Katharina Lefringhausen

Katharina Lefringhausen is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Sciences and Psychology Department at Heriot-Watt University. She holds dual appointments and has expertise in cross-cultural social psychology and quantitative research methods. Her work focuses on majority members' acculturation, intercultural competence, multiculturalism, and pro-environmental behavior. She supervises PhD students and has examined external theses on acculturation dynamics.

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations (University for Applied Sciences and Arts of Hanover, 2009)
• MSc and PhD in Cross-Cultural Psychology (2010-2015)

Research Interests: Her research explores how majority-group members adapt culturally in shared societies, including workplace and university settings. Key areas include acculturation outcomes, intergroup ideologies, and EDI. She has contributed to studies on mental health literacy, social media usage, and intergroup contact effects.

Articles Overview: Recent work examines cross-cultural dynamics of collectivism, pandemic coping strategies, and multicultural policy in the UK. Her studies often involve global collaborations and use mixed-methods approaches.

Grants & Advising: Supervised PhDs include David Colledge (Majority Acculturation) and Silvia King (Coaching Practices). She has examined theses on minority-majority acculturation attitudes and migrant integration. Active in grant-funded projects like the RAAS initiative supporting refugees through intercultural training.

Labs/Teams: Co-leads the RAAS project and contributes to SIETAR UK's research initiatives. Collaborates with institutions like the London School of Economics on intercultural policy projects.