Dr. Verena Klusmann

Associated Professor

Psychological Assessment and Health Psychology
Department of Psychology
University of Konstanz
P.O. Box 47
D-78457 Konstanz

Phone: +49 (0) 7531 88 5317
Email: verena.klusmann [at] uni-konstanz.de


Curriculum Vitae

Professional experience

Since 09/2022
Department of Health, Security, Society, Furtwangen University
10/2018 - 09/2021
Temporary Professorship for Public Health
Department of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Hamburg University
10/2014 - 09/2016 Temporary Professorship of Evidence-Based Health Promotion and Prevention at the University of Bremen
Department of Human and Health Sciences, University of Bremen
01/2011 - 09/2014 Post doc, Psychological Assessment and Health Psychology
Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz
01/2009 - 12/2010 Research Associate (Pre doc), Prof. Dr. Isabella Heuser,
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Benjamin Franklin
10/2009 - 03/2010 Teaching Assistant, Prof. Dr. Florian Schmiedeck,
Humboldt-University of Berlin
10/2008 - 12/2008 Scholarship of the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Benjamin Franklin
05/2006 - 09/2008 Scholarship of the German Research Foundation, Graduate School Neuropsychiatry and Psychology of Aging (GK 429)

Education

10/2010 Ph.D. in Psychology: Physical and Cognitive Activity in Older Women - Promoting Cognitive Fitness and Aging Satisfaction
Free University Berlin
04/2006 Diploma in Psychology (Dipl.-Psych.)
Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg

Awards

2019 Editor's Choice of the Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Science for the Article: Klusmann, Sproesser, Wolff, & Renner (2019). Positive self-perceptions of aging promote healthy eating behavior across the lifespan via social-cognitive processes. Free access at: https://academic.oup.com/psychsocgerontology/article/74/5/735/4668509
2015 Poster Award of the Division of Health Psychology of the German Psychological Society: Musculus, L., Klusmann, V., Sproesser, G., Renner, B. (2015).
2014 Study Award of the German Society of Sport Psychology (asp) for the supervised Master's Thesis of Lisa Musculus "The Dynamic of Outcome Expectancies in the Process of Health Behavior Change"
2011 Marie-Schlei-Dissertation Award 2011 of the Free University Berlin
2010 Presentation Award of the Health Psychology Division of the International Association of Applied Psychology
2009 Poster Award of the Division of Health Psychology of the German Psychological Society
2008 Poster Award of the German Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gerontologie und Geriatrie e.V.)

Membership in Editorial Boards

  • Associate Editor of the European Journal of Health Psychology
  • Associate Editor of Frontiers in Eating Behavior
  • Editorial Scholars Panel of the British Journal of Health Psychology

Membership in Professional Organizations

  European Health Psychology Society (EHPS)
  German Psychological Society (DGPs), Subdivisions: Health Psychology, Developmental Psychology
  Gerontological Society of America (GSA)

Positions in Professional Organizations

2012 - 2015 Spokesperson of the junior scientists of the Health Psychology Divison of the German Psychological Society (DGPs)

Research

Research interests

  • Social cognitions and self-regulation in the context of health-behavior change
  • Health promotion in old age
  • Motives for eating behavior over the life span
  • Emotion and action regulation over the life span
  • Promotion and maintenance of cognitive fitness
  • Subjective assessment of cognitive faculties
  • Subjective well-being over the life span
  • Images of aging/Views on aging/Aging perceptions
  • Mixed methods
  • Using artificial intelligence (AI) for research

Projects

Current projects:

Scientific network 'Images of aging: Via a dynamic life-span model to new perspectives for research and practice'; Role: PI; funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG); 2017 - 2022
DIE KONSTANZER LIFE-STUDIE: Interdisciplinary research project on the health of Konstanz citizens; Role: Project conception/management; PI: Prof. Dr. Britta Renner; funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF); launched in 2012
Study on Risks and Benefits for Our Health: Germany, Japan 2011 and 2013

Finished projects:

2011-2014: EATMOTIVE: Why we eat, what we eat. Motives, social context, and implications
(funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF)
2006-2010: Berlin stays fit – An intervention study to promote cognitive fitness in old age, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, PI: Prof. Dr. Isabella Heuser

Citable Abstracts & Talks

2013
Symposium

Klusmann, V. & Wolff, J. K. (2013). Gesundheit und Wohlbefinden: Wie sich Einflussfaktoren über das Erwachsenenalter verändern [Health and Well-Being: How determinants change throughout adulthood]. Chair of a Symposium at the 21st Conference of the Division of Developmental Psychology of the German Psychological Association (DGPs) 2013, Saarbrücken, Germany.

2013
Citable abstract

Klusmann, V., Sproesser, G., & Renner, B. (2013). A negative view on aging means less healthy eating. Psychology and Health, 28(S1), 27.

2013
Talk

Klusmann, V., Sproesser, G., & Renner, B. (2013). Wer das eigene Älterwerden positiver sieht, ernährt sich gesünder: Ergebnisse aus der Konstanzer Life-Studie [Those who see their own aging more positive, eat more healthily: Results from the Konstanz Life Study]. Paper presented at the 11th Congress of the Division of Health Psychology of the German Psychological Association (DGPs) 2013, Luxemburg.

2013
Talk

Klusmann, V., Sproesser, G., & Renner, B. (2013). Wie eine positive Alternswahrnehmung in jungen Jahren den Weg für eine gesunde Ernährung im Alter ebnet. Presentation, 21. Conference of the Division of Developmental Psychology of the German Psychological Association (DGPs), Saarbrücken.

2013
Talk

Klusmann, V., Sproesser, G., & Renner, B. (2013). Wie eine positive Alternswahrnehmung in jungen Jahren den Weg für eine gesunde Ernährung im Alter ebnet [How positive self-perceptions of aging in younger ages pave the way for a more healthy nutrition style in old age]. Paper presented at the 21st Conference of the Division of Developmental Psychology of the German Psychological Association (DGPs) 2013, Saarbrücken, Germany.

2013
Citable abstract

Sproesser, G., Klusmann, V., Schupp, H., & Renner, B. (2013). Eater stereotypes: I might not eat as healthy as I should, but others are worse. Psychology and Health, 28(S1), 46.

2013
Talk

Sproesser, G., Klusmann, V., Schupp, H., & Renner, B. (2013). Stereotype über den durchschnittlichen Esser: Auswirkungen auf Ernährung und Gesundheit [Stereotypes about the average eater: Effects on nutrition and health]. Paper presented at the 11th Congress of the Division of Health Psychology of the German Psychological Association (DGPs) 2013, Luxemburg.

2012
Talk

Klusmann, V. (2012). View on aging and health behavior: Two sample case studies. Invited paper presented at the Workshop 3: "Toward a new research agenda in subjective aging research" of the project "Awareness of age-related change: A cross-cultural collaboration" funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation as part of a TRANSCOOP Grant, San Diego, USA.

2012
Talk

Klusmann, V., Evers, A., Schwarzer, R., & Heuser, I. (2012). Becoming physically active means to buffer negative views on aging. Paper presented at the 65th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, San Diego, USA.

2012
Citable abstract

Klusmann, V., Neumann, K., Renner, B. (2012). Irrational risk perceptions after the Fukushima accident? It depends how you ask the question. International Journal of Psychology, 47:sup1, 765.

Pages