معرفی
Dr. Christina Bauer is a Research Fellow at the Department of Occupational, Economic and Social Psychology within the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Vienna. She works in the Motivation Psychology research group under Chair Professor Veronika Job Sutnar. Her office is located in Room 504 at Wächtergasse 1 in Vienna.
Her research focuses on using motivation psychology to help disadvantaged groups including refugees and first-generation college students successfully pursue their goals. She investigates systematic barriers individuals face based on social identities and develops interventions to address these challenges. A key aspect of her work involves identity reframing—highlighting strengths rather than weaknesses in stigmatized groups, such as emphasizing the strength and perseverance shown by refugees through their experiences.
Her research portfolio shows a clear trend toward understanding how social identities impact educational outcomes and developing practical interventions. Her work bridges social psychology with practical applications in educational settings, particularly focusing on how self-concept and identity affect academic performance and engagement among marginalized populations.
Dr. Bauer has secured significant research funding through two major projects: 'Strong agents, not weak victims: How reframing disadvantaged individuals' identity can improve educational success and wellbeing' (2022-2025) and 'Identity (In)compatibility and pro-environmental behavior' (2024-2026). Her work has received notable media attention, with research on how 'flight can make you strong' being picked up by 33 news outlets and shared by 30 X users.
Within the Motivation Psychology group, she collaborates closely with Professor Veronika Job Sutnar and other researchers including Dr. Christopher Mlynski, Olena Vitkovska, and Leopold Roth. The team investigates various aspects of motivation, identity, and social psychology with practical applications for improving educational outcomes and social integration.
