Theses
The research focus of the Clinical Psychology group is pain research and thus most of the theses are in this topic area.
Application procedure
Please send your request for a thesis exclusively to the following e-mail:
Your request should include the following documents/informations:
CV |
Transcript of Records (of your bacherlor's degree) |
Preferred topics and/or preferred supervisors |
Schedule (including availability start date and deadline for receiving the grade) |
We review all complete application documents only after the application periods and will then provide you with feedback on whether your application will be further considered.
Application periods:
SoSe 25 | WiSe 25 | SoSe 26 | |
Bachelor theses | All spots are taken. | until 19.05.2025 at 11:59 pm | To be announced. |
Master theses (Start Modul C) | - | until 24.02.2025 at 11:59 pm | No regular application period, please contact us early enough. |
Note for external master theses:
If you would like to write an external Master's thesis with supervision from our working group, please contact us as early as possible so that you can be assigned a supervisor and take part in our Module C colloquium. Please also note that participation in our bi-weekly research colloquium as well as giving two presentations in said colloquium is mandatory.
Topics and projects
Differences and Individual Variation in Endogenous Pain Modulation
The perception of pain stimuli can vary significantly, even when the physical intensity remains constant. This so-called endogenous pain modulation differs not only between individuals but also within individuals, for example, depending on their daily condition. This project investigates the factors that play a key role in the variation of pain modulation. This includes, for example, the study of “stress-induced analgesia.”
Contact person: Dr. Martin Löffler
Language: German or English
Specific requirements: No fear of statistics/programming code
Reward, prediction error, and learning in the context of pain.
Exploitation and exploration are two possible behaviors in dealing with a decision-making problem. Exploitation describes the decision for a previously used or learned behavior, which represents the optimal decision based on the previous state of knowledge. Exploration, on the other hand, describes the decision to try out a new or untested behavior, which is based on the fact that the previous state of knowledge is not sufficient to make an optimal decision. While this decision is more risky, it also provides the opportunity to discover better behaviors. In this project, the exploration-exploitation dilemma is related to learning by prediction error and the fear-avoidance model in pain.
Contact: Simon Desch
Language: German or English
Specific requirements: not afraid of statistics/program code
Influence of expectations on pain perception
Expectations play a central role in the perception of pain and are shaped by various factors such as learning experiences or suggestions. They can strengthen or weaken our perception of pain and thus have a considerable influence on our individual experience. This research project is dedicated to the question of how expectations and previous learning experiences influence the perception of pain. The aim is to identify the underlying mechanisms and influencing factors in order to develop a deeper understanding of the dynamics of expectations and pain perception.
Contact person: Lisa Garcia
Language: German or English
Mechanisms of pain development and maintenance in patients with mitochondriopathies
Mitochondriopathies comprise a group of heterogeneous clinical pictures whose common feature is genetic damage or dysfunction of the mitochondria. Due to the special role of mitochondria in cellular metabolic processes, mitochondriopathies primarily affect cells with high energy requirements, which can manifest itself in a variety of symptoms. For a long time hardly noticed, but known for many years, is that many of those affected also suffer from severe, persistent pain. Despite their obvious relevance, pain phenomena in connection with mitochondriopathies still appear to be "under-researched", particularly with regard to the pathogenetic mechanisms. However, knowledge of this is essential for the development and application of suitable therapeutic measures. The aim of our research is therefore to characterise these mechanisms and thus ultimately contribute to the necessary scientific basis for appropriate therapeutic interventions.
Contact: Benjamin Dickmann
Language: German or English
Note for Master's theses: A start in SS25 would be possible. Please contact Benjamin Dickmann directly.
Kaarlo: Development of a digital therapy for people with functional body complaints / somatoform complaints
In Germany, around 10% of the population are affected by functional body complaints or a diagnosis of somatoform disorder (F45).
There is currently no holistic digital therapy for those affected. Kaarlo supports those affected by enabling therapeutic treatment via an app that creates a medically sound understanding of the illness and accompanies patients in their everyday lives.
In the context of this project, various sub-areas are available for Master's theses:
- Development of specific digital therapy content based on cognitive behavioral therapy, including integration of gamification.
- Participation in clinical studies to validate the application (planning, implementation, including recruitment and evaluation).
- Conducting structured interviews with patients.
Ansprechpartner: Dr. Felix Sümpelmann
Language: Deutsch or Englisch
Note: Only Master's theses are offered in this project.