Final theses

Master theses

2024

• Sustainably persuasive? An experimental study on the influence of parasocial relationships and norm salience on the persuasive effectiveness of social media influencers in non-commercial environmental communication.
• Global threat meets local home: An experimental study of the role of home references in media to bridge the psychological distance to climate change and resulting behavioural intentions.
• Straight into the Rainbow Crisis - An empirical study on the effects of message content and physical addressing in crisis communication on social media
• Between closeness and scepticism: An empirical study of the role of parasocial phenomena in the critical perception of greenwashing by Instagram influencers and their impact on brand preferences and purchasing behaviour
• Diversity at its best - on the influence of the design of advertising posts on Instagram with regard to the perception of diversity washing
• "Real-existing vs. virtual greenfluencers: An empirical study on the influence of humanity on environmentally friendly behavioural intentions

2023

• Influencers as image changers? An empirical study on the effectiveness of influencer marketing in the context of negatively-occupied brands
• Close the Gap and Make it Personal - A study on the influence of direct addressing and parasocial relationships on the persuasive effect of social media messages on climate change
• Can you buy home? On the effect of homeland references and company-homeland fit in commercial advertising communication on attitudes towards the corporate brand and product-related behavioural intentions
• An experiment on the influence of parasocial relationships and psychological distance on the persuasive effectiveness of environmental fear appeals

2022

• Honest relationship? An experiment on the role of parasocial relationships and message sidedness in explaining influencers' persuasive impact on their followers on Instagram
• One size fits all? An experiment on the impact of influencer-product fit and parasocial relationships on the persuasive effectiveness of body positivity influencers
• AWEsome immersion! An experimental study on the impact of spatial presence experience and awe on closeness to nature and environmentally protective behavioural intentions
• 360 degrees, and it gets even hotter. An experimental study on the influence of 360° videos and social presence experience on environmentally protective behavioural intentions
• Can you buy home? On the effect of references to home and company-home fit in commercial advertising communication on attitudes towards the corporate brand and product-related behavioural intentions

2021

• Nothing compares to You: The effect of Instagram Plus Size advertising on self-perception and advertising effectiveness, including the number of likes
• The Power of Empathy? The influence of the degree of emotionality and explicitness of a CEO's crisis communication strategy on trust and corporate reputation
• Time travel: How immersion influences the effect of temporal distance on environmental issues in nature documentaries
• In for a penny, in for a pound? Negative spillover effects of crises in cause-related marketing on a non-profit organisation, taking into account crisis type and response strategy.

2020

• Everyone chooses home: A study on the affective influence of a sense of home on the persuasive effect of political advertising
• The Echo of True Crime - An Experiment on the Cultivation of Crime-Related Reality Judgements through True Crime Podcasts
• #Stayhome! A multi-method investigation of the effect of fear appeals depending on source characteristics and parasocial relationships using the example of the Corona pandemic
• Streaming an Atypical Education: Recipient characteristics, post-receptive involvement and their influence on the perception of autism following the reception of an entertainment-education series
• You are what you buy. The effect of regional product advertising in times of globalisation
• Ask your doctor or pharmacist - The influence of gender and attractiveness of scientists portrayed in advertising on purchase intentions
• When is the Trojan horse overcrowded? The influence of binge-watching on the advertising impact of product placements in series
• Splitting and selling? Assimilation and contrast effects through the strategic use of socially controversial topics in CSR issue advertising

• Buy green, buy better - Do environmental awareness and the desire for status influence the perception of greenwashing in advertising and the intention to buy green products?

2019

• "You are what you buy". The impact of regional product advertising in times of globalisation."
• Analysing the potential of knowledge-related interests of silver surfers for social media marketing
• Honesty lasts the longest? On the effect of explicit disclosure of a brand placement in VLOGs on brand attitude and purchase intention

2018

• Life in plastic, it's fantastic? Influences of framing and credibility on environmentally conscious attitudes and behavioural intentions using the example of plastic pollution
• Bee Active - The influence of framing and credibility on environmentally conscious attitudes and behavioural intentions using the example of bee mortality.
• Spillover effects in co-branding: An empirical study on image and attitude transfer to the participating partner brands using the example of a brand alliance in the field of short-lived consumer goods.
• Corporate advertising in social media. The influence of responsiveness and information content on credibility and trust in companies.
• Green Ad - Green Image? An experimental study on the influence of the information content of green corporate advertising on corporate image.
• Honesty lasts the longest? The effect of explicit disclosure of a brand placement in VLOGs on brand attitude and purchase intention.
• Corporate advertising as preventive communication. An investigation into the use of various communicative strategies to protect against the negative effects of a crisis.

