Curriculum Vitae

Education

• 2026: PhD in Psychology at Bielefeld University
• 2013-2019: Psychology Studies at Kiel University and Universidad de La Laguna, Spain

Professional Positions

• Since 02/2026: Research Assistant at the Institute of Psychology for Education, Working Unit Assessment and Evaluation in Schools, University of Münster
• 06/2024-12/2025: Research Assistant at the Institute of Psychology, Working Unit Educational Psychology
  with a Special Focus on Heterogeneity and Inclusion, Bielefeld University
• 06/2022-05/2024: Research Assistant at the Institute of Psychology, Department of Educational Psychology and Empirical Research Methods, University of Koblenz
• 07/2019-09/2024: Research Assistant at the Institute of Learning and Instruction (IPL), Kiel University
• 2015-2019: Student Research Assistant at the Institute of Learning and Instruction (IPL), Kiel University

Research

Research focus

• Academic self-concept formation, particularly through comparison processes and in relation to ability beliefs
• Self-evaluations in the personality domain
• Mental health in school
• Implementation and transfer of evidence-based interventions

Publications

Journal articles with peer review

Petrak, A., Helm, F., Wolff, F., & Möller, J. (2023). Agentic and communal self-evaluations: The role of dimensional comparisons. Learning and Individual Differences, 105, 102303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2023.102303

Petrak, A., Möller, J., & Wolff, F. (2026). Comparisons in Everyday Life: Effects on Academic Self-Concepts. Learning and Instruction, 101, 102257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2025.102257

Puderbach, L., Petrak, A., & Wolff, F. (2024). “Can you Hear me?” Change of technology commitment during the first two semesters under COVID-19. Discover Education, 3(1), 149. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00240-5

Wolff, F., Petrak, A., Dicke, T., & Möller, J. (2025). Temporal comparison effects on students’ academic self-concepts: An investigation of different comparison periods in the 2I/E model with weighted achievement levels. Journal of Educational Psychology, 117(2), 273–291. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000894

Wunberg, M., Petrak, A., Möller, J., Lohmann, J. F., & Wolff, F. (2025). Comparison effects on self-and external ratings: Testing the generalizability of the 2I/E model to parents and teachers of academic track school students. Learning and Instruction, 95, 102049. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2024.102049

Theses

Petrak (2026). Dimensional Comparisons in Students’ Self-Concept Formation: An Investigation of Their Occurrence in Everyday Life, Moderators and an Application Beyond Academia. Dissertation. Bielefeld University.

Petrak (2019). Girls in Mono- and Co-Educational Schools: A Comparison of Scientific Self-Concept, l/E Model, Job Aspirations and Gender Stereotypes. Unpublished diploma thesis, Kiel University.

Conference presentations

Petrak, A., Hörsch, H., Möller, J., & Wolff, F. (2026). Überzeugungen als Moderatoren dimensionaler Vergleichseffekte. Conference presentation, 54th DGPs Congress (DGPs), Luxemburg

Petrak, A., Hörsch, H., Möller, J., & Wolff, F. (2026). Moderatoren dimensionaler Vergleichseffekte: Fixed Mindset und/oder negative Interdependenz mathematischer und verbaler Fähigkeiten? Conference presentation, GEBF, Munich

Petrak, A., Möller, J., & Wolff, F. (2025). Moderatoren von Vergleichseffekten. Conference presentation, 20th Division Conference on Educational Psychology (PAEPS) of the German Psychological Society (DGPs), Jena

Grabowski, F. C., Strahl, F., Junge, F., Wolff, F., & Petrak, A. (2025). Erkennen und kompetent handeln bei depressiven Auffälligkeiten von Schüler*innen: Eine digitale Minimalintervention für Lehrpersonen. Conference presentation, PAEPS, Jena

Petrak, A., Möller, J., & Wolff, F. (2024). Moderatoren temporaler Vergleiche. Conference presentation, 53rd DGPs Congress/15th ÖGP Conference, Vienna, Austria

Petrak, A., Möller, J., Helm, F., & Wolff, F. (2023). Auslöser und Auswirkungen akademischer Vergleiche im Alltag. Conference presentation, 19th Division Conference on Educational Psychology (PAEPS) of the German Psychological Society (DGPs), Kiel

Wunberg, M., Petrak, A., Möller, J., Lohmann, J., & Wolff, F. (2023). Soziale, dimensionale und temporale Vergleiche bei Schüler:innen, Eltern und Lehrkräften: Eine Studie zur Generalisierbarkeit des 2I/E-Modells. Conference presentation, PAEPS, Kiel

Petrak, A., Möller, J., Helm, F., & Wolff, F. (2023). Frequencies and effects of academic comparisons in everyday life. Roundtable, 20th Biennial EARLI Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI), Thessaloniki, Greece

Petrak, A., Möller, J., Helm, F., & Wolff, F. (2023). Comparisons in Everyday Life: Effects on Domain Specific Academic Self-Concepts. Poster, American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Chicago, USA

Petrak, A., Möller, J., Helm, F., & Wolff, F. (2023). Häufigkeiten und Auswirkungen akademischer Vergleiche im Alltag. Conference presentation, 10th Meeting of the Society for Empirical Educational Research (GEBF), Bochum

Petrak, A., Helm, F., Wolff, F., & Möller, J. (2022). Self-concept formation in Agency and Communion, conference presentation, 10th SELF International Conference (SELF), online

Teaching

Master's degree (teacher training in psychology)

• Practice-Oriented Studies in Psychology for the School Practical Semester – Focus Assessment of Student Achievement

Bachelor (teacher training in psychology)

• Support for learning and behavioral difficulties