Two RMU researchers receive Heinz Heckhausen Prize 2026
Dr. Franziska Ingendahl of TU Darmstadt (left; photo: Moritz Ingendahl) and Dr. Fiona Kazarovytska of JGU (right; photo: Stephan Johnen)
Success for the Rhine-Main Univerities (RMU): For their dissertations, Dr. Franziska Ingendahl of Technical University of Darmstadt and Dr. Fiona Kazarovytska of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz are awarded the Heinz Heckhausen Prize 2026 of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie (DGPs).
In her dissertation titled „On Reactivity to Immediate Judgments of Learning”, Dr. Franziska Ingendahl examined what is referred to as reactivity of immediate judgments of learning (JOLs). This is the phenomenon where predictions about one’s own future cognitive performance can change this memory performance as such. “With her dissertation, Dr. Franziska Ingendahl makes a valuable contribution to metacognition research. Her work combines theoretical innovation, methodological excellence and scientific transparency in an impressive manner. She is thus a highly deserving recipient of the Heinz Heckhausen Prize 2026”, says DGPs president Professor Eva Lotta Brakemeier, summarizing the decision of the jury and the executive board. Dr. Franziska Ingendahl currently works as a Postdoc in the Applied Cognitive Psychology group at Technical University of Darmstadt, where she is focusing her research on metacognition and, in particular reactivity of judgments on one’s own cognitive performance on memory performance and learning behavior.
In her dissertation titled „Identity Protection and Collective (Non-)Remembrance, Dr. Fiona Kazarovytska assesses the role of collective memories in the negotiation of social identities. Historic representations are a key component of current political conflict in many regions worldwide. “With her dissertation, Fiona Kazarovytska combines theoretical innovation, methodological excellence and societal relevancy in an impressive manner. Her work provides important impulses for psychological research and, at the same time, makes a valuable contribution to the public discourse on collective memory and social identities”, says DGPs president Professor Eva Lotta Brakemeier, summarizing the decision of the jury and the executive board. Dr. Fiona Kazarovytska is a Postdoc in the Department of Social and Legal Psychology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.
The Heinz Heckhausen Prize for Early Career Researchers
The Heinz Heckhausen Prize for Early Career Researchers is awared for an outstanding dissertation in psychology as a major. The prize is endowed with 1,000 euros. The awards ceremony will take place at the DGPs conference on 7 September 2026 in Luxemburg.
