Media

In a joint publication with Michigan State University, Goethe-University Frankfurt and Lübeck University, published at Frontiers in Communication – Political Communication, we show that there has been a 45-percent increase in people tweeting about embarrassment since Donald Trump took office. An analysis of Twitter traffic between June 2015 and June 2017 revealed how platform’s users …

Affective politics: Trump sparks ’embarrassment’ spikes on Twitter Read More »

For anybody who is interested in research on vicarious embarrassment we do recommend to watch this very illustrative and informative Youtube-video. It nicely summarizes the neural mechanisms underlying empathy and how these relate to vicarious emotions such as “Fremdscham”

Frieder Paulus explains how social closeness impacts the experience of vicarious embarrassment and why every kind of embarrassment demands an audience. See latest interview at www.sueddeutsche.de

New York magazine’s “Science of Us” editor explains the compelling psychology of awkwardness, and why learning to accept your cringeworthy moments can be a social advantage. “Have you ever said goodbye to someone, only to discover that you’re both walking in the same direction? Or had your next thought fly out of your brain in the …

Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness by Melissa Dahl Read More »

David Stolz and other members of the SNL have been featured in a national TV show on social behavior. Please find the video and a teaser for the show below (in German). “Warum klatschen wir, wenn alle klatschen? Warum kaufen wir dort, wo alle kaufen? Menschen imitieren das Verhalten der Gruppe, zu der sie sich …

The SNL featured in “Das Experiment mit Linda Zervakis – Wie viel Herdentier steckt in uns?” Read More »

We have put together some tricky questions on “vicarious embarrassment” and “fremdscham” at the German ZEIT ONLINE. Please enjoy (in German)! “Wann tritt Fremdscham am ehesten auf? Kann Babys etwas peinlich sein? Und welche Politikerin schämte sich für Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg? Beat the Prof Peinlichkeit!” [to the Quiz]

We are very happy to announce that Lena Rademacher’s most recent PET work on the recovery of dopamine function in former smokers has been featured on Reuters by Lisa Rappaport. The Biological Psychiatry paper contains all the details and can be found here. “The brain makes less dopamine, a chemical involved in both pleasure and addiction, …

Rademacher’s et al. Biological Psychiatry article on dopamine function in smokers featured on Reuters Read More »

David Stolz very nicely explains in national TV how social exclusion makes you suffer and why we need friends that support us. In this show on the famous ZDF David and the host Eric take kids and youngsters on a tour through the MRI. Check out the video below (in German). “Freunde machen glücklich! Ob …

SNL featured in “Ich brauch’ Freunde” video on ZDF Pur+ Read More »