Education

2006	Doctorate in Philosophy Doctoral thesis: “Rapid threat detection: redesigning the face-in-crowd task and validation in the context of state anxiety”
1999	Graduated with a degree in psychology, Technical University of Berlin

Professional Career

Since 2025	Visiting Professor, Freie Universität Berlin School and Teaching Research Department
2018-2025	Research assistant (with permanent duties), Freie Universität Berlin School and teaching research department
2013- 2018	Lecturer for Special Tasks, Freie Universität Berlin School and teaching research department
2000- 2012	Research assistant, Technical University of Berlin Institute of Psychology and Ergonomics Department of Biopsychology and Neuroergonomics

Academic duties and offices

Since 2016	Member of the Institute Council of the Dahlem School of Education, Freie Universität Berlin
2015- 2025	Credit transfer officer, Free University of Berlin School and Teaching Research Department For educational science modules in the Master's program for teachers
2009- 2013	Member of the Ethics Committee of the Institute of Psychology and Ergonomics, Technical University of Berlin
2007- 2011	Member of the Human Factors Examination Board, Technical University of Berlin
2007- 2009	Subject advisor for the Master's program in Human Factors,  Technical University of Berlin

Teaching at Freie Universität Berlin

LECTURE

• Lecture in the Learning Research Project module
  Master's programs in teaching
• Lecture in the Learning Support and Learning Motivation module
  Master's programs in teaching
• Learning Research Project module
  Master's programs in teaching

COLLOQUIA

• Research Colloquium
  School and Teaching Research Department

SEMINAR

• Learning Support and Learning Motivation
  Master's Programs in Teaching
• Introduction to Educational Diagnostics
  Master's Programs in Teaching
• Educational Practice in Schools (with Internship)
  Teaching-Related Professional Studies
• Learning Motivation and Counseling
  Master's Programs in Teaching
• Diagnostics, Feedback, and Evaluation
  Master's Programs in Teaching
• Education, Group Process Design, Learning Support, Media, and Teaching (with internship)
  Teaching-Related Professional Studies

PROJECT SEMINARS

• Learning Research Project
  Master's Programs in Teaching

COURSES AT TU BERLIN (before 2013)

LECTURE

• Biopsychology for Engineers
  Basic Knowledge for Engineers in the Master's Program in Human Factors
• Neuropsychological Foundations of Human Information Processing
  Basic Knowledge and Skills in the Master's Program in Human Factors

SEMINAR

• Risk-taking behavior while driving: Models of driver motivation, emotion, and cognition
  Fundamental advanced study in the Master's program in Human Factors
• Emotion-cognition interaction at work
  Advanced study in the main phase of the Diploma program in Psychology
• Anxiety and attention
  Advanced study in the main phase of the psychology diploma program
• Physiological psychology (perception, memory, aggression)
  Basic studies in the diploma program in psychology
• Fear, information processing, and neuropsychological fundamentals
  Advanced studies in the main phase of the diploma program in psychology

PROJECT

• Action goal conflicts while driving: Decomposition of speed reduction, behavioral inhibition, and arousal
  Fundamental advanced studies in the master's program in human factors
• Fear and anxiety while driving
  Fundamental specialization in the master's program in human factors
• Conflicts between action goals while driving: Development and testing of an arrangement for varying the intensity of fear
  Fundamental specialization in the master's program in human factors
• Induction and recording of emotional changes while driving
  Fundamental specialization in the master's program in human factors
• Sensitivity to hidden danger signals: Selective attention and startle reflex modulation
  Advanced studies in the main phase of the diploma program in psychology
• Potentiation of the startle response when viewing emotional facial expressions under speech anxiety
  Advanced studies in the main phase of the diploma program in psychology
• Significance of spatial frequencies for attention orientation toward threat signals
  Advanced studies in the main phase of the diploma program in psychology
• Detecting threatening faces under experimentally induced fear
  Advanced studies in the psychology degree program
• Redesign and review of a face-in-the-crowd task
  Advanced studies in the psychology degree program

