Professorship for Differential Healthy Aging Research

Prof. Dr. Mathias Allemand

This professorship examines individual differences in healthy aging and investigates longitudinal associations between personality, daily activities, psychological health and well-being of middle-aged and older adults. Basic research of the professorship focuses on long-term personality development across adulthood into old age and on short-term dynamic processes to maintain or to improve health and well-being in daily life contexts as well as in laboratory settings. Applied research of the professorship focuses on the development and evaluation of evidence-based health-related interventions and consulting approaches.

Background article (PDF, 107 KB)in Open Access Government (July 2021)

The professorship is part of the University Research Priority Program Dynamics of Healthy Aging (more) and the Department of Psychology.  

Background article (PDF, 500 KB) in Open Access Government (January 2021)

• Allemand, M. & Flückiger, C. (in press). Personality change through digital-coaching interventions. Current Directions in Psychological Science.
• Allemand, M. & Flückiger, C. (2017). Changing personality traits: Some considerations from psychotherapy process-outcome research for intervention efforts on intentional personality change interventions. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 27, 476-494.
• Allemand, M., Gmür, B. & Flückiger, C. (in press). Does extraversion increase following a three-hour flirt training? Exploring two intervention routes. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology.
• Allemand, M., Keller, L., Gmür, B., Gehriger, V., Oberholzer, T. & Stieger, M. (2020). MindHike, a digital coaching application to promote self-control: Rationale, content, and study protocol. Frontiers in Psychiatry, section Psychological Therapies, 11(575101), 1-9.
• Aschwanden, D. & Allemand, M. (2020). Promoting cognitive, physical and social activities for healthy aging by targeting personality. In P. L. Hill & M. Allemand (Eds.), Personality and healthy aging: New directions and techniques (pp. 155-172). Cham: Springer Nature.
• Hill, P. L., Burrow, A. L. & Allemand, M. (2021). Moving beyond promoting "happiness" in gerontology interventions. Age and Ageing, 50(1), 62-64.
• Rüegger, D., Stieger, M., Nißen, M., Allemand, M., Fleisch, E. & Kowatsch, T. (2020). How are personality states associated with smartphone data? European Journal of Personality, 34, 687-713.
• Stieger, M., Allemand, M. & Lachman, M. E. (2021). Targeting self-control as a behavior change mechanism to increase physical activity: Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 100, 106236 
• Stieger, M., Allemand, M., Roberts, B. W. & Davis, J. P. (2021). Mindful of personality trait change: Are treatment effects on personality trait change ephemeral and attributable to changes in states? Journal of Personality, 1-18. Advance online publication. 
• Stieger, M., Eck, M., Rüegger, D., Kowatsch, T., Flückiger, C. & Allemand, M. (2020). Who wants to become more conscientious, more extraverted, or less neurotic with the help of a digital intervention? Journal of Research in Personality, 87.
• Stieger, M., Flückiger, C., Rüegger, D., Kowatsch, D., Roberts, B. W. & Allemand, M. (2021). Changing personality traits with the help of a digital personality change intervention. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118(8) e2017584118
• Stieger, M., Wepfer, S., Rüegger, D., Kowatsch, T., Roberts, B. W. & Allemand, M. (2020). Becoming more conscientious or more open to experience? Effects of a two-week smartphone-based intervention for personality change. European Journal of Personality, 34, 345-366.