World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Psychology

D-Index
47
Citations
9076
World Ranking
6173
National Ranking
291

Overview

Birgit Spinath is affiliated with Heidelberg University in Germany and specializes in psychology and social sciences. Their research spans multiple subfields, including education, social psychology, experimental and cognitive psychology, developmental and educational psychology, and sociology and political science.

The scientist's work addresses various main topics, including:

  • Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports
  • Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
  • Educational Strategies and Epistemologies
  • Academic and Historical Perspectives in Psychology
  • Education Methods and Technologies
  • Education and Critical Thinking Development
  • Evaluation of Teaching Practices

Birgit Spinath has published extensively in journals and books. Frequent publication venues include:

  • Psychologische Rundschau
  • Psychology Learning & Teaching
  • Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie
  • Learning and Individual Differences
  • Frontiers in Education

Recent papers authored or co-authored by Spinath cover topics from educational psychology misconceptions to motivation and learning activities, for example:

  • "Misconceptions die hard: prevalence and reduction of wrong beliefs in topics from educational psychology among preservice teachers" (2020), European Journal of Psychology of Education
  • "The dynamics of motivation, emotion, and task performance in simulated achievement situations" (2020), Learning and Individual Differences
  • "What successful students do: Evidence-based learning activities matter for students' performance in higher education beyond prior knowledge, motivation, and prior achievement" (2021), Learning and Individual Differences
  • "Where do pre-service teachers' educational psychological misconceptions come from?" (2021), Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie
  • "The value of valuing math: Longitudinal links between students' intrinsic, attainment, and utility values and grades in math." (2020), Motivation Science

Spinath has collaborated frequently with co-authors including Zoe Maj Sander, Eva Seifried, Markus Bühner, Eva van den Bosch, and Mario Gollwitzer. Collaboration numbers range up to 11 joint publications with certain co-authors.

The scientist has contributed to book publications such as:

  • "Mythen, Fehlvorstellungen, Fehlkonzepte und Irrtümer in Schule und Unterricht" (2022), published within Psychologie in Bildung und Erziehung: vom Wissen zum Handeln
  • "Empirische Bildungsforschung" (2022), published by Springer Nature

Best Publications

  • The importance of motivation as a predictor of school achievement

    Ricarda Steinmayr;Birgit Spinath

  • Predicting school achievement from general cognitive ability, self-perceived ability, and intrinsic value.

    Birgit Spinath;Frank M. Spinath;Nicole Harlaar;Robert Plomin

  • Sex differences in school achievement: what are the roles of personality and achievement motivation?

    Ricarda Steinmayr;Birgit Spinath

  • The Importance of Students' Motivation for Their Academic Achievement - Replicating and Extending Previous Findings.

    Ricarda Steinmayr;Anne Franziska Weidinger;Malte Schwinger;Birgit Spinath

  • How do motivational regulation strategies affect achievement: Mediated by effort management and moderated by intelligence

    Malte Schwinger;Ricarda Steinmayr;Birgit Spinath

  • Predicting school achievement in boys and girls

    H. Harald Freudenthaler;Birgit Spinath;Aljoscha C. Neubauer

  • Longitudinal Analysis of the Link between Learning Motivation and Competence Beliefs among Elementary School Children.

    Birgit Spinath;Frank M. Spinath

  • Skalen zur Erfassung des schulischen Selbstkonzeptes : SESSKO

    Claudia Schöne;Oliver Dickhäuser;Birgit Spinath;Joachim Stiensmeier-Pelster

  • Die Skalen zum akademischen Selbstkonzept : Konstruktion und Überprüfung eines neuen Instrumentes

    Oliver Dickhäuser;Claudia Schöne;Birgit Spinath;Joachim Stiensmeier-Pelster

  • Neural efficiency as a function of task demands.

    Beate Dunst;Mathias Benedek;Emanuel Jauk;Sabine Bergner

  • Akkuratheit der Einschätzung von Schülermerkmalen durch Lehrer und das Konstrukt der diagnostischen Kompetenz

    Birgit Spinath

  • Gender Differences in School Success: What Are the Roles of Students' Intelligence, Personality and Motivation?.

    Birgit Spinath;Christine Eckert;Ricarda Steinmayr

  • Domain-specific school achievement in boys and girls as predicted by intelligence, personality and motivation

    Birgit Spinath;H. Harald Freudenthaler;Aljoscha C. Neubauer

  • The relative importance of intelligence and motivation as predictors of school achievement: A meta-analysis

    Katharina Kriegbaum;Nicolas Becker;Birgit Spinath

  • Goal orientations predict academic performance beyond intelligence and personality

    Ricarda Steinmayr;Tanja Bipp;Birgit Spinath

  • Longitudinal analysis of intrinsic motivation and competence beliefs: is there a relation over time?

    Birgit Spinath;Ricarda Steinmayr

  • Personality and achievement motivation: Relationship among Big Five domain and facet scales, achievement goals, and intelligence

    Tanja Bipp;Ricarda Steinmayr;Birgit Spinath

  • Development of self-perceived ability in elementary school: the role of parents’ perceptions, teacher evaluations, and intelligence

    Birgit Spinath;Frank M. Spinath

  • Not all roads lead to Rome — Comparing different types of motivational regulation profiles

    Malte Schwinger;Ricarda Steinmayr;Birgit Spinath

  • Antecedents and consequences of students' achievement goals: A mediation analysis

    Felix C. Dinger;Oliver Dickhäuser;Birgit Spinath;Ricarda Steinmayr

Frequent Co-Authors

Ricarda Steinmayr
Ricarda Steinmayr TU Dortmund University
Frank M. Spinath
Frank M. Spinath Saarland University
Markus Bühner
Markus Bühner Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Mario Gollwitzer
Mario Gollwitzer Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Edgar Erdfelder
Edgar Erdfelder University of Mannheim
Thomas Fydrich
Thomas Fydrich Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Cornelius J. König
Cornelius J. König Saarland University
Aljoscha C. Neubauer
Aljoscha C. Neubauer University of Graz
Robert Plomin
Robert Plomin King's College London
Richard E. Tremblay
Richard E. Tremblay University of Montreal

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Exploring online psychology degrees opens up a flexible path for students looking to advance their education while balancing other commitments. Many accredited universities now offer high-quality online programs that match the standards of on-campus teaching. When considering options, it’s essential to compare costs, specializations, and how well a program aligns with your career goals.

For students seeking the most valuable psychology programs in Phoenix, options are available that combine affordability with strong employment outcomes. Similarly, those researching the best value psychology degrees in Raleigh can find programs renowned for their return on investment and alumni success.

In the Midwest, learners can explore the most valuable psychology programs in St. Louis, which offer access to diverse internships and robust career networks. Students considering studies in the Southeast should look into the most valuable psychology degrees in South Carolina for reputable, cost-effective online and campus-based pathways.

No matter the location, pursuing an online psychology degree can lead to roles in counseling, research, human resources, and many other growing fields.

Best Scientists Citing Birgit Spinath

Trending Scientists