Main research topics

Technology and mobility

Technical assistance can be useful in many areas of life, making it easier for older people to remain autonomous, caring for their health and staying active. For this purpose, the benefits of technical assistance must be recognizable, tangible, and be experienced after manageable learning efforts. This also applies to technical assistance that benefits older people through other people. User-centered design and learnability are key criteria for any technical assistance, which we seek to optimize with the involvement of target groups and in interdisciplinary cooperation. Examples include work equipment, information and communication technology, medical technology, technical assistance at home and in the training of physical and mental abilities. Maintaining mobility in old age is extremely important for autonomy and quality of life. Mobility must be as safe as possible. The design of transport systems, means of transport, and mobility offers is therefore a field in which task-oriented and user-friendly technical assistance is particularly required.

Continuing education and lifelong learning

Technological change, societal developments and age-related changes in roles, circumstances and physical condition are challenges that, prepared through education and continued learning, are easier to manage and then provide opportunities for development up to old age. One task is providing educational services in an age-friendly design. Even more important are educational measures that create the prerequisites for motivated demand and interest-driven independent learning. These include for example, perspectives and personnel development models for older workers, as well as the promotion of voluntary engagement and social contacts. At the chair of Applied Geropsychology we examine the opportunities and the motivation for continued learning and the effects of educational offers and learning activities in cooperation with the Senior College of the Chemnitz University of technology.

Physical and mental health

Psychological aspects of prevention, rehabilitation and the handling of health restrictions are another research area of the professorship for Applied Geropsychology. Here we are looking for cooperation with the Human Movement Sciences an Health at the TU Chemnitz and with health care organizations and institutions . Planned research topics are motivating and integrated forms of cognitive training and the cognitive effects of physical training.