Isabel Thielmann

Dr. Isabel Thielmann is a Research Fellow and Head of the Independent Research Group 'Personality, Identity, and Crime' at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law in Freiburg, Germany. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Mannheim (2015) and has held academic positions at the University of Koblenz-Landau and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her research focuses on personality traits, moral behavior, prosociality, and their implications for criminality and societal dynamics.

Her key projects include the ERC-funded 'KNOW-THYSELF' initiative exploring self-knowledge and moral behavior, and the DFG-funded 'Core Tendencies in Prosocial Behavior' project. She has received prestigious awards such as the Charlotte-und-Karl-Bühler Prize (2024) and the William-Stern Award (2023).

Her work spans experimental social psychology, criminology, and behavioral economics. Notable contributions include studies on dishonesty, unethical loyalty, and the interplay between personality and situational factors in decision-making. She also leads interdisciplinary teams investigating the psychological foundations of crime and societal trust dynamics.