EXERCISE / PRACTICAL TRAINING

• Biopsychological concepts and methods in ergonomics
  Basic knowledge and skills in the Master's program in Human Factors
• Fundamentals of biopsychology
  Basic knowledge and skills in the Master's program in Human Factors
• Neuropsychological foundations of human information processing
  Basic knowledge and skills in the Master's program in Human Factors
• Practical training in methods of biopsychology: psychophysiology
  Basic studies in the diploma program in psychology

COLLOQUIUM

Master's colloquium in neuroergonomics
Diploma colloquium in neuropsychology

THESES (only first supervisors from 2007 onwards)

MASTER'S THESES IN THE TEACHING DEGREE PROGRAM

2018

Tamara Schmidt: An internal school evaluation of the acceptance of measures for rule violations

Fethullah Baykus: Promoting the learning process in a university course through regular reflection on professional usefulness

2017

Julia Asmus: Participation in discussions in history seminars – an analysis of participation with a focus on gender

Robert Lemke: On the possible connections between attention training and stress perception among teachers: a case study

2016

Leoni Lang: Modification theories as the basis for pedagogical action. A survey of teacher training students on the variability of student performance and motivation

BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S THESES IN THE TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING DEGREE PROGRAM

2013

Selcuk Yegenoglu: Modification of a driving simulation to investigate motivational influences on speed selection

2012

Banu Özdemir: Short- and long-term influence of safety appeals on the speed selection of drivers

Barbara Oerder: Influence of safety appeals on physiological reactions while driving

MASTER'S THESES IN THE HUMAN FACTORS DEGREE PROGRAM

2011

Maria Mercedes Moreno Hornkohl: Influence of appeals on speed selection while driving

Thomas Denck: Action goal conflicts while driving: Influence on vegetative-physiological measures

2007

Martin Strauchmann: Behavioral indicators for goal conflicts while driving

DIPLOMA THESES IN THE PSYCHOLOGY DEGREE PROGRAM

2012

Kristin Wilke: Influence of gender on the effect of safety appeals while driving

Kamala Voigtländer: Alcohol and action goal conflicts while driving

2009

Roman Dashuber: Measuring mental stress using a brain-computer interface (BCI): A comparison with established measures

Daniel Grah: Affective priming in emotional facial expressions: Influence of spatial frequency

2008

Tobias Feldmann-Wüstefeld: Neurophysiological correlates of threat detection: Event-related potentials in the face-in-crowd task

2007

Daniela Graf: Early processing of emotional facial expressions: An investigation using the attentional blink procedure

Beate Benjamin: Attention orientation toward threatening stimuli: Influence of spatial frequency

Kathrin Kühnel: Modulation of the startle response by angry faces under experimentally varied anxiety (speech anxiety)

Main Content

• Development of a digital tool for self-motivation of students

• Effects of AI use on student learning motivation and competence development

• Development of learning-accompanying online exams to promote self-regulated learning in teacher training

• Use of peripheral physiological signals to measure activation in learning and performance situations

Current Research Interests

• Project “Development of online exams to accompany learning in order to promote self-regulated competence acquisition in teacher training”

• Fellowship within the framework of “Prüfung hoch III Drei” funded by Stifterverband für die deutsche Wissenschaft

Completed Projects and Work on Research Questions

2012: Development of a decision-making model for drivers’ speed choice

Own research project, supported by internal research funding from TU Berlin (own position, six months)

2011 – 2012:Conflicts of action goals as an approach for preventing interpersonal conflicts on the road

Own research project, supported by the Wolfgang Köhler Center for Conflict Research with a student assistantship; supervising multiple thesis projects from the study programs in Psychology, Transportation Studies, and Human Factors.

2011: Velocity or safety? The importance of balance and strength of goal conflicts for drivers’ speed choice.

Joint project with the Chair of Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Ergonomics, supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with financing for a research assistant (Rise project)

2008 – 2011: Fear and anxiety while driving

Own studies in cooperation with students in the Human Factors master’s degree program; supervision of one master’s thesis

2009: Psychophysiological indicators of mental strain

Participation in a cooperative project among various chairs at the Department of Psychology and Ergonomics, supervision of one Diplom thesis in the study program in psychology

2008 – 2009: Finding Culturally (In)Dependent Levels of Self-Representation: The Case of Emotions

Participation in an interdisciplinary project financed by the Volkswagen Foundation within the scope of the European Platform for Life Sciences, Mind Sciences, and the Humanities.