2017

• Which form of television advertising is most successful? A comparison of the advertising impact of classic TV adverts, product placements and banner ads.
• Your body, your responsibility! Persuasive effect of different guilt appeals in fitness advertising.
• The more credible, the better? An experimental study on the influence of a company's credibility on the impact of corporate advertising.
• He who does not give is guilty? An experimental study on the effect of the strategic use of guilt appeals in the persuasive context of donation appeals.
• Health communication in social media. The influence of user-generated content, expertise and source credibility on the persuasive effect of health messages on Facebook.
• The impact of comparative advertising in individualistic and collectivistic cultures - A country comparison between Germany and Peru.
• This is what I stand for with my name. An investigation into the credibility of family-owned brands.

2016

• Influencer marketing in social media. The influence of cooperation references and the number of positive reviews on the impact of product recommendations on Instagram.
• In the thick of it instead of just there - An experiment on the effect of spatial and social presence experience on brand placements in cinema films.
• User-generated content on the social web: Perception and influence on product evaluation and purchase intention.
• The consistency of the broadcasting effect of corporate advertising with special consideration of the influence of involvement and preconceptions about the company.
• Oops, she did it again: The effect of image repair strategies on celebrity testimonial scandals.

2015

• King football rules advertising. Ambush marketing in the World Cup context.
• The persuasive influence of parasocial interactions and relationships on the advertising effect of brand placements.
• Persuasion in political communication: Party identification, candidate orientation and political issue as influencing factors on low and high involvement voters.

Bachelor theses

2024

• The Power of Advertising Narratives: An Experimental Study on the Effect of Different Narratives in Commercials on Transportation, Inspiration and Purchase Intention.
• Advertising for the environment: A study on gain and loss framing in NGO campaigns with nature motifs and their effects on emotional experience, environmental attitudes and donation behaviour.
• "From screen to life change": The impact of nature documentaries and framing strategies in follow-up communication on emotional experience and pro-environmental attitudes.
• Effectiveness of messages in environmental communication: A comparison between Twitter and Instagram
• Environmental friendliness behind the scenes: The influence of intrinsic and extrinsic brand motivation on perceived brand image
• Sustainable communication on social media: The impact of corporate message congruence on perceptions of greenwashing
• Everybody makes mistakes - An experimental study on the influence of parasocial interaction and wish identification on reputation after a crisis, taking into account the influence of social media comments
• Do we only trust in humans? An experimental study on the use of virtual influencers in crisis communication
• Algorithms instead of activists: Empirical study on the use of artificial intelligence in environmental communication
• Through the crisis with humour? An experimental study on the use of humour in crisis communication on social media
• Connecting Through the Microphone: Parasocial interactions in podcasts and their effects on entertainment and topic-related attitudes and behavioural intentions

2023

• On the danger of not wanting to see the truth - What influence do individual environmental awareness and brand loyalty have on a possible backfire effect in the deconstruction of greenwashing?
• Spreading Positivity in the Digital World - The Role of Parasocial Interaction in Emotional Contagion and the Spread of Positive Emotions on Social Media
• Do you feel guilty? The influence of parasocial interaction on emotional contagion and pro-environmental behavioural intentions
• Environmental protection out of self-interest? An empirical study on the impact of individual value orientations on the reception of sustainable brand communication and the resulting persuasive effects.
• Fast, faster, fast fashion: A study on the effects of message framing in environmental documentaries on the global waste problem on emotional experience and resulting purchase intentions for second-hand clothing.
• Homeland references as climate saviours? A study on the influence of media representations of the consequences of climate change in one's own homeland compared to other regions on environmental behavioural intentions among recipients
• Social vs. ecological - An experiment on the influence of different CSR advertising strategies on the perception of brand personality, attitude towards the brand and purchase intention
• Shine Bright Like a Diamond - A study on the influence of aesthetic image and text design in Instagram posts on product attitude and purchase intention for sustainable products
• Emotional product presentations: An empirical study on the impact of the degree of emotionalisation of the narration and voice of influencers in Instagram reels on emotional experience and resulting persuasive effects
• So far and yet so close: A study on the impact of personalisation and images on emotional processing and the persuasive effect of climate change communication
• Between admiration and responsibility: The influence of parasocial relationships with celebrities on the environmentally conscious behavioural intentions of fans
• Can you feel the nolstalgia tonight? A study on the influence of nostalgically perceived music in advertising on brand attitude and purchase intention
• What role does credibility play in influencer marketing? An empirical study on the influence of perceived expertise and similarity of influencers on purchase intention and attitude towards the brand
• Between hype and cancel culture: How risky are influencer collaborations for sustainable companies? An empirical study on the effects of shitstorms in the context of green advertising on Instagram
• Greenfluencers as a piece of the climate change puzzle? An experimental study on the role of parasocial phenomena in promoting environmentally friendly behaviour
• Sexism or equality? A quantitative content analysis on the development of gender stereotypes in men's magazines over the last 20 years
• Greenfluencer - Does biography matter? An empirical study on the influence of product-influencer congruence on the processing of green Instragram advertising and the perception of greenwashing
• All that glitters is green? - An experimental study on the effect of CSR commitment on the perception of sustainable advertising in relation to greenwashing, purchase intentions and brand image
• A step towards sustainability - An empirical study on the promotion of sustainable behaviour through message framing and psychological distance in digital environmental messages
• Greenwashing on Instagram - An experiment on the influence of message framing and benefit appeals on the perception of attempted deception of green advertising messages
• Love wins and so does Rainbowwashing? An experiment on the influence of influencer message congruence on the perception of rainbowwashing in the influencer context
• Market conquest through the use of Trojan horses? An experimental study to investigate the effectiveness of Trojan marketing in the social media context

