Welcome


to the Department of Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Muenster. We study human behavior and cognition in sports (causes, conditions, objectives) and try to predict and influence the behavior of athletes. On the following pages, you will find information on our current research projects, courses, examinations, our team, and links. Further, you can find information on sport psychological support and counseling. If you are interested in an internship, please send a motivational letter, CV and a transcript of records via email to Birte Brinkmöller.

You can find a list of the latest publications of our team here: publications (2006 - today)

We hope that you will find all the important information you need. In case there are any questions left, please do not hesitate to talk to us directly.

Prof. Bernd Strauss
Head of the Department

© Barbara Halberschmidt

TrainerTalk #2

Stephanie Bünemann and Birte Brinkmöller enriched the second TrainerTalk with information on sports psychology, sports psychology counselling and cooperation between coaches, athletes and sports psychologists. They were supported by Dr. Barbara Halberschmidt

TrainerTalk is organised by the Association for the Promotion of Competitive Sports in Münster, addresses coaches in and from Münster who are active in the field of competitive sports, and has now taken place for the second time. 

© Hannah Hüttemann

SELF Conference in Singapur

From November 18 to 21, 2025, Maike Tietjens, Lena Henning, Hannah Hüttemann and Bernd Strauß participated in the SELF Conference and ERAS Conference 2025 in Singapore. The conference theme, “The Self in Context: Pathways to Flourishing, Learning, and Well-Being,” brought together researchers from around the world and offered diverse insights into topics such as self-concept, motivation, and learning—through both engaging symposia and keynotes by renowned scholars including Reinhard Pekrun, Richard Ryan, Emma Bradshaw, and Mimi Bong. Hannah Hüttemann presented a study on social influences on physical activity as well as a poster on self-concept and fitness among individuals with intellectual disabilities. Lena Henning presented a study on the stereotype threat effect in physical education.
 

© Stephanie Bünemann

Stephanie Bünemann at the “Dan športne psihologije”

On November 14th and 15th, Stephanie Bünemann was invited as a guest speaker to Ljubljana, Slovenia, for the “Dan športne psihologije” (Sports Psychology Day). In a workshop (14.11.) for sports psychologists and psychology students, she led a workshop on evidence-based interventions and discussion in relation to crisis interventions. The next day (15.11.), the actual Sports Psychology Day began, mainly for coaches. There, she had the opportunity to prepare and present her research on crises in teams for practical application in a lecture.

© Barbara Halberschmidt

Research colloquium in Oldenburg

On Monday, Dr. Barbara Halberschmidt and Laura van de Loo were invited to a research colloquium at Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg. There, they presented key findings on the topic of balancing university studies and elite sports.
Shortly before the completion of the “Dual Career” project, the colloquium provided an opportunity to give a comprehensive overview of the findings to date and to exchange experiences and developments with the participants. The focus was particularly on the content and implementation processes of the cooperation agreement “Partner University of Elite Sports,” to which both the University of Münster and the University of Oldenburg are affiliated.

© Marie Ghanbari

Marie Ghanbari at the World Schools Summit

As part of this year's World Schools Summit organised by T4 Education, Dr Marie Ghanbari participated as an invited expert in a panel discussion on the topic ‘Are Universities Becoming Irrelevant?’ The international debate brought together academics, educational innovators and decision-makers to discuss the future of higher education in a time of technological and social change.