to understand the role of such fundamental processes in order to contribute to sustainable behaviour change and wellbeing. For us, the term sustainable refers to long-term and enduring behaviour change, that addresses societal challenges, as for example documented in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, the BCW group focuses on four domains: 1) health behaviour, 2) diversity and inclusivity, 3) social relationships and 4) environmentally responsible behaviour. Through collaborating with relevant societal partners, we aim to apply fundamental research insights to current challenges in each of these areas; conversely, societal challenges inspire us to investigate novel research questions and guide theory building.

Researchers in the BCW group are dedicated to conduct high-quality research. This means being committed to open science (e.g., pre-registrations, sharing of data and material), combining different methodologies (e.g., laboratory, field, neuroimaging studies) and valuing team science (e.g., local, national and international collaborations).

Our group is characterized by an open, collaborative, informal and enthusiastic atmosphere, with weekly research meetings in the form of colloquia and lab groups for mutual inspiration and exchange of research ideas. In addition, the researchers in our group have a heart for teaching. We meet every few months to discuss our teaching at a meta-level: what do we think are the best teaching methods and how can we best integrate our research into our teaching? We share the vision that high-quality teaching and high-quality research go hand in hand; critical thinking and the value of fundamental research in understanding behaviour and solving societal issues are central in our teaching.

For an overview of current PhD-projects please click here