Events – Clinical Psychology of Social Interaction

🧠 Dziobek Lab at WTAS!

Published on 19/04/202419/04/2024 by dziobeklab

Our lab was represented at this year’s WTAS (Conference of the Scientific Society for Autism Research Germany) with several oral and poster presentations. We would like to thank all members who contributed to the success of the conference with their exciting contributions. We would especially like to congratulate Lena Matyjek and Mareike Bayer, who were honoured with the WTAS Poster Awards for their outstanding scientific work.

Lena presented her latest findings on autistic particularities in looking preferences and pupillary responses to social motion (moving human faces). Her results suggest that lowered preferences for social motion in autism persist across lifespan and may serve as a potential marker for the condition, even in adulthood (preprint available here).

Mareike presented a study investigating the interests of autistic individuals (often referred to as special interests). While previous studies have focused on the negative aspects and consequences of these interests, Mareike’s work highlights their importance as a strategy for emotion regulation and a source of knowledge. The results emphasise the potential of autistic people’s interests to improve mental health and wellbeing and the need to reduce associated stigma.

Festive opening of the university outpatient clinic

Published on 07/10/202211/10/2022 by dziobeklab

On 09.09.2022, the new outpatient clinic for psychotherapy and psychodiagnostics, headed by Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek, at the Humboldt University of Berlin was officially opened. From now on it is located at Justus-von-Liebig-Str. 7, 12489 Berlin.

Prior to the tour of the new outpatient clinic premises, a scientific symposium was held at the Erwin Schrödinger Zentrum. An overview of the topics presented can be found in the attached PDF (only available in german).

Eröffung HSA HU Berlin Download

The university outpatient clinic of the Institute of Psychology of the HU Berlin offers psychotherapeutic treatments and clinical-psychological diagnostics at the latest scientific level. There are four specialized clinics:

Specialized Outpatient Clinic for Social Interactions

The specialized outpatient clinic for social interactions at HU Berlin offers diagnostics, counselling and therapy for adults who have problems in social interaction and communication. For some people, such problems occur in the context of a mental illness. These disorders include, for example, autism spectrum disorders, social anxiety disorders or chronic depression.

Specialized outpatient clinic for anxiety disorders

The special outpatient clinic for anxiety disorders at HU Berlin offers treatment, diagnostics and specialised psychotherapy for people with anxiety disorder, panic disorder or various phobic disorders. Treatment is provided by individual therapy and is based on the latest scientific findings.

Specialized outpatient clinic for obsessive-compulsive disorders

In the specialized outpatient clinic for obsessive-compulsive disorders at the HU Berlin, patients with obsessive-compulsive disorders receive individual psychotherapy. Scientifically tested methods of cognitive behavioural therapy are applied. The therapy focuses on exposure with reaction prevention, i.e. facing fears, anxieties, obsessive thoughts and other triggers without engaging in the habitual compulsive actions. According to current research, cognitive behavioural therapy is the most effective method for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Spcialized outpatient clinic for children, adolescents and families

The specialized outpatient clinic for children, adolescents and families at the HU Berlin offers psychotherapeutic help for children and adolescents between the ages of 0 and 21. A special focus is currently on anxiety disorders. The offer consists of cognitive-behavioural individual treatments for children and adolescents as well as family treatments. The psychotherapy and diagnostics offered are closely linked to research on the development, course and treatment of mental illnesses in children and adolescents. At the same time, further developments and improvements of current therapy methods take place in the outpatient clinic.

📣 Patient and public involvement in research: B-Part

Published on 27/05/202127/05/2021 by dziobeklab

Prof. Dr. Isabel Dziobek and Silke Lipinski are coordinating a new Patient and public involvement (PPI) group: The Berlin Circle for Participatory Research in Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry (B-Part).

What is B-part?

Patient and public involvement in clinical research, i.e. research in which patients are actively involved, improves the relevance and quality of studies and empowers those affected. However, research in the field of clinical psychology and psychiatry still takes too little account of the participation of patients. The Berlin Circle for Participatory Research in Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry (B-Part) was established to enable patients to participate more actively in the selection of topics, planning, implementation and dissemination of research results in Berlin and the surrounding area. B-Part is a place of exchange for patients, clinically active researchers and other stakeholders, in which participatory projects are discussed, support is given and concrete methods of patient involvement are developed.

Participation

You are welcome to participate in B-Part at any time. The meetings take place virtually via zoom. For the next dates and further information, please send an email to psysekks@hu-berlin.de.

📣 Dziobek Lab at the 1st Digital Scientific Conference Autism Spectrum (WTAS)

Published on 08/03/202109/03/2021 by dziobeklab

The Scientific Conference Autism Spectrum (WTAS) is the largest symposium on autism in the German-speaking world and is organized annually by the Society for Research in Autism Spectrum Conditions (WGAS), which was co-founded by Prof. Dziobek. This year, Sandra Naumann, one of our PhD candidates, was in charge of organizing the WTAS, which took place from March, 3-5 2021. The conference had the overarching theme “Significance of the Environment”.

The Dziobek lab participated with various talks and posters at the 1st Digital WTAS: Magdalena Matyjek and Simone Kirst gave an oral presentation, while Mareike Bayer, Katharina Bögl, Silke Lipinski and Muyu Lin presented posters. Thus, the WTAS 2021 provided a stimulating platform to exchange our knowledge with other researchers, practitioners as well as affected persons and their relatives.

We are at the Long Night of Science 🔬

Published on 29/06/201929/01/2021 by dziobeklab

“Long Night of Science” is a an annual popular science event in Berlin, during which interested visitors can approach scientists, learn about what they do, and participate in short experiments.

For the 2019 edition, we prepared a short experiment, in which participants played a repeat-a-pattern game on a gamepad and we monitored their pupillary responses to received social feedback.

The mini-experiment was very popular and we got to record 40+ datasets! It was fun and informative for the visitors and a great learning experience for us – we had a chance to talk about our lab and communicate our research to the general public!

A big thank you goes to Lena Matyjek who organised the experiment and the stand, and to all the students who volunteered their time and conducted the recordings: Sarah Margo Gawronska, Theresa Weinstein, Ekin Gül Demirsoy and Luca Settembrino! 🙌🏻