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Prof. Dr. Roman Trötschel

Roman Trötschel
21335 Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1, C11.323
Fon +49.4131.677-1759, roman.troetschel@leuphana.de
Professor, Professorship of Social-, Organizational and Political Psychology, especially empirical Negotiation Research
Associated member, Leuphana Center for Cooperative Security (LCCS)

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Vita

Roman Trötschel is Professor of Social and Political Psychology at the Faculty of Sustainability at Leuphana University Lüneburg. He leads the Negotiation Research Group (NRG), which studies decisions, strategies, mindsets, and group dynamics in societal, political, and economic negotiations. The group’s research is funded by national and international institutions such as the German Research Foundation (DFG), the European Union (ERDF), the Volkswagen Foundation, the Kellogg School of Management, and the Hans Böckler Foundation. Findings are published in leading international journals in psychology, sustainability science, and economics.

Psychological Perspectives on Negotiations

Psychological negotiation research empirically examines the “human factor” in bargaining—how negotiators’ mental processes, emotions, and behaviors shape the negotiation process and its outcomes. It explores when psychological processes facilitate the exploration of mutual acceptable and beneficial agreements and when they become obstacles. Roman Trötschel’s work focuses on mechanisms such as cognitive heuristics (e.g., anchoring, framing, mental accounting), motivational processes (e.g., self-regulation, goal setting), mindsets (e.g., perspective-taking, integrative mindsets), group dynamics (e.g., social identity, group processes), and psychological conflicts in scarce resource negotiations (e.g., public goods negotiations, commons negotiations).

The Negotiation Research Group (NRG) investigates psychological mechanisms in negotiations that drive economic, ecological, and societal transformation. Transformation negotiations aim to initiate, shape, and manage fundamental change in economic, environmental, societal, or cultural domains. Their goal is to promote sustainable development by:

  1. a) addressing multiple dimensions of outcomes (economic, ecological, and social),
  2. b) integrating diverse and multilateral interests of stakeholders both at and beyond the negotiation table, and
  3. c) balancing immediate, short-term, and long-term interests of stakeholders in the present and the future.

In essence, transformation negotiations seek sustainable agreements to intergroup ans well as intergenerational conflicts of interests arising in times of transition.

Psychological Perspectives on Transformation Negotiations

From a psychological perspective, negotiating transformation poses extraordinary challenges because it heightens cognitive demands and triggers conflicts at multiple levels—within individuals, between individuals, within groups, and between groups and different generations. Negotiators must balance benefits and burdens across different outcome dimensions, account for the interests of parties at the table as well as those absent from it, and reconcile immediate with future consequences. Only by considering these multidimensional negotiation outcomes—conflicts between present and future generations, across different groups at different locations, or across different types of outcomes such as economic, social, or ecological benefits and burdens —can genuinely sustainable agreements be achieved.

Adding to this complexity, transformation negotiations are typically marked by high levels of uncertainty and unpredictability. This given complexity makes it particularly difficult to reach long lasting conflict resolutions, as negotiators must design agreements for futures that remain uncertain and, at times, unknowable.

Current Research Projects
As transformation negotiations are affected by the complex interplay of various psychological factors that have not yet been systematically addressed in empirical negotiation research, different psychological mechanisms are investigated in separate research projects of the NRG. The following list of research fundings, Ph.D.- and habilitation projects (i.e., postdoctoral research projects) provides a brief overview of the ongoing research on transformation negotiations at the NRG.

  • Mental accounting in negotiations with multiple-dimensional outcomes: Balancing benefits and burdens across different utility dimensions (PI: Roman Trötschel; Co-PIs: Marco Schauer, Kai Zhang); Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
  • Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Conflicts as a Barrier towards Sustainable Agreements (PI: Johann Majer, Co-PI: Roman Trötschel); Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
  • Resource-allocations in distribution vs contribution negotiations: Bargaining the collectivization and privatization of benefits and burdens (PIs: Roman Trötschel, Hong Zhang, Simon Moran, Ilana Ritov; Co-PIs: Marie van Treek, Johann Majer, Kai Zhang); Funded by the Volkswagen-Foundation (VW-Stiftung)
  • Achieving Sustainable Agreements in Labor Negotiations: Evaluating a Mindset-Based Negotiation Training (PI: Roman Trötschel; Co-PI: Marco Warsitzka, Michel Mann, Joachim Hüffmeier); Funded by the Hans-Böckler-Foundation
  • Sustainable solutions in intra- and intergenerational conflicts (PI: Johann Majer, Marie van Treek; Co-PI: Roman Trötschel, Hong Zhang); Funded by the Leuphana-Research-Fund
  • Strategic agenda setting in integrative negotiations under time constraints (PI: Hong Zhang; Co-PI: Roman Trötschel) Funded by the Leuphana-Research-Fund
  • Dealing with Deals implying a Great Deal of Uncertainty, Incalculability, and Unpredictability in Negotiations (PI: Marco Schauer; Co-PI; Roman Trötschel, Johann Majer)
  • Negotiating Right of Ownership vs. Right of Use: Achieving Sustainable Negotiation Agreements through the Principles of Commoning (PI: Roman Trötschel; Co-PI: Caroline Heydenbluth, Hong Zhang, Hillie Aalderling)
  • Integrative Mindsets and the Solution of Value Conflicts (PI: Carolin Schuster, Co-PI: Roman Trötschel, Fieke Harrinck)

Teaching

BSc Psychology

  • Introduction to the Discipline: Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Empircal Research Project
  • Advanced Topics in Empircal Research Methods
  • Advanced Topics in Developmental, Differential, and Social Psychology

MSc International Research Mastter in Work and Organizational Psychology

  • International and intercultural Negotiations

MSc Psychology and Sustainability

  • Psychology and Society: Political Negotiations and Sustainability
  • Transdisciplinary Research Project

 

Research Interests

  • cognitive and motivational processes in negotiations (perspective taking, mental accounting, anchoring, cognitive biases, fixed-pie perception, framing, temporal construal, uncertainty, incalculability, and unpredictability)
  • Sustainable conflict solutions and negotiations (intragenerational vs. intergenerational conflicts, externalities, political communication, representative negotiations)
  • Social-dilemma negotiations (resource-contribution vs. distribution negotiations; negotiations on commons) 
  • Third-party intervention (arbitration, mediation)
  • Group-processes and social identity (process losses and gains, individual vs. collective identity)
  • Self-regulation in negotiations (goal setting and planing)

Projects

  1. Embracing Transformation through Research, Education and Knowledge Transfer
    Roman Trötschel (Project manager, academic)
    →

    Project: Research

  2. Mental Accounting in Negotiations with Externalities
    Roman Trötschel (Project manager, academic)
    →

    Project: Research

  3. The Interplay of Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Conflicts as a Barrier to Sustainable Solutions
    Roman Trötschel (Project manager, academic) , Johann Majer (Project manager, academic)
    →

    Project: Research

  4. Konzeption und Evaluierung eines Mindset-orientierten Verhandlungstrainings
    Roman Trötschel (Project manager, academic) , Marco Warsitzka (Project manager, academic) , Michel Mann (Project staff)
    →

    Project: Research

  5. Sustainable Solutions in Intergenerational Conflicts
    Clara Schütte (Project staff) , Roman Trötschel (Partner) , Johann Majer (Project manager, academic)
    →

    Project: Research

View all projects

Publications

Books and anthologies

  1. Den Verlust vor Augen, die Einigung im Sinn: Zur Realisierung prosozialer Verhandlungsziele durch Vorsätze
    Roman Trötschel (Author) , 2001 Osnabrück , 301 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologies › Monographs › Research › peer-review

View all publications

Journal contributions

  1. Playing it Safe: Negotiators Avoid Uncertainty and Reach Safer, But Less Integrative Agreements
    Marco Schauer (Author) , Johann M. Majer (Author) , Roman Trötschel (Author) , Caroline Heydenbluth (Author) , 01.07.2026 , in: Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 125 , 33 p.

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

  2. Structuring success: How issue-packaging agendas foster better joint outcomes in multi-issue negotiations
    Hong Zhang (Author) , Ingmar Geiger (Author) , Johann M. Majer (Author) , Roman Trötschel (Author) , 01.03.2026 , in: Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 123 , 9 p.

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

  3. Trade-off Difficulty in Negotiations: Generating and Realizing Agreements Under Interdependence
    Roman Trötschel (Author) , Hong Zhang (Author) , 01.01.2026 , in: Current Opinion in Psychology

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

  4. Thinking Beyond the Bargaining Table: Negotiators’ Perceptions, Behaviours and Outcomes in Negotiations Affecting External Parties
    Kai Zhang (Author) , Hong Zhang (Author) , Hillie Aaldering (Author) , Johann M. Majer (Author) , Roman Trötschel (Author) , 01.12.2025 , in: European Journal of Social Psychology, 55, 7 , p. 1152-1170 , 19 p.

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

  5. How Do Negotiators Resolve Conflict Over Resources of Changing Value: The Role of Trust in Sequential Negotiations
    Hillie Aaldering (Author) , Hong Zhang (Author) , Johann M. Majer (Author) , Roman Trötschel (Author) , Caroline Heydenbluth (Author) , 01.12.2025 , in: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied , 20 p.

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

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Contributions to collected editions/anthologies

  1. Wie treffen Gruppen gute Entscheidungen? "Holzbein Kiel" - eine Übung zur Entscheidungsfindung in Gruppen
    Roman Trötschel (Author) , Joachim Hüffmeier (Author) , Michel Mann (Author) , Marco Warsitzka (Author) , 01.01.2024 Stuttgart , p. 8-19 , 12 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Article in conference proceedings › Transfer

  2. Verhandeln
    Roman Trötschel (Author) , David D. Loschelder (Author) , Jürgen Deller (Author) , Dieter Frey (Author) , Benjamin Höhne (Author) , Johann Martin Majer (Author) , 20.02.2017 1 ed. Göttingen , p. 803-846 , 44 p.

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

  3. Mentoring in Massive Open Online Courses - Eine Nutzenanalyse auf Basis des IS-Success-Modells
    Katharina Drawert (Author) , Burkhardt Funk (Author) , Roman Trötschel (Author) , Corinna Pfeifer (Author) , Moritz Mager (Author) , 01.03.2016 , p. 1511-1522 , 12 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Article in conference proceedings › Research › peer-review

  4. Verhandlungsforschung als Grundlage einer Mediationstheorie
    Roman Trötschel (Author) , Johann Martin Majer (Author) , Benjamin Höhne (Author) , 01.01.2016 3 ed. München , p. 163-186 , 24 p.

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

  5. Workplace mediation: Lessons from negotiation theory
    Benjamin Höhne (Author) , David D. Loschelder (Author) , Lisa Gutenbrunner (Author) , Roman Trötschel (Author) , Johann Martin Majer (Author) , 01.01.2016 Cham , p. 67-86 , 20 p.

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

View all publications

Activities

  1. "Holzbein Kiel" oder: Wie treffen Gruppen gute Entscheidungen?
    Roman Trötschel (Speaker) , Joachim Hüffmeier (Speaker) , Michel Mann (Speaker) , Marco Warsitzka (Speaker)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Education

  2. UNITED we stand: A principle-based negotiation training for collective bargaining
    Joachim Hüffmeier (Speaker) , Roman Trötschel (Speaker) , Michel Mann (Speaker) , Marco Warsitzka (Speaker)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Education

  3. How, when, and why do negotiators use reference points? A qualitative interview study with negotiation experts.
    Roman Trötschel (Coauthor) , Joachim Hüffmeier (Coauthor) , Michel Mann (Speaker) , Marco Warsitzka (Coauthor)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  4. That is not enough–Or is it? A qualitative investigation of reference points in negotiations
    Roman Trötschel (Coauthor) , Joachim Hüffmeier (Coauthor) , Michel Mann (Speaker) , Marco Warsitzka (Coauthor)

    Activity: Guest lectures › Research

  5. Referenzpunkte in der Verhandlungspraxis: Eine qualitative Studie zur Relevanz von Referenzpunkten in verschiedenen Verhandlungskontexten und -phasen
    Roman Trötschel (Coauthor) , Joachim Hüffmeier (Coauthor) , Michel Mann (Speaker) , Marco Warsitzka (Coauthor)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

View all activities

Press / Media

  1. Klimaverhandlungen: Warum nachhaltige Lösungen so schwierig zu erreichen sind und wie es dennoch gelingen kann
    1 Media contribution

    Press/Media: Press/Media

  2. Auf die Haltung kommt es an
    1 Media contribution

    Press/Media: Press/Media

  3. Der Preis ist heiß: Wie man in Preisverhandlungen das Bestmögliche herausholt
    1 Media contribution

    Press/Media: Press/Media

  4. Gemeinsam statt einsam: Nachbarn in der Corona-Krise unterstützen
    1 Media contribution

    Press/Media: Press/Media

  5. Verhandlungen zur Corona-Politik: Die Bedeutung von Verhandlungspausen.
    1 Media contribution

    Press/Media: Press/Media

View all press/media coverage

Prizes

  1. Research Grant from DRRC, Kellogg School of Management – Research residency
    (Recipient) (Recipient) ,

    Prize: external Prizes, scholarships, distinctions, appointments › Research

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Courses

Colloquium Bachelor Thesis
Roman Trötschel
Participation in the colloquium during the elaboration offers assistance in the development process of the Bachelor thesis.
Next appointment:
Wednesday, 2026-10-21 at 14:15
Room: C 9.102 Seminarraum
Internship Seminar
Roman Trötschel
Within their internship students work on a research question that is relevant for the respective institution. They conduct the research together with the institution and report the results to them as well as within the seminar.
In the accompanying seminar, students will develop a research question and a research plan. During the internship they will discuss their experiences (e.g. What did they expect from the internship? What were the activities/tasks accomplished in the internship) and their reflections on their internships (e.g., was the knowledge gained from studies of psychology relevant during the internship? Did the internship influence their choice of career?).
In the first meeting, administrative issues of the seminar will clarified, including course schedule and structure, expectations from and on students. In the second meeting, a practice forum to discuss students’ experience of their internships, their feedback, and insights regarding the theory-practice transfer will be established.
For students with a strong affinity for research, the internship can be a starting point for later research activities up to PhD level. Specifically, interested students have the option of attending PhD courses concurrent to their master’s program that enable them to translate internship work (this may include research ideas, collaborations, or pilot data) into projects that can potentially be used for a doctorate. Depending on the student’s goals and their supervisors’ suggestions, PhD courses may for example range from advanced methods to funding acquisition. Importantly, credit points that are obtained in these PhD courses can be credited to the master’s program and, if a PhD application is successful, transferred to the PhD program, which can shorten the time to dissertation (comparable to a PhD fast track program).
Next appointment:
Monday, 2026-10-19 at 12:15
Room: C 11.307 Seminarraum