Andrik Becht

Dr. Andrik Becht is an Assistant Professor in the Youth and Family department at Utrecht University's Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. His research focuses on identity development across adolescence and young adulthood, examining psychological, social, and neurobiological processes that contribute to identity formation. He is part of the gravitation program Consortium on Individual Development (CID) and leads research on ecological identity and pro-environmental behavior in youth.

Dr. Becht completed his PhD summa cum laude in pedagogical sciences in 2019 after obtaining master's degrees in Development and Socialisation in Childhood and Adolescence (DaSCA, cum laude) and Orthopedagogics (cum laude), both from Utrecht University.

His research program investigates how adolescents develop a strong identity as a psychological resource that guides daily life, with recent work focusing on ecological identity formation and pro-environmental lifestyle development. He examines key psychological, social, and neurobiological processes that contribute to identity development and investigates the psychosocial consequences of ongoing identity uncertainty in adolescence. His work spans multiple disciplines, integrating developmental psychology, neuroscience, and environmental studies to understand why some adolescents thrive more than others.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a clear trajectory from foundational identity development research toward increasingly applied work on environmental psychology and sustainability. His work has evolved from examining basic identity processes and structures to investigating how identity relates to climate anxiety, pro-environmental behavior, and ecological identity formation. This shift reflects broader societal concerns about climate change and sustainability, showing how developmental psychology can address pressing contemporary issues facing adolescents.

Dr. Becht currently supervises three PhD students: Saira Wahid, Wiebe Bor, and Cansel Karakas. His research is supported by various grants, including an NWA project focused on reducing climate stress in students (https://nwa-jeugd.nl/onderzoeken/klimaatstress-bij-scholieren-verminderen). He has collaborated extensively with researchers at Utrecht University, particularly with Prof. Susan Branje and Prof. Eveline Crone, forming part of a robust research network studying adolescent development from multiple perspectives.

His work is conducted primarily through the Consortium on Individual Development, a major research initiative examining how children and adolescents develop into healthy and well-functioning adults. This collaborative effort brings together researchers from multiple disciplines and institutions to investigate developmental processes across various domains.