Michaela Riediger

Professor Michaela Riediger is a distinguished academic in the field of developmental psychology at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, where she holds the position of Professor in the Department of Developmental Psychology within the Institute of Psychology. She has established herself as a leading researcher in lifespan development, with particular expertise in emotion regulation, motivational processes, and socioemotional development across the lifespan.

Education:

• 2011: Venia Legendi for psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland (Habilitation on "Adult development at the intersection of motivation, behavior, and subjective experience")
• 2001: Dr. phil., Free University Berlin, Germany (summa cum laude; Dissertation on "On the dynamic relations among multiple goals: Intergoal conflict and facilitation in younger and older adults")
• 1997: Diploma in Psychology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany (grade: 1.2)

Professor Riediger's research focuses on the complex interplay between motivation, emotion regulation, and socioemotional development across the lifespan. Her work examines how individuals regulate their emotions and pursue goals throughout different life stages, from adolescence to old age. She has made significant contributions to understanding the developmental trajectories of affective experiences, motivational selectivity, and emotional well-being. Her research particularly emphasizes ambulatory assessment methods to capture emotional processes in daily life, revealing important age-related differences in how people respond to and recover from emotional situations. Through her extensive publication record, she has established herself as a leading voice in the field of developmental psychology, with particular expertise in the intersection of motivation, behavior, and subjective experience across the lifespan.

Professor Riediger's scholarly contributions have been recognized through prestigious appointments and fellowships, most notably as a Heisenberg Fellow of the German Research Foundation (2015-2017). This highly competitive fellowship supports outstanding researchers in establishing their independence and developing their research profile. Her work has consistently been supported by significant research funding, enabling her to lead major projects including her Max Planck Research Group "Affect Across the Lifespan" (2009-2014).

Throughout her career, Professor Riediger has demonstrated exceptional leadership in research and academic mentoring. She has supervised numerous doctoral students and early-career researchers, many of whom have gone on to establish successful careers in psychology. Her research group at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, "Affect Across the Lifespan," has been particularly influential in advancing our understanding of emotional development. Currently, she continues to lead cutting-edge research at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, focusing on developmental regulation of affect, motivation, and abilities.