M.Sc. Dorothee Brunner

My research focuses on self-regulation and self-regulatory strategies. Specifically, I examine how individuals approach challenges differently when pursuing goals in various life domains (e.g., health, vitality, careers, finances, and social life). I am interested not only in what happens during a self-regulatory challenge, but also before it arises. Furthermore, I am interested in how the flexible use of self-regulatory strategies can help us to achieve our goals and increase our wellbeing in everyday life.

 

2024-present
PhD Student, associated member of the RTG FlexBar
Saarland University, Germany

2022-2024
Behavioral Health Specialist
Dr. Els van der Helm — Sleep Neuroscientist, Germany

2022-2023
Management Trainee and Founders Associate
StudySmarter, Germany

2021-2022
Research Associate,
TUM School of Management, Technical University of Munich, Germany

Brunner, D., Reis, D. & Friese, M. (2025, November). Latent Profiles of Self-Control Strategy Use, and Their Associations with Goal Progress [Poster]. RTG 2988 Retreat, Nohfelden, Germany.
Brunner, D., Reis, D. & Friese, M. (2025, October). Latent Profiles of Self-Control Strategy Use, Their Predictors and Outcomes [Poster]. 44th Motivation Psychological Colloquium. Vienna, Austria.
Brunner, D., Reis, D. & Friese, M. (2025, June). Latent Profiles of Self-Regulatory Strategy Use [Talk]. RTG 2988 PhD Day, Saarbrücken, Germany.
Brunner, D., Oei, N. & van Campen, D. (2021, May). What makes a dieter successful? The role of grit and long-term goals [Poster]. 13th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Science in Motivation (SSM), online.

Honours & Awards

2025
Teaching award for the best seminar in psychology (2nd place)
Students' Council Psychology, Saarland University

Invited talks

Dimensions and Latent Profiles of Self-Regulatory Strategies, Their Associations with Goal Progress, Vitality and Affect (invited by Prof. Dr. Marie Hennecke at Ruhr University, Bochum, June 2026)

Teaching

[Seminar] Social-psychological aspects of media psychology
(“Sozialpsychologisches Aspekte der Medienpsychologie”, WS 24/25, WS 25/26)

[Seminar] Method-critical reading of social psychological research literature
("Methodenkritisches Lesen sozialpsychologischer Forschungsliteratur", SoSe 25, SoSe 26)

[Seminar/empirisches Projektmodul] Empirical psychological training: Conditional strategy knowledge in self-control
("Empiriepraktikum Sozialpsychologie: Konditionales Strategiewissen in Selbstkontrolle” , WS 25/26, SoSe 26)

[Seminar/empirisches Projektmodul] Empirical psychological training: Self-regulatory flexibility and goal progress
("Empiriepraktikum Sozialpsychologie: Selbstregulatorische Flexibilität und Zielfortschritt” , WS 24/25, SoSe 25)

2020
Master of Science, Health Promotion and Behavior Change (M.Sc.), University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2019
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, Germany