Professor, Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

Biography:

Professor Sarah Diefenbach is the Professor for Market and Consumer Psychology at the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (Germany) with a focus on the field of interactive technology. Her research group explores design factors and relevant psychological mechanisms of technologies related to different facets pervasive computing (e.g., smart communication, self-improvement technologies, social media, companion technologies, social robots). Sarah Diefenbach received her doctorate in Psychology with distinction from the University of Koblenz-Landau. Since 2007 she is engaged in research on user experience and consumer experience in the field of interactive products. Current research topics focus on the negative side effects of technology use on happiness and wellbeing (“digital depression"), the psychological effects of social media (e.g., selfie-paradox) as well as interaction design from a psychological perspective (e.g., aesthetics of interaction, psychological needs approach). Professor Diefenbach developed several methods for user experience design and evaluation (e.g., interaction vocabulary) which are widely applied in research and practice. She has acquired and led a number of interdisciplinary research projects by research foundations (BMBF, DFG) as well as industry partners. Professor. Diefenbach proposed a way to customize the well-being intervention that fostering positive change in individual in light of the Bitter-Sweet ambivalence of change (Diefenbach, 2018). It is a very inspiring and important research, since the motivation and engagement are one of the obstacles for online intervention. However, Professor. Diefenbach suggested a way to motivate anyone to enter the positive change spiral.