Verena Graupmann

Verena Graupmann serves as Associate Professor and Psychological Science PhD Program Director in the Department of Psychology at DePaul University's College of Science and Health. Her interdisciplinary research bridges social psychology, cultural neuroscience, and existential threat processing.

Her educational credentials include:

• Venia Legendi (Habilitation), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Germany (2014)
• Ph.D. in Social Psychology, University of Sussex, UK (2008)
• M.A. in Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Germany (2002)

Dr. Graupmann's research centers on four fundamental self-motives: freedom (examined through psychological reactance and control), consistency (via cognitive dissonance), continuity (using mortality salience and time perspective paradigms), and belonging (through social exclusion studies). Her work uniquely integrates cross-cultural methodologies with neuroscientific approaches, as demonstrated in Tibetan Buddhist monk studies and comparative investigations of cultural variations in threat responses. She examines how cultural frameworks modulate reactions to existential threats, including pandemic-related social distancing.

Her publication trajectory (2013-2024) reveals evolving methodological sophistication from traditional experimental paradigms toward multimodal approaches combining fMRI, cross-cultural comparisons, and real-world crisis contexts. Recent work increasingly focuses on applied threat scenarios (e.g., mandated ostracism during COVID-19) while maintaining theoretical roots in self-motivation systems.

As Psychological Science PhD Program Director, she oversees doctoral training though specific advising details were not provided. Her work demonstrates consistent funding through institutional support at DePaul University, with emphasis on international collaborations across Germany, the UK, and Asia.