Latest News

New Research Project „Nurturing Democratic Resilience among Youth to Counter Far-Right Influence in the Eastern German Elections 2024 (NurtureDEMOS)“

Prof. Dr. Walther received an initial grant for 12 months together with Dr. Anna-Sophie Heinze, FB III, Political Sciences University of Trier, and Sebastian Reißig, Aktion Zivilcourage e.V., Pirna, 

Sponsored by: VolkswagenStiftung

https://www.volkswagenstiftung.de/de/news/aktuelles/von-buergerinnenraeten-bis-feminismus-auf-tiktok-taskforces-untersuchen-demokratien-im-wandel

The far-right party wants another society: Germany would be like this if the AfD is in government.

Interview with Prof. Dr. Eva Walther in Trierischer Volksfreund on the topic: "Why the willingness to donate is rising if people suddenly depart from life."

Interview with Prof. Dr. Eva Walther in Trierischer Volksfreund on the topic: "Why the willingness to donate is rising if people suddenly depart from life."

https://www.volksfreund.de/region/mosel-wittlich-hunsrueck/ploetzlich-aus-dem-leben-gerissen-warum-die-spendenbereitschaft-dann-steigt_aid-98990223

(Text is paywall protected).

"Why more men vote for AfD" - Interview with Prof. Dr. Eva Walther on Zeit online dated 09.10.2023

Interview with Prof. Dr. Eva Walther on Zeit online dated 09.10.2023 with the following topic: "Warum Männer eher als Frauen AfD wählen" (Why more men vote for AfD):

https://www.zeit.de/arbeit/2023-10/afd-hessen-bayern-wahlen-arbeiter-maenner-frauen#comments 

(This text is protected).

 

New publication reveals a link between social Darwinist attitudes, non-compliance with Covid-19 guidelines and right-wing orientation

Researcher from Trier University (Germany) discovered a significant relation between disease-related social Darwinist attitudes and non-compliance with covid-19 guidelines. 

Two studies, conducted in Germany and the US, suggest that people who view disease as a means of achieving societal progress (i.e., disease-related social Darwinism) are less likely to follow official Covid-19 guidelines regarding self-protection. The studies also show that these people are more likely to exhibit conservative or right-wing political attitudes. 

This research provides valuable inside into the role of social Darwinist beliefs during the Covid-19 pandemic in a broader political contexts. It has important implications for public-health more generally and highlights the need to address social Darwinist attitudes that are still present in societies today.

Survival of the fittest in the pandemic age: Introducing disease-related social Darwinism

Trier VR team publishes a new study

Are social stress responses dependent on the group identity of interaction partners?

In one study, we examined the role of ethnic context on stress responses using a virtual reality (VR)-based adaptation of a standardized stress induction protocol, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST-VR). Results show that stress responses occur regardless of the ethnicity of the interviewer and could not be predicted based on implicit bias, explicit bias, or prejudicial attitudes regarding appearance. In real threat situations, the ethnic identity of the interaction partners apparently plays no role. The paper will be published in Psychoneuroendocrinology.

 

Lecture by Prof. Felicia Pratto in the context of the "Colloquia Treverensia" on 21.09.2022

"Why do humans eat so much meat?" Interview with Dr. Benjamin Buttlar (Deutsche Welle)

Interview with Dr. Benjamin Buttlar:

05/2022

→"Why do humans eat so much meat?"

Interviewer: Anne-Sophie Brändlin, Deutsche Welle.

 

Lecture by Prof. Beelmann in the context of the "Colloquia Treverensia" on 19.01.2022

"Opponents of vaccination get too much media attention" - Interview with Prof. Dr. Eva Walther (SWR Aktuell)

 An interview with Prof. Dr. Eva Walther. Published 10/16/2021. [German].

→ https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/sozialpsychologin-impfgegner-100.html

"Corona and conspiracy theories" - Trier psychology master's students interviewed (volksfreund)

Four psychology students in a master's seminar under the supervision of Prof. Walther, Dept. of Social Psychology at the University of Trier, have intensively studied Corona and its consequences for the individual and society. In an interview with Trierischer Volksfreund, they describe what drives critics of measures. They also look at a case study from the Trier region. Published on 24.8.2021. [German].

