Dr. Sarina Schäfer

Sarina Schäfer Foto: Hardy Welsch

E-Mail: sarina.schaefer

Telefon: +49 2331 987-4672

Sprechzeiten: Nach Absprache

Raum: C2009

Academic Career

ORCID-ID: 0000-0003-1159-111X

Three Children (*2010;*2012;*2015)

Since July 2024 Senior Lecturer (permanent), Chair of Psychological Research Methods and Evaluation, Faculty of Psychology, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany

April 2020 - June 2024, Lecturer (permanent), Chair of Psychological Research Methods and Evaluation, Faculty of Psychology, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany

July 2019 - August 2019, Visiting Scholar, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Great Britain

November 2019 Dr.in rer nat. (summa cum laude) 'Understanding the Effects of Positive and Negative Intergroup Contact', https://doi.org/10.18445/20200113-093234-0

September 2016 - March 2020 Researcher, Chair of Psychological Research Methods and Evaluation, Faculty of Psychology, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany

October 2014-August 2016 PhD Scholar, Full PhD-scholarship from the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung (Competitive scheme under the umbrella of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research)

April 2013 – September 2014 Researcher, Chair of Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany

2009 - 2013 M.A. Peace and Conflict Studies, Philipps-University Marburg, Germany

2006 – 2009 Bachelor (B.Sc) Psychology, University of Hildesheim, Germany

Research interests

  • Intergroup relations and cooperation
  • Behavioral change in intergroup relations
  • Social psychological factors and health
  • Participation, helping and collective action
  • (Subjective) social status
  • Predictors and consequences of unequal power relations

Ongoing third-party funded projects:

Disentangling intergroup contact: how negative intergroup experiences shape intergroup relations over time, PhD on the project is Jil Ullenboom

Context Matters: The Influence of Contextual Factors and Group Status on Intergroup Contact Effects. PhD funding granted to Liva Serin.

Publications

Mehr Informationen

Friehs, MT., Schäfer, S.J., Wüst, K. et al. (2026).A comparative multi-method re-analysis of the longitudinal evidence for causal intergroup contact effects on attitudes. Commun Psychol 4, 107. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-026-00495-8

Peters, K., Jeftić, A., ..., Schäfer, S.J., ... (2026, accepted) Think Political Leader — Think He or She? A Multi-Country Test of a Gender-Fair Language Intervention to Reduce Gendered Leadership Stereotypes. Leadership Quarterly. (In Press)

Schäfer, L.F., Tausch, N., Bukowski, M., Jaspers, E., Lubbers, M.J., van Zalk, M., Ciordia, A., Potoczek, A., Estevan-Reina, L., Shani, M., Simons, J.-W., Friehs, M.-T., Gurbisz, D., Middendorf, W., Schäfer, S.J., Ullenboom, J., Graf, S., Hjerm, M., Lavest, C., Jasinkaja-Lahti, I., … & Christ, O. (2026). Inclusivity norms counter the negative societal effects of opinion polarization across 12 European Countries. PNAS Nexus, 5(4) https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgag087

Dornschneider, S., Christ, O., Schäfer, S.J., Munder, A., Maoz, I., Halabi, S., Sobol-Sarag, D. (2026, accepted). Jewish-Palestinian contact in mixed Israeli neighborhoods. Conflict Management and Peace Science. Soon available at https://doi.org/10.1177/07388942261427231

Friehs, M.-T., Plaza Reveco, A., Schäfer, S.J., Gonzáles, R., & Christ, O. (2025). Does intergroup contact affect political attitudes and behaviours? - A longitudinal test of tertiary transfer effects using the Chilean Longitudinal Social Survey (ELSOC). Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 35(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.70105

Schäfer, S.J., Kros, M., Hewstone, M., Schmid, K., Fell, B.F., Jaspers, E., Kauff, M., Lemmer, G., & Christ, O. (2025). Differential effects of positive versus negative contact: The importance of distinguishing valence from intensity. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations. 28(1), 14-163. https://doi.org/10.1177/13684302241258070

Schäfer, S.J. (2024). Exploring the future: Introduction of a new paradigm to examine intergroup experiences. Frontiers in Social Psychology, 2. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsps.2024.1366786

Kenfack, C.S.K., Prati, F., Schäfer, S.J., Christ, O., Hewstone, M., Moscatelli, S., & Rubini, M. (2024). Positive and negative intergroup contact and newcomer immigrants’ psychological adjustment. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000634

Kauff, M., Kotzur, P. F., Van Assche, J., Schäfer, S.J., van Zalk, M.H.W., & Wagner, U. (2023). A longitudinal test of secondary transfer effects of negative intergroup contact and mediating processes. European Journal of Social Psychology, in press.

