Prof. Dr. Birte Siem

Birte Siem is a Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology of Social Work at Leuphana University Lüneburg. In her research, she focuses on the role of social group memberships and the associated processes of discrimination and exclusion in the transformation of diverse societies. Her research interests in this field include:

• Discrimination against young people (e.g., in educational contexts),
• Predictors of constructive engagement with diversity (e.g., tolerance of ambiguity, empathy),
• Representation of marginalized groups in organizations (e.g., climate protection initiatives),
• Context and discrimination,
• Trust in intergroup relations.

Professional positions

Since 04/2021: Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology of Social Work, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Faculty of Education, Institute of Social Work and Social Pedagogy, Germany

02/2016-03/2021: Lecturer, FernUniversität in Hagen, Department of Social Psychology (02/2016-03/2021), Department of Health Psychology (02/2016-12/2016), Department of Community Psychology (01/2017-03/2021), Germany  

 05/2010-01/2016: Postdoctoral research and teaching fellow, FernUniversität in Hagen, Department of Social Psychology, Germany

10/2009-03/2010: Postdoctoral research and teaching fellow, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Department of Social Psychology, Germany

 02/2008-09/2009: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, International DFG Graduate College “Conflict and Cooperation between Social Groups”, Germany

06/2007-01/2008: Predoctoral research and teaching fellow, FernUniversität in Hagen, Department of Social Psychology, Germany

10/2004-05/2007: Predoctoral research and teaching fellow, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Department of Applied Social Psychology, Germany

Academic education

05/2020: Habilitation and venia legendi in Psychology, „Approaching the other – Determinants of positive behavior across group boundaries in benign and conflictual intergroup contexts”, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany

07/2008: Dr. phil. in Psychology, „Prosocial Emotions and Intercultural Helping“, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany

12/2003: Diploma in Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany

Memberships in scientific associations

International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie (DGPs)

Fachgruppe Sozialpsychologie der DGPs

Society of Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP)

European Association of Social Psychology (EASP)

Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)

Reviewer activities (journals, selection)

British Journal of Social Psychology, European Journal of Social Psychology, Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Journal of Economic Psychology, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Social Psychological and Personality Science, Social Psychology