Prof. Dr. Astrid Kause

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

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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. 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

  2. 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

  3. Intellectual humility links to metacognitive ability
    Astrid Kause (Author) , Helen Fischer (Author) , Markus Huff (Author) , 01.05.2025 , in: Personality and Individual Differences, 238 , 7 p.

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

  4. Public understanding of climate change terminology in Germany
    Astrid Kause (Author) , Lena Wege (Author) , Wändi Bruine de Bruin (Author) , 15.05.2024 , in: Climatic Change, 177, 5 , 27 p.

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

  5. Science Communication as a Collective Intelligence Endeavor: A Manifesto and Examples for Implementation
    Astrid Kause (Author) , Dawn Holford (Author) , Angelo Fasce (Author) , Marlene Wulf (Author) , Katy Tapper (Author) , Miso Demko (Author) , Stefan Lewandowski (Author) , Ulrike Hahn (Author) , Christoph M. Abels (Author) , Al-Rawi Ahmed (Author) , Alladin Sameer (Author) , Sonja T. Boender (Author) , Hendrik Bruns (Author) , Helen Fischer (Author) , Christian Gilde (Author) , Paul H.P. Hanel (Author) , Stefan M. Herzog (Author) , Sune Lehmann (Author) , Matthew S. Nurse (Author) , Caroline Orr (Author) , Niccolò Pescetelli (Author) , Maria Petrescu (Author) , Sunita Sa (Author) , Philipp Schmid (Author) , Miroslav Sirota (Author) , Marlene Wulf (Author) , 01.08.2023 , in: Science Communication, 45, 4 , p. 539-554 , 16 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

View all press/media coverage

Teaching