Prof. Dr. Astrid Kause

Astrid Kause
21335 Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1, C11.302
Fon 04131.677-1723, astrid.kause@leuphana.de
Junior Professor, Junior professorship of Sustainability Science and Psychology

Table of contents for this page

Vita

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.

Projects

Publications

Journal contributions

  1. People’s Responses to Nuclear Weapons: Mapping Post-Cold War Research
    Astrid Kause (Author) , Helen Fischer (Author) , Zia Mian (Author) , Susan T. Fiske (Author) , 26.02.2026 , in: Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2026 , 24 p.

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

  2. Four Validities as Pathways to Scientific and Societal Impact in Environmental Psychology
    Astrid Kause (Author) , Johann Majer (Author) , Cameron A. Brick (Author) , 19.02.2026 , in: Environmental Psychology Open, 2016, 29 , p. 2-15 , 16 p.

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

  3. How research validities shape the scientific and societal impact of environmental psychology
    Astrid Kause (Author) , Johann Majer (Author) , Cameron A. Brick (Author) , 01.01.2026 , in: Environmental Psychology Open, 30, 1

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

  4. Expert Consensus Messaging as a Lever Against Vaccination Misinformation
    Astrid Kause (Author) , Philipp Schmid (Author) , 24.09.2025 , in: Collabra: Psychology, 11, 1 , 16 p.

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

  5. Gute Betreuung, faire Bewertungen und angemessene Arbeitsbedingungen ermoglichen exzellente Promotionen in der Psychologie: Kommentar der Jungmitgliedervertretung der DGPs zum Positionspapier
    Astrid Kause (Author) , Matthias F.J. Sperl (Author) , Christiane Attig (Author) , Luisa Baumgartner (Author) , Charlotte Behlau (Author) , Barbara Bergmann (Author) , Martha Bienefeld (Author) , Anna M. Biller (Author) , Naemi D. Brandt (Author) , Janina Larissa Buhler (Author) , Luna T. Frauhammer (Author) , Susanne Frick (Author) , Maria Therese Friehs (Author) , Ulrike Frischen (Author) , Lisa Handke (Author) , Helena Hartmann (Author) , Steffen Hosterey (Author) , Fabian Hutmacher (Author) , Judith A. Iffland (Author) , Julien P. Irmer (Author) , Marcel Kern (Author) , Julia E. Koller (Author) , Dorothee Mischkowski (Author) , Lisa Musculus (Author) , Nicolas E. Neef (Author) , Claudia Neuendorf (Author) , Anna K. Nishen (Author) , Daniel Possler (Author) , Robert Ritter (Author) , Michaela Rohr (Author) , Vanessa Schmidt (Author) , Brian Schwartz (Author) , Ozlem Sensoy (Author) , Katharina Szota (Author) , Anne Voormann (Author) , Alexander Nicolai Wendt (Author) , 01.07.2025 , in: Psychologische Rundschau, 76, 3 , p. 196-199 , 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Comments / Debate / Reports › Research

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Contributions to collected editions/anthologies

  1. Waste prevention behaviour and fast and frugal heuristics
    Astrid Kause (Author) , Ana Paula Bortoleto (Author) , Konstantinos Katsikopoulos (Author) , 27.08.2014 London , p. 168-187 , 20 p.

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

  2. Risikokompetenz von Ärzten und Patienten
    Astrid Kause (Author) , Roman Prinz (Author) , Wolfgang Gaissmaier (Author) , Odette Wegwarth (Author) , 01.01.2014 1. ed. Bern , p. 424-439 , 16 p.

