Master courses AUW
The Chair of Occupational and Environmental Psychology plays a central role in the general Master's degree programme in Psychology with a focus on work, environment and health. The working group covers three of the (total of nine) main subject lectures, and the respective modules are supplemented by in-depth seminars. We also offer a colloquium and a project seminar in preparation for the Master's thesis.
Occupational psychology (summer semester, module AN.3)
The Occupational Psychology lecture builds on the basic knowledge and subject-specific content of work and organisational psychology from the Bachelor's degree course, expands on selected areas and establishes links to the topics of technology and the environment. Brief repetitions of selected topics at the beginning and specific recommendations for basic literature compensate for the heterogeneity of the participants in terms of their prior knowledge. This is followed by an in-depth examination of the selected theories and findings of business psychology. This is linked to insights and current projects, e.g. on work and leadership in high-risk environments, personnel and organisational development. This will provide insights into labour market perspectives and fields of activity, and there will also be at least one guest lecture from the field.
In the seminar in industrial psychology provides advanced knowledge of strategic planning, operational implementation and evaluation of personnel development measures in the field of occupational psychology. Specific contents include Determination of personnel development needs, methods and instruments of personnel development, motivation to participate in training and transfer assurance, requirements for personnel developers* and specific evaluation procedures. In the second half of the semester, the newly acquired knowledge will be deepened and applied by the participants designing and implementing a short training module of an occupational psychology intervention themselves. The seminar will be rounded off with a critical discussion of the various practical measures against the background of current scientific findings.
Environmental psychology (summer semester, module AN.4)
The lecture Environmental Psychology deals with the relevant theories, models and methods of environmental psychology. The two central perspectives - the influence of people on the environment and the influence of the environment on people - are examined in a structured way at the individual, organisational and societal levels. Sustainability, environmental hazards and crisis management, environmental protection, environmental conflicts and mediation are thematically focussed. Using practical examples (e.g. approaches from positive psychology and gamification), psychological scope for action and possible interventions at the various levels, cross-connections to other areas of application of psychology and professional perspectives will be demonstrated; there will also be at least one guest lecture from the field.
In the specialisation seminar in environmental psychology focuses on the practical development of skills for negotiating different interests and changing behaviour. Key basic skills in negotiation, conflict management and environmental mediation are taught in practice and deepened in simulations. Participants learn valuable skills for carrying out (environmental) psychological interventions themselves - focussing on the interwoven topics of conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation and collective decision-making. These topics are promoted and practised at individual, team and group level.
The first two-hour seminar session provides an overview and we plan the organisational structure of the block seminar together. The first six-hour block focusses on basic concepts and distributive negotiations. The second block focuses on integrative negotiations and the topic of trust and ethics in negotiations. The third and fourth block sessions focus on content and several simulations on the general topic of mediation and specifically on environmental mediation.
In addition to concisely conveying the necessary theoretical principles, each block session emphasises practical exercises. In the various exercises, the students' negotiation and conflict resolution skills are practised and trained in depth, e.g. with the help of role plays. There will be feedback from the other participants as well as from the lecturers.
The courses in the field of environmental psychology can be credited towards the transzent certificate(https://www.politikwissenschaft.uni-wuppertal.de/de/studium/transzent-zertifikat/).
Human-Technology Interaction (winter semester, module AN.5)
The lecture Introduction to human-technology interaction teaches the basics of the human-centred design process, including the central concepts, models and standards (e.g. ISO 9241-210). The central methods - from checklists and guidelines to qualitative inspection methods, focus groups and expert evaluation through to standardised procedures and behavioural observation - are illustrated using practical examples and useful combinations of methods are worked out. Central current research topics (e.g. artificial intelligence, user experience, trust in digital systems) are part of the course and build a bridge to related fields from occupational psychology, design, computer science and business informatics as well as security technology. In addition, the lecture illustrates future developments and the role of psychology as well as the professional field and labour market prospects; at least one guest lecture from practice will also take place here.
