Dr. Rebecca Wetter
Academic associate
Campus Golm
Building 24 - Room 2.77
Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24 - 25
14476 Potsdam
consulting hours
after arrangement
Academic and occupational background:
since 04/2025 | Research fellow in the project „Multidimensional Heterogeneity in the Classroom: Measurement, Effects, Mechanisms (MuHiK)“, Universität Potsdam |
03/2020 – 12/2024 | Research fellow in the project „Meritocratic beliefs, motivated reasoning, and goal (dis)engagement“, WZB Berlin Social Science Center |
03/2020 – 10/2024 | Doctoral candidate in Sociology (summa cum laude), Freie Universität Berlin, Topic: „The formation of inequality beliefs and their consequences for educational inequality: Evidence from applicants to medical school in Germany“ |
03/2023 | Research stay at the London School of Economics and Political Science (Department of Social Policy) |
08/2018 – 10/2019 | Student research assistant in the project „Effect of long and unsociable working hours on electoral participation“, WZB Berlin Social Science Center |
04/2018 – 02/2020 | M.A. Soziologie, Freie Universität Berlin |
10/2017 – 02/2020 | M.A. Soziologie, Charles University Prague |
10/2014 – 08/2017 | B.A. Sozialwissenschaften, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf |
Research Interests:
- Effects of heterogeneity
- Intergroup contact
- Social inequality
- Meritocratic beliefs
- Empirical research methods
Selected publications:
Wetter, R., & Finger, C. (2023): Do experiences of success and failure influence beliefs about inequality? Evidence from selective university admission. Social Psychology Quarterly, 86(2), 170–194. https://doi.org/10.1177/01902725231165031
Li, J., Giebler, H., Wetter, R., Kenyon Lair, H., & Ellingwood, J. (2023). Unequal electoral participation: The negative effects of long work hours and unsociable work schedules in Europe. European Journal of Politics and Gender, 6(1), 92–113. https://doi.org/10.1332/251510821X16602019188175
Finger, C., Wetter, R., & Solga, H. (2023). Zugang zu medizinischen und pharmazeutischen Studiengängen in Deutschland: Bewerber*innenbefragung (Wintersemester 2018/19). https://dx.doi.org/10.7802/2515
Wetter, R., Li, J., Giebler, H., & Ellingwood, J. (2023). Keine Zeit zu wählen. Lange und sozial unverträgliche Arbeitszeiten beeinträchtigen die politische Teilhabe. WZB-Mitteilungen, 179(1), 37–40.
Wetter, R., & Finger, C. (2022). Wie Ungleichheit verstanden wird. Eigene Erfahrungen beeinflussen, ob junge Erwachsene an Erfolg durch Anstrengung oder an den Zufall glauben. WZB- Mitteilungen, 177(1), 18–21.
Selected conference presentations:
Wetter, R. (2024). Legitimation of inequality: How strong meritocratic beliefs and weak nonmeritocratic beliefs shape inequality-reproducing distributive preferences. Annual Conference of European Consortium for Sociological Research (ESCR), University Pompeu Fabra Barcelona.
Wetter, R. (2024). Legitimation of Inequality: How meritocratic beliefs and perception of justice shape distributive preferences. The British Journal of Sociology Conference, London School of Economics and Political Science.
Wetter, R. (2022). Do experiences of success and failure influence beliefs about inequality? Evidence from selective university admission.Annual Conference of European Consortium for Sociological Research (ESCR), University of Amsterdam.
Wetter, R. (2021). How experiences of success and failure influence inequality beliefs.
Evidence from selective university admission. CIDER-LERN Konferenz, German Institute for Economic Research, Berlin.