Prof. Dr. Lars Kuchinke

Methodology and Evaluation

IPU Berlin
Stromstr. 91a - Room 2.08
10555 Berlin
Tel.: +49 30 300 117-757
E-Mail: lars.kuchinke(at)ipu-berlin.de

I teach psychological methods and statistics, as well as research methods. In addition, there are offers in cognitive psychology corresponding to my research focus on language and emotion. For me, a good knowledge of psychological methods is the basis for a practice-oriented psychological education and for every form of psychological research. The introductory courses will focus on the principles of scientific thinking and ethics, an introduction of the psychological experiment as well as descriptive and inferential statistics.

At master level, I teach advanced research methods, in particular methods of evaluation research, as well as in-depth statistical courses (like hierarchical regression models and meta-analyses). How can research provide evidence that one intervention is better than another? Which statistical methods (multiple and hierarchical regression models) but also which neurocognitive methods can or must be applied to answer our research questions – and where are the limits of these applications?

My lectures and exercises are interactive and communicative, and some may find them challenging. I like to discuss with my students and to answer questions and would be happy if I manage to inspire critical thinking in my students – and thus inspire an atmosphere of open discussions and inquiries during my courses.

My main research interests are diverse and highly interdisciplinary. I have a background in cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics, which is reflected in my research on language and emotion: How can we explain the influence of emotional content on language and reading processes? What are the biological foundations necessary to describe the interaction of language and emotion? Is a taxonomy of semantics a sufficient explanatory model for emotional effects on language processing?

Furthermore, there are research collaborations with cartography (Prof. Frank Dickmann in Bochum) which refer to similar contents: Is it possible to reveal the effects of hierarchies of semantic representations on ‘reading’ of topographical maps? Which cognitive processes are involved in orientation and navigation and how does maps design support such processes?

Within the framework of evaluation research, the question of the efficacy of therapeutic interventions is in the focus of my research. For example, in the phase after the birth of a child, so-called postpartum mental health problems can develop, which require adequate psychotherapeutic interventions. Parent-infant-psychotherapy as for example developed by Prof. Christiane Ludwig-Körner is one of the most important psychotherapeutic interventions during this phase, which involves joint treatment of mothers/fathers and the child. With this research we will investigate the efficacy of this type of psychotherapy (see SKKIPPI project).

Selected Research Projects

since 2019
„TIPT – The Impact of Psychotherapy on the Therapist“, together with Anja Maja Wernekinck (IPU Berlin) and Konrad Schnabel (IPU Berlin)

since 2018
„Evaluation der Eltern-Säugling-Kleinkind-Psychotherapie mittels Prävalenz- und Interventionsstudien (SKKIPPI)“ [Evaluation of Parent-Infant-Psychotherapy (SKKIPPI)], together with Christiane Ludwig-Körner (IPU Berlin), as well as with the Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité – Berlin, and the Department of Paediatric Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Leipzig

since 2016
„The Effects of Landmark Uncertainty in VGI-based Maps: Approaches to Improve Wayfinding and Navigation Performance“ together with Frank Dickmann (RUB Bochum) and Franz-Benjamin Mocnik (Uni Twente, NL)

2013-2018
„Modulating effects of words' emotional connotations on early stages of word processing“

Office hours by arrangement, please write an E-Mail.

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Centre for Early Childhood (under development)


The Centre for Early Childhood combines a variety of activities and programmes to promote the healthy development of children and their families. The aim of the centre is to support families in an interdisciplinary, early and holistic way by providing suitable assistance.

By linking innovative practice, research projects, education and training courses for interdisciplinary specialists and an international network of experts, the Centre provides data for and improves on an exciting field of expertise and research.
 

Research

The Centre is associated with the International Psychoanalytic University of Berlin and its various clinical and pedagogical research projects. Current research projects are dealing with the effectiveness of parent-infant-psychotherapy in different settings, mentalization and affects, attachment oriented acclimatization in day care, anxiety disorders and treatment of children as well as child education.
(For detailed information on all the projects please see project links below)


Training, Seminar and Conference

The Centre hosts one of Germany`s first trainings for psychoanalytically oriented Parent-Infant-Psychotherapy (Prof. Dr. phil. Christiane Ludwig-Körner). Over the last 20 years approximately 250 participants have been trained and are now supporting parents and their children with attachment oriented counselling and psychotherapy across Germany. In a Parent-Infant-Psychotherapy working group of the IPA founded in 2014, psychoanalysts regularly exchange information about conditions, contents and methods of training in Parent-Infant-Psychotherapy, as well as debating research projects (present and future), method comparison and case studies. Furthermore, the Centre offers trainings, seminars and conferences for interdisciplinary health care professionals in the fields of prevention, intervention, day care and kindergarten. (For further information on upcoming trainings and conferences see links below)


Network

With the „International Parent-Infant-Psychotherapy, Intervention, and Research Network“, the Centre has established a large network of international experts in the field. The aim of the network is to improve the international research activities and collaborations concerning parent-infant-psychotherapy and intervention programmes in the early childhood.


