Professor Dr Wolfgang Stroebe
- Section Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
- Location Utrecht, Netherlands
- Election year 2014
Research
Research Priorities: Social psychology, health psychology, bereavement research, creative processes, brainstorming, social attitudes, research into the effects of advertising, prejudice
Wolfgang Stroebe is a German psychologist whose main focus is on social and health psychology. He has had a significant impact on both subject areas in German and Europe. His research spans many topics, from bereavement, creative processes, and the psychology of eating habits, to social attitudes, and prejudice.
Wolfgang Stroebe was the first social psychologist in Germany to look closely at health psychology. For example, he examined the health effects of losing a partner on widowed persons. In the same period he also examined the question of what psychological factors influence human eating habits. Using goal conflict theory he developed an explanation for why some people find it hard to control their weight.
He also studied creative processes and the effectiveness of brainstorming in groups. He and his team demonstrated that brainstorming in groups actually tends to hinder the development of ideas. He identified the main problem as the breaks in brainstorming, during which the group has to listen to one person. In this period, the chain of ideas is often broken and it takes too long for the idea to be expressed. Participants mutually block one another during this process of taking turns to talk.
In other studies, Wolfgang Stroebe examines the impact of advertising, particularly subliminal advertising. He determined that subliminal messages in the cinema and on TV can, under certain circumstances, influence consumer product choice. The condition was that the test persons were thirsty and did not already have a preference for a certain drink brand.
Wolfgang Stroebe has authored and co-authored many scientific books and articles publishing his insights. He is associate editor of the European Introduction to Social Psychology, now in its 7th edition, and the renowned journal “European Review of Social Psychology”. These publications have had a major influence of the development of social and health psychology in Europe.
Wolfgang Stroebe is a German psychologist whose main focus is on social and health psychology. He has had a significant impact on both subject areas in German and Europe. His research spans many topics, from bereavement, creative processes, and the psychology of eating habits, to social attitudes, and prejudice.
Wolfgang Stroebe was the first social psychologist in Germany to look closely at health psychology. For example, he examined the health effects of losing a partner on widowed persons. In the same period he also examined the question of what psychological factors influence human eating habits. Using goal conflict theory he developed an explanation for why some people find it hard to control their weight.
He also studied creative processes and the effectiveness of brainstorming in groups. He and his team demonstrated that brainstorming in groups actually tends to hinder the development of ideas. He identified the main problem as the breaks in brainstorming, during which the group has to listen to one person. In this period, the chain of ideas is often broken and it takes too long for the idea to be expressed. Participants mutually block one another during this process of taking turns to talk.
In other studies, Wolfgang Stroebe examines the impact of advertising, particularly subliminal advertising. He determined that subliminal messages in the cinema and on TV can, under certain circumstances, influence consumer product choice. The condition was that the test persons were thirsty and did not already have a preference for a certain drink brand.
Wolfgang Stroebe has authored and co-authored many scientific books and articles publishing his insights. He is associate editor of the European Introduction to Social Psychology, now in its 7th edition, and the renowned journal “European Review of Social Psychology”. These publications have had a major influence of the development of social and health psychology in Europe.
Career
- since 2011 Visiting Professor, Department of Social and Organisational Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- since 2011 Professor Emeritus, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- 2006-2011 Honorary Professor of Social Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- 2000-2005 Head, Department of Social, Health & Organisational Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- 1995-2000 Founding Director, Research Institute “Psychology & Health”, Utrecht, Netherlands
- 1992-2005 Professor of Social and Organisational Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- 1992-1998 Head, Department of Social, Health & Organisational Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- 1987-1988 Visiting Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
- 1980-1987 Head, Institute of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- 1979-1992 Professor, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- 1973-1979 Professor, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- 1972-1973 Visiting Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
- 1971-1972 Lecturer for Social Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- 1970-1971 Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- 1968-1970 Visiting Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
- 1968 PhD, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
- 1966 Doctorate (Dr. phil.), University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- 1964 Diploma in Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
Functions
- 2005-2010 Member, Scientific Advisory Committee, Dutch AIDSfonds, Netherlands
- 2001 External Advisor, British Research Assessment Exercise, UK
- 1997-2000 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Helen Dowling Institute, Bilthoven, Arnhem, Nijmegen, Utrecht, Netherlands
- 1996-2004 External Member, Board, Kurt Lewin Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 1995-1998 Chairperson, Committee on AIDS Research, Dutch Research Council (NWO), Netherlands
- 1993-1994 Member, Commissioning Panel, Economic and Social Research Council, Swindon, UK
- 1990-1995 Member, Editorial Board, Polish Psychological Bulletin
- 1990-1995 Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- 1990-1991 Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- 1989-1995 Member, Editorial Board, British Journal of Psychology
- 1989-1993 Member, Editorial Board, Zeitschrift für Sozialpsychologie
- 1989-1992 Editor, Psychologische Rundschau
- 1988-2015 Editor, European Review of Social Psychology
- 1988-1999 Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
- 1988-1997 Scientific Advisory Board, Central Office for Psychological Information and Documentation (ZPID) (today: Leibniz Institute for Psychology, ZPID), Trier, Germany
- 1987-1994 Member, Editorial Board, Basic and Applied Social Psychology
- 1987-1988 Associate Editor, Psychologische Rundschau
- 1986-1990 Member, Editorial Board, Social Behaviour: An International Journal of Applied Social Psychology
- 1985-1988 Member, Editorial Board, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
- 1984-1988 Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
- 1983-1987 Founding Chairperson, Section Social Psychology, German Psychological Society (DGPs), Germany
- 1982-1997 Associate Editor, Zeitschrift für Sozialpsychologie
- 1982-1987 Associate Editor, Lehr- und Forschungstexte der Psychologie
- 1981-1994 Member, Editorial Board, British Journal of Social Psychology
- 1981-1986 Member, Editorial Board, Progress in Applied Social Psychology
- 1981-1983 President, European Association of Experimental Social Psychology (today: European Association of Social Psychology)
- 1980-1987 Member, Editorial Board, Review of Personality and Social Psychology
- 1978-1981 Secretary, European Association of Social Psychology (EASP)
- Member, DGPs, Germany
- Member, EASP
Honours and Memberships
- since 2014 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
- 2014 Codol Award, EASP
- 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award, DGPs, Germany
- since 2008 Member, Society of Experimental Social Psychology (SEPS)
- since 2008 Fellow, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA), Zurich, Switzerland
- 2007 Honorary Member, Research Institute “Psychology and Health”, Utrecht, Netherlands
- 2007-2014 Fellow, Association for Psychological Science, USA
- 2006 Ridder in de Orde van de Nederlandsche Lieuw (Order of the Netherlands Lion), Der Nederlandse Orden, Netherlands
- 2005 Tajfel Lecture Award, EASP
- 2004-2006 Fellow, Utrecht University College, Utrecht, Netherlands
- 2002 Honorary Doctorate, KU (Katholieke Universiteit) Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- 2002 Research Award, Association for Death Education and Counseling, New York City, USA
- since 2001 Member, British Psychological Society, UK
- since 1999 Member, Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, USA
- since 1997 Member, Society of Personality and Social Psychology, USA