A person is filling out an application for an organ donor card. You can see a hand holding a pen and the documents.

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     

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. 

AI might scare us, but can we scare it?

AI might scare us, but can we scare it?

In the eerie atmosphere of Halloween night, people transform into spooky figures and try to scare each other. In this era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), new questions arise: Can machines also be scared? The team at the Center for Humans and Machines at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development invites the public to participate in a spooky experiment. Its objective: to scare AI with terrifying images.

New Publication: Ute Frevert, Verfassungsgefühle. Die Deutschen und ihre Staatsgrundgesetze. Göttingen: Wallstein 2024.

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?
 

Ana Sofia Morais and Tomás Lejarraga stand in front of a black background and look directly into the camera. Lettering refers to the podcast name Unraveling Behavior.

How Birth Order Influences Risk Taking Among Siblings – New episode of the Unraveling Behavior podcast featuring Dr. Tomás Lejarraga

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.

The photo shows Sabrina Strelow (female), smiling in front of a concrete-like wall that is divided diagonally and painted white in the upper right half. She is wearing a white sweater with a black vest over it. She has short blonde hair and is wearing glasses on her face.

„This is us“ – Questions to Sabrina Strelow

Many of the empirical questions researched at the Institute can only be answered with the support of dedicated study participants. Their first point of contact is Sabrina Strelow, who has been working in the telephone studio for 16 years with great sensitivity and passion.
In the interview, she provides fascinating insights into her daily work, talks about the tasks she particularly enjoys and how her work has changed over the years.

Simone Kühn: A Pioneering Spirit is Important

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.

Maike Kleemeyer is standing in front of a wall, looking directly in the camera

#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 picture shows a laptop. Two hands are typing something on the keyboard. You can also see graphical elements that are supposed to symbolize LLMs.

How can we make the best possible use of large language models for a smarter and more inclusive society? 

An article published in Nature Human Behaviour explains the opportunities and risks that arise from the use of LLMs for our ability to collectively deliberate, make decisions, and solve problems. Led by researchers from Copenhagen Business School and the MPI for Human Development, the interdisciplinary team of 28 scientists provides recommendations to ensure LLMs are developed to complement rather than detract from human collective intelligence. 




The Institute

Our Research
The Max Planck Institute for Human Development is dedicated to the study of human development and educational processes across the lifespan and historical time. Researchers from diverse disciplines—including psychology, sociology, history, computer and information science, medicine, mathematics, and economics—work together on interdisciplinary projects. An overview of all research centers and groups can be found here.
 
Our Staff
Are you looking for a specific contact? Some 350 people from over 30 countries work at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. The institute comprises four research centers, six Research Groups, one Lise Meitner Research Group, and several service departments. The contact details of all staff members are listed here.

 
Study Participation
Are you interested in participating in a study? We are always looking for men, women, and children of various ages who are interested in participating in psychological or neuroscience studies. Here you can find out which projects are currently looking for participants and read up on the conditions for participation and study methods used.

Current Research Results


Verfassungsgefühle. Die Deutschen und ihre Staatsgrundgesetze
Cover From Animal Models to Human Individuality: Integrative Approaches to the Study of Brain Plasticity
Environmental Neuroscience
The picture is predominantly in red. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan can be seen in side profile. A dark column runs through the center of the picture. The title of the book is in the center. A person looking up and bright lights can be seen in the background.
original
Insurgent Fandom. An Ethnography of Crowds and Unruly Sounds
The cover of Smart Management by Gerd Gigerenzer, Jochen Reb, and Shenghua Luan features a simple and modern design. The title is prominently displayed, highlighting the key theme of the book: "How Simple Heuristics Help Leaders Make Good Decisions in an Uncertain World." The overall aesthetic reflects a professional tone, suitable for a leadership and management guide, with clean lines and minimalistic colors that emphasize clarity and strategic thinking, in line with the book's focus on simplifying decision-making in complex environments.
ELGAR COMPANION TO Herbert Simon
Cover of the book
The Intelligence of Intuition
Cover of the Book The integrity of dopaminergic and noradrenergic brain regions is associated with different aspects of late-life memory performance
The title of the book is Does prefrontal connectivity during task switching help or hinder children’s performance
The title of the book is in the middle in a white box. Outside are many different adjectives in colorful letters.
In the center of the picture, an observatory on wheels can be seen, with people standing around it marveling. At the lower left edge, a speaker stands at the lectern and points into the sky.
It shows the Book Cover The Body Unburdened written by Esra Sarioglu. The upper third displays the book title and name, in the lower two thirds is a photo of a woman standing in the midst of police officers and the proud look is led away.
Cover of the book "Jahrbuch Deutsche Einheit 2022"
Grüne fahren SUV und Joggen macht unsterblich
Feeling Political.
Zur Zukunft der Demokratie
Fluid Feelings
Lost dynamics and the dynamics of loss: Longitudinal compression of brain signal variability is coupled with declines in functional integration and cognitive performance
Klick
Sex - right!
feeling different: Gay and Lesbian Life in the Federal Republic.
The long-term proficiency of early, middle, and late starters learning English as a foreign language at school
Classification in the Wild
Deliberate Ignorance: Choosing Not to Know
Mächtige Gefühle
Body, Capital, and Screens: Visual Media and the Healthy Self in the 20th Century
The politics of humiliation: A modern history.
original

News

News

A recent study by the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, in collaboration with the MSB Medical School Berlin ...

Oath against tax evasion

November 08, 2024

Have you ever been dishonest on your tax return in order to pay less tax? Would a written “oath of honesty” that you ...

In the eerie atmosphere of Halloween night, people transform into spooky figures and try to scare each other. In this ...

Events

Musik…..educates! – chamber music mit Schwung & Seele

Dec 18, 2024 07:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195 Berlin, Room: Foyer

Janina Neufeld, Karolinska Institutet

Dec 10, 2024 03:00 PM c.t. - 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195 Berlin, Room: Open Campus Space

Exhibition by Claudia Virginia Vitari | PANOPTICON

Nov 22, 2024 06:00 PM (Local Time Germany) - Jan 17, 2025 06:30 PM
Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195 Berlin, Room: Foyer

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Equal Opportunities
The Max Planck Institute for Human Development is committed to promoting equal opportunities for all genders. We take both organizational and personnel measures to facilitate the reconciliation of work and family life and to promote women’s careers. Our aim is to ensure a positive environment that promotes and supports excellence.
Research Schools
The MPI for Human Development provides several working opportunities for Predocs.
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