Prof. Dr. Jan Wacker

Journals

DeYoung, C. G., Hilger, K., Hanson, J. L., Abend, R., Allen, T. A., Beaty, R. E., ... & Wacker, J. (2025). Beyond Increasing Sample Sizes: Optimizing Effect Sizes in Neuroimaging Research on Individual Differences. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_02297

Fruehlinger, C., Paul, K. & Wacker, J. (2024). Can personality traits be predicted from resting-state EEG oscillations? A replication study. Biological Psychology, 193, 108955. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108955

Paul, K., Beauducel, A., Hennig, J., Hewig, J., Hildebrandt, A., Kührt, C., Lange, M., Mueller, E.M., Osinsky, R., Porth, E., Riesel, A., Rodrigues, J., Scheffel, C., Short, C.A., Stahl, J., Strobel, A., Wacker, J. (2024): Frontal Alpha Asymmetry as a Marker of Approach Motivation? Insights from a collaborative forking path analysis.J Pers Soc Psychol. 2024 Nov 21. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000503

Beauducel, A., Scheuble-Cabrera, V., Hennig, J., Hewig, J., Hildebrandt, A., Kührt, C., ... Paul, K. ….  & Wacker, J. (2024). The association of dispositional anxiety with the NoGo N2 under relaxation instruction vs. speed/accuracy instruction. Biological Psychology, 192, 108850. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108850

Alexander, N., Illius, S., Feyerabend, D., Wacker, J., & Liszkowski, U. (2023). Don't miss the chance to reap the fruits of recent advances in behavioral genetics. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 46, e208. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X22002497

Beringer, M, Wacker, J. & Recio, G. (2022). Deliberate control of facial expressions in a go/no-go task: An ERP study. Acta Psychologica, 230, 103773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103773

Herrmann, W., & Wacker, J. (2022). Executive Functions Neither Associated With Agentic Extraversion nor Sensitive to the Dopamine D2 Blocker Sulpiride in a Preregistered Study. Personality Science, 3, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.5964/ps.7657

Ohmann, H. O., Kuper, N. & Wacker, J. (2022). Examining the reliability and validity of two versions of the Effort-Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT). PloS one, 17 (1). e0262902. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262902

Paul, K., Short, C. A., Beauducel, A., Carsten, H. P., Härpfer, K., Hennig, J., Hewig, J., Hildebrandt, A., Kührt, C., Mueller, E. M., Munk, A., Osinsky, R., Porth, E., Riesel, A., Rodrigues, J., Scheffel, C., Stahl, J., Strobel, A., & Wacker, J. (2022). The Methodology and Dataset of the CoScience EEG-Personality Project – A Large-Scale, Multi-Laboratory Project Grounded in Cooperative Forking Paths Analysis. Personality Science, 3, 1-26. https://doi.org/10.5964/ps.7177

Trofimova, I., Bajaj, S., Bashkatov, S. A., Blair, J., Brandt, A., Chan, R. C. K., Clemens, B., Corr, P. J., Cyniak-Cieciura, m., Demidova, L., Filippi, C. A., Garipova, M., Habel, U., Haines, N., Heym, N., Hunter, K., Jones, N. A., Kanen, J., Kirenskaya, A., ... Pickering, A. D. (2022). What is next for the neurobiology of temperament, personality and psychopathology? Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 45, 101143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101143

Wacker, J. & Paul, K. (2022). An unsatisfactory status quo and promising perspectives: why links between brain activity and personality remain elusive and what we need to change to do better. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 43, 224-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.11.008

Herrmann, W. & Wacker, J. (2021). The Selective Dopamine D2 Blocker Sulpiride Modulates the Relationship Between Agentic Extraversion and Executive Functions. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-021-00887-9

Smillie, L. D., Bennett, D., Tan, N. P., Sutcliffe, K., Fayn, K., Bode, S. & Wacker, J. (2021). Does openness/intellect predict sensitivity to the reward value of information? Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 1-171. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-021-00900-1

Ohmann, H. A., Kuper, N. & Wacker, J. (2020). A low dosage of the dopamine D2-receptor antagonist sulpiride affects effort allocation for reward regardless of trait extraversion. Personality Neuroscience, 3. https://doi.org/10.1017/pen.2020.7

Beringer, M., Spohn, F., Hildebrandt, A., Wacker, J. & Recio, G. (2019) Reliability and validity of machine vision for the assessment of facial expressions. Cognitive Systems Research, 56, 119-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsys.2019.03.009

Kuper, N., Käckenmester, W., & Wacker, J. (2019). Resting frontal EEG asymmetry and personality traits: A meta-analysis. European Journal of Personality, 33(2), 154-175. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.2197

Mittelstaedt, J.M., Wacker, J. & Stelling, D. (2019). Virtual Reality 23(2), 143-154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-018-0370-3

Mittelstädt, J. M., Wacker, J., & Stelling, D. (2019). Emotional and Cognitive Modulation of Cybersickness: The Role of Pain Catastrophizing and Body Awareness. Human Factors, 61(2), 322–336. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018720818804382

Smillie, L. D., Hayley, K. J., Hughes, D. M., Wacker, J., Cooper, A. J. & Pickering, A. D. (2019). Extraversion and reward-processing: Consolidating evidence from an electroencephalographic index of reward-prediction-error. Biological Psychology 146, 107735. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107735

Käckenmester, W., Kroencke, L., & Wacker, J. (2018). Frontal asymmetry predicts the incentive value of perceptual information. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 134, 22-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.10.002

Mittelstaedt, J., Wacker, J., & Stelling, D. (2018). Effects of display type and motion control on cybersickness in a virtual bike simulator. Displays, 51, 43-50. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.displa.2018.01.002

Ohmann, H. A., Kuper, N., & Wacker, J. (2018). Left frontal anodal tDCS increases approach motivation depending on reward attributes. Neuropsychologia, 119, 417-423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.09.002

Wacker, J. (2018). Increasing the reproducibility of science through close cooperation and forking path analysis. Front. Psychol. 8:1332. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01332

Wirz, L., Reuter, M., Wacker, J., Felten, A., & Schwabe, L. (2017). A Haplotype Associated with Enhanced Mineralocorticoid Receptor Expression Facilitates the Stress-Induced Shift from ‘Cognitive’ to ‘Habit’ Learning. eNeuro, 13 November 2017. https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0359-17.2017

Geller, S., Wilhelm, O., Wacker, J., Hamm, A. & Hildebrandt, A. (2017). Associations of the COMT VAL158Met polymorphism with working memory and intelligence - A review and meta-analysis. Intelligence, 65, 75-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2017.09.002

Wacker, J. (2017). Effects of positive emotion, extraversion, and dopamine on cognitive stability-flexibility and frontal EEG asymmetry. Psychophysiology, 17 March 2017, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12727

Wirz, L., Wacker, J., Felten, A., Reuter, M. & Schwabe, L. (2017). A deletion variant of the α2b-adrenoceptor modulates the stress-induced shift from ‘cognitive' to ‘habit' memory. Journal of Neuroscience, 23 January 2017, 3507-16. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3507-16.2017

Wacker, J., & Smillie, L. D. (2015). Trait extraversion and dopamine function. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 9(6), 225-238.

Mueller, E. M., Panitz, C., Pizzagalli, D. A., Hermann, C., & Wacker, J. (2015). Midline theta dissociates agentic extraversion and anhedonic depression. Personality and Individual Differences, 79, 172-177.

Mueller, E.M., Burgdorf, C., Chavanon, M.-L., Schweiger, D., Hennig, J., Wacker, J., Stemmler, G. (2014). The COMT Val158Met polymorphism regulates the effect of a dopamine antagonist on the feedback-related negativity. Psychophysiology, 51(8), 805-809. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12226

Mueller, E. M., Burgdorf, C., Chavanon, M. L., Schweiger, D., Wacker, J., & Stemmler, G. (2014). Dopamine modulates frontomedial failure processing of agentic introverts versus extraverts in incentive contexts. Cognitive Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience, 14(2), 756-768. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-013-0228-9

Mueller, E. M., Panitz, C., Nestoriuc, Y., Stemmler, G., & Wacker, J. (2014). Panic disorder and serotonin reuptake inhibitors predict coupling of cortical and cardiac activity. Neuropsychopharmacology, 39(2), 507-514.

Schweiger, D., Stemmler, G., Burgdorf, C., & Wacker, J. (2014). Opioid Receptor Blockade and Warmth-Liking: Effects on Interpersonal Trust and Frontal Asymmetry. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 9(10), 1608-1615.

Smillie, L. D., & Wacker, J. (2014). Dopaminergic foundations of personality and individual differences. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 874.

Chavanon, M.-L., Wacker, J., & Stemmler, G. (2013). Paradoxical dopaminergic drug effects in extraversion: Dose- and time-dependent effects of sulpiride on EEG theta activity. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7(117).

Mueller, E. M., Stemmler, G., Hennig, J., & Wacker, J. (2013). 5-HTTLPR and anxiety modulate brain-heart coupling. Psychopyhsiology, 50, 441-453.

Panitz, C., Wacker, J., Stemmler, G., & Mueller, E. M. (2013). Brain-heart coupling at the P300 latency is linked to anterior cingulate cortex and insula – a cardio-encephalographic covariance tracing study. Biological Psychology, 94, 185-191.

Wacker, J., Mueller, E. M., Pizzagalli, D. A., Hennig, J., & Stemmler, G. (2013). Dopamine-D2-Receptor Blockade Reverses the Association Between Trait Approach Motivation and Frontal Asymmetry in an Approach-Motivation Context. Psychological Science, 24(4), 489–497. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612458935

Wacker, J., Mueller, E. M., & Stemmler, G. (2013). Prenatal testosterone and personality: Increasing the specificity of trait assessment to detect consistent associations with digit ratio (2D:4D). Journal of Research in Personality, 47(2), 171-177. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2012.10.007

Mueller, E. M., Evers, E. A., Wacker, J., & van der Veen, F. (2012). Acute tryptophan depletion attenuates brain-heart coupling following external feedback. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 6, 77. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2012.00077

Wacker, J., Mueller, E. M., Hennig, J., & Stemmler. G. (2012). How to consistently link extraversion and intelligence to the catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) gene: On defining and measuring psychological phenotypes in neurogenetic research. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102, 427-444.

Chavanon, M.-L., Wacker, J., & Stemmler, G. (2011). Agentic extraversion predicts frontoparietal theta activity and rostral anterior cingulate activity. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 11, 172-185.

Köhler, S., Wacker, J., Odorfer, T., Reif, A., Fallgatter, A. J., & Herrmann, M. J. (2011). Resting posterior versus frontal EEG slow wave activity is associated with extraversion and DRD2 genotype. Biological Psychology, 87, 407-413.

Müller, E. M., Hennig, J., Stemmler, G., & Wacker, J. (2011). Dopamine effects on human error processing depend on COMT VAL158MET genotype. Journal of Neuroscience, 31, 15818-15825.

Wacker, J. (2011). With great power comes great responsibility: Meta-analytic proof for a timeless insight. Biological Psychiatry, 69, e37.

Mueller, E. M., Stemmler, G., & Wacker, J. (2010). Single-trial EEG predicts cardiac acceleration: A time-lagged P-correlation approach for studying neurovisceral connectivity. Neuroscience, 166(2), 491-500.

Stemmler, G., & Wacker, J. (2010). Personality, emotion, and individual differences in physiological responses. Biological Psychology, 84, 541-551.

Wacker, J., Chavanon, M. L., Leue, A., & Stemmler, G. (2010). Trait BIS predicts alpha asymmetry and P300 in a go/no-go task. European Journal of Personality, 24(2),, 85-105.

Wacker, J., Chavanon, M.-L., & Stemmler, G. (2010). Resting EEG signatures of agentic extraversion: New results and meta-analytic integration. Journal of Research in Personality, 44, 167-179.

Wacker, J., & Gatt., J. M. (2010). Resting posterior versus frontal delta/theta EEG activity is associated with extraversion and the COMT VAL158MET polymorphism. Neuroscience Letters, 478, 88-92.

Leue, A., Chavanon, M.-L., Wacker, J., & Stemmler, G. (2009). On the differentiation of N2-components in an appetitive choice task: Evidence for the revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory. Psychophysiology, 46, 1244-1257.

Wacker, J., Dillon, D. G., & Pizzagalli, D. A. (2009). The role of the nucleus accumbens and rostral anterior cingulate cortex in anhedonia: Integration of resting EEG, fMRI, and volumetric techniques. NeuroImage, 46, 327-337.

Crost, N. W., Pauls, C. A., & Wacker, J. (2008). Defensiveness and anxiety predict frontal EEG asymmetry only in specific situational contexts. Biological Psychology, 78(1), 43-52.

Kemper, C. J., Leue, A., Wacker, J., Chavanon, M.-L., Hennighausen, E., & Stemmler, G. (2008). Agentic extraversion as a predictor of effort-related cardiovascular response. Biological Psychology, 78(2), 191-199.

Wacker, J., Chavanon, M.-L., Leue, A., & Stemmler, G. (2008). Is running away right? The behavioral activation-behavioral inhibition model of anterior asymmetry. Emotion, 8(2), 232-249.

Chavanon, M.-L., Stemmler, G., & Wacker, J. (2008). A cognitive-affective extension to reinforcement sensitivity. European Journal of Personality, 22(5), 391-393.

Chavanon, M.-L., Wacker, J., Leue, A., & Stemmler, G. (2007). Evidence for a dopaminergic link between working memory and agentic extraversion: An analysis for load-related changes in EEG alpha 1 activity. Biological Psychology, 74, