Prof. Dr. Roman Trötschel

Roman Trötschel is a social psychologist at Leuphana University in Germany. He leads the Negotiation Research Group (NRG), which focuses on decision-making processes in various negotiation contexts—such as business, policy, and society. His research has been funded by institutions including the European Union Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Volkswagen Foundation, the Hans Böckler Foundation, and the Dispute Resolution Research Centre (DRRC) at the Kellogg School of Management.

Psychological Perspectives on Negotiation

Psychological research on negotiation explores how mental processes, emotional responses, and behavioral tendencies shape the negotiation process and its outcomes. This includes studying how negotiators perceive, evaluate, and act upon information, and how their psychological characteristics serve as either drivers or barriers to reaching mutually beneficial agreements.

Roman Trötschel’s work examines a range of psychological mechanisms involved in negotiation, including:

• Cognitive heuristics (e.g., anchoring, framing)
• Mental accounting (e.g., issue parsing, trade-off balancing)
• Strategic mindsets (e.g., integrative vs. distributive approaches, perspective-taking)
• Group dynamics (e.g., social identity effects, coordination gains and losses)
• Resource allocation strategies (e.g., distribution vs. contribution)

Negotiation in Complex Social Contexts

The Negotiation Research Group (NRG) investigates how psychological processes unfold in complex, high-stakes negotiation settings. These contexts often involve multiple interests, diverse stakeholder perspectives, and extended timeframes.

Negotiations in such settings require decision-makers to:

• Evaluate trade-offs across multiple outcome dimensions (e.g., financial, relational)
• Consider both represented and non-represented parties
• Reconcile short-term and long-term consequences of negotiated outcomes

These contexts frequently present conflicts that go beyond the negotiation table—for example, between different generations, across locations, or between various societal groups. Addressing these layers of complexity requires negotiators to consider the broader implications of their decisions.

Further challenges arise from uncertainty, limited predictability, and incomplete information, all of which heighten the psychological demands on negotiators. These dynamics make the identification of effective psychological strategies for navigating such situations especially valuable.

Current Research Projects

The NRG examines specific psychological mechanisms in separate empirical projects, contributing to a deeper understanding of how people navigate complexity and competing interests in negotiation settings. Current projects include:

• Mental Accounting in Negotiations with Multi-dimensional Outcomes: Balancing Benefits and Burdens Across Different Utility Dimensions
  (PI: Roman Trötschel; Co-PIs: Marco Schauer, Johann Majer, Hong Zhang) – DFG
• Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Conflicts as a Barrier to Effective Agreements
  (PI: Johann Majer; Co-PI: Roman Trötschel) – DFG
• Resource Allocations in Distribution and Contribution Negotiations
  (PIs: Roman Trötschel, Hong Zhang, Simon Moran, Ilana Ritov; Co-PIs: Marie van Treek, Johann Majer, Kai Zhang) – Volkswagen Foundation
• Improving Agreements in Labor Negotiations through Mindset-Based Training
  (PI: Roman Trötschel, Marco Warsitzka; Co-PIs: Michel Mann, Joachim Hüffmeier) – Hans Böckler Foundation
• Addressing Conflicts Across Time and Groups
  (PIs: Johann Majer, Marie van Treek; Co-PIs: Roman Trötschel, Hong Zhang) – Leuphana Research Fund
• Strategic Agenda Setting in Time-Constrained Negotiations
  (PI: Hong Zhang; Co-PI: Roman Trötschel) – Leuphana Research Fund
• Building Social Capital in Complex Negotiations
  (PI: Kai Zhang; Co-PIs: Roman Trötschel, Hong Zhang, Hillie Aalderling) – Funding applied from Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture
• Dealing with Uncertainty and Unpredictability in Negotiated Agreements
  (PI: Marco Schauer; Co-PIs: Roman Trötschel, Johann Majer)
• Sequential Negotiations: A Psychological Perspective on Shared and Exclusive Access
  (PI: Roman Trötschel; Co-PIs: Caroline Heydenbluth, Hong Zhang, Hillie Aalderling)
• Integrative Mindsets and Value Conflict Resolution
  (PI: Carolin Schuster; Co-PIs: Roman Trötschel, Fieke Harrinck)