→ https://www.volksfreund.de/region/trier-trierer-land/interview-zu-corona-und-verschwoerungstheorien-mit-studierenden-der-uni-trier_aid-61843407

"How do you get through the crisis? We need the feeling of self-efficacy" - Interview with Prof. Dr. Eva Walther (Bayern2)

"Mental Health in the Corona Pandemic" - Interview with Prof. Dr. Eva Walther (SWR Podcast)

Mental health in the Corona pandemic - fear of falling ill, loneliness, existential fears - the Corona pandemic is also associated with worries for many people in Trier. To what extent is our mental health suffering as a result of the crisis, what can we do to avoid being dragged down too much, and can we perhaps also take something positive from the current situation? Michael Münkner talks about this with Professor Dr. Eva Walther, she is a social psychologist at the University of Trier [German].

→ https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/trier/podcast-regiolive-trier-100.html

The SWR podcast can also be found under the keyword "Regiolive" on Spotify or itunes, among others.

"Psychological conflict caused by meat consumption" - video interview with Dr. Benjamin Buttlar (InMind)

Why does meat consumption often lead to a guilty conscience? How do we deal with that? What do meat consumption and smoking have in common? An interview with Dr. Benjamin Buttlar from the University of Trier. Published on 11/05/2020. [German].

→ https://de.in-mind.org/blog/post/psychologischer-konflikt-durch-fleischkonsum-in-mind-fragt-dr-benjamin-buttlar

"Why friends remain friends" - Interview with Dr. Georg Halbeisen in the (FAZ)

Interview with Dr. Georg Halbeisen in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung podcast "How do I explain it to my child? Why friends remain friends". Published on 17/04/2020. [German].

→ https://www.faz.net/podcasts/wie-erklaere-ich-s-meinem-kind/wie-erklaere-ich-s-meinem-kind-warum-freunde-freunde-bleiben-16726807.html

"There is a radicalization" - Interview with Prof. Dr. Eva Walther (TAZ)

They vote against all reason and often even against their own interests. But what do you do with AfD voters who cannot be reached with factual arguments? [German].

→ https://taz.de/Archiv-Suche/!5632214&s=es%2Bgibt%2Beine%2Bradikalisierung&SuchRahmen=Print/

"Tür zu, Kippe aus" - Article with contribution by Prof. Dr. Eva Walther (Süddeutsche Zeitung)

Article "Tür zu, Kippe aus" with an article about a planned smoking ban in cars by Prof. Dr. Eva Walther. Published on 20/09/2019. [German].

→ https://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/bundesrat-auto-rauchen-1.4607846

"AfD Suggests Security to Insecure People" - Interview with Prof. Dr. Eva Walther (Deutschlandfunk)

The AfD is successful because it targets unmet needs of the population and emotional factors much more than other parties, said social psychologist Eva Walther in Dlf. The other parties would do well to "make clear how little the AfD effectively has to offer as a party." Published on 08/08/2019 [German].

→ https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/aufstieg-der-afd-afd-suggeriert-verunsicherten-menschen-100.html

"Trier researchers write book about the AfD - For these psychological reasons it is elected" Prof. Dr. Eva Walther and Dr. Simon D. Isemann (Trierischer Volksfreund)

Researchers from Trier have published a book that explains for the first time from a psychological perspective why the AfD is attractive to so many voters. Published on 03/08/2019 [German].

→ https://www.volksfreund.de/region/rheinland-pfalz/trierer-schreiben-buch-ueber-die-afd-aus-psychologischen-gruenden-wird-sie-gewaehlt_aid-44728661

"Paid online - forgot to tip" - Interview with Dr. Georg Halbeisen (Deutschlandfunk Nova)

We order online, but the delivery driver doesn't see any of the money. No offense intended, but it shows we need new tipping routines. Published on 01/11/2016 [German].

→ http://dradiowissen.de/beitrag/digital-bezahlen-online-bezahlt-trinkgeld-vergessen

"Dating Apps - Just Sex or True Love?" - Interview with Dr. Georg Halbeisen (Wochenspiegel)

Looking for the right partner online - does it work? Everyone has at least one friend who regularly uses dating apps. So why not look for a life partner yourself on the Internet? Dating apps like Tinder, Lovoo or Badoo offer their services. No matter whether old or young, male or female. Digital love services are booming. Published on 03/11/2015 [German].

→ http://www.wochenspiegellive.de/trier/stadt-trier/artikel/dating-apps-nur-sex-oder-wahre-liebe-34556/