Carolin Wienrich

Prof. Dr. Carolin Wienrich is a Professor of Psychology of Intelligent Interactive Systems at Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Faculty of Human Sciences, and Co-director of XR HUB Würzburg since 2020. Her work bridges psychology, virtual reality, and human-computer interaction to understand human experiences in digital environments.

Her educational background includes:

• 2010: Psychology Degree from Martin Luther University Halle/Wittenberg
• 2015: Interdisciplinary PhD from TU Berlin | Faculty of Traffic and Machine Systems

Prof. Wienrich's research explores psychological aspects of presence, embodiment, and social interaction in XR systems. She investigates how device characteristics affect user experience, with applications ranging from workplace collaboration to therapeutic interventions. Her systematic review on psychological ownership of virtual objects has provided foundational insights into how users form emotional connections with digital assets. She has made significant contributions to understanding avatar embodiment effects on body image and self-esteem, as well as the impact of immersion levels on social presence and task performance.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals several key research trends:

• Investigating cross-device collaboration and asymmetric interaction in virtual environments
• Exploring psychological ownership of virtual objects and environments
• Developing VR applications for therapeutic interventions in mental health
• Studying human-AI interaction dynamics in spatial computing environments
• Examining privacy, safety, and harassment issues in social VR
• Developing training approaches to improve user competence with intelligent systems

Her notable awards include:

• 2020 Research Prize of the Faculty of Human Sciences (JMU Würzburg)
• 2019 Prize for Good Teaching Bavaria (Free State of Bavaria)
• 2018 Best Impact German Institute for Virtual Reality
• Best Poster award at IEEE VRW 2025
• IDEATExR Best Paper award at IEEE VRW 2025

Prof. Wienrich actively engages with policy makers and the public, having presented to the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Information Security, participated in discussions at the German Ethics Council, and demonstrated her research to members of the German parliament. Her presentations cover critical topics such as the psychological consequences of the metaverse and human-centered AI interaction in virtual environments.

As Co-director of XR HUB Würzburg, she leads an interdisciplinary initiative that connects researchers across psychology, computer science, and medicine to advance XR technologies and applications. The hub serves as a central platform for academic research, industry collaboration, and public engagement with extended reality technologies.