Sören Krach

The effect of REM sleep suppression on next-morning brain function during social exclusion – new publication in Scientific Reports

Science /

With strong effort and methodological expertise from David S. Stolz and Robert Glosemeyer, but also many other colleagues, we have finally managed to publish our sleep study data dating back to our time at Marburg University (2010-2015). Using polysomnography and next-morning fMRI we show that selective suppression of REM sleep impacts amygdala activity and connectivity during a classic social […]

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Selective suppression of rapid eye movement sleep increases next-day negative affect and amygdala responses to social exclusion

2020, Social Cognition /

Abstract Healthy sleep, positive general affect, and the ability to regulate emotional experiences are fundamental for well-being. In contrast, various mental disorders are associated with altered rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, negative affect, and diminished emotion regulation abilities. However, the neural processes mediating the relationship between these different phenomena are still not fully understood. In

Selective suppression of rapid eye movement sleep increases next-day negative affect and amygdala responses to social exclusion Read More »

Spinach in the teeth: How ego- and allocentric perspectives modulate neural correlates of embarrassment in the face of others’ public mishaps

2020, Social Cognition, Social Emotions /

Abstract Humans experience vicarious embarrassment when they observe other’s mishaps in public settings, even when the protagonist is not embarrassed at all. Though neural correlates of vicarious embarrassment have been studied before, it is yet poorly understood how they are influenced by egocentric or allocentric processes of perspective-taking. In the present study we examined the

Spinach in the teeth: How ego- and allocentric perspectives modulate neural correlates of embarrassment in the face of others’ public mishaps Read More »

The c-index as a measure of a scientist’s efficiency and assertiveness

2020, Meta-Science (Implications) /

Abstract The Cuckoo-index (c-index) is a new index that attempts to measure both the effectivity and the savviness of a scientist. The index is based on the number of publications of the scientist as author on original research manuscript without contributing to them in any way. In a time of increasingly global competition for resources

The c-index as a measure of a scientist’s efficiency and assertiveness Read More »

Internal control beliefs shape positive affect and associated neural dynamics during outcome valuation

2020, Social Learning, Social Reward /

Abstract Experiencing events as controllable is essential for human well-being. Based on classic psychological theory, we test how internal control beliefs impact the affective valuation of task outcomes, neural dynamics and ensuing behavioral preferences. In three consecutive studies we show that dynamics in positive affect increase, with a qualitative shift towards self-evaluative pride, when agents

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Negativity-bias in forming beliefs about own abilities

2019, Social Learning /

Abstract During everyday interactions people constantly receive feedback on their behavior, which shapes their beliefs about themselves. While classic studies in the field of social learning suggest that people have a tendency to learn better from good news (positivity bias) when they perceive little opportunities to immediately improve their own performance, we show updating is

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Empathy in females with autism spectrum disorder

2019, Clinical, Social Emotions /

Abstract Objective: Despite the fact that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common psychiatric diagnosis, knowledge about the special behavioral and neurobiological female phenotype is still scarce. The present study aimed to investigate neural correlates of empathy for physical and social pain and to assess the impact of egocentric perspective taking on social pain empathy in

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Dissociating empathy from perspective-taking: Evidence from intra- and inter-individual differences research

2019, Social Cognition /

Abstract Humans have the capacity to share others’ emotions, be they positive or negative. Elicited by the observed or imagined emotion of another person, an observer develops a similar emotional state herself. This capacity, empathy, is one of the pillars of social understanding and interaction as it creates a representation of another’s inner, mental state.

Dissociating empathy from perspective-taking: Evidence from intra- and inter-individual differences research Read More »

The politics of embarrassment: Considerations on how norm-transgressions of political representatives shape nation-wide communication of emotions on social media

2019, Social Emotions /

Abstract In this article, we hypothesize, and then demonstrate, that experiences of embarrassment have significantly increased in the United States, due in part, to the current situation in American politics under President Donald Trump. We provide support for our hypothesis by conducting both qualitative and quantitative analyses of Twitter posts in the U.S. obtained from

The politics of embarrassment: Considerations on how norm-transgressions of political representatives shape nation-wide communication of emotions on social media Read More »

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