International Members

  • Prof. Jane Barlow: University Warwick, Division of Public Health in the early Years (Warwick, United Kingdom)
  • Prof. Paul Campbell: University of Melbourne, Department of Psychiatry, Infant Mental Health (Melbourne, Australia)
  • Prof. Peter Fonagy: University College of London, Division of Psychology and Language Science; Anna Freud Centre for Children & Families (London, United Kingdom)
  • Prof. Marinus von IJzendoorn: Erasmus University Rotterdam; Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies; Cambridge University; Department of Public Health and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine (Rotterdam; Netherlands; Cambridge, United Kingdom)
  • Prof. Miri Keren, Tel Aviv University Department of Psychiatry (Tel Aviv, Israel)
  • Prof. Kai von Klitzing: University of Leipzig, Division of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy for Children and Adolescents (Leipzig, Germany), president of the World Association for Infant Mental Health
  • Prof. Maria Muzik: Medical University of Michigan, Perinatal Psychiatry (Michigan, United States of America)
  • Prof. Kaija Puura, M.D, University Tampere, Finland, Child Psychiatry Department
  • Prof. Joan Raphael-Leff: University College London, Anna Freud Centre Academic Faculty for Psychoanalytic Research; University of Essex, Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies (London; Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
  • Prof. Katherine Rosenblum: University of Michigan, Division of Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynaecology (Michigan, United States of America
  • Prof. Daniel Schechter: University of Geneva, Division of Psychiatry (Geneva, Switzerland)
  • Prof. Mark Sossin: Pace University, Division of Psychology (New York City, United States of America)
  • Prof. Mailjs Winberg Salomonsson: Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital (Stockholm, Sweden)


Parent-Infant-Psychotherapy and Counseling-Training Network

  • Christine Anzieu-Premmereur, MD, PhD.: Columbia University; Centre for Psychoanalytic Training and Research; Parent-Infant-Psychotherapy Program (New York, United States of America)
  • Prof. Astrid Berg: University of Cape Town; Stellenbosch Universtiy, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Parent-Infant-Psychotherapy-Training (Cape Town, South Africa)
  • Talia Hatzor, PhD.: Columbia University; Centre for Psychoanalytic Training and Research; Parent-Infant-Psychotherapy Program (New York, United States of America)
  • Hisako Watanabe, MD, PhD.: Keio University; Vice President of the Watanabe Clinic; Director of the Life Development Center at Kawasaki Nanbu Medical Educational School of Medicine (Keyo, Japan)
  • Susan Yabsley, Training Director and Lead Director, Chief Psychologist with SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health (Toronto, Canada)


Members International Psychoanalytic University

  • Prof. Dr. Bernd Ahrbeck
  • MA Melanie Eckert
  • Prof. Dr. phil. Éva Hédervári-Heller
  • MA Jenny Kaiser
  • Prof. Dr. phil. Annette Klein
  • Dr. Gabriele Koch
  • Prof. Dr. Lars Kuchinke
  • Prof. Dr. phil. Christiane Ludwig-Körner
  • MA Janna Mattheß
  • Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Gunther Meinlschmidt


Research Projects


Effectiveness of Parent-Infant-Psychotherapy
SKKIPPI
Parent, Infant and Toddler Psychotherapies with Residents in Shared Living Arrangements & Facilities for Mothers/Fathers and Children as per Sec. 19 German Code of Social Law (SGB) VIII

Mentalization and Affect
Mikro-affektives Verhalten hoch- und niedrigreflexiver Mütter in Interaktion mit ihren Kindern (MAMIK-Studie)

Anxiety Disorders in Children
Angststudie für Kinder (ASK-Studie)

Attachment and Day Care
Eingewöhnung und Bindung (PEB) – Untersuchung des Eingewöhnungsprozesses von Kindern in der Krippe nach dem „Berliner Eingewöhnungsmodell

Education and Inclusion
Empirische Bildungsforschung: Schulische Inklusion