Research

Most of our research activity has focused on a better understanding of individual differences in affect and temperament. On the behavioral and subjective experience level, we investigate personality constructs such as positive and negative affect, motivational approach and withdrawal tendencies, extraversion and neuroticism, and sensitivity to reward and punishment. To better understand these individual difference characteristics, we study their biological basis, i.e., we investigate the brain processes that differ between people and give rise to their personality differences. These analyses include the interaction of emotion processing and cognitive functions, in particular attention. The method we most frequently use for the study of brain activity is the electroencephalogram (EEG), which gives us detailed information about the ongoing stream of neural information processing. In recent times, we complement this method with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and arterial spin labeling (ASL), which provide us with precise anatomical information about the relevant brain sites. All these methods of physiological measurement provide highly complex data, and dealing with physiological measurement problems is another research issue of our work group.
Most recently, we complemented our research agenda with the study of individual differences in cognitive function. These research interests include implicit learning, complex problem solving, and human intelligence.

The following list provides some of our main research and lists selected publications.

Brain asymmetry and affective style

• Hagemann, D., Hewig, J., Naumann, E., Seifert, J., & Bartussek, D. (2005). Resting brain asymmetry and affective reactivity: Aggregated data supports the right-hemisphere hypothesis. Journal of Individual Differences, 26, 139-154.

• Hagemann, D., Naumann, E., Becker, G., Maier, S., & Bartussek, D. (1998). Frontal brain asymmetry and affective style: A conceptual replication. Psychophysiology, 35, 372-388.

• Hagemann, D., Waldstein, S., & Thayer, J. F. (2003). Central and autonomic nervous system integration in emotion. Brain and Cognition, 52, 79-87.

• Hewig, J., Hagemann, D., Seifert, J., Naumann, E., & Bartussek, D. (2004). On the selective relation of frontal cortical asymmetry and anger-out versus anger-control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 926-939.

Sensitivity to reward and punishment

• Hagemann, D. (in Druck). Belohnungs- und Bestrafungssensibilität. In V. Brandstätter-Morawietz & J. H. Otto (Hrsg.), Handbuch der Allgemeinen Psychologie: Motivation und Emotion. Göttingen: Hogreve.

• Hewig, J., Hagemann, D., Seifert, J., Naumann, E., & Bartussek, D. (2006). The relation of cortical activity and BIS/BAS on the trait level. Biological Psychology, 71, 42-53.

• Hewig, J., Hagemann, D., Seifert, J., Naumann, E., & Bartussek, D. (2005). The relation of cortical activity and personality in a reinforced Go-Nogo paradigm. Journal of Individual Differences, 26, 86-99.

Biological Basis of Extraversion

• Becker, G., Hagemann, D., Bartussek, D., Naumann, E., & Schneider, Ch. (2004). Stimulus analysis and response organization in the CVN-paradigm: ERP studies about extraversion, cognitive information processing, and motor preparation. Personality and Individual Differences, 36, 893-911.

• Hagemann, D., Naumann, E., Lürken, A., Becker, G., Maier, S., & Bartussek, D. (1999a). EEG asymmetry, dispositional mood and personality. Personality and Individual Differences, 27, 541-568.

Experimental induction of emotions

• Hagemann, D. (in Druck). Individuelle Unterschiede der Herzratenvariabilität bei emotionalen Reaktionen. In W. Janke, M. Schmidt-Daffy & G. Debus & (Hrsg.), Experimentelle Emotionspsychologie: Methodische Ansätze, Probleme, Ergebnisse. Lengerich: Pabst Verlag.

• Hagemann, D., Naumann, E., Maier, S., Becker, G., Lürken, A., & Bartussek, D. (1999). The assessment of affective reactivity using films: Validity, reliability, and sex differences. Personality and Individual Differences, 26, 627-639.

• Hewig, J., Hagemann, D., Seifert, J., Gollwitzer, M., Naumann, E., & Bartussek, D. (2005). A revised film set for the induction of basic emotions. Cognition and Emotion, 19, 1095-1109.

Quantitative Electroencephalography (EEG)

• Hagemann, D. (2004). Individual differences in anterior EEG-Asymmetry: Methodological problems and solutions. Biological Psychology, 67, 157-182.

• Hagemann, D., Hewig, J., Walter, C., & Naumann, E. (2008). Skull thickness and EEG alpha activity. Clinical Neurophysiology. 119, 1271-1280.

• Hagemann, D., & Naumann, E. (2001). The effects of ocular artifacts on (lateralized) broadband power in the EEG. Clinical Neurophysiology, 112, 215-231.

• Hagemann, D., Naumann, E., & Thayer, J. F. (2001). The quest for the EEG reference revisited: A glance from brain asymmetry research. Psychophysiology, 38, 847-857.

Latent state-trait analysis of physiological measures

• Hagemann, D., Hewig, J., Naumann, E., Seifert, J., & Bartussek, D. (2005). The latent state-trait structure of resting EEG asymmetry: Replication and extension. Psychophysiology, 42, 740-752.

• Hagemann, D., Naumann, E., Thayer, J. F., & Bartussek, D. (2002). Does resting EEG asymmetry reflect a trait? An application of latent state-trait theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 619-641.

• Hellhammer, J., Fries, E., Schweisthal, O. W., Schlotz, W., Stone, A. A., & Hagemann, D. (2007). Several daily measurements are necessary to reliably assess the cortisole rise after awakening: State and trait components. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 32, 80-86.

• Hermes, M., Hagemann, D., Britz, P., Lieser, S., Naumann, E., & Walter, C. (in press). Latent state-trait structure of cerebral blood flow in a resting state. Biological Psychology.