Psychological Science Cross-Training
Our interdisciplinary consortium was established within the framework of The Immersive Research Program on Personality Growth (IRP), designed to provide philosophers and theologians with psychological science cross training. Through dynamic and interactive learning, this initiative fosters meaningful interdisciplinary collaboration, bridging perspectives to advance the study of personality dynamics and growth. The cross training was originally conducted in 2023 and 2024, the program trained two cohorts of eight participants each over two semesters, combining in-person workshops with online learning and developed content tailored to their specific needs.
Welcome to the Online Version of Our Psychological Cross-Training Program
This online version of our psychological cross-training program enables the general public to access the program’s materials and actively engage with psychological research. If you are a philosopher or theologian, keep in mind that every activity has been carefully designed to integrate your discipline into the realm of psychological inquiry.
About the Immersive Research Program on Personality Growth (IRP)
The IRP represented a groundbreaking initiative in theological education, facilitated through collaboration between the Hochschule für Philosophie, the Technical University of Munich, and the John Templeton Foundation (JTF). With generous funding of 795,215 EUR, JTF has played a pivotal role in bringing this project to life. The mission is to equip theologians with a deep understanding of psychological methodologies, enabling them to engage with scientific research and communicate effectively in this interdisciplinary field.
The IRP Approach to Research and Learning
Through specially designed activities, the program bridges the gap between theology and psychology, offering participants essential research skills. Whether through teaching sessions, expert talks, lab visits, interdisciplinary workshops, and research colloquiums, you will have the opportunity to engage with psychological research methods within the broader interdisciplinary approach, fostering connections between psychology, theology, and philosophy.
This initiative provides a comprehensive and immersive training experience for those eager to explore the intersection between these disciplines.
Presentation of the Cross-Training Program by
Prof. Dr. Godehard Brüntrup Prof. Dr. Markus Quirin
Dive in, explore, and deepen your engagement with psychological research today!
Teaching sessions
Get familiarized with main constructs and frameworks in psychological research and personality growth.
Module I: Introduction to Psychological Science
Session 1: Introduction to Psychological Cross-Training at the IRP
Session 3: Best Research Practices
Module II: An Integrative Theoretical Framework to Study Personality Growth
Session 4: Is There a Science of Personality Growth? A Positive Appraisal
Session 5: Personality Functioning: Systems, Functions, States, and Traits
Session 6: Personality Growth: Integrating a Christian Perspective
Module III: Overview of Research Methods in Psychology
Session 7: Introduction to Research Paradigms & Approaches
Session 8: Introduction to Quantitative Research
Session 9: Psychological Measurement: Validity & Reliability
Session 10: Descriptive Statistics
Session 11: Descriptive Statistics (Part 2)
Session 12: Introduction to Statistical Software
Session 13: Inferential Statistics and NHST
Session 14: Inferential Statistics and NHST (Part 2)
Session 15: Introduction to Experimental Research Methods
Session 16: Introduction to Qualitative Research: Beyond Interviews
Expert Talks
Enjoy presentations from lead psychologists and philosophers to share their experience on personality growth and/or research methods in psychology.
Dr. Lieke Asma, Munich School of Philosophy
Dr. Johanna Kißler, Bielefeld University
Dr. Lieke Asma, Munich School of Philosophy
Dr. Eva Asselmann, HMU Potsdam
Dr. Christopher Hopwood, University of Zurich
Dr. Laura Blackie, University of Nottingham
Dr. Eva Bleckmann, University of Hamburg's Institute of Psychology
Dr. Rich Tedeschi, Boulder Crest Institute for Posttraumatic Growth
Inside a Psychology Laboratory
Explore psychological phenomena as addressed in a psychology laboratory, aiding in understanding and application of research.
Laboratory at Health and Sport Psychology Department at TU München, Germany
Laboratory at Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry München, Germany
Interdisciplinary Workshops
Join us as lead philosophers, theologians and psychologists get together to discuss personality growth research.
Fürstenried Palace – Munich, Germany (2023)
Prof. Godehard Brüntrup (Hochschule für Philosophie Munich) - Mapping the Human Psyche
Prof. Eranda Jayawickreme (Wake Forest University) - Can people really "grow" from adversity
Prof. Godehard Brüntrup - Job's final insight. A lesson from psychology
Fürstenried Palace – Munich, Germany (2024)
Prof. Eleonore Stump (Saint Louis University) - Suffering and Flourishing
Prof. Dan P. McAdams (Northwestern University) - The Person as Actor, Agent, and Author
Prof. Godehard Bruentrup and Ludwig Jaskolla - Authenticity - An interdisciplinary Approach
Hochschule für Philosophie – Munich, Germany (2025)
Prof. Scott Barry Kaufman (Columbia University) – What is Personality and its Implications
Prof. Maike Schult (Philipps-Universität Marburg) – Growing from Wounds?
Prof. Godehard Bruentrup – Personality Growth and Karl Jaspers’ “Boundary Situations”
Research Colloquia
Participate in scholarly discussions where philosophers and theologians present their scientific research, fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue and intellectual exchange.
Colloquium at Fürstenried Palace, Munich, Germany – 2024
Ms. Buki Fatona (University of Oxford) - Mental Time Travel, Self-Projection, and Personality Growth
Dr. Aku Visala (University of Helsinki)- Free Will Beliefs and Personality Growth
Colloquium at Hochschule für Philosophie, Munich, Germany - 2025
Dr. Amber Griffioen (Duke Kunshan University) – “Doing Justice” to Post-traumatic Growth
Prof. Georg Gasser (University of Augsburg) – Exploring the Concept of Radical Hope
Recommended readings
- Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2022). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
- Field, A. P. (2025). Discovering statistics using R and RStudio (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
- Gravetter, F. J., & Forzano, L.-A. B. (2019). Research methods for the behavioral sciences (6th ed.). Cengage.
- Munn, Z., Peters, M. D. J., Stern, C., Tufanaru, C., McArthur, A., & Aromataris, E. (2018). Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 18, 143.
- Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., ... & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71.
- Rethlefsen, M. L., Kirtley, S., Waffenschmidt, S., Ayala, A. P., Moher, D., Page, M. J., ... & PRISMA-S Group. (2021). PRISMA-S: An extension to the PRISMA Statement for Reporting Literature Searches in Systematic Reviews. Systematic Reviews, 10(1), 39.
- Stangor, C. (2021). Introduction to psychology (3.2). FlatWorld.