Prof. Dr. Birte Siem

21335 Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1, C1.307
Fon +49.4131.677-1702, birte.siem@leuphana.de
Professor*in, Professorship of Social and Organisational Psychology of Social Work

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Vita

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

Teaching

Social Psychology
Intergroup Processes
Discrimination-Sensitive Approaches
Quantitative Research Methods

 

Research Interests

  • 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

Projects

  1. Konstruktiver Diversity Talk für angehende Lehrkräfte
    Birte Siem (Project manager, academic) , Philipp Sandermann (Project manager, academic) , Iniobong Essien (Project manager, academic) , Laura Wenzel (Project staff) , Vanessa Sophia Schwenker (Project staff) , Vera Maren Straßburger (Project staff)
    →

    Project: Teaching

  2. Adultismus und Diskriminierung entlang des jungen Alters
    Lars Alberth (Project manager, academic) , Birte Siem (Project manager, academic) , Iniobong Essien (Project staff) , Verena Marke (Project staff)
    →

    Project: Research

  3. Context-based discrimination in education outcomes: Examining the effects of ethnic classroom composition on teachers’ use of disciplinary measures in school
    Iniobong Essien (Project manager, academic) , (Partner) , (Partner) , Birte Siem (Partner)
    →

    Project: Research

  4. Chancen und Risiken solidarischer Protestunterstützung durch Verbündete
    (Project manager, academic) , Birte Siem (Partner) , (Partner)
    →

    Project: Research

View all projects

Publications

Books and anthologies

  1. Sozialpsychologie der Gruppe
    Birte Siem (Author) , Stefan Stürmer (Author) , 2022 3. unv. Aufl ed. München , 130 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologies › Book › Research

  2. Approaching the other: Determinants of positive behaviour across group boundaries in benign and conflictual intergroup contexts
    Birte Siem (Author) , 2020 Hagen , 43 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologies › Post-doctoral dissertations › Research

  3. Sozialpsychologie der Gruppe
    Birte Siem (Author) , Stefan Stürmer (Author) , 2020 2. ed. München , 130 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologies › Monographs › Research

  4. Special Issue: Proactive behaviour across group boundaries:: Seeking and maintaining positive interactions with outgroup members
    Birte Siem (Editor) , Stefan Stürmer (Editor) , Todd L. Pittinsky (Editor) , 2016 , 200 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologies › Special Journal issue › Research

  5. Sozialpsychologie der Gruppe
    Birte Siem (Author) , Stefan Stürmer (Author) , 2013 1. ed. Stuttgard , 118 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologies › Monographs › Research

View all publications

Journal contributions

  1. Space-focused stereotypes and their potential role in group-based disparities in social work services
    Iniobong Essien (Author) , Birte Siem (Author) , 24.04.2025 , in: Social Work & Society, 22, 2 , p. 1-17 , 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  2. Key experiences of volunteers in Refugee Aid
    Birte Siem (Author) , Helen Landmann (Author) , Birgit Fuchs (Author) , Anette Rohmann (Author) , 01.01.2025 , in: Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies, 23, 4 , p. 646-661 , 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  3. "White and educated?": Toward a (More) Diverse Climate Movement
    Birte Siem (Author) , Iniobong Essien (Author) , 01.01.2025 , in: In-Mind magazine (engl.), 57

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Transfer › peer-review

  4. Deconstructing and reconstructing diversity in client-provider-relationships of social work
    Lars Alberth (Author) , Ellen Kollender (Author) , Anke Karber (Author) , Philipp Sandermann (Author) , Birte Siem (Author) , 24.04.2024 , in: Social Work & Society, 22, 2 , p. 1-8

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  5. On the trajectory of discrimination: A meta-analysis and forecasting survey capturing 44 years of field experiments on gender and hiring decisions
    Birte Siem (Author) , Michael Schaerer (Author) , Christilene Du Plessis (Author) , My Hoang Bao Nguyen (Author) , Robbie C.M.Van Aert (Author) , Leo Tiokhin (Author) , Daniel Lakens (Author) , Elena Giulia Clemente (Author) , Thomas Pfeiffer (Author) , Anna Dreber (Author) , Magnus Johannesson (Author) , Cory J. Clark (Author) , Eric Luis Uhlmann (Author) , Ajay T. Abraham (Author) , Magdalena Adamus (Author) , Cinla Akinci (Author) , Federica Alberti (Author) , Abdelaziz M. Alsharawy (Author) , Shilaan Alzahawi (Author) , Frederik Anseel (Author) , Felix Arndt (Author) , Binnur Balkan (Author) , Ernest Baskin (Author) , Carrie E. Bearden (Author) , Eric G. Benotsch (Author) , Stefan Bernritter (Author) , Sheila R. Black (Author) , Wiebke Bleidorn (Author) , Andrew P. Boysen (Author) , Justin P. Brienza (Author) , Mitch Brown (Author) , Stephanie E.V. Brown (Author) , Joshua W. Brown (Author) , Jeffrey Buckley (Author) , Brett Buttliere (Author) , Nick Byrd (Author) , Hynek Cígler (Author) , Tabaŕe Capitan (Author) , Paolo Cherubini (Author) , Shao Yuan Chong (Author) , Esma Esen Ciftci (Author) , Cheryl D. Conrad (Author) , Paul Conway (Author) , Elaine Costa (Author) , Jolene A. Cox (Author) , Daniel J. Cox (Author) , Francisco Cruz (Author) , Ian G.J. Dawson (Author) , Elif E. Demiral (Author) , Jaye L. Derrick (Author) , 01.11.2023 , in: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 179 , 26 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

View all publications

Contributions to collected editions/anthologies

  1. Vertrauen in Personen
    Birte Siem (Author) , 12.08.2025 Bielefeld , p. 17 - 38 , 22 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research

  2. Selbst und Identität
    Birte Siem (Author) , Anette Rohmann (Author) , 01.01.2018 Bern , p. 229-245 , 17 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Chapter › Research › peer-review

  3. Freiwilliges Engagement im Kontext von Flucht und Migration
    Birte Siem (Author) , 01.01.2018 Berlin, Bern, Wien ua. , p. 29-52 , 24 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research

  4. Soziale Ungleichheit und Diversität
    Birte Siem (Author) , Marieke van Egmond (Author) , Anette Rohmann (Author) , 01.01.2018 Bern , p. 573-585 , 13 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Chapter › Research › peer-review

  5. A group-level theory of helping and altruism within and across group boundaries
    Birte Siem (Author) , Stefan Stürmer (Author) , 17.05.2017 Cham , p. 103-127 , 25 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Chapter › Research › peer-review

View all publications

Activities

  1. Marginalized group’s psychological barriers to joining pro-environmental initiatives: Can perceived initiative inclusiveness help overcome them?
    Birte Siem (Speaker) , Lise Jans (Coauthor)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  2. The racialized classroom: The influence of classroom composition on teachers’ decisions to use disciplinary measures.
    Iniobong Essien (Speaker) , Birte Siem (Coauthor) , Lysann Zander (Coauthor) , Anette Rohmann (Coauthor)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  3. Police officers’ perceptions of urban spaces are related to regional demographics.
    Iniobong Essien (Speaker) , Birte Siem (Coauthor) , Julia Clasen (Coauthor) , Eva Groß (Coauthor) , Joachim Häfele (Coauthor) , Ilka Kamigan (Coauthor) , Stefanie Kemme (Coauthor) , Anabel Taefi (Coauthor) , Ulrike Zähringer (Coauthor) , Amelie Nickel (Coauthor)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  4. Marginalized minorities‘ psychological barriers to joining pro-environmental initiatives: Can perceived initiative inclusiveness help overcome them?
    Birte Siem (Speaker) , Lise Jans (Coauthor)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  5. The inclusivenss-exclusiveness of eco-villages: Understanding the influence of morally-motivated practice minorities
    Lise Jans (Speaker) , Fleur Goedkoop (Coauthor) , Birte Siem (Coauthor) , Goda Perlaviciute (Coauthor) , Karen Hamann (Coauthor)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

View all activities

Press / Media

Courses