What have you been doing before?
For the last four years, I have been working at ISCTE-IUL in Lisbon. Before that, I worked in Utrecht with a two-year Postdoc-grant. I received my PhD-training in Würzburg, Germany.
During these periods, I studied social relations, including intergroup relations, and the embodiment of basic motivational states. For example, a current project investigates the role of gratitude and admiration for initiating and maintaining social relations.
I've also studied which social contexts facilitate approach and avoidance movements, as well as imitation of facial expressions and of gestures. Furthermore, I'm involved in one European cooperative project on food risk and benefit communication.
What are you planning to do?
I very much enjoy conceptual work. I'm currently working on a model of self-control as a tool to sustain social relations.
For the near future, I'm planning to study empathy and relational expectations as keys to understand reactions to other individuals and groups. In approaching this topic, I draw from various disciplines and use different methods to contribute to a fuller understanding of it.
I also have an applied interest in testing interventions to motivate sustainable choices in an online context. I'm going to continue cooperating with the international Relational Models lab as well as with colleagues in Lisbon, Würzburg, Haifa and other places. And of course I'm eager to start cooperating with my new colleagues here in Oslo.
Who is Beate Seibt?
I'm passionate about psychology, about my family, and about outdoor sports. However, I also enjoy cooking for guests, good conversations, good music and good wine.