2022

• "Eat your greens!" An experiment on the influence of addressing on the effectiveness of fear appeals in health communication
• Can social media postings save lives? An experiment on the influence of communicators' personal involvement on the persuasive effectiveness of health appeals
• Science convinces! An experiment on the influence of scientific stimuli on the persuasive effectiveness of fear appeals
• The more, the better? An experiment on the influence of addressed sensory modalities on advertising effectiveness in social media
• Cancer doesn't wait - and neither should you! An experiment on the effect of addressing in health-related fear appeals
• Brand Social Responsibility: The influence of advertising with LGBT-supportive content on social media users
• Product placements in music videos - the influence of artist brand fit on the perceived credibility of musicians
• Words (not always) become deeds: An empirical study on the influence of parasocial phenomena on the perception of washing strategies in advertising
• For more diversity in your bubble! An experimental study on the perception of diversity advertising in advertising
• #Sustainability. An experiment on the influence of parasocial interactions on the impact of message frames in digital environmental communication
• Feminism as an advertising strategy? An experiment to investigate various corporate social responsibility measures in advertising
• Can influencers save the world? An experiment on the influence of parasocial interactions and message frames on the success of persuasive environmental messages
• Influenced by home? - An empirical study of the influence of parasocial interaction and reference to home on persuasive effects in influencer advertising
• Green sells? An empirical study on the influence of product-influencer fit and parasocial interaction in the context of green Instagram advertising
• Clear your conscience! The influence of brand awareness and the emphasis on customer benefits on the persuasive effect of green advertising
• Because we love the taste of home! A study on the influence of homeland reference and sustainability on the persuasive effect of commercial product advertising
• Fashion inspiration or luxury envy? The influence of envy in influencer marketing of luxury masks on purchase intention and life satisfaction

2021

• #ifeelyou - The influence of revealing personal information and parasocial relationships on the persuasive effect of a promotional Instagram post on body positivity
• "How to improve your Twitch ad game - Do conceptual fluency and the picture-in-picture technique enhance the advertising effect on the livestreaming platform Twitch?
• Advertising your own desires - How do personality traits and personal circumstances influence the perception of perfume adverts?
• Nostalgia Lovers - The influence of different personality traits on the impact of nostalgic advertising
• What cool beer does Schweighöfer have in his hand? The influence of personal evaluation of actors and the film characters they portray on the impact of brand placements
• Different than expected: A longitudinal study on the influence of parasocial relationships with transgender characters on the reduction of prejudice
• Success factor home?An experiment on the effect of homeland reference in advertising

2020

• Do friendships make the perfect match? An experiment on the effect of parasocial relationships on advertising-relevant variables in the absence of a fit between influencer and brand
• #Saveourplanet - Influencers, the saviours of the earth? Experiment on the effect of argument quality and parasocial relationships on the persuasion effectiveness of environmental communication
• "Terribly convincing? Influence of fear appeals and social media metrics on the effectiveness of risk communication"
• Greenfluencing - Who fairtrade your head? An experimental study on the connections between parasocial relationships, advertising scepticism and green advertising on Instagram.
• Immersed in the Sea: The effect of 360° photos on environmentally conscious behavioural intentions and attitudes towards a nature conservation organisation using the example of coral bleaching
• "Nature on demand: The effects of mobile 360° nature videos on spatial presence, closeness to nature and environmental persuasion."
• Likeability vs. exclusivity - Which factor is decisive for the advertising impact of sports testimonials?
• Brand relationship - Are you still looking or have you already? A study on the influence of individual values on the brand relationship and brand function - a generational comparison
• The Influencer I trust: An experiment on the effect of parasocial relationships and advertising labelling on advertising effectiveness in influencer marketing
• Podvertising - The sponsored way into the ear? An experiment on the influence of the physical attractiveness of podcast presenters on advertising effectiveness
• Storytelling or storyselling? - An experiment on the persuasive effectiveness of Instagram stories, taking into account advertising labelling and parasocial relationships
• "Make Heimat great again" - The effect of framing and references to home in the context of political messages
• Trust me - An experimental study on the connections between parasocial relationships and advertising labelling in influencer marketing

