Professorship for Social and Economic Psychology

In ourteam at the Section for Social and Economic Psychology, we are broadly interested in understanding social decision-making and the dynamics of group formation and dissolution.

Within groups, individuals collaborate, learn from each other, and contribute to public goods for the benefit of everyone. To maintain cooperation and coordinate collective action, participants must establish mutually beneficial ties, develop shared norms, and minimize temptations to exploit others. Utilizing models from behavioral economics, theoretical biology, and psychology, ourresearch explores how group dynamics influence cooperation and conflict both between and within groups. To achieve this, we employ controlled laboratory experiments and evolutionary-based simulations. Our research findings not only aim to advance our theoretical understanding of group living but also carry implications for collective action problems and real-world public goods dilemmas, such as climate change, sustainable consumption, and corruption.

You can learn more about our research through our recent publications (for a full list, click here).

If you are interested in firsthand experience with research on group dynamics, considersign up for our participant-pool to receive invitations for ongoing studies.

Are you a student at UZH, fascinated by group cooperation and models of human behavior, and considering a future PhD? Then, feel free tocontacting us for potential research opportunities.