Research

In the research group Differential Psychology and Personality Research, we research how people differ in their experiences and behaviors. 

Therefore our research focus is on personality characteristic of neuroticism and anxiety. What does it mean when a person is more anxious than another? And why are even differences in this scale? Which roll do individual mental processes such as directing attention towards danger, learned fear, imagined threats, violated expectations or the search for information play? How are such processes (and as a result, neuroticism) neurobiologically implemented? And what should be considered in general when one is searching for a neurobiological explanation for differences in human experiences and behaviors.

Aside from neuroticism we are investigating the personality trait of extraversion, which is often associated with positive affect. Do people with higher extraversion have more positive (optimistic) expectations? Does this also apply to treatment expectations (placebo-effect)? Do they react more strongly to rewards? And which roll does the dopamine system play?

Lastly we are currently researching the relevance of personality characteristics in contexts with dreaming. How are self-reported personality traits in a waking state linked to our experiences and behaviors in dreams? How can the inter-individual differences in the frequency and intenstity of nightmares and lucid dreams be recorded in a psychometrically satisfactory way? And how are these differences connected to certain personality traits (neuroticism, openness/intelligence)?

Researching Focus

• Neuroticism and Anxiety
  
• Extraversion and Openness/Intelligence
  

Utilized Methods

• EEG
• Peripherphysiology
• Polysomnography
• Pharmacological Manipulation
• Self-evaluation Process
• Experimental Emotion Induction