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Introduction to Business Psychology


Module name (EN):
Name of module in study programme. It should be precise and clear.
Introduction to Business Psychology
Degree programme:
Study Programme with validity of corresponding study regulations containing this module.
Business Psychology, Bachelor, regulation 01.10.2026
Module code: BWP-106
SAP-Submodule-No.:
The exam administration creates a SAP-Submodule-No for every exam type in every module. The SAP-Submodule-No is equal for the same module in different study programs.
P470-0006
Hours per semester week / Teaching method:
The count of hours per week is a combination of lecture (V for German Vorlesung), exercise (U for Übung), practice (P) oder project (PA). For example a course of the form 2V+2U has 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of exercise per week.
4V (4 hours per week)
ECTS credits:
European Credit Transfer System. Points for successful completion of a course. Each ECTS point represents a workload of 30 hours.
5
Semester: 1
Mandatory course: yes
Language of instruction:
German
Assessment:
Written exam

[updated 09.11.2026]
Applicability / Curricular relevance:
All study programs (with year of the version of study regulations) containing the course.

BWP-106 (P470-0006) Business Psychology, Bachelor, regulation 01.10.2026 , semester 1, mandatory course
Workload:
Workload of student for successfully completing the course. Each ECTS credit represents 30 working hours. These are the combined effort of face-to-face time, post-processing the subject of the lecture, exercises and preparation for the exam.

The total workload is distributed on the semester (01.04.-30.09. during the summer term, 01.10.-31.03. during the winter term).
60 class hours (= 45 clock hours) over a 15-week period.
The total student study time is 150 hours (equivalent to 5 ECTS credits).
There are therefore 105 hours available for class preparation and follow-up work and exam preparation.
Recommended prerequisites (modules):
None.
Recommended as prerequisite for:
Module coordinator:
Studienleitung
Lecturer:
Prof. Dr. Michael Bak


[updated 17.09.2026]
Learning outcomes:
After successfully completing this module, students will:
- have an overview of the various subfields of business psychology and related disciplines
- be able to distinguish business psychology from other areas of applied psychology
- be able to distinguish between and explain typical research questions within the subdisciplines of business psychology
- be able to develop solutions to practical problems based on theories and models in business psychology
- understand the limits of economic psychology
- be able to reflect on the ethical aspects of behavior in business psychology

[updated 09.11.2026]
Module content:
1. Introduction to business psychology
2. Introduction to market, advertising, and consumer psychology
- Scope, objectives
- Theories and models
         - Perception, memory, emotion, and motivation as the foundation
         - e.g., hiring research, ELM, symbolic self-completion, nudging, behavioral economics
         - Audience engagement, targeting  
- Market research methods
3. Introduction to media psychology
- Scope, objectives
- Theories, models, and explanatory frameworks for media behavior (media selection, use, and effects)
 
        - Media planning and media design
        - Media literacy
        - Usability
4. Introduction to occupational psychology
- Scope, objectives
- Forms of work, work design, workplace safety, job satisfaction, motivation, commitment, and diversity
- Models and explanatory approaches to workplace stress
- Approaches to stress management and workplace health management
5. Introduction to organizational psychology
- Scope, objectives
- Organizational design
- Organizational assessment
- Organizational development
6. Introduction to personnel psychology
- Scope, objectives
- Personnel selection
- Personnel assessment
- Human resource development
- Personnel management
7. Ethical considerations

[updated 09.11.2026]
Recommended or required reading:
Bak, P. M. (2024). Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie: Eine Einführung. Heidelberg: Springer.
Bak, P. M. (2023). Werbe- und Konsumentenpsychologie: Eine Einführung (3. Auflage). Stuttgart: Schäffer-Poeschl.
Fichter, C. (2018). Wirtschaftspsychologie für Bachelor. Heidelberg: Springer.
Nerdinger, F. W., Blickle, G., & Schaper, N. (2019). Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie (4. Auflage). Heidelberg: Springer.
Trepte, S., Reinecke, L., Schäwel, J. (2021). Medienpsychologie (3. Auflage). Stuttgart. Kohlhammer.

[updated 09.11.2026]
 
[Sun Nov 15 00:34:40 CET 2026, CKEY=weiw, BKEY=wpsy, CID=BWP-106, LANGUAGE=en, DATE=15.11.2026]