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PD Dr. Timur Sevincer

21335 Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1, C11.102
Fon +49.4131.677-1759, timur.sevincer@leuphana.de
Research associate, Institute of Sustainability Psychology

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Vita

Timur Sevincer is a motivation and social psychologist. His main area of research is motivation and self-regulation. In particular, he examines future-oriented self-regulation strategies – their spontaneous use and effects on behavior change - in various domains, including promoting sustainable behavior and fostering positive intergroup relationships. His research involves a wide variety of research questions and designs as well as diverse methods such as physiological measures, implicit measures, cognitive measures, ecological momentary assessment, behavioral observations in the field, large-scale surveys, and analyses of population-level data, and archival records.

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • 2025-today: Research Associate, Institute of Sustainability Psychology
  • 2025: Interim Professorship, Institute of Sustainability Psychology, Psychology in particular Sustainable Behavior
  • 2024-2025: Research Fellow, Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg Delmenhorst, Institute for Advanced Study
  • 2023-2024: Interim Professorship, Institute of Sustainability Psychology, Psychology and Transformation
  • 2022-2023: Interim Professorship, Institute of Psychology, Motivation and General Psychology, Leuphana University Lüneburg
  • 2022: Interim Professorship, Faculty of Psychology, Chair of Social Psychology, TU Dresden
  • 2018-2021: Research Associate, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg
  • 2018-2020: Part-Time Lecturer in Psychology, Leuphana University Lüneburg
  • 2017-2018: Part-Time Lecturer in Psychology, New York University Berlin
  • 2010-2018: Interim Professorship/Research Associate, Institute of Psychology, Educational Psychology and Motivation, University of Hamburg
  • 2008-2010: Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg
  • 2004-2008: Doctoral student, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg 

EDUCATION

  • 2015: Venia Legendi, University of Hamburg, Psychology
  • 2015: Habilitation, University of Hamburg, Psychology
  • 2008: Ph.D., Summa cum laude, University of Hamburg, Psychology
  • 2004: Magister Artium (M.A. equivalent), University of Hamburg, Philosophy (Minors: Psychology and American Studies)

Projects

  1. Using Self-Affirmation to Reduce Intergroup Hostility and Facilitate Intergroup Contact in the Israel-Palestinian Conflict
    A. Timur Sevincer (Project manager, academic) , Eran Halperin (Project manager, academic) , Tim Müller (Partner) , David Shermann (Project manager, academic)
    →

    Project: Research

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Publications

Books and anthologies

  1. The Psychology of Thinking about the Future
    Gabriele Oettingen (Editor) , A. Timur Sevincer (Editor) , Peter M. Gollwitzer (Editor) , 2018 New York , 554 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologies › Book › Research

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Journal contributions

  1. Public support for climate action is underestimated in the German political domain
    A. Timur Sevincer (Author) , Luisa Hostlowsky (Author) , Fenja Styhler (Author) , Wilhelm Hofmann (Author) , 01.12.2026 , in: Communications Earth and Environment, 7, 1 , 9 p.

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

  2. Mental contrasting and problem-solving in romantic relationships: A dyadic behavioral observation study
    Henrik Jöhnk (Author) , Gabriele Oettingen (Author) , Kay Brauer (Author) , A. Timur Sevincer (Author) , 01.07.2026 , in: Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 43, 7 , p. 1982-2006 , 25 p.

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

  3. Putting sustainable human resource management and workplace eudaimonic well-being into cross-cultural context
    Agnieszka Wojtczuk-Turek (Author) , Dariusz Turek (Author) , Paweł Jurek (Author) , Fiona Edgar (Author) , Belgin Okay-Somerville (Author) , Nataliya Podgorodnichenko (Author) , Na Fu (Author) , Maria Järlström (Author) , Boris Popov (Author) , Paul Hutchings (Author) , Katie Sullivan (Author) , Marius Duhović Hafstad (Author) , Tetiana Shkoda (Author) , Oleksandr Savych (Author) , Sabine Raeder (Author) , Howard J. Klein (Author) , Janine Bosak (Author) , Anna Lupina-Wegener (Author) , Zuzana Dvorakova (Author) , Francisca Gutiérrez-Crocco (Author) , Aleksandra Kekkonen (Author) , Pedro I. Leiva (Author) , Lenka Mynaříková (Author) , Mercedes Sánchez-Apellániz (Author) , Imran Shafique (Author) , Bassam Samir Al-Romeedy (Author) , Serena Wee (Author) , Patrick Dunlop (Author) , Florence Stinglhamber (Author) , Gaëtane Caesens (Author) , Adriana Caldana (Author) , Marina Greghi Sticca (Author) , Valentin Vasilev (Author) , Martin Lauzier (Author) , Guillaume Desjardins (Author) , Gangfeng Zhang (Author) , Le Tan (Author) , Lady Brigitte Galvez-Sierra (Author) , Erico Rentería Pérez (Author) , Srećko Goić (Author) , Ivana Tadić (Author) , Dagmar Charvátová (Author) , Marek Botek (Author) , Dorthe Høj Jensen (Author) , Dayamy Lima Rojas (Author) , Segundo Gonzalo Pazmay-Ramos (Author) , Piret Masso (Author) , Nicolas Gillet (Author) , Tiphaine Huyghebaert-Zouaghi (Author) , A. Timur Sevincer (Author) , 30.03.2026 , in: European Management Journal , 15 p.

