Project

Head of project: Isabel Thielmann (PI); contributors/researchers: M. Burghart, N. Casali, T. Khalaf, A. Seidl
The functioning of societies and the quality of social relationships depend on moral behaviors such as fairness, cooperation, and honesty. Conversely, immoral behaviors – including exploitation, dishonesty, and fraud – carry significant societal costs. Understanding how to promote moral behavior and reduce immoral behavior is therefore a central challenge in the social and behavioral sciences. more

Head of project: Isabel Thielmann (PI); contributors/researchers: M. Burghart, N. Casali, T. Khalaf, J. Peichl, N. Popov, A. Seidl, B. E. Yelbuz
Personality traits, self-concept, and identity are central to how people think about themselves, how they are perceived by others, and how they behave in everyday life. In the moral domain, these aspects shape whether individuals act in an honest, fair, and cooperative manner – or engage in unethical behavior. Yet, research on moral character has often relied on narrow perspectives, focusing primarily on self-reported traits at a single point in time rather than trying to understand individual differences more comprehensively. more

Heads of project: Sabrina Ellebrecht, Johanna Fink
For several decades, police accountability has been a prominent term in policing research. Its status as a buzzword often obscures the deeper issues it encompasses, such as the institutional and individual liability of police actors and the various mechanisms for oversight. more

Head of project: Lukas Huthmann
As societies evolve, so do the conditions under which law emerges, is applied, and is understood. These developments affect not only substantive criminal law but also the procedural rules that govern the course of criminal proceedings and the decisions made by prosecuting authorities. more

Head of project: Lucas Montenegro
“Among a democratic nation (...) it is impossible ever to agree beforehand on what shall or shall not be allowed by the laws of honour”. Alexis de Tocqueville stated this thesis in his work “De la démocratie en Amérique”* and based it on the leveling of social classes and the volatility of public opinion in a democratic state. more