Curriculum

01/2017 - 08/2020: Research fellow, Center for Decision Sciences and Sustainability Research Institute, University of Leeds

01/2016 - 10/2016: Research fellow, Social Psychology and Decision Sciences, University of Konstanz

01/2013 - 12/ 2016: PhD candidate, University of Konstanz & Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin

2012: M.Sc. in Psychology, Alpen-Adria Universität Klagenfurt, Austria

2006 – 2012: Studies of Psychology, Alpen-Adria Universität Klagenfurt and Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France

Research interests

I study judgments and decisions related to climate and sustainability more broadly. This includes how people perceive scientific evidence about risks and uncertainties related to climate-related changes in for example precipitation and temperature, and how communications about those can be designed simply and transparently. I'm also interested in  mechanisms of pro-environmental behaviours. Integrating findings from sustainability and climate sciences with the ecological rationality-framework from decision research, my research goal is to improve the intuitive design of decision environments: I develop and test very simple strategies people can apply in their daily life to better understand and make more climate-friendly food choices.

Curriculum

Before joining Leuphana University Lüneburg, Astrid was based at the Centre for Decision Research and the Sustainability Research Institute in Leeds, the Harding Center for Risk Literacy at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin; the University of Konstanz, Germany, the University of Burgundy, France; and the University of Klagenfurt, Austria. She has a master’s degree in psychology from the University of Klagenfurt, Austria, and a PhD (‘Dr.rer.nat.’) from the University of Konstanz, Germany.

Research interests

Astrid studies human judgements and decisions related to climate change and other environmental risks. This includes how individuals perceive such risks – in particular their understanding of (uncertain) scientific evidence. She also explores mechanisms of pro-environmental behaviours. Inspired by the ecological rationality-framework from the field of decision sciences, Astrid’s research goal is to improve the intuitive design of decision environments: By developing and testing very simple strategies individuals and policy makers can apply in daily decisions, she aims at better informing individuals when facing complex and uncertain challenges like climate change. Besides, Astrid also explored from a game theory perspective how and when individuals share scarce primary resources such as water.

Astrid’s collaborative research has been funded by grants from the Met Office UK, the STFC Network+, the Centre for Decision Research, University of Leeds, and the University of Klagenfurt. She was awarded with stipends from the Max Planck Society, The German Academic Exchange Service and the Society for Risk Analysis-Europe.