The seminar Applications of Human-Technology Interaction takes up the content of the lecture in a practical way: Participants will examine the fundamentals and methods of human-technology interaction using key models and current research findings. The aim is to develop both evidence-based knowledge and practical application skills in the areas of usability, user experience and human-computer interaction. In the seminar, methods of the human-centred design process (e.g. personas, interviews, usability tests) are presented, jointly tested and critically reflected upon. A special focus is placed on the transfer of theoretical knowledge into real application scenarios and the targeted preparation for various job profiles in the field of UX and HCI. To this end, typical tasks, requirements and career paths are presented and illustrated with practical examples. The seminar concept pursues several goals, including training presentation and discussion skills, deepening methods in human-technology interaction, practical experience through the development of own HCI/UX applications, scientific study ideas or start-up concepts as well as the discussion of ethical and social aspects of human-technology interaction.
The Human-Technology Interaction module provides the necessary foundations for the basic certification "Certified Professional for Usability and User Experience" (CPUX).
Research-oriented internship / project work: Work and environmental psychology (summer and winter semester, module MPsy Pr.1)
Organisation: The aim of this two-semester course is to prepare students for an empirical Master's thesis. The course will therefore provide comprehensive insights into scientific work and writing on the one hand and teach specific content, methods and skills on the other. We follow a scientific practitioner approach and work together to develop skills that are also highly useful in professional practice (especially in industrial, organisational and engineering psychology); for example, specific qualitative and online methods as well as approaches to gaining knowledge on the basis of small samples. To this end, we will provide examples of results from our research projects and illustrate possible starting points and ideas for your own Master's thesis. During the course, we will also provide information on the requirements for written scientific theses in our working group. Building on this, the third part of the course involves the creation of your own research concept, which will be transformed into an exposé following appropriate feedback. Individual feedback and group discussions are an integral part of the seminar.
The course can take place on a weekly basis at the beginning - however, in terms of content, it is advisable to summarise certain topics in block sessions. We plan these in the first session in consultation with all participants.
Thematic focus: Our research deals with highly topical issues, such as working in high-risk areas, digitalisation or the consequences of crises and climate change. Our focus lies in three areas
1. work and leadership in high-risk environments
2. user experience in human-technology interaction
3. civil security: preparedness and resilience in a changing environment
Details can be found on our website at https://aupsy.uni-wuppertal.de/de/forschung/. In particular, we are currently planning thematic insights into cooperation projects with the NRW Fire Service Institute and the application of (new) technologies.
With regard to your own Master's thesis, we will present and discuss various possibilities and content options during the event. There is usually flexibility with regard to the timing of the work. You are welcome to develop your own topic ideas, but they should be within the expertise of our working group.
Requirements: Participants should be interested in the key areas of our department outlined above and be open to new methodological approaches. In addition, regular and active participation in the course is of course expected. The seminar will conclude with a project report in the form of an exposé.
The exposé should comprise five to a maximum of 8 pages (without bibliography) = a maximum of 2,500 words.
Learning objectives: The project work should prepare students for writing their Master's thesis. On completion of the seminar, participants will have acquired specific methodological skills, particularly in the area of qualitative methods (e.g. critical incident interviews), in addition to content knowledge. They will also have familiarised themselves in depth with typical steps and aspects of the research process.
The project work is part of the MPsy Pr.1 module and is offered in the summer and winter semesters.
Colloquium in Occupational and Environmental Psychology (summer and winter semester, module MPsyAUG Pr.3)
In the colloquium on industrial and environmental psychology, current research from our working group, in particular qualification theses, are presented and discussed together. The event can take place weekly at the beginning - but in terms of content, it makes sense to summarise certain topics in block sessions. We plan these in the first session in consultation with all participants.
The colloquium is part of the MPsyAUG Pr.3 module and is offered in the summer and winter semesters.
