Welcome to the Homepage of the Initiative PARI
Psychological research can contribute soundly and fundamentally to our understanding of specific and concrete processes that constitute the basis for an integration of refugees. These processes concern, for example, identity, perception, interaction, and the development of relationships.
We have recently published a framework that incorporates different psychological core competencies and accounts for the identification of chances and potential barriers in the integration of refugees (Echterhoff et al., 2020, Perspectives on Psychological Science). In this effort, perspectives regarding refugees, but also regarding the established residential society are subject to in-depth investigations.
Some specific research projects have already been initiated: These include, for example, studies of the determinants of prejudice and expectations of and from refugees, first impressions of refugees, factors of expectancy of and confidence in integration, vocational values and integration of refugees in the job market, psychological stress and willingness to therapeutically treat refugees, or culture-sensitive programs in the areas of education and development of infants and children. Some contacts to and cooperation with national and international researchers and research groups have already been established.
Three particular distinctive features characterize the research initiative PARI:
- A multi-faceted perspective from different angles within psychological science. The following research units constitute PARI: Psychological diagnostic and personality psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, and organizational and business psychology.
- A dual process perspective: We study relevant psychological processes concurrently for refugees and the host society.
- An explicit focus on flight and migration: We study underlying psychological processes of forced migration and compare these to those of regular migration.