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People

The lab

Students and collaborators working across social, political, and health psychology—linked by careful methods and real-world relevance.

Director

Dr. Maor Shani

Lab Director / Principal Investigator
Department of Psychology, Ariel University

maorsha@ariel.ac.ilGoogle Scholar ↗

Dr. Maor Shani is a social and political psychologist whose research program investigates intergroup conflict and reconciliation, contemporary antisemitism and discrimination, and health psychology in chronic illness. He joins Ariel University as Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology in October 2026, where he directs the Intergroup Experiences and Identity Lab.

His work combines advanced quantitative methods (SEM, multilevel and latent profile analysis, social network analysis) with qualitative approaches. Recent projects include longitudinal studies of inclusivity norms and adolescent polarization in Europe (Volkswagen Foundation INCLUSIVITY project), multi-method research on the psychosocial toll of antisemitism on Jews in Germany after October 7, and experimental work on “antisemitism accommodation”—how institutions enable prejudice to appease hostile third parties.

Dr. Shani holds a PhD in Psychology (with distinction) from BIGSSS / Bremen, an MA from Jacobs University Bremen, and a BA summa cum laude from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He previously served as post-doctoral researcher at Osnabrück University and at the Hebrew University’s PICR Lab with Prof. Eran Halperin.

Affiliations

  • Senior Lecturer & Lab Director
    Department of Psychology, Ariel University (from Oct 2026)
  • Research Fellow
    London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism (2025–present)
  • Research Adviser
    Center for Mental Health, Medical Corps, IDF (2025–present)
  • Post-doctoral Researcher
    Osnabrück University (Developmental Psychology) (2020–2025)

Education

  • PhD in Psychology
    BIGSSS, Bremen, Germany · 2009–2016
    Defended with distinction. Advisor: Prof. Dr. Klaus Boehnke.
  • MA in Integrated Social Sciences
    Jacobs University Bremen · 2006–2008
    Comparative Politics and Sociology
  • BA in Sociology and Anthropology
    The Hebrew University of Jerusalem · 2003–2006
    Summa cum laude

Current

Students

Join →

  • Roy Russo

    Master’s student (thesis)

    Clinical Psychology, Ariel University

    Political psychology of antisemitism

    Thesis — The ‘Contrarian–Conspiracist Antisemitism’ Model: Explaining the rise of antisemitism on the far right

  • Eden Silne

    Master’s student (thesis)

    Clinical Psychology, Ariel University

    Shared traumatic reality & mental health professionals

    Thesis — Professional and personal consequences of working within a Shared Traumatic Reality following October 7

  • Shachar Bitton

    Master’s student (thesis)

    Clinical Psychology, Ariel University

    Secondary traumatic stress in therapists

    Thesis — Spillover and crossover effects following secondary traumatic stress among Israeli therapists and their partners

  • Amit Lavie

    Master’s student (thesis)

    Organizational Psychology, Ariel University

    Workplace discrimination

    Thesis — Perceived antisemitic discrimination among Israelis in organizational / work environments

    Co-supervised with Prof. Abira Reizer

  • Thomas Grabiak

    External supervisee (B.Sc.)

    Psychology, Osnabrück University

    Thesis — The relationship between antisemitism and psychological health: Meta-analysis and systematic review

  • Andrea Ormaza

    External supervisee (M.Sc.)

    Intercultural Psychology, Osnabrück University

    Thesis — Longitudinal relationship between intersectional discrimination and well-being among adolescents in Germany

Alumni

Selected theses

At Osnabrück (2020–2025): 23 Master and Bachelor theses supervised; five published; two awarded by national associations in Germany.

  • Laura Stritzke

    2024 · M.Sc. Clinical Psychology

    Gert-Sommer Prize, German Peace Psychology Forum

    Forthcoming book chapter: Shani & Stritzke (2026)

  • Daniel Lobenhofer

    2021 · M.Sc. Clinical Psychology

    Best Paper Prize, Association of Psychologists in Osnabrück

    Published: Shani, Lobenhofer & van Zalk (2025), GPIR

  • Dana Goldberg

    2022 · B.Sc. Psychology

    Thesis on antisemitism and well-being

    Published: Shani, Goldberg & van Zalk (2025), Frontiers

  • Marie Herb & Jana Gerber

    2025 · B.Sc. Psychology

    Qualitative work on Jewish life after October 7

    Two book chapters (2025, 2026 forthcoming)

  • Kilian Wübbelt

    2024 · M.Sc. Clinical Psychology

    Long-COVID stigma and self-compassion

    Published: Shani & Wübbelt (2025)

  • Antonia Krömeke

    2023 · M.Sc. Clinical Psychology

    IBD, illness identity, flourishing

    Published: Shani & Krömeke (2024)

Network

Collaborators

  • Prof. Maarten van Zalk

    Osnabrück University

    INCLUSIVITY project · adolescent networks

  • Prof. Eran Halperin

    Hebrew University of Jerusalem

    Intergroup conflict · hope

  • Prof. Klaus Boehnke

    Constructor University / BIGSSS

    Political socialization · peace psychology

  • Prof. Abira Reizer

    Ariel University

    Organizational psychology · thesis co-supervision

  • Prof. Uzi Ben Shalom & Dr. Vered Ne’eman-Haviv

    Ariel University

    Civilian firearm decision-making project

  • London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism

    Research fellowship network

    Contemporary antisemitism studies