Field of Focus 4: Self-Regulation and Regulation: Individuals and Organisations

When it comes to understanding how individuals regulate themselves, the following kinds of questions arise:

• What exactly is the capacity of self-regulation and how does it develop over a person’s lifespan?
• Are there inter-individual and cultural differences?
• What cognitive processes underlie self-regulation processes?
• What internal and external influences impacting on the faculty of self-regulation should we distinguish?
• How does the capacity of self-regulation relate to decision-making and problem-solution processes?
• Where exactly is self-regulation important for a successful educational and professional career and for a healthy life?
• What effects do disturbances of self-regulation processes have?

Such topics are of special interest for disciplines such as Psychology, Anthropology, Education or Sport, all to be found in the Faculty of Behavioural and Cultural Studies. In addition, they form a bridge to the Life Sciences (in particular Medicine).

When it comes to regulation in larger social units, we would like to discover, for example,

• How do social groups (e.g. families, organisations, companies or political institutions) regulate their interaction so that feelings, needs, reflections, claims and values of members are adequately considered?
• What happens if conflicts arise between members of a group or between groups?
• How are decisions made in complex social systems?
• How do such groups settle questions relating to the availability and distribution of resources?

Such topics are taken up, for example, by disciplines like Economics, Sociology or Political Science, all to be found in the Faculty for Economics and Social Sciences. But different sub-disciplines of Law are likewise relevant when it comes to studying the regulation of interpersonal relations in the form of legislative processes and the application of laws.

It seems intuitively plausible that the (self-)regulation of individuals and organisations are closely connected. Large social units consist of individuals. Often individuals take a decision that may have implications for many others (e.g. teachers, bankers, captains of industry, politicians or judges). At the same time, the rules decided for large communities have implications for the welfare and self-regulation of individuals.

In our present times of rapid change it is becoming more and more important to understand how processes of (self-)regulation mutually influence one another. This can only succeed by taking account of perspectives from different subject areas. Field of Focus 4 would like to heighten this interdisciplinary focus.