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

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Activities

  1. Wie wir Hürden in der Klimakommunikation(sflut) erfolgreich meistern
    Astrid Kause (Speaker)

    Activity: Guest lectures › Research

  2. What remains to be done to achieve open, global science
    Astrid Kause (Speaker) , Moritz Kütt (Speaker)

    Activity: talk or presentation in privat or public events › Research

  3. 1.5 Grad: ein Werkstattgespräch
    Astrid Kause (Speaker) , Neele Bünning (Speaker)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  4. A moral dilemma about terrorism: Predicting desisions in the play "Terror" by Ferdinand von Schirach
    Astrid Kause (Speaker) , Christian Maximilian Thum (Speaker) , Lisa Katharina Frisch (Speaker)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  5. A behavioral science view onto climate risk and uncertainty communications
    Astrid Kause (Speaker)

    Activity: talk or presentation in privat or public events › Research

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Press / Media

  1. Klimatag: Hochwasser, extreme Hitze – wie wappnen wir uns mental?
    1 Media contribution

    Press/Media: Press/Media

  2. Wie umgehen mit Studienergebnissen und wissenschaftlicher Unsicherheit
    1 Media contribution

    Press/Media: Press/Media

  3. Unsicherheiten ansprechen am besten
    1 Media contribution

    Press/Media: Press/Media

  4. Sicher nicht ganz sicher: Die schwierige Kommunikation über Unsicherheiten
    1 Media contribution

    Press/Media: Press/Media

  5. Zwischen Elfenbeinturm und Aktivismus: Unsichere Aussagen über den Klimawandel kommunizieren
    1 Media contribution

    Press/Media: Press/Media

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Courses

Individual Change Agency and Psychology
Astrid Kause
⌄
People need to understand and cope with global sustainability challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss or nuclear weapons. Those are often caused by individuals, by small(er) population subgroups, or political and economic elites. In face of these challenges: Does individual agency still play a role? In fact, what is individual agency and how can individual agency be fostered? Answering this question is crucial for understanding – and strengthening– the role of citizens in democratic systems.

We will seek answers through the lens of psychology and behavioral sciences. This includes to, first, define and examine the role of agency for sustainable behavior broadly, in classic models of human behavior from psychology (e.g., Bandura, 2006; Lazarus & Folkman, 1986). We will also discuss the role of the individual as a contributor to sustainability challenges such climate change, as discussed in i-frame/s-frame/c-frame approaches (van Boven & Loewenstein, 2011).

With the aim of developing a toolbox with strategies for increasing individual agency in face of global sustainability challenges, we will examine the following topics:

1) Subjective efficiency and agency BELIEFS: What they are, how they manifest, how they are embedded into social and non-social contexts and how they can be fostered.
We will briefly divert into the applied science of science communication that addresses people’s (in)accurate beliefs and knowledge, and interventions for increasing belief accuracy about sustainability, with the aim to support people's evidence-based decisions (and thus agency) about global challenges.

2) Cognitive INFERENCES about sustainability, and how simple inferential strategies such as rules of thumb or decision trees can help them making quick, but still good-enough decisions that foster sustainability. This will include a practical research exercise.
We will briefly divert into the science of misinformation; and how boosting people's ability to recognise misinformation can help them navigating through complex information environments.

3) Sustainable BEHAVIORS, and strategies for changing behaviours. This includes, first, interventions for increasing agency. This includes, second, understanding when and how people can learn to change their habits and behaviours in line with their values (and overcome the attitude-behaviour gap), using validated strategies from motivation psychology (implementation intentions, mental contrasting, self-nudging, goal setting, or automatisation). Third (upon feedback from a previous student cohort), we will aim at a better understanding of emotions related to global challenges, and when and how they interact with perceived control or efficacy beliefs with regard to sustainable behavior, including activism.

The lecture ends with an outlook on the role of agency in theories of collective change towards sustainability more broadly, such as the Social-Identity Model of Pro-Environmental Action (SIMPEA).

Please note that this course was yet taught once for SEAL students only. We will discuss how to adapt it to needs and interests of the interdisciplinary 2026 cohort (sustainability sciences/ psychology). All students are welcome to bring ideas to the first session.
Next appointment:
Thursday, 2026-04-30 at 10:15
Room: C 7.019 Seminarraum