The Humboldt Projects are a series of interdisciplinary research initiatives funded by the prestigious Humboldt Professorship awarded to Prof. Kou Murayama. These projects explore a range of interconnected questions surrounding the role and nature of motivation in academic environments, drawing from diverse fields of study. Primarily based at the Research Hub Self-Regulation within the Hector Research Institute, the Humboldt Project also engages with broader themes, intersecting with other research hubs, such as digital education and talent development.

For example, one of our projects investigates the extent to which motivation predicts students’ academic achievement by analyzing large-scale, longitudinal datasets. Leveraging recent advancements in machine learning, we utilize big data to gain deeper insights into this relationship. In another project, we are developing computational models to explore the psychological mechanisms driving motivated behaviors, such as knowledge acquisition. By creating these models, we aim to refine existing motivation theories, making them more practical and applicable. Additionally, we are examining the relationship between behavioral indices observed in laboratory settings and real-life behaviors, aiming to assess the external validity of empirical motivation studies.