Born in 1950, Diploma in Psychology in 1977 at the University of Göttingen, Ph. D. in Psychology in 1982 at the University of Frankfurt/Main, Habilitation in Psychology in 1989 at the University of Trier. From 1994 to 1995 Scientific Director of the Centre for Methods, Surveys and Analyses (ZUMA), Mannheim, from 1995 to 1996 Professor of Methodology and Psychological Assessment at the University of Magdeburg; since 1996 Professor of Methodology and Evaluation Research at the Institute of Psychology of the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.