Prati, F., Schäfer, S.J., Hewstone, M., & Christ, C. (2022). Antecedents of positive and negative intergroup contact: Evidence from a diary study. International Journal of Psychology, 57(4), 524-534. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12841

Schäfer, S.J., Simsek, M., Jaspers, E., Kros, M., Hewstone, M., Schmid, K., Fell, B.F., Dorrough, A.R., Glöckner, A., & Christ. O. (2022). Dynamic Contact Effects: Individuals’ positive and negative contact history influences intergroup contact effects in a behavioral game. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 123(1), 107–122. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000374

Schäfer, S.J., Kauff, M., Prati, F., Kros, M., Lang, T., & Christ, O. (2021). Does negative contact undermine attempts to improve intergroup relations? Deepening the understanding of negative contact and its consequences for intergroup contact research and interventions. Journal of Social Issues, 77, 197–216. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12422

Euteneuer, F., Schäfer, S. J., Neubert, M., Rief, W., & Süssenbach, P. (2020). Subjective Social Status andHealth-Related Quality of Life—A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis. Health Psychology . Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001051

Euteneuer, F. *, Schäfer, S.J.*, Neubert, M., Rief, W., &Süssenbach, P. (2019). What if I had not fallen from grace? Psychological distress and the gap between factual and counterfactual subjective social status. Stress & Health, advanced online publication, https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2892.

*shared first-autorship

Kotzur*, P., Schäfer*, S.J., & Wagner, U. (2018). Meeting a nice asylum seeker: Intergroup contact changes stereotype content perceptions and associated emotional prejudices, and encourages solidarity-based collective action intentions. British Journal of Social Psychology, advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12304

* shared first-authorship

Euteneuer, F*., & Schäfer, S. J.* (2018). Brief Report: Subjective Social Mobility and Depressive Symptoms in Syrian Refugees to Germany. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 20, 1533-1536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-018-0692-y

* shared first-authorship

Kauff, M., Asbrock, F., Wagner, U., Pettigrew, T. F., Hewstone, M., Schäfer, S. J., & Christ, O. (2017). (Bad) feelings about meeting them? Episodic and chronic intergroup emotions associated with positive and negative intergroup contact as predictors of intergroup behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 1149. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01449

Pieritz, K., Schäfer, S.J., Strahler, J., Rief, W., & Euteneuer, F. (2017). Chronic stress moderates the impact of social exclusion on pain tolerance. Journal of Pain Research, 10, 1155-1162. https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S129872

Schubert, T., Süssenbach, P., Schäfer, S.J., & Euteneuer F. (2016). The effect of subjective social status on depressive thinking: An experimental examination. Psychiatry Research, 241, 22-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2016.04.081

Euteneuer, F., Süssenbach, P., Schäfer, S.J., & Rief, W. (2015): Subjektiver sozialer Status - Skalen zur Erfassung des wahrgenommenen sozialen Status im sozialen Umfeld (SSS-U) und in Deutschland (SSS-D). Verhaltenstherapie, 25, 229–232. https://doi.org/10.1159/000371558

Sauerwein, M., Schäfer, S., Schoneville, H. & Thole, W. (2013): Das Studium der Sozialen Arbeit und freiwilliges Engagement. Der pädagogische Blick, 21, 45-57.

Further articles and book chapters

Schäfer, S., Lonsdorf, T.B., Feld, G.B., & Kauff, M.(17.11.2021). Vorschläge für eine familienfreundliche Wissenschaft. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5607497

Dornschneider, S., Hewstone, M., Christ, O., Schäfer, S., Halabi, S. & Sobol-Sarag, D. (04.06.2021). Can Jews and Palestinians live in peacefully in Israel? The data on mixed neighbourhoods says yes. Three things to know about life in Israeli cities that saw violence last month. Monkey Cage, The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/06/04/can-jews-palestinians-live-peacefully-israel-data-mixed-neighborhoods-says-yes/

Wagner, U. & Schäfer, S. (2014): Die sollen sich gefälligst anpassen, sonst… Ursachen von Vorurteilen, Diskriminierung und Gewalt gegen „die Anderen“. In Projektverbund QuarteT (Hrsg.): Vorurteile sind nicht angeboren – Was für ein Vorbild sind Sie?.

Schäfer, S. (2010): Studium Internationale – Wie viel Mobilität wollen wir wirklich? In Himperle, K., Keller, A. & Staack, S. (Hrsg.): Endstation Bologna? Bielefeld: Bertelsmann.

Schäfer, S. (01.04.2010): Mit grundlegenden Inhalten. Der Ideale Studiengang – aus studentischer Perspektive beschrieben. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 77, S.9.

