Educated but easily fooled? Who falls for misinformation and why
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development have identified who is most susceptible to online misinformation and why. Their meta-analysis reveals surprising patterns on how demographic and psychological factors affect people’s ability to assess the accuracy of information. The work, published in the journal PNAS, provides important information for theory building and designing interventions.
Debate on the possible amendment of the Transplantation Act
On January 29, the Health Committee of the German Bundestag met to discuss a possible amendment to the Transplantation Act that would introduce an opt-out system, where all adults are presumed organ donors unless they explicitly withdraw their consent. During the debate, Ralph Hertwig, Director of Center for Adaptive Rationality at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, was invited to provide expert testimony.
Boosting decision-making skills
In the face of growing global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, and threats to democratic values, traditional behavioral policy approaches are increasingly coming into question. In response, boosts are gaining importance. These interventions are designed to enhance individuals' decision-making and self-control skills, as scientists from the MPIB explain in the Annual Review of Psychology.
How people make life's biggest decisions
Some decisions in life are so significant that they have a massive impact on the course of a person's future. Whether it's the decision to emigrate, quit a job, end a long-term relationship, or report a sexual assault, these choices are transformative. They shape personal identities and life trajectories in unpredictable and often irreversible ways. A new conceptual paper by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development offers a framework for understanding and studying these life-changing decisions.
This is us: Hannes Diemerling
Hannes Diemerling is a predoctoral fellow at the International Max Planck Research School on the Life Course (IMPRS LIFE) and works in the Center for Lifespan Psychology.
His research focuses on machine emotion recognition. He is developing software that can analyze emotions in audio and video recordings. In our "This is us" format, colleagues share insights into their work and motivation.
The Psychology of Life's Most Important Decisions – New episode of the Unraveling Behavior podcast featuring Shahar Hechtlinger
A new science podcast, Unraveling Behavior, has been launched by the Center for Adaptive Rationality. The podcast delves into the world of human judgment and decision making, exploring how people make decisions, how they handle risk, and how our surroundings shape our behavior.
Organ donation: Opt-out defaults do not increase donation rates
A recent study by the MPI for Human Development, in collaboration with the MSB Medical School Berlin and the Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, shows that switching to an opt-out organ donation policy, where all adults are presumed organ donors unless they explicitly opt out, does not increase donations from deceased donors. The results of the study have been published in the journal Public Health.
Empowering Individuals: A Comprehensive Toolbox for Combating Online Misinformation
How can we protect ourselves from online misinformation? A toolbox offers nine evidence-based strategies—ranging from warning and fact-checking labels to media literacy techniques—to help users identify and counter false information. Developed through a collaborative effort by researchers from 25 institutions and universities, this open-access resource is crafted for a broad audience.
New Publication: Ute Frevert, Verfassungsgefühle. Die Deutschen und ihre Staatsgrundgesetze. Göttingen: Wallstein 2024.
75 years after its adoption, Germany’s Basic Law is more popular than ever. But how did these feelings come to be, and what is their power to bind us?
Simone Kühn: A Pioneering Spirit is Important
As of July 2024, Simone Kühn leads the newly founded Center for Environmental Neuroscience. Her goal: to understand how our physical environment influences the brain and mental health. In this interview, she talks about why her research is so relevant in the face of climate change and urbanization, the innovative methods she uses – such as mobile MRI and twin studies – and why it takes a pioneering spirit to delve into this still largely unexplored field. With YouTube video.
#DiscoverLibraries
To mark Libraries Day, we are putting the spotlight on the wide range of services offered by academic libraries – here in the area of research data management.
Together with colleagues, Maike Kleemeyer has designed the freely accessible FAIR Research Data Management Workshop for the efficient management of research data. In the spirit of open science!
The Institute
News
News
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development have identified who is most susceptible to online ...
In the face of growing global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, and threats to democratic values ...
Some decisions in life are so significant that they have a massive impact on the course of a person's future. Whether ...
Events
Media Echo
BBC | Why can't I remember my early childhood?
February 10, 2025
mdr Wissen | Hoher Bildungsabschluss allein hilft nicht beim Erkennen von Fake News
February 06, 2025
Deutschlandfunk | Zuversicht ist mehr als ein Modewort
January 12, 2025
Apotheken Umschau | Doomscrolling vermeiden – so gelingt ein gesunder Umgang mit schlechten Nachrichten
January 08, 2025
MPG | Highscore des Lebens
January 07, 2025
philosophie Magazin | Ute Frevert: „Das Grundgesetz ist kein toter Text“
December 20, 2024
