Lars E. Olsson, professor of Psychology
”For the future, I see great possibilities to integrate my different research areas since innovation, particularly service innovation, will be a vital factor in creating an inclusive, accessible and sustainable society.”
Lars E. Olsson grew up in Dals-Ed and went to Karlstad to study and to work as a recreation instructor in the 1990s. Near the end of the decade, he moved to Gothenburg to retrain, taking up studies in psychology.
Lars E. Olsson defended his doctoral thesis on psychology of decision making in the spring of 2007 at the University of Gothenburg. Subsequently, he was employed as a researcher at the Center for Consumer Science at the School of Business, Economics, and Law, University of Gothenburg, while also a visiting researcher at Karlstad University. Since 2009, he has been a researcher and teacher at Karlstad University, affiliated to CTF, Service Research Center and the Department of Social and Psychological Studies.
”In recent years, my research has focused on human behaviour, experiences and well-being in relation to daily travel. One of my current projects aims to develop new knowledge and methods for better understanding people’s experiences and what can motivate them to change behaviour to contribute to a more sustainable environment, by, for instance, driving a car less or shopping more environmentally friendly. Another current project centres on elderly people’s travel patterns.”
Lars E. Olsson has published several articles and books on the impact of daily travel on life quality and happiness. A book on how children and their well-being are affected by travel habits and transportation systems is forthcoming in the autumn of 2019. The book is based on many years of research in this area, which has received great attention nationally and internationally.
”I am fortunate to have had the privilege to work with many talented researchers at Karlstad University, but also with several other universities in Sweden, Japan, the Netherlands and Canada. Thanks to this network, the research is spreading faster and new opportunities for collaboration are opening, which has led to, among other things, the soon-to-be-launched book in which some 30 invited international scholars participate.”
Lars also pursues research in other areas, for example, innovation in health care, involving new interactive methods through which patients and health care professionals have the opportunity to collaborate on developing new services in health care.
”For the future, I see great possibilities to integrate my different research areas since innovation, particularly service innovation, will be a vital factor in creating an inclusive, accessible and sustainable society. To achieve this we need to develop new solutions that work across generations.”
Lars also spends a great deal of time with his wife and three children, whose after-school activities mean many schedules to keep up with. Good food and drinks are important and cooking has developed into an interest involving reflection, creativity and relaxation. Lars’ motto is ”a touch of daily luxury beats the week-end party”.