Presentations

Mehr Informationen

(selection)

Schäfer, S.J. (2025, January). Using video games to disentangle valenced intergroup interactions and intergroup contact. Invited talk at the Contact Colloquium, International Contact Research Network.

Schäfer, S.J. (2024). Exploring the future. Developing a new paradigm for intergroup contact in virtual reality (VR) and video game settings. Paper presented at the Social Psychology Days, Helsinki, Finland.

Schäfer, S.J., & Christ, O. (2023). Exploring the future: Manipulating valenced interactions with an alien species to examine the dynamics of intergroup contact. Paper presented at the 19th General Meeting of the European Association of Social Psychology, Krakow, Poland.

Schäfer, S.J., Nidrich, M., & Christ, O. (2022). Meeting an alien species: Manipulating single interactions to examine valenced intergroup contact in virtual settings. Paper presented at the 52nd Congress of the German Psychological Society, University of Hildesheim, Germany.

Schäfer, S.J., & Van der Noll, J. (2021). Heimat Hagen: Immigration to Germany from Southeast Europe. An applied research project. 24-hours of Political Psychology, 2nd Meeting of the German Political Psychology Network. Online only.

Schäfer, S.J., Fell, B., Hewstone, M., & Christ, O. (2019). Is bad stronger than good? Effects of perceived and objective intensity of positive and negative contact. Paper presented at the 42nd annual scientific meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology, Lisbon, Portugal.

Schäfer, S.J., Jaspers, E., Kros, M., Hewstone, M., & Christ, O. (2019). Dynamic contact effects: an individual's history influences effects of positive and negative intergroup contact. Results from a behavioural game. Paper presented at the SPSSI-SASP Group Meeting on advances in intergroup contact research, Newcastle, Australia.

Schäfer, S.J., Fell, B., Hewstone, M., & Christ, O. (2018). Is bad stronger than good? Varying intensity of positive and negative contact in an experimental setting. Paper presented at the 51st annual meeting of the German Association of Psychology.

Schäfer, S.J. & Christ, O. (2018, June). Interactive effects of positive and negative contact. Invited talk at the Cooperative Relations Seminar, University of Utrecht, Netherlands.

Schäfer, S.J., Hartke, L., Kotzur, P., & Kauff, M. (2017). Refugees in Germany: intergroup contact increasess solidartiy based collecitve action among majority members - for refugees, support from the host society reduces acculturative stress. Paper presented at the 16. Tagung der Fachgruppe Sozialpsychologie Ulm.

Schäfer, S.J., Kotzur, P.F., & Kauff, M. (2017). Rally Togehter: Intergroup Contact Increases Solidarity-based Collective Action to Support Asylum Seekers in Germany. Paper presented at the 18th General Meeting of the European Association of Social Psychology.

Kotzur, P. F., Schäfer, S., & Wagner, U. (2017, April). Attitude change as a function of positive and negative contact experiences: The case of attitudes towards asylum seekers during the “migration crisis”. Invited talk at an internal Colloquium at University of Jena, Germany.

Schäfer, S., Brune, A., Wagner, U. & Asbrock, F. (2015): Positiver und negativer Kontakt, Wärme und Kompetenz und die Bereitschaft, sich für benachteiligte Gruppen einzusetzen. Paper presented at the 15. Jahrestagung der Fachgruppe Sozialpsychologie.

Schäfer, S., Wagner, U. & Asbrock, F. (2014): Public intergroup apologies: heal or harm to intergroup relations? Considering perpetrators’ authoritarianism. Poster presented at the EASP 17th General Meeting, Amsterdam.

Schäfer, S. & Asbrock, F. (2014): Public intergroup apologies: Does the context matter? Paper presented at the ISPP 37th Annual Scientific Meeting, Rome.

Schäfer, S., Butenschön, C., Asbrock, F., & Wagner, U. (2013): Remedy or Risk? Effects of intrgroup apologies on (authoritarian) perpetrators. Paper presented at the ISPP 36th Annual Scientific Meeting, Herzliya.

Teaching experiences

Supervision of approx. 30 Bachelor- and 20 Masterthesis

Since Winter term 2025: Evaluation methods in "Methods of Economic Psychology"

Since Summer term 2020: Several courses "Practical Course on Experimental Research"

Since Winter term 2019: Online course "Evaluation research and specific research methods"

Winter term 2018: Seminar on “Introduction to Psychological Research Methods”

Summer term 2014: Seminar on “Intergroup Contact”

Winter term 2013/14 Two courses „Practical Course on Experimental Research“

Summer term 2013 Seminars on „Aggression and Violence“ and “Performance- Motivation and Problems”

Psychologische Methodenlehre | 10.08.2026