Stefan Michel

Dr. Stefan Michel is a Lecturer and Research Associate at the School of Applied Psychology of the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), where he has been working since August 2008. He serves as program director for the CAS Master's Thesis and Process Integration since 2016 and is affiliated with the Institute for Humans in Complex Systems (MikS).

His educational background includes:

• Doctorate in Psychology from the University of Zurich under Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Marx
• Studies in psychology, neuropsychology and psychopathology of childhood and adolescence at the University of Zurich

Dr. Michel's research focuses on human-technology interaction in security contexts, particularly aviation security screening. His work examines visual inspection strategies, the role of everyday object knowledge in X-ray screening, automation trust, and performance measurement. He investigates how cognitive processes like perception and attention influence security screening effectiveness, with field studies conducted with airport security personnel. His research bridges cognitive psychology with practical security applications, developing evidence-based approaches to improve threat detection and screening efficiency.

His publication record shows a consistent focus on aviation security screening, with recent work (2024) examining night work effects on cognitive performance and ultrasound training methods, while earlier publications (2016-2020) extensively investigated baggage screening procedures, automation effects, and training methodologies. His research demonstrates how human factors principles can be applied to optimize security operations.

Dr. Michel teaches across multiple educational levels, supervising bachelor's and master's theses while teaching modules on scientific work, experimental psychology, and socio-technical systems. In continuing education, he leads the CAS Master's Thesis program and teaches general psychology modules for career counseling programs. His teaching emphasizes practical application of psychological principles to real-world problems.

His research is conducted through the Institute for Humans in Complex Systems, which examines the challenges and opportunities presented by automation and digitalization in human-technology-organization interactions, with particular focus on security applications.