Research

Our lab’s research primarily focuses on:

1) affective learning processes (Pavlovian conditioning and extinction)
2) stress (acute and chronic) and coping
3) emotional and cognitive processes, e.g. attentional biases, as indexed by dot-probe and approach-avoidance tasks, etc.
 
 

Affective learning and stress

A hallmark of our research is a strong commitment to experimental designs and the integration of a variety of approaches and research methods.

Regarding the fields of affective learning and stress research, we employ a broad range of psychological and neurobiological measures, such as:
 
(1) psychophysiological methods (EDA, ECG/heart rate, respiration, EMG, startle eyeblink, etc.)
(2) neuroimaging techniques (fMRT, DTI, etc.)
(3) assessment of eye-movements (eye-tracking) and pupillometry
(4) olfactory and gustatory stimulation
(5) neuroendocrine markers of chronic as well as acute stress (e.g., salivary cortisol and hair cortisol)

Our state-of-art laboratories are equipped with two Biopac and eye-tracking systems (Eyelink) as well as olfactometry and gustatometry devices.
 
 

An additional research focus of our lab is the experimental investigation of emotional and cognitive processes. To this end, approach-avoidance tasks, dot-probe paradigms and further methods for assessing cognitive biases are applied. In addition to lab experiments and virtual reality exposure further cutting-edge treatment approaches are explored (e.g., software-based training aimed at assessment and modification of cognitive biases). This includes both basic and applied clinical research.