2019

• "Somewhere over the Rainbow" - How the positive portrayal of homosexual couples in series changes attitudes towards homosexuality
• "How far away is "far" really? An experimental study on the influence of presence on psychological distance using the example of climate change and coral extinction."
• Wish we could turn back to the good old days - The influence of historical and personal nostalgia on advertising effectiveness with varying levels of stress.
• "Cognitive overload? An experimental study on the influence of advertising labelling in 360° videos on Instagram."
• Entertaining HMDs - The influence of spatial presence experience on the entertainment experience and the evaluation of integrated brands.
• "Recommended by leading scientists: On the advertising impact of scientific elements in high- and low-involvement products.
• Immersed in advertising. An experimental study on the short-term and long-term effects of 360-degree adverts.
• Make it look scientific! An experimental study on the effect of scientific elements in adverts
• Nobody's Fault but Mine - The influence of self-criticism on the impact of politicians
• Prevention through immersion. Which groups of people are most persuaded by the use of immersive media in fear appeals?
• All we hear is scientific blabla - A study on the connections between parasocial relationships, advertising scepticism and pseudoscientific elements in advertising using the example of social media.
• 360 Degrees for Future. Can strong arguments in 360° videos favour a change in attitudes towards environmental issues?
• Immersive media for environmental communication. Can 360° videos reduce the perceived psychological distance?
• Too thin to win? An investigation of the impact of self-esteem on the evaluation of erotic adverts in advertising.
• Media as a tool for change. The influence of parasocial contact, identification and typicality on attitudes towards depressives.
• Bright Insights - an experimental study on the effect of product placement in VR short films and the moderating influence of life satisfaction.
• Recommended by leading scientists: On the advertising impact of scientific elements in high- and low-involvement products.
• The Power of Narration: An experiment on the influence of the character-product relationship on narrative engagement and the persuasive effectiveness of product placements
• Is knowledge power? A survey study on the influence of recipient characteristics on the persuasive effect of science in product placements.
• Like her, love me, buy it! A study on the influence of parasocial interaction on the persuasive effect of brand placements, taking into account the recipient's own body perception.
• Do we trust science? An experiment on the persuasive effect of scientific elements in advertising, taking into account the degree of association of a product with science
• Trust me, I'm attractive! An experiment on the influence of the physical attractiveness of podcast presenters on their persuasive effectiveness.
• Triangular relationship: An experiment on the persuasive effect of product placements on Instagram, taking into account the balance model.
• Trust me, I'm an influencer. The influence of parasocial relationships on the credibility of Instagram influencers.
• Global warming - all hot air? An experiment on the influence of the media character-related factors competence, parasocial interaction and credibility on prosocial effects in the context of climate change.
• #Pretty Product Placements - A study on the self-perception and impact of product placements as a consequence of parasocial interactions and social comparison processes.

2018

• I love Harry Potter... and Nivea! On the comparability of parasocial phenomena and human-brand interactions.
• "Just like me" - how similarity affects the credibility of influencers. An empirical study against the background of the elaboration-likelihood model.
• An empirical study on the match between brand personality and consumer personality as a predictor of brand love.
• How well do testimonials have to fit the brand? Fit, credibility and attractiveness as success factors in testimonial advertising.
• Say what you mean and mean what you say. The influence of dialogue orientation and brand fit on the credibility of influencers and their persuasive effect.
• "Welcome to the Jungle". An experimental study on the impact of a 360° nature documentary taking personality factors into account.
• Trust me, I'm an influencer. The influence of parasocial relationships on the credibility of Instagram influencers.
• The Great Escape. A study on the effectiveness of presence experience and personality traits on the entertainment experience.
• Let me tell you a story". The influence of similarity and addressability on the persuasive effect of influencers explained by parasocial interactions.

2017

• Brand brought to life. The influence of presence experience and parasocial interaction on the brand evaluation and purchase intention of brand placements.
• Whenever, wherever. An experimental study under natural conditions on the effectiveness of mobile virtual reality as an advertising technology.
• #Wahlkampf: A quantitative content analysis of the use of Twitter by state parties and their youth organisations.
• "It's Not What You Say - It's How You Say It": A study on the influence of the media form of presentation and the communicator on the evaluation of companies in the context of crisis communication in social networks.
• Can you see the Eco? An experimental study on the influence of sustainable brand advertising on brand attitude, brand trust and willingness to buy.
• Love Trumps Hate. Also on Twitter? An empirical study on the impact of critical versus supportive content in tweets on parasocial interaction and voting intention.
• House of Products: The influence of credibility and parasocial interaction on the persuasive effect of product placements using the example of the series House of Cards.

2016

• Athletes as a guarantee of success? A study on the impact of celebrity sports testimonials in advertising.
• Affairs, corruption and outbursts of anger. A comparison of different misbehaviours of prominent sports testimonials and their impact on advertising effectiveness.
• Corporate advertising in Germany: A survey of companies on the definition, objectives and topics of corporate advertising.
• The fascination of luxury brands: A comparison of the social media marketing strategies of luxury brands and fashion brands.
• Make them laugh - Make them trust you? The effect of humour in corporate advertising on memory, evaluation and trust.
• Baldriparan to calm you down? The influence of mood on the impact of corporate placements.
• How does who knows what goes where? Needs in the selection of advertising channels and an attempt to typologise event venue visitors, using the example of the Posthalle Würzburg.
• Changing People's Minds. Influence of media-mediated programme design on the perception and attitude of recipients towards the event venue.
• If less is more - is more less? The effect of the variation of weak and strong arguments on the attitude of the recipient in persuasive communication.
• Follow me! Modelling social influence processes in influencer marketing.
• Advertising? It only affects others, not me! Influencing factors of the advertising message and the recipient on the strength of the third-person effect.

2015

• Brand placements in series. On the effects of direct addressing by media characters on the parasocial experience and the advertising effects of product placements.
• Changing Times, Changing Stereotypes? A content analysis of gender stereotypes in corporate advertising on German television.
• Corporate advertising and involvement. A study on the effects of different forms of corporate advertising and different types of involvement on attitudes and intentions to act.
• Corporate advertising as preventive communication. An empirical study on the inoculation effect in the event of a corporate crisis.
• Sport sells?! How the type of sport and attractiveness of sports testimonials influence advertising impact.
• Hot or not? The influence of erotic product images in blog posts on the recall and evaluation of products among female recipients.
• What's so funny? A study on the use and forms of humour in corporate advertising on German television.
• The value of corporate advertising - An empirical study on the effect of corporate advertising on the perceived attractiveness of employer brands.

2014

• Matches Made in Hell - Can the social acceptance of a morally questionable product placement in conjunction with a morally questionable media character have a positive influence on brand evaluation?
• Crisis PR 2.0 - Impact and effectiveness of different crisis response strategies on Facebook fan pages.
• What can corporate advertising do? The influence of corporate advertising on brand trust and brand loyalty.
• Who would you believe? An empirical study on the credibility of different communicators in posts on Facebook company pages.
• Dual branding: Influence of an additional corporate brand in the product review on the evaluation of the product.
• Dual branding in print advertising: The importance of the corporate brand for product brand value.
• Industry-specific differences in the communication of values through corporate advertising.

2013

• The influence of participatory campaigns, as a special form of campaign PR, on the trust placed in a company.
• The influence of interactivity, authorship and topic on the credibility of corporate web blogs.
• Attitudes of bloggers towards the PR work of companies.
• Product placements. A study on the acceptance of a "hidden" form of advertising.

Master theses

2025

• What doesn't kill me, gives me XP - The influence of music and difficulty on flow and performance
• The sound makes the story - The influence of music and narrative intensity on the perception of narratives in video games
• Appropriate | Inappropriate? The influence of (in)congruent music on cognitive and affective challenge and entertainment experience considering individual listening styles in the context of video games

2021

• Somewhere I belong. The influence of target group-specific background music in audiovisual advertising on the perception and judgement of commercial and brand.

2015

• Good jury - bad jury. The influence of parasocial interaction between jurors and viewers on the success of music casting shows.

Bachelor thesis

2024

• Hiphop elements in commercials - age effects and the impact of credibility, attitude towards commercials, musical fit and involvement in relation to the purchase decision
• How does musical expertise influence the perception and emotional reaction to film music in certain film scenes?
• Happy music, happy customer? - The influence of background music and personality traits on the entertaining value of audio-advertisements and persuasive effects.
• When the music takes over your soul: An experimental study on the effects of active listening to eudaimonic vs. hedonic music on life satisfaction, optimism and altruism
• In the Audience: On the influence of fellow audience members on the social experience and entertainment of viewers at digital concerts

2023

• "Cause it's a bitter sweet symphony, that's life." Nostalgia experience through the reception of film music from youthful days and its positive influence on self-esteem and optimism
• The influence of parasocial relationships with musicians and musician authenticity on the effect of music
• Are you listening? The influence of political messages on the perception and evaluation of music
• Catch the vibe! On the influence of musical fit in the appearance of influencers on their perceived credibility

