Susanne Buecker

• Doctor of Psychology
• Professor (Full) at Witten/Herdecke University

Interest in emotional variability as an interindividual difference is growing. Yet, basic features of the construct, such as its stability and reliability, are not well understood. To address this gap, we examined two longitudinal data sets, each comprising two waves of daily assessments, one with a 3-month and the other with a 16-month retest inte...

Loneliness has been linked with suicidal ideation (SI) in people with a borderline personality disorder (BPD) diagnosis. However, the temporal dynamics of this association remain unclear: we do not know whether loneliness amplifies SI within clinically relevant short-term timeframes (e.g., day to day). To fill this gap, we used data from a 21-day a...

The feeling of being of little worth can trigger suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). In this meta-analysis, we examined the association between self-esteem and STBs based on 114 studies and tested potential moderators of this association. We found moderate to strong negative associations between self-esteem and STBs (ideation: r = −.435, d = −0...

Although personality traits are relatively stable compared to other constructs, comprehensive meta-analyses show that the mean-levels and rank-orders of personality traits change throughout the lifespan. In contrast, relatively little is known about whether and how the variance of personality traits develops across the lifespan. Examining changes i...

To effectively tackle loneliness in youth, prevention and intervention strategies should be based on solid evidence regarding risk and protective factors in this age group. This systematic literature review identifies and narratively synthesizes longitudinal studies of risk and protective factors for loneliness in children and adolescents aged belo...

This preregistered meta-analytical review explored the construct validity and scope of the Quiet Ego (QE), a characteristic adaptation theorized to positively impact individual, societal and environmental well-being. The literature search in PsycInfo, ERIC and PubMed, conducted in July 2024, encompassed published and un-published original empirical...

To effectively tackle loneliness in youth, prevention and intervention strategies should be based on solid evidence regarding risk and protective factors in this age group. This systematic literature review identifies and narratively synthesizes longitudinal studies of risk and protective factors for loneliness in children and adolescents aged belo...

Zusammenfassung Einsamkeit wird zunehmend als bedeutendes Gesundheitsrisiko anerkannt. Diese Übersichtsarbeit fasst den aktuellen Stand der Forschung zusammen, indem sie die Auswirkungen von Einsamkeit auf die psychische und körperliche Gesundheit beleuchtet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Einsamkeit sowohl für die psychische als auch für die körperli...

Loneliness has been linked with suicidal ideation (SI) in people with a Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) diagnosis. However, the temporal dynamics of this association remain unclear: we do not know whether loneliness amplifies SI within clinically relevant timeframes. To fill this gap, our preregistered analysis used a 21-day ambulatory assess...

With emerging adulthood as a phase of identity and social formation, there is little insight into how missing developmental tasks (non-events; NE) and experiencing critical life events (LE) are associated with social withdrawal. This study aims to shed light onto these associations using data of twins aged 18-45 from the Netherlands Twin Register a...

Knowledge about causal effects is essential for building useful theories and designing effective interventions. The preferred design for learning about causal effects is randomized experiments (i.e., studies in which the researchers randomly assign units to treatment and control conditions). However, randomized experiments are often unethical or un...

What happens when you add a “not relevant” response option to the unipolar response scales of personality state items? In an experimental experience sampling study with a between-person design (total N = 248; n = 3,253 observations), we compared personality states measured with a unipolar response scale including or not including a “not relevant” r...

The aim of the present study was to examine whether loneliness and friendship quality are bidirectionally associated with one another over time. Based on the Evolutionary Theory of Loneliness (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018) and the classical definition of loneliness (Peplau & Perlman, 1982), such a bidirectional association would be expected, but empir...

How does subjective well-being (SWB) develop across the life span? Theories and previous empirical research suggest heterogeneous conclusions regarding this question. Therefore, in this meta-analysis, we synthesized the available longitudinal data on mean-level change in three SWB components: life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect....

This meta-analysis examined the association between self-esteem and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) from childhood to late adulthood and tested several study and sample characteristics as potential moderators of this association. We included effect sizes from 120 articles. The meta-analytic results showed that individuals reporting lower sel...

The transition from primary to secondary school is an impactful life event for early adolescents. This life event is hypothesized to be associated with increased feelings of loneliness, as it is often associated with changes in adolescents’ social network. However, this hypothesis has not been empirically tested so far. The present study aimed to f...

Although theory emphasizes that loneliness fluctuates in everyday life, most previous studies focused on the general and stable tendency of feeling lonely. In the present study, we used daily diary data collected over two 4-week periods ( N 1 = 3,309; N 2 = 907) to examine different indicators of temporal dynamics of loneliness in everyday life and...

Causal inference is a central goal of science. Experiments are the preferred design for learning about causal effects, but experiments are often unethical or unfeasible. On the other hand, observational studies are usually feasible but lack the random assignment that renders experiments causally informative. Natural experiments can sometimes offer...