2007 – 2009: Development of an experimental paradigm for studying driving related goal conflicts.

Own studies in cooperation with students in the Human Factors master’s degree program; supervision of multiple master’s and Diplom theses

2002 – 2009: Responses to threatening stimuli and the influence of emotional state (fear)

Own studies in cooperation with students and interns in the study program in psychology; supervision of multiple Diplom theses

2004 – 2008: Personality traits in stress research

Co-supervision of multiple Diplom theses in the study program in psychology, together with Prof. Gisela Erdmann

2001 – 2009:Detection and perception of threatening stimuli

journal articles

• Dübbers, F., & Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2021). Self-determined motivation for data-based decision-making: A relevance intervention in teacher training. Cogent Education, 8(1), 1956033. DOI: 10.1080/2331186X.2021.1956033
• Bach, D. R., Schmidt-Daffy, M., Dolan, R. J. (2014). Facial expression influences face identity recognition during the attentional blink. Emotion, 14, 1007-1013.

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2014). Prospect-Balancing-Theory: Bounded rationality of drivers’ speed choice. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 63, 49-64.

• Schmidt-Daffy, M., Brandenburg, S. & Beliavski, A. (2013). Velocity, safety, or both? How do balance and strength of goal conflicts affect drivers' behaviour, feelings and physiological responses? Accident Analysis and Prevention, 55, 90-100.

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2013). Fear and anxiety while driving: Differential impact of task demands, speed and motivation. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 16, 14-28.

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2012). Velocity versus safety: Impact of goal conflict and task difficulty on drivers’ behaviour, feelings of anxiety, and electrodermal responses. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 15, 319–332.

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2011). Modeling automatic threat detection: Development of a face-in-the-crowd task. Emotion, 11, 153-168.

• Feldmann-Wüstefeld, T., Schmidt-Daffy, M. & Schubö, A. (2010). Neural evidence for the threat detection advantage: Differential attention allocation to angry and happy faces. Psychophysiology, 48, 697-707.

• Schlicht, T., Springer, A., Volz, K., Vosgerau, G., Schmidt-Daffy, M., Simon, D. & Zinck, A. (2009). Self as cultural construct? An argument for levels of self-representations. Philosophical Psychology, 22, 687-709.

books, book chapters and edited work

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2009). Ziele und Probleme der Erkennung emotionaler Nutzerzustände anhand peripherphysiologischer und sprachbezogener Daten. In S. Welke, H. Kolrep & M. Rötting (Hrsg.), Biophysiologische Interfaces in der Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion, 1. Berliner Fachtagung 11./12. Juni 2009 (S. 78-82). Düsseldorf: VDI-Verlag. (Fortschrittberichte VDI, Reihe 22, Mensch-Maschine-Systeme, Nr. 30).

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2008). Furcht und Angst: Überlegungen zur Differenzierung und Integration mit Schlussfolgerungen für die Induktionsmethoden. In W. Janke, M. Schmidt-Daffy & G. Debus (Hrsg.), Experimentelle Emotionspsychologie. Methodische Ansätze, Probleme, Ergebnisse (S. 281-296). Lengerich: Pabst.

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2008). Bedrohungsentdeckung: Neukonzeption und Überprüfung einer Gesicht-in-der-Menge-Aufgabe. In W. Janke, M. Schmidt-Daffy & G. Debus (Hrsg.), Experimentelle Emotionspsychologie. Methodische Ansätze, Probleme, Ergebnisse (S. 763-779). Lengerich: Pabst.

• Janke, W., Schmidt-Daffy, M. & Debus, G. (Hrsg.) (2008). Experimentelle Emotionspsychologie. Methodische Ansätze, Probleme, Ergebnisse. Lengerich: Pabst.

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2006). Das schnelle Entdecken von Bedrohung: Neukonzeption der Gesicht-in-der-Menge-Aufgabe und Validierung im Kontext von Zustandsangst. Berlin: dissertation.de

oral presentations and abstracts

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2011, June). Achtung Wildtier! Modulation der Orientierungs-/Defensivreaktion durch Handlungszielkonflikte beim Autofahren. Talk held at the Annual Meeting of the German Society of Psychophysiology and its Applications (DGPA) – 37nd APM, Heidelberg.

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2010, June). Handlungszielkonflikte beim Autofahren und Angst: Eine Mehrebenenerfassung. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the German Society of Psychophysiology and its Applications (DGPA) – 36nd APM, Greifswald.

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2009). Handlungskonflikte in einer Fahrsimulation. In A. Eder, K. Rothermund, S. Schweinberger, M. Steffens & H. Wiese (Hrsg.), Beiträge zur 51. Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen in Jena (S. 49). Lengerich: Pabst.

• Antov, M., Schmidt-Daffy, M. & Erdmann, G. (2009). Antizipation Öffentlichen Sprechens und Alkohol: Wirkungen auf den Schreckreflex. In A. Eder, K. Rothermund, S. Schweinberger, M. Steffens & H. Wiese (Hrsg.), Beiträge zur 51. Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen in Jena (S. 58). Lengerich: Pabst.

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2008, July). Relevance of spatial frequencies for the attentional bias to threatening faces [Abstract]. Poster presented at the XXIX International Congress of Psychology (ICP), Berlin, Germany.

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2007). Threat detection: Selective attention and startle reflex modulation. Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the German Society of Psychophysiology and its Applications (DGPA) - 32nd APM. Journal of Psychophysiology.

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2006). Das schnelle Entdecken von Bedrohung: Neukonzeption der Gesicht-in-der-Menge-Aufgabe und Validierung im Kontext von Zustandsangst [Abstract]. In F. Lösel & D. Bender (Hrsg.), 45. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie in Nürnberg (S. 309). Lengerich: Pabst.

• Bach, D. R., Herry, C., Lüthi, A., Esposito, F., Di Salle, F., Scheffler, K., Perrig, W., Schmidt-Daffy, M., Erdmann & G. & Seifritz, E. (2006). Amygdalaaktivierung und Verhaltenskonsequenzen von zeitlicher Unvorhersagbarkeit bei der Maus und beim Menschen [Abstract]. In F. Lösel & D. Bender (Hrsg.), 45. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie in Berlin (S. 18). Lengerich: Pabst.

• Schmidt-Daffy, M. (2005). Influence of spatial frequencies on the attentional bias to threat: Indirect evidence on a differential role of the amygdala in threat detection and recognition. Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the German Society of Psychophysiology and its Applications (DGPA) - 31st APM. Journal of Psychophysiology, 19, 143.

• Schmidt, M. (2005). Das schnelle Entdecken von Bedrohung: Einfluss von Zustandsangst auf den Gesicht-in-der-Menge-Effekt [Abstract]. In: K. W. Lange, K.-H. Bäuml, M. W. Greenlee, M. Hammerl & A. Zimmer (Hrsg.), Beiträge zur 47. Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen (S. 181). Lengerich: Pabst.

• Schmidt, M., Erdmann, G., Bayer, U. & Pink, D. (2004). Entdecken bedrohlicher Reize (Gesicht-in-der-Menge-Aufgabe) unter Zustandsangst [Abstract]. In D. Kerzel, V. Franz & K. Gegenfurtner (Hrsg.), Beiträge zur 46. Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen (S. 229). Lengerich: Pabst.

• Kuelzow, N., Erdmann, G. & Schmidt, M. (2004). The influence of experimentally induced anxiety on learning passive avoidance. In A. M. Oliveira, M. P. Teixeira, G. F. Borges & M. J. Ferro (eds.), Fechner Day 2004. Proceedings of the twentieth annual meeting of the International Society for Psychophysics (pp. 430-435). Coimbra, Portugal: International Society for Psychophysics.

• Schmidt, M. & Erdmann, G. (2003). Development and test of a modified face-in-the-crowd task. Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the German Society of Psychophysiology and its Applications (DGPA) - 29th APM. Journal of Psychophysiology, 17, 177.

• Schmidt, M., Erdmann, G. & Trautmann, J. (2002). Das Entdecken bedrohlicher Gesichter unter experimentell induzierter Angst [Abstract]. In E. van der Meer, H. Hagendorf, R. Beyer, F. Krüger, A. Nuthmann & S. Schulz (Hrsg.), Bericht über den 43. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie in Berlin 2002 (S. 121). Lengerich: Pabst.