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Meta-analysis on Personality Change in International Students during their Studying Abroad (B.Sc./M.Sc.)

Understanding how international students’ personalities change during their first study abroad experience is crucial because personality adapts to environmental influences and is important for well-being, academic achievement and other future life outcomes. However, most existing research on international students’ personality change relies on cross-sectional designs, which provide valuable snapshots but lack insight into how personality changes or evolves over time. Therefore, a synthesis of longitudinal findings is crucial for us to gain a more detailed picture of personality development among international students from diverse national and regional backgrounds during their overseas. 
Currently, we are conducting a comprehensive meta-analysis of longitudinal research on this topic and are seeking students to join the project for their Bachelor or Master thesis. You will have the chance to develop your own research question within the scope of the project. Also, you will gain valuable skills in meta-analytic coding, data extraction with a structured codebook, and gain practical experience using research management tools (e.g., Covidence, literature databases). Prior experience with meta-analysis or systematic reviews will be a plus but is not required. You will receive training and guidance throughout. If interested, please contact Junwen Gu, junwen.gu@psychologie.uni-heidelberg.de

The Social Use of AI Chatbots (B.Sc./M.Sc.)

AI chatbots have recently gained significant popularity and are now used not only for informational purposes but also for social interactions. This includes AI companions with whom individuals form socio-emotional connections, sometimes resembling friendships or even romantic relationships. Despite their growing relevance, research on the underlying motivations for using social AI chatbots and their impact on psychosocial outcomes remains limited. In this thesis project, interested students will have the opportunity to plan and conduct their own empirical study to investigate questions such as: What motivates individuals to use social AI chatbots? How does interacting with an AI chatbot affect socio-emotional variables such as loneliness, emotion regulation, or well-being? Students will formulate their research questions and select an appropriate methodology in consultation with Dr. Fabian Schunk. Possible approaches include using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine daily chatbot use or designing experiments with custom AI chatbots. This topic is ideal for highly motivated and self-organized students who are interested in designing their own study and bringing their own ideas to the research design, under professional supervision. Prior experience with AI chatbots and AI programming can be helpful but is not required. The thesis can be written in either German or English. This project can also be conducted collaboratively by two students who focus on different research questions. If interested, please contact Dr. Fabian Schunk, fabian.schunk@psychologie.uni-heidelberg.de

Aktiv am Tag, erholt in der Nacht? Zusammenhänge zwischen Alltagsaktivitäten und Schlafqualität im höheren Alter (B.Sc.)

Zahlreiche Studien untersuchen den Zusammenhang zwischen körperlicher Aktivität und subjektiver Schlafqualität älterer Menschen. Deutlich weniger erforscht ist, wie andere Alltagsaktivitäten, etwa soziale oder geistige Aktivitäten, oder die Variabilität dieser Aktivitäten im Tagesverlauf mit dem Schlaf in Verbindung stehen. Offen bleibt außerdem, wie sich diese Zusammenhänge individuell unterscheiden. Je nach Interesse der Studierenden können unterschiedliche Fragestellungen entwickelt und bearbeitet werden. Für dieses Projekt werden bereits erhobene Daten einer Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA)-Studie genutzt. Dabei wurden ältere Erwachsene über eine Woche hinweg mehrfach täglich per App zu ihren Aktivitäten, ihrem emotionalen Erleben und ihrer Schlafqualität befragt. Die Arbeit eignet sich besonders für methodisch interessierte Studierende mit Interesse an den Themen Schlaf, Alltagsverhalten und Alternsforschung. Sie bietet die Möglichkeit, praktische Erfahrungen mit einem innovativen und alltagsnahen Datensatz zu sammeln. Bei Interesse oder Fragen wenden Sie sich bitte an: Julia Heckmann-Umhau, julia.heckmann-umhau@stud.uni-heidelberg.de

Virtual Reality Adoption Across Age and Cultures (B.Sc./M.Sc.) 

Virtual reality (VR) technology has experienced significant growth in recent years, offering deeply immersive experiences ranging from hands-on training simulations and therapeutic interventions to hyper-realistic gaming and virtual social interactions. Alongside compelling benefits lie potential downsides, including health risks, data privacy concerns, and the possibility of detachment from everyday life that may foster social isolation. Perceptions of VR’s benefits and risks are likely to shift with age, reflecting evolving priorities across the lifespan. In addition, cultural differences may shape expectations toward VR, as values, levels of technological familiarity, and social norms surrounding digital interaction vary widely across societies. Drawing on existing cross-sectional survey data from Germany, Japan, the United States, and India, this project examines how various personality characteristics (e.g., Big Five traits, personal values, technology affinity, loneliness) are associated with expectations towards VR and the intention to use it across different age groups and cultural contexts. Students will formulate their research questions in consultation with Dr. Fabian Schunk. The analysis methods will be selected according to the research question. The thesis can be written in either German or English. If interested, please contact Dr. Fabian Schunk, fabian.schunk@psychologie.uni-heidelberg.de

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