In Western countries, one in ten people is severely affected by loneliness, resulting in human suffering and a significant public health burden. Due to the serious negative consequences of loneliness, intervention strategies to combat loneliness are being sought worldwide. A key question for both researchers and policymakers is whether and what kin...

Einsamkeit spielt nicht erst seit der Corona-Pandemie eine bedeutsame Rolle. Obwohl die meisten Menschen im Laufe ihres Lebens von Einsamkeit betroffen sind, ist sie schambehaftet und wird im Alltag tabuisiert. Durch eine interdisziplinäre und multiperspektivische Betrachtungsweise wird die Vielfalt der Einsamkeitserfahrungen sowie deren persönlich...

Einsamkeit spielt nicht erst seit der Corona-Pandemie eine bedeutsame Rolle. Obwohl die meisten Menschen im Laufe ihres Lebens von Einsamkeit betroffen sind, ist sie schambehaftet und wird im Alltag tabuisiert. Durch eine interdisziplinäre und multiperspektivische Betrachtungsweise wird die Vielfalt der Einsamkeitserfahrungen sowie deren persönlich...

Einsamkeit entsteht, wenn Personen quantitative und/oder qualitative Defizite in ihren eigenen sozialen Beziehungen wahrnehmen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag gehen wir der Frage nach, wie statisch oder veränderlich Einsamkeit über die Lebensspanne ist und welche Implikationen sich daraus für die Betrachtung von Einsamkeit im Einzelfall ergeben könnten.

People feel lonely when their social needs are not met by the quantity and quality of their social relationships. Most research has focused on individual-level predictors of loneliness. However, macro-level factors related to historical time and geographic space might influence loneliness through their effects on individual-level predictors. In thi...

Zusammenfassung Mit der 11. Version der International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) erfolgt ein Paradigmenwechsel in der Diagnostik von Persönlichkeitsstörungen: Deren Klassifikation erfolgt künftig nicht mehr kategorial, sondern dimensional entlang der Schweregrade von Persönlichkeitsbeeinträchtigungen...

The Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R) and its short form (SAPS) are among the most-established multidimensional perfectionism measures. Yet, investigations into the APS-R/SAPS nomological networks have mainly been limited to the level of broader personality traits. This reliance on trait-level associations hampers the conceptual understanding of...

A central innovation in the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11) is a dimensional personality disorder model differentiating five personality trait domains. The Personality Inventory for ICD-11 (PiCD) is a frequently used measure to assess these components of the ICD-11 personality disorder model. Conceptually, the ICD-11...

Are personality states relevant and applicable in every situation? Although this question is important from both a theoretical and methodological perspective, a detailed investigation of the (ir)relevance of personality states in everyday situations is still needed. In an experimental experience sampling study (total N = 248; n = 3,253 observations...

Judged by the sheer amount of global media coverage, loneliness rates seem to be an increasingly urgent societal concern. From the late 1970s onward, the life experiences of emerging adults have been changing massively due to societal developments such as increased fragmentation of social relationships, greater mobility opportunities, and changes i...

The 11th version of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) marks a paradigm shift in the diagnosis of personality disorders: In the near future, their classification will no longer be categorical, but dimensional along the severity of personality impairments and optionally regarding the presenc...

Judged by the sheer amount of global media coverage, loneliness rates seem to be an increasingly urgent societal concern. From the late 1970s onward, the life experiences of emerging adults have been changing massively due to societal developments such as increased fragmentation of social relationships, greater mobility opportunities, and changes i...

Post-traumatic growth can be understood as positive change in desirable personality traits after adverse life events. However, recent research questioned whether adversity is a relevant, necessary, and sufficient condition for change in desirable personality traits. Using five-wave longitudinal data, this study explored changes in the desirable per...

Post-traumatic growth can be understood as positive change in desirable personality traits after adverse life events. However, recent research questioned whether adversity is a relevant, necessary, and sufficient condition for change in desirable personality traits. Using five-wave longitudinal data, this study explored changes in the desirable per...

A large amount of literature is available for researchers who are interested in performing meta-analyses in psychology. However, due to a large number of available sources and meta-analytic approaches, it can be difficult to get started with a meta-analysis when prior experiences are limited. In this annotated reading list, we provide an overview o...

The outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered people’s lives. Loneliness and social isolation were publicly discussed as possible psychological consequences of the measures taken to slow the virus spread. These public discussions have sparked a surge in empirical studies on loneliness and social isolation. In this study, we f...

The outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered people’s lives. Loneliness and social isolation were publicly discussed as possible psychological consequences of the measures taken to slow the virus spread. These public discussions have sparked a surge in empirical studies on loneliness and social isolation. In this study, we f...

To slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the German government released the “Corona-Warn-App”, a smartphone application that warns users if they have come into contact with other users tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Since using the “Corona-Warn-App” is health-relevant behavior, it is essential to understand who is (and who is not) using it and why. In N...

Rationale: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has dramatically altered people’s social lives due to social restriction measures taken to control the coronavirus spread. Early on, increased loneliness has been publicly discussed as a harmful psychological side effect of these measures. Due to the serious adverse health consequences of...

Prior research in non-U.S. samples has found a complex nonlinear relationship between loneliness and age. This research has shown that established predictors of loneliness—poor health, being unmarried, living alone, and having infrequent social interactions—help to explain age differences in loneliness. However, while some variables were found to b...

Major life events are often discussed as triggers of loneliness. However, longitudinal studies with frequent assessments investigating changes in loneliness surrounding major life events are lacking. This preregistered study investigated the associations between various family- and work-related major life events and changes in loneliness, using pro...

To slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the German government released the “Corona-Warn-App”, a smartphone application that warns users if they have come into contact with other users tested posi- tive for SARS-CoV-2. Since using the "Corona-Warn-App" is health-relevant behavior, it is essential to understand who is (and who is not) using it and why. In...

Imagery interventions are an established psychological tool to enhance performance, psychological skills, and injury rehabilitation. Previous meta-analyses found positive effects of mental practice on performance, leaving it open whether imagery can also enhance outcomes other than performance such as motivational or affective outcomes. We performe...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak has dramatically altered people’s social lives due to strict distancing policies. Increased loneliness has been publicly discussed as a harmful psychological side effect of these policies. However, empirical evidence was lacking. This large scale daily diary study assessed daily loneliness in N = 4,8...

There are different views on whether perfectionism is a characteristic of intellectually gifted students. Over the last decades, comparative studies of intellectually gifted and non-gifted students have produced inconsistent results. This heterogeneity in findings might be explained by underpowered studies and the multidimensional nature of perfect...

Imagery interventions are an established psychological tool to enhance performance, psychological skills, and injury rehabilitation. Previous meta-analyses found positive effects of mental practice on performance, leaving it open whether imagery can also enhance other outcomes than performance such as motivational or affective outcomes. We performe...

Longstanding research suggests a positive relation between physical activity and health. However, when investigating this relation most studies focused on the absence of disease or infirmity as health indicators. The relation between physical activity and positive healthrelated constructs such as subjective well-being (SWB) remains oftentimes unexp...

Loneliness has traditionally been studied on the individual level. This study is one of the first to systematically describe and explain differences in loneliness on a fine-grained regional level. Using data from the nationally representative German Socio-Economic Panel Study ( N = 17,602), we mapped the regional distribution of loneliness across G...

Loneliness has traditionally been studied on the individual level. This study is one of the first to systematically describe and explain differences in loneliness on a fine-grained regional level. Using data from the nationally representative German Socioeconomic Panel Study (N = 17,602), we mapped the regional distribution of loneliness across Ger...

Objective: Missed events are defined as the nonoccurrence of expected major life events within a specified time frame. We examined whether missed events should be studied in research on growth by exploring the role of missed events for changes in subjective well-being (SWB) and the Big Five personality traits. Method: The samples were selected from...

Objective: Missed events are defined as the nonoccurrence of expected major life events within a specified time frame. We examined whether missed events should be studied in research on growth by exploring the role of missed events for changes in subjective well-being (SWB) and the Big Five personality traits. Method: The samples were selected f...

This preregistered meta‐analysis (k = 113, total n = 93 668) addressed how the Big Five dimensions of personality (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness) are related to loneliness. Robust variance estimation accounting for the dependency of effect sizes was used to compute meta‐analytic bivariate correlations bet...

Major life events are often discussed as triggers of loneliness. However, longitudinal studies investigating changes in loneliness surrounding major life events with frequent assessments are lacking. This preregistered study investigated the associations between various family- and work-related major life events and changes in loneliness, using pro...

How do persons who expect perfection from others experience and behave in daily life situations? To address this question, we investigated the relations of other-oriented perfectionism with the Big Five personality traits, the Big Five personality states (i.e., self-reported short-term behavior), and perceived situation characteristics using Experi...

This preregistered meta-analysis (k = 113, total n = 93,668) addressed how the Big Five dimensions of personality (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness) are related to loneliness. Robust variance estimation accounting for the dependency of effect sizes was used to compute meta-analytic bivariate correlations bet...

Is the subjective well-being (SWB) of high achieving students generally higher compared to low achieving students? In this meta-analysis, we investigated the association between SWB and academic achievement by synthesizing 151 effect sizes from 47 studies with a total of 38,946 participants. The correlation between academic achievement and SWB was...

The present study aimed to provide a better understanding of the relationship between imagery use, imagery ability, the interrelation between these two constructs, and athletic performance for young athletes. Participants were 80 gymnasts aged between 7 and 16 years. We assessed five different functions of imagery use and imagery ability regarding...

Studiennoten weisen starke Zusammenhänge mit standardisierten Kompetenztests und Schulnoten auf, sind gleichzeitig jedoch auch stark messfehlerbehaftet. Das Anspruchsniveau von Prüfungsaufgaben hängt vor allem davon ab, ob die Aufgaben lediglich Wiedererkennen und Reproduktion oder auch Transformation, Anwendung oder Transfer des Gelernten erforder...