Univ.-Prof. Dr. Arnd Florack

Applied Social Psychology and Consumer Research

Department of Psychology
University of Vienna
Universitätsstraße 7
A-1010 Vienna

Office: C0719 (NIG)

Phone: +43-1-4277-47352

Email: arnd.florack@univie.ac.at

Consultation hour for graduate students: Friday, 16.00-17.00

Appointments only by arrangement. Please, contact Martin Söllner with a short note about your questions: martin.soellner@univie.ac.at

Current position

Full Professor, University of Vienna, Austria

 

 

Arnd Florack is a full professor of psychology at the University of Vienna, where he has led the Applied Social Psychology and Consumer Research Group since 2010. His work applies theories from social psychology to better understand consumers' everyday behavior and experiences in a world of change and uncertainty. In particular, he studies how consumers construct their perceptions of the world and how they interact with digital technologies, respond to advertising, make sustainable choices, and regulate their behavior.

He received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Münster in 1999 and later completed his habilitation at the University of Basel in 2006. Prior to joining the University of Vienna, he was a full professor at Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and held academic positions as assistant professor at the University of Basel and the University of Münster. His research has been supported by major funding agencies such as the European Union, the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), and the German Research Foundation (DFG). His research has been published in leading journals like Psychological Science, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Advertising, Appetite, and Journal of International Business Studies. Arnd Florack has published more than 100 articles and book chapters in total. Together with Torsten Reimer and Lyn van Swol he is editor of the Handbook of Social Cognition and Communication.

His EU Horizon projects, such as DIGYMATEX and DIAMOND, focus on issues such as digital maturity and resilience in the labor market. A basic idea of these projects is that a mature use of digital technologies is expressed in exploration (extensive sampling of experiences, deriving value from negative experiences), mindful use of information and applications (focus on function, considering impressions as momentary and not lasting experiences), and reduced naive realism (considering the perspectives of others). In the Circle:U project CRISES, Arnd Florack explores why calls for reduced consumption often trigger resistance. The project introduced the "egosystem vs. ecosystem" model to the field of consumer psychology. The model distinguishes self-centered motivations (e.g., seeking status, self-esteem, and material benefits) from motivations to pursue collective well-being (e.g., seeking benefits by supporting the social environment). His work on food beliefs challenges the pervasive "unhealthy = tasty" myth. Through projects such as ComMEATted, he is investigating psychological barriers to the adoption of alternative proteins in Europe.

He is currently conducting research in the following application areas: