Research profile

Brady Wagoner’s research aims to develop a social and culturally sensitive psychology that explores the process and context of people’s meaning making. Methodologically he focuses on unfolding processes rather than static characteristics of people’s minds, which raises the question of how to study change in individuals and societies, as well as the ongoing and interacting relationship between these levels. He has explored these dynamics in a variety of different contexts—especially in relation to memory and history, the history of ideas, and the public understanding of science and technology. His current projects include analyzing how people relate to and make sense of memorial sites, a conceptual history of the ‘romantic roots’ of psychology in German philosophy, and longitudinal studies of conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers.Thus his work is strongly informed by ideas coming from different branches of psychology, anthropology, philosophy and sociology. In 2021, he received the prestigious Humboldt Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for his lifetime contributions to research and teaching.  

Teaching profile

Brady has created and been directing the professional kandidate program in Cultural Psychology since 2013 (now co-directing with Carolin Demuth) as well as co-directing the Centre for Cultural Psychology.  In addition teaching on this program, he contributes to the courses in ‘social psychology with social theory,’ ‘almenpsykologi,’ and ‘the psychology of religion’. He also has supervised student projects on the 2nd, 6th, 8th, 9th and 10th semesters, and regularly runs PhD courses on ‘visual methods’ and previously ‘advances topics in cultural psychology’.