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

  4. Measuring the semantic priming effect across many languages
    Erin M. Buchanan (Author) , Kelly Cuccolo (Author) , Tom Heyman (Author) , Niels van Berkel (Author) , Nicholas A. Coles (Author) , Aishwarya Iyer (Author) , Kim Peters (Author) , A. E. van ’t Veer (Author) , Maria Montefinese (Author) , Nicholas P. Maxwell (Author) , Jack E. Taylor (Author) , Kathrene D. Valentine (Author) , Patrícia Arriaga (Author) , Krystian Barzykowski (Author) , Leanne Boucher (Author) , W. Matthew Collins (Author) , David C. Vaidis (Author) , Balazs Aczel (Author) , Ali H. Al-Hoorie (Author) , Ettore Ambrosini (Author) , Théo Besson (Author) , Debora I. Burin (Author) , Muhammad Mussaffa Butt (Author) , A. J.Benjamin Clarke (Author) , Yalda Daryani (Author) , Dina Abdel Salam El-Dakhs (Author) , Mahmoud M. Elsherif (Author) , Maria Fernández-López (Author) , Paulo Roberto dos Santos Ferreira (Author) , Raquel Meister Ko Freitag (Author) , Carolina A. Gattei (Author) , Hendrik Godbersen (Author) , Philip A. Grim (Author) , Peter Halama (Author) , Patrik Havan (Author) , Natalia C. Irrazabal (Author) , Chris Isloi (Author) , Rebecca Kvisler Iversen (Author) , Yoann Julliard (Author) , Aslan Karaaslan (Author) , Michal Kohút (Author) , Veronika Kohútová (Author) , Julija Kos (Author) , Alexandra I. Kosachenko (Author) , Tiago Jessé Souza de Lima (Author) , Matthew H.C. Mak (Author) , Christina Manouilidou (Author) , A. Timur Sevincer (Author) , Monika Tschense (Author) , Sebastian Wallot (Author) , 01.01.2026 , in: Nature Human Behaviour, 10, 1 , p. 182-201 , 20 p.

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

  5. Does the relationship between sustainable human resource management and organizational identification vary by culture? Evidence from 35 countries based on GLOBE framework
    Dariusz Turek (Author) , Agnieszka Wojtczuk-Turek (Author) , Fiona Edgar (Author) , Nataliya Podgorodnichenko (Author) , Belgin Okay-Somerville (Author) , Na Fu (Author) , Anna Lupina-Wegener (Author) , Howard J. Klein (Author) , Gulcin Akbas (Author) , Bassam Samir Al-Romeedy (Author) , Eleni Apospori (Author) , Janine Bosak (Author) , Adriana Caldana (Author) , Eleonora Crapolicchio (Author) , Jennifer Chavanovanich (Author) , Guillaume Desjardins (Author) , Angela Dorrough (Author) , Patrick Dunlop (Author) , Divina Edralin (Author) , Arum Etikariena (Author) , Denise Fernando (Author) , Lady Brigitte Galvez Sierra (Author) , Nicolas Gillet (Author) , Sergio Madero-Gómez (Author) , Francisca Gutiérrez-Crocco (Author) , Carolin Haeffner (Author) , Paul Hutchings (Author) , Tiphaine Huyghebaert-Zouaghi (Author) , Hiroshi Ikeda (Author) , Maria Järlström (Author) , Marc Jekel (Author) , Dorthe Høj Jensen (Author) , Jerin Jose (Author) , Serdar Karabatı (Author) , Mary Kinahan (Author) , Martin Lauzier (Author) , Abiodun Lawal (Author) , Alon Lisak (Author) , Pedro Leiva (Author) , Shera Malayeri (Author) , Claudia Manzi (Author) , Marco Giovanni Mariani (Author) , Khatuna Martskvishvili (Author) , Claude Hélène Mayer (Author) , Katarzyna Mikołajczyk (Author) , María José Charlo Molina (Author) , Silvia Moscatelli (Author) , Matteo Mösli (Author) , Felix Neto (Author) , A. Timur Sevincer (Author) , 07.11.2025 , in: Central European Management Journal, 33, 4 , p. 667-696 , 30 p.

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

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Contributions to collected editions/anthologies

  1. Lernzielorientierung: Learning goal orientation
    Veronika Job (Author) , A. Timur Sevincer (Author) , Gabriele Oettingen (Author) , 24.11.2021

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Articles for encyclopedia › Research

  2. Teaching mental contrasting to facilitate educational attainment across sociocultural contexts
    A. Timur Sevincer (Author) , Gabriele Oettingen (Author) , 01.01.2020 , p. 201-227 , 27 p.

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

  3. The modern land of opportunity: Cosmopolitan cities attract independent immigrants
    A. Timur Sevincer (Author) , Michael E.W. Varnum (Author) , Shinobu Kitayama (Author) , 29.05.2019 , p. 27-47 , 21 p.

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

  4. Wenn-Dann Pläne und mentale Kontrastierung als Strategien zur Förderung der Selbstregulation
    Ulrike Schwarz (Author) , A. Timur Sevincer (Author) , Caterina Gawrilow (Author) , 01.01.2019 , p. 193-205 , 13 p.

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

  5. Kosmopolitismus
    A. Timur Sevincer (Author) , 01.01.2019

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Articles for encyclopedia › Research

View all publications

Activities

  1. Voluntary migration to cosmopolitan cities and risk-taking
    A. Timur Sevincer (Speaker) , Jung Yul Kwon (Coauthor) , Michael E.W. Varnum (Coauthor) , Shinobu Kitayama (Coauthor)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  2. Fantasizing now, feeling disappointed later. Positive fantasies and negative emotions in soccer fans
    Greta Wagner (Speaker) , A. Timur Sevincer (Coauthor) , Gabriele Oettingen (Coauthor)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  3. Alcohol myopia and gambling behavior
    Jennifer Brinkmann (Speaker) , A. Timur Sevincer (Coauthor) , Gabriele Oettingen (Coauthor) , Graciela Garibay (Coauthor)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  4. Substance use without a substance: The risk factors and mechanisms of gambling
    A. Timur Sevincer (Speaker)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

  5. Performance resource depletion influence on performance: Advancing concepts and findings
    A. Timur Sevincer (Speaker)

    Activity: Conference Presentations › Research

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Press / Media

  1. Haunted – living with unusual experiences
    Interviewed once

    Press/Media: Press/Media

  2. Empathy towards refugees
    Interviewed once

    Press/Media: Press/Media

  3. The strategy that turns daydreams into reality
    1 time cited

    Press/Media: Press/Media

  4. Idealistic Thinking linked with Economic Slump
    1 time cited

    Press/Media: Press/Media

  5. Rose-Colored Words, but Gray Outcomes
    1 time cited

    Press/Media: Press/Media

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Prizes

  1. Fellowship for exceptional international scientists.
    (Recipient) ,

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

  2. Outstanding teaching award
    (Recipient) ,

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

  3. Postdoctoral fellowship
    (Recipient) ,

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

  4. Stipend for continuing scientific education 2007-2008
    (Recipient) ,

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

  5. Doctoral Fellowship 2005 - 2007
    (Recipient) ,

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

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Courses

Introduction to the discipline - Psychology
Timur Sevincer
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. As a discipline, it seeks to understand how humans and other animals perceive, think, feel, and act—ranging from basic neural processes to complex social interactions. Psychology is often described as a hub science because it connects and overlaps with numerous other fields, including biology, neuroscience, medicine, sociology, anthropology, and education. Insights from psychology help inform these disciplines, while also benefiting from their methods and discoveries.

This course introduces students to the central concepts, findings, and debates within psychology. It will begin with an overview of the science of psychology and the scientific method, highlighting how psychological knowledge is built through empirical research. From there, we will examine the genetic and evolutionary roots of behavior, the basic building blocks of perception and consciousness, and the processes of learning, memory, thinking, and intelligence. Students will also explore topics related to motivation and emotion, as well as the patterns of growth and change emphasized in developmental psychology. The course will then turn to the study of social psychology and personality, before addressing the nature of mental disorders and their treatment. By engaging with these topics, students will gain a broad understanding of the major perspectives, methods, and applications of contemporary psychology.
Next appointment:
Wednesday, 2026-10-14 at 12:15
Room: C 3.120 Seminarraum
The Evolved Mind: Sex Differences and Their Interpersonal and Societal Implications
Timur Sevincer
In this seminar, we will take an evolutionary psychological perspective on human nature and discuss its implications for interpersonal relationships and society. A central aim is to clarify common misconceptions and prejudices about evolutionary approaches and to examine how such misunderstandings may stand in the way of an accurate understanding of human behavior.

The seminar will focus in particular on evolved psychological sex differences. We will ask which sex differences have been documented, in which domains they occur, and how large they are compared with other psychological effects and with sex differences in other species. We will also discuss the origins of these differences, including the relative contributions of evolution, socialization, and the interaction between the two. We will compare these insights with commonly held beliefs about where sex differences originate from.

A further focus will be on the interpersonal and societal implications of this knowledge. We will consider the risks of both exaggerating and downplaying psychological sex differences, for example by drawing parallels to medicine, where ignoring sex differences can cause harm. Finally, we will discuss how a more accurate understanding of the nature and origins of human sex differences can help women and men understand each other better and take each other’s perspectives in areas where they come into conflict, while also helping us build societies that are in line with widely shared values such as equality, fairness, and tolerance of different preferences and life plans.
Next appointment:
Friday, 2026-10-23 at 14:15
Room: C 14.204 Seminarraum