Prof. Dr. Sophia Becker
Research Group Leader
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Sophia Becker is leader of the interdisciplinary Junior Research Group "The Transport Transition as a Socio-ecological Real-World-Experiment" (EXPERI). The group EXPERI is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It is a joint project of the TU Berlin, the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) Potsdam and the DLR Institute for Transportation Research, Berlin. Sophia Becker is professor for Sustainable Mobility and Transdisciplinary Research Methods at the Technical University Berlin. From 2017 to 2019, she has already been working as mobility researcher (postdoc) at the IASS Potsdam. She studied psychology in Münster and Paris and completed her PhD at the University of Stuttgart (2013-2016), at the department for Sociology of Technology and the Environment. The topic of her dissertation project is rebound behavior in car-based mobility. This research was funded by the interdisciplinary program Helmholtz Alliance ENERGY TRANS. During her PhD, Sophia stayed at the University of California Berkeley, working as a visiting scholar at the department for Innovative Mobility at the Transportation Sustainability Research Center (2015).
Blog Posts
- Saving energy doesn’t have to mean social imbalance – but we will need to change our habits
- Covid-19 pandemic: Researchers and scientists call on government to enable safe walking and cycling
- How Germany’s climate package can achieve a pioneering climate transition
- Less Diesel, More Cargo Bike Sharing
- Since 06/2020 Professor for Sustainable Mobility and Transdisciplinary Research Methods at the Technical University Berlin
- Since 06/2019: Scientific project leader and group leader at the TU Berlin and the IASS (now RIFS) Potsdam
- 01/2017 - 05/2019: Research Associate at the IASS Potsdam. Research Project: „Energiewende Navigation System" (Kopernikus-Project ENavi)
- 06/2015 - 11/2015: Visiting researcher at the University of California Berkeley, Transportation Sustainability Research Center
- 02/2013 - 10/2017: PhD (Dr. rer. pol.) at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences. Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ortwin Renn. Funded by interdisciplinary Helmholtz-Alliance ENERGY-TRANS
- 10/05 - 01/11: Diploma in Psychology (equivalent to Master's degree) at the Department of Psychology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany
- Socio-technical Transition of the transportation sector
- Transdisciplinary research methods
- Mobility rebound behaviour and rebound effects
- Quality of life and mobility innovations (cargo-bikesharing, car-sharing)
Publications at the RIFS
Publications prior to joining the RIFS
- Stocker, A., Lazarus, J., Becker, S., Shaheen, S. (2016). North American College/University Market Carsharing Impacts: Results from Zipcar's College Travel Study 2015. Effects on Vehicle Use and Ownership, Travel Behavior, Quality of Life, and Environmental Impacts. TSRC Working Paper, UC Berkeley, CA.
- Becker, S., Schober, D. & Wassermann, S. (2016). How to approach consumers' nonmonetary evaluation of electricity supply security? The case of Germany from a multidisciplinary perspective. Utilities Policy, 42, 74-84.
- Becker, S. (2015). Rebound-Effekte bei privater Pkw-Nutzung. Versuch einer empirischen Annäherung. GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 24 (2), 132-133.
Popular scientific publications:
- Becker, S. (2014): Neun Gründe, die Sie vom Radfahren abhalten - und warum sie Unsinn sind. Gastbeitrag für Wirtschaftswoche/WiWo Green, 14.04.2014.
- Becker, S. (2014): Lastenrad statt Auto - auch Stuttgart springt auf den Trend auf. Gastbeitrag für Wirtschaftswoche/WiWo Green, 24.12.2014.
- Becker, S. & Staemmler, J. (2019): Strukturwandel und Mobilität: zwei Herausforderungen für Brandenburg - Vorstellung und Diskussion des IASS Policy Briefs. Landtag Brandenburg, Fraktionssitzung von Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, 13.08.2019, Potsdam.
- Schmitz, S., Weiand, L., Becker, S. & von Schneidemesser, E. (2019): Decision makers, scientists, and the public as stakeholders: The connection between traffic intervention policy and air quality in a local context. European International Conference on Transforming Urban Systems (EICTUS) 2019, Université de Strasbourg, 26.06.2019, Strasbourg.
- Becker, S. (2019): Grundbedürfnis: Mobilität Lebensqualität Psychologie. Runder Tisch Verbraucherpolitik, Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung, 20.05.2019 München.
- Becker, S. & Egermann, F. (2019): Zukunftspotenziale des Lastenrad-Sharings: "Freie Lastenräder" und neue Akteure. Nationaler Radverkehrskongress, 14.05.2019, Dresden.
- Becker, S. (2019): Understanding individual travel behavior. ENavi Summer School, 13.05.2019, Potsdam
- Becker, S. (2019): Lastenrad-Sharing - Abschätzung der Umwelt- und Verhaltenseffekte. Jahreskonferenz des AK Verkehr, 9.-10.5.2019, Würzburg.
- Schirmer, J., Becker, S., Renn, O. (2019) Measuring the societal impact of a transdisciplinary institute as a leverage point for the transformation of the science system. Leverage Points Conference, 6-8. Feb. 2019, Lüneburg.
- Becker, S. (2018): Understanding individual travel behavior. Guest Lecture for the Master's Program Sustainable Mobility Management, Technische Universität Berlin.
- Becker, S., Bögel, P., Upham, P. (2018): Transport policy change - An actor-centered analysis of Berlin's Verkehrswende project. Presentation at the 9th International Sustainability Transition conference (14.6.2018), Manchester, UK.
- Becker, S. (2018): Wissenschaftliche Perspektive auf Lastenrad-Sharing - Verhaltensänderung und Umweltentlastung. Fachtagung zu Entwicklung & Betrieb von öffentlichen Transportrad-Mietsystemen, Bundesministerium für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur, 26.10.2018, Berlin.
- Becker, S. (2019): Vom Wollen zum Tun - die Psychologie des Umweltverhaltens. EcoDesign Forum, 17.05.2018, Köln.
- Becker, S., Egermann, F. (2018): Die Verkehrswende selber machen. Lastenrad-Sharing. Re:Publica18 Konferenz zur digitalen Gesellschaft, Berlin, 3.5.2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI3ZfOFHYT4
- Becker, S. (2018): "Der Umstieg auf E-Mobilität - Umweltpsychologische Dimensionen". Experten-Workshop Elektromobilität, Forschungszentrum Umweltpolitik (FFU), Freie Universität Berlin, 20.02.2018.
- Becker, S., Jarass, J. & Xue, B. (2017): "Empirical results of the transdisciplinary Kopernikus-project "ENavi": Electric vehicles in China and Germany" at 5. Jahresforum Deutsch-Chinesisches Zentrum für die Förderung der Umwelt- und Energie e.V. (DCZUE), Technische Universität Berlin, 09.12.2017.
- Jarass, J., Becker, S., Xue, B. (2017): What are the underlying purchase motives of electric car owners? Empirical evidence from Germany and China. Vortrag beim „Sino-German Workshop on Energy Transitions" in Shenyang, China 13-15 Oct. 2017
- Becker, S. (2017): "The transdisciplinary project design of Kopernikus ENavi", auf dem „Sino-German Workshop on Energy Transitions" in Shenyang, China 13-15 Oct. 2017
- Rudolf, C. & Becker, S. (2017): Exploring the Potential of Cargo-Bike-Sharing for Sustainable Mobility - Early Adopters' Characteristics and User Behavior, International Cycling Conference Bridging Research and Practice, Umweltbundesamt, Mannheim, 20.09.2017.
- Becker, S. et al. (2017): The impact of carsharing on consumers' quality of life. Vortrag auf der International Conference for Environmental Psychology, A Coruna, Spanien, 30.08.2017.
- Becker, S. & Mack, B. (2017): Consumers' goal frames and rebound behavior in car purchase decisions, Vortrag auf der International Conference on Environmental Psychology, A Coruna, Spain, 30.08.2017.
- Becker, S. (2017): Wie die Digitalisierung kollaborativen Konsum und nachhaltige Mobilität unterstützt - Fallbeispiel Lastenrad-Sharing. Digitalisierung und Mobilität, Kolloquium/ Transdisziplinäres Roundtablegespräch - Grundsatzfragen, ökologische, ökonomische und gesellschaftliche Nachhaltigkeit. 18.07.2017, Potsdam
- Becker, S. (2017): Individuelles Rebound-Verhalten in der Pkw-Mobilität. Vortrag, Arbeitskreis Verkehr in Frankfurt a. M., 20.05.2017
- Becker, S. (2017): Consumers' goal frames and rebound behavior in car purchase decisions. Young Researchers Forum, Ecole Nationale Supérieure, 21.04.2017, Paris.
- Becker, S. (2017): Fossile Realität: Individuelles Rebound-Verhalten in der Pkw-Mobilität. Doktorandenkolloquium „Postfossile Mobilität: Keine Energiewende ohne Mobilitätswende?" des Leibniz-Forschungsverbundes Energiewende, 13.03.2017, Dortmund.
- Becker, S. (2016): Rebound effects in car-based mobility. Oral Presentation at the Expert Workshop of Task 28 "Home Grids and Vehicle to X Technologies", International Energy Agency, 26-28.10.2016, Paris.
- Becker, S.(2015): Umweltpsychologie. Umweltbildungswerkstatt des Landes NRW, 25.2.2015, Lünen.
- Becker, S: (2014): Warum kaufen Nutzer effizientere aber größere Autos? - Konzeptionelle und methodische Herausforderungen einer qualitativen Interviewstudie zu Rebound-Effekten, Vortrag auf der Jahreskonferenz des Pegasus-Nachwuchsnetzwerks für Mobilitäts- und Verkehrsforschung, 10.-11.10.2014, Karlsruhe.
- Becker, S. (2014): Psychological perspectives on sustainable attitudes and behavior. Green Events Europe Conference, 2-3.11.2014, Bonn.
- Becker, S. (2014): Wie können wir unser Leben mit-gestalten?, Symposium für Nachhaltiges Design „ÖKORausch", 29.9.2014, Köln.
- Becker, S. (2013): Investigating Energy Consumption Behavior in the Context of Germany's Energiewende. Oral Presentation at the International Risk Governance Council, 20-22.11.2013, Lausanne.
- Becker, S. (2013): Psychological frameworks to explain rebound effects in car-based mobility. Oral Presentation at the Conference "Energy Systems in Transition: Inter- and Transdisciplinary Contrilerions", 9-11.10.2013, Karlsruhe.
- Henn, L., Becker, S., Spada, H. (2013): Developing a measure for sufficient behavior. Oral Presentation at the 10th Biennial Conference on Environmental Psychology, 22-25.9.2013, Magdeburg.
- Becker, S. (2012): Psychologie des Wandels. Symposium für Nachhaltiges Design „ÖKORausch", 8.10.2012, Köln.
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the journal GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society
- Member of the German Psychological Association (DGPS), Section Environmental Psychology
- Member of the German Sociological Association (DGS), Section Environmental Sociology
- Member of the Association for Psychology and Sustainability