Psychologist Stefan Stieger Bridges Technology and Psychology at Karl Landsteiner University
Psychologist Stefan Stieger leads the Karl Landsteiner University's Department of Psychological Methodology, where he develops and applies technical tools for psychological research.
Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Stefan Stieger has led the research area of psychological methodology at the Karl Landsteiner University (KL) since 2018. His work focuses on the intersection of psychology and technology, utilizing technical tools for theory development and research with his interdisciplinary team.
Stieger describes his scientific career as an unending journey of discovery. Initially oriented towards clinical psychology, he discovered his passion for scientific work through a research internship. He was among the first at the University of Vienna to conduct data collection using online questionnaires, a novel method at the time, benefiting from his technical background.
The university department actively engages in field research, aiming to immerse itself in the everyday lives of participants. Their developed framework, ESMira, allows for the investigation of numerous research questions within participants' natural environments, effectively transferring laboratory work to the field. This fusion of technology and psychology is becoming increasingly significant, even as "psychoinformatics" remains in its early stages compared to established fields like bioinformatics.
Stieger's team comprises experts from psychology, methodology, computer science, and statistics. They are involved in multiple parallel international projects, ranging from fundamental methodological questions to applied topics such as mental health in crisis regions. The university also develops open-source software solutions, including the ESMira tool, to facilitate field measurements, which are utilized by other universities.
Looking ahead, Stieger foresees a growing need for experts with not only a strong grasp of psychological methodology but also programming skills, driven by the advancements in digitalization. Despite the intensity of his work, Stieger finds fulfillment in integrating it with his personal life, maintaining balance through outdoor activities with his family.