2022

• "If it's David Guetta, it must be good": The influence of prestige effects on the evaluation of popular music
• Catches your ear, stays in your head: The influence of music and language comprehension on the evaluation of music
• Escape from the present. A survey on the motives for the reception of music from the days of youth
• Product placements in music videos - the influence of the artist brand fit on the perceived credibility of musicians
• Only good people everywhere? The influence of political opinions on the perception of music and musicians:in
• Misogyny or art? An experimental study of the evaluation of misogynistic music
• When the eye listens in - the influence of visual information on the emotional perception and evaluation of music
• What's your prosocial language? On the influence of artists' cultural framing on recipients' prosocial behavioural tendencies
• "Lasciatemi cantare!": On the influence of cultural and linguistic stereotypes on the perception and evaluation of music and musician:in
• Swept away: An experimental study on the influence of sound effects and music in radio plays
• Why so serious? An experimental study on the influence of the degree of familiarity and the emotional connotation of film music in feature films
• "Say my name" - On the influence of social presence on the reception of music live streams
• "Surrounded by sounds": How do 360° audio and priming influence the spatial presence experience of an audiovisual music performance?
• Turn up the music! The influence of background music in commercials on behavioural intentions, music liking and memory performance
• The individual experience of music - An experimental study on the effects of active music listening on subjective well-being
• How to save sharks? The influence of emotionally connoted music and different audience appeal on attitudes towards sharks in nature documentaries

2021

• RADIO KILLED THE MOVIE STAR - An experimental study on the influence of background music on the creation of suspense in horror films
• Hello music, my old friend. The effect of music on feelings of loneliness and well-being
• K-Pop goes global - An experimental study on the influence of language and image texts on music appreciation
• Corona blues? - A study on the use of music to regulate mood during the Covid-19 pandemic
• The power of words: The influence of the self-congruence effect on the evaluation of feminist and anti-feminist music
• Like me 'cause I'm like you - The influence of perceived extraversion on the evaluation of music and musicians
• All advertising - or what? The effect of musical staging devices in the context of auditory advertising
• "I'm too sexy to be violent": The influence of self-esteem on the evaluation of violent music
• Sexism sells? Feminist identity, self-esteem and the reception of sexist content in rap songs
• "Princess, you need me": The effect of ambivalent sexist images of women in German rap
• (fe)male? The influence of gender-stereotypical music on the perception and impact of transgender people in advertising
• "Ommm" - The effect of background music in yoga YouTube videos
• In Music We Trust? Influence of authentically perceived film music in historical dramas on transport and reception pleasure
• There you lose sight and hearing: How keeping your eyes and ears open influences the reception of a horror film
• "Is this the real life? Is this just marketing?" - The influence of background music in influencer marketing on Instagram

2020

• Artists in crisis - The influence of an artist's performance during the COVID-19 pandemic on the evaluation of their music
• Spotiwhy? A systematic review of factors influencing the usage behaviour of music streaming consumers
• I am what I am: The influence of a credible social media presence on the evaluation of musicians
• Can it really be love? The influence of background music on romantic parasocial interactions with a film protagonist
• Listen: The influence of positively or negatively connoted background music in a radio programme on parasocial interactions and attitude change
• Does music make you beautiful? Influence of associations triggered by music on the perception of non-idealised images of beauty in TV commercials

2019

• "I want more". The effect of repeated audiological exposure on memory performance and product and brand evaluation
• In league with Satan? Impression formation and personality perception of heavy metal fans
• "Why am I so cheerful, so cheerful, so cheerful?" The correlations between nostalgia, affective state, life satisfaction and self-esteem in the reception of theme music from well-known children's series
• "I have a house, a colourful house, a monkey and a horse ..." How theme music from children's series and the associations associated with it affect feelings of nostalgia and belonging
• The Power of Emphasising. The influence of music that structurally references the brand logo on the impact of audiovisual adverts.
• Show me your playlist and I'll tell you who you are. Preference for sad music as a cue in impression formation.
• Performance or narration? The impact of different forms of music videos on music perception and evaluation.
• Taste the Music - The influence of advertising music on the taste of advertised coffee.
• Music with a kick - The influence of suitable music in commercials on the taste expectation and perception of yoghurt.
• Who's afraid of the bad wolf? The effect of background music in documentaries about wolves in Germany.
• This is where the music plays - this is where the cash register rings? The influence of music in advertising on attitudes and willingness to buy.
• Free your music but save your artists: The influence of moral appeals by music artists on the acceptance of paid music streaming services.
• Sounds fair. An experimental study on the influence of pro-social music in advertising on consumer behaviour.

2018

• Follow me on Instagram! The influence of social media presence on parasocial interaction with a radio presenter.
• Who says you're not perfect? An experimental study on the influence of empowering music on self-esteem and physical well-being.
• Possibly The Best Charity Ad - On the influence of prosocial commercials on prosocial behaviour.
• The eye can hear: The influence of structurally appropriate music on the reception of a video.
• "Horror from the music box" - The influence of children's and horror music on emotionalisation and associations.
• Let's discover the meaning in music - a qualitative study on preschool children's perception of music as a carrier of meaning in film.
• Festivalaftermovies - Designing image and sound to increase the advertising impact on highly and low-involved recipients.

2017

• Donate your blood: An online experiment on the influence of prosocial music on helping behaviour using the example of blood donation.
• "Cornerstone, cornerstone, everything must be hidden..." - Emotional and associative effect of children's music in horror films.
• Music tastes media - the effect of mobile audio use on the perceived and actual musical taste of the recipient.
• Music as a mirror: A content analysis of the peacefulness of international charts.
• People Helping People - An investigation into the influence of pro-social music on the impact of an image video of a social aid organisation.

2016

• Involvement as an influencing factor and result of the effect of background music in political TV reporting.
• "We don't need no attention to make it a better world". Influence of receptive attention and familiarity on the impact of songs with prosocial content.
• Why do we listen to prosocial music? A survey on reception motives and listening situations.
• Meaningful or marginal? Background music as an influencing factor on memory performance as well as cognitive and affective evaluation of political TV communication.
• "Music is the key" An experimental study on the influence of music played on the radio on the impact of radio advertising.
• How-to: Credibility and sympathy through music. The effect of positive background music on credibility, sympathy and emotionalisation in different reception contexts.
• Nice or nasty lyrics. The effect of pro- and anti-social pop music on cognition, affect and appraisal.
• "Are you still watching or are you already singing?" Reception motives of children with regard to the music casting show "The Voice Kids" and their effects on their own music-making.

2015

• The influence of prosocial music on prosocial behaviour. An experimental investigation of potential mediators.
• The effect of auditory transport on our attitudes: Can songs influence us more than persuasive communication?
• We Don't Need Another Hero - An investigation of reception motives for music casting shows in the past and today.
• The influence of media coverage and prosocial music on cognition, affect and prosocial behaviour.
• How much violence is in our music? A content-analytical genre comparison of the depiction of violence in popular music.

2014

• Tell me what you listen to and I'll tell you what you're like. A survey on the connections between musical taste and prosocial behaviour.
• Prosociality in popular music - An empirical study on the influence of prosocial song lyrics on recipients' affective and cognitive levels of aggression.
• Beethoven versus pop - what makes waiting easier? An experiment on the effect of music reception on the perception of time.
• #FreeYourMusic - The emergence of the music streaming service Spotify and its impact on the music consumption behaviour of users with special consideration of substitution and complementary effects.
• Heal The World. An experimental study on the influence of the perception of prosocial song content on empathy and altruism.

2013

• Authenticity as a success factor. Influence of authenticity and persuasive priming on the viral success of music videos and the brand valuation of product placement.
• Cultivating country images through major international television events. The perception of Sweden as the host country of the Eurovision Song Contest.
• The effect of music on the reception of sports broadcasts.
• Live music on the radio. An empirical analysis of the evaluation of live songs in radio programmes.
• Fleshless art? Perception of ideological content in popular music using the example of animal welfare.

Master theses

2024

• 'TikTok made me do it - or not': How the repeated presentation of TikTok content over several days influences the course of perceived inspiration, taking into account various content characteristics
• Let me inspire you - Analysing the transmission of inspiration through Instagram posts
• Awe-induced recovery buff: The influence of awe in video games on recovery experiences, well-being and entertainment
• Tool or companion - How relationships with video game avatars influence player well-being

2023

• "Listen to me, baby": The influence of perceived voice attractiveness in films on romantic parasocial interactions and hedonistic entertainment experiences
• Accepting criminal minds: Effects of identification and empathy on attitudes towards criminals in series

2019

• "Media's Anatomy": The influence of entertainment series on perceptions in a medical context
• "Terror-on-Demand": How entertainment series contribute to the cultivation of Islamophobia
• "High-tech - high threat?" How entertainment series influence our attitudes towards technology".

2016

• Streaming killed the TV-Star: Influence of interactivity and self-determination on mood regulation in the use of television content.

Bachelor theses

2024

• Between fiction and reality: The influence of social media and series content on real and fictional parasociality and the entertainment experience
• Playing for pleasure or purpose? A survey on player factors and game factors in eudaimonic and hedonic gaming motivation
• Hedonic and Eudaimonic Gaming Motives: How do Gamers' Motives differ for playing Indie/AAA Games in Single/Multiplayer? What role do Gamers' Characteristics play?
• How are Twitch usage and parasociality related?
• Parasocial relationships in live streaming and the impact of financial support
• Does self-transcendent social media content foster eudaimonic motives and meaning in life?
• Between good and evil: A study on the influence of moral disengagement cues on the perception of morally ambivalent media characters
• The attraction of evil - An empirical study on romantic parasocial relationships of women with bad boys in films and series
• Magical killers or human monsters: How perpetrator identity influences the perception of violence in fairy tales

2023

• All a question of relevance? The effect of affirmative value representations in media content on subjectively perceived meaningfulness
• Animalistic human - A study on the influence of anthropomorphism in nature documentaries on attitudes towards animals and the resulting behavioural intention
• From net roller to net scroller: The influence of the reception of sports-related and non-sports-related content in social media on parasocial relationships with athletes
• Inclusion of Other in the Self as an overarching structure for player-avatar relationships
• Spreading Positivity in the Digital World - The Role of Parasocial Interaction in Emotional Contagion and the Spread of Positive Emotions on Social Media

2022

• The Great Evil - An empirical study on the influence of villains on the entertainment experience
• Birds of a feather flock together. An empirical study on the influence of the Dark Triad on the experience of antihero narratives
• Netflix & Love. An empirical study on attractiveness and unfulfilled romantic needs as predictors of romantic parasocial relationships
• Home is a feeling - how feelings of loneliness of nursing home residents influence the motives for using home programmes
• Falling into the Showhole: The Effects of Binge Watching on Negative Emotional States
• Keeping up with Binge Watching - A study on the relationship between perceived stress and binge watching behaviour

2021

• Arigatou very much! Influence of localised vs. faithful subtitles in films on the reception experience depending on prior knowledge about the foreign cultural area
• Transportation to foreign worlds - The effects of mystery elements on the reception experience
• Dragons, castles, wizards & co: The influence of mystical fairy tale elements in film posters on the expected suspense, excitement and transport of a film
• The eSports phenomenon: Why do we watch people play video games? An analysis of usage motives and personality traits of viewers
• Escaping loneliness - motives and effects of binge watching during the Covid-19 pandemic
• "Are you still watching?" The effect of loneliness and personality traits on the use of binge-watching as a coping strategy
• Happily (never) after?The effects and benefits of romantic parasocial relationships on readers' romantic lives

2020

• How can one be well... when one suffers morally? An experiment on the morality of media characters and well-being considering the dark triad and parasocial interactions
• (Un)real Love? a study on the relationship between romantic loneliness, romantic parasocial interactions and subjective well-being
• Love to hate you: An experiment on the influence of negative parasocial interactions on the entertainment experience
• "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people": An experiment on the relationship between loneliness, mood, self-esteem and parasocial interactions

2019

• "I like the World Cup" - how reception motives explain the use of World Cup-related content on social media
• Streaming has me screaming - The influence of (digital) television on the mean-world perception of reality
• Why does being bad feel so good? The influence of personality traits on the parasocial relationship with anti-heroes
• "Take me home, country roads, to the place where I belong." The influence of personality on the motivation to use domestic radio formats
• Seh(n)sucht Serie: A study on the influence of individual needs and the entertainment experience on the usage pattern of binge-watching.
• Do real men cry? An experiment on the influence of parasocial interaction with a homophile media character on the stereotypical male role model.
• "I'm attached so I'm social". An experiment on the influence of character attachment and social presence on pro- and anti-social behaviour towards non-player characters in role-playing games.
• My real fake friends: A study on the correlations between degree of reality, personality traits and parasocial relationships.
• Dark Heart: A longitudinal study of the influence of the dark triad of personality on the development of romantic parasocial relationships.
• My home, my people: A study on home formats and their influence on social distance and perception of self and other groups.

2018

• The winner takes it all? How emotions after victories and defeats affect life satisfaction depending on football interest.
• Fantastic relationships and where to find them: A study on the influence of the personality traits fantasy and empathy on parasocial relationships.
• How deep is your love? The influence of relationship status, loneliness and normative compatibility on the intensity of romantic parasocial relationships.
• Bad Boy vs. Good Guy: Attachment types, sociosexuality and their influence on romantic parasocial relationships.

2017

• My friend, the professional athlete: An empirical study on the influence of an athlete's characteristics on the parasocial relationship with him and their impact on receptive behaviour.
• Are pictures really worth a thousand words? An experiment on the influence of the coding of a medium on memory and parasocial interaction.

2016

• The Fascination with Supposed Reality - On the Motives for Using Scripted Reality from the Perspective of Self and External Perception.
• On the acceptance of the placement of politicians in entertainment formats.

2014

• Winnetou, Harry Potter and Oliver Twist: my friends from the book - How reading enjoyment, degree of reality, experience of presence and suspense influence readers' parasocial relationships.

2013

• From Spongebob and Barbie to the mouse - How gender, real-life social relationships and the degree of reality of media characters influence children's parasocial relationships.

Master theses

2019

• The impact of personalised content - What a regional daily newspaper has to offer online

2018

• Hostile media - hostile users? An empirical study on the impact of the hostile media effect on online political news.

2017

• When terror is on your doorstep: A comparison of terrorism reporting in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Bachelor theses

2024

• The Art of Peer Pressure - an empirical study on the influence of perceived opinion climate and wish identification on public willingness to speak out

2016

• Guided by fear? Effects of terror reports on the assessment and perception of controversial topics
• May the PSI be with you! On the influence of parasocial interaction between presenter and viewer on the learning success of knowledge programmes on television.

2014

• The influence of media on the acceptance of homosexuality.
• What can be heard? A content-analytical study of primetime radio news programmes.