The focus of research in social and legal psychology lies in the field of social cognition. We examine how and under what conditions people categorize other individuals and groups, on which dimensions stereotypes are formed, or how belief in conspiracy theories, for example, affects health behavior. By applying current methods from social cognition to areas such as sexology, political psychology, or interpersonal relationships, we strive to advance current knowledge.
Current publications can be found on the respective pages of the team members.
- The ABC of stereotypes – rethinking fundamental stereotype content dimensions
- Sinister plots hatched in secret – conspiracy mentality as a generalized political attitude
- Representations and lay explanations of history
- Indirect measures of sexual interest and erotic cognition
- Biased attention allocation to goal-relevant stimuli
- Implicit social and romantic cognition
- Self-control
- Automatic categorization
- Prejudices, stereotypes, and stigmas
- Sexual orientation, atypical and paraphilic sexual interests
- Sex offenders
- Offender rehabilitation and risk factors for (sexual) delinquency
The department is responsible for teaching social and legal psychology in the BSc. (basic and advanced modules), as well as for training in legal psychology in the master’s degree (specialization in legal psychology). Across all master’s degree programs, we offer a foundational specialization in social cognition, as well as an applied specialization in applied social psychology.
The focus on legal psychology in Mainz is further supported by the interdisciplinary events organized by the Center for Interdisciplinary Forensics. By attending these seminars, as well as courses in legal psychology, criminology, law, and forensic psychiatry, students have the opportunity to obtain a ZIF certificate confirming their acquisition of this knowledge.
In the bachelor’s program in psychology, we are responsible for the foundational module social psychology (module F), as well as the legal psychology option in the required elective module of applied psychology (modules L, M, R).
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Social and Legal Psychology
Binger Str. 14 – 16
55122 Mainz
Head of Department: roland.imhoff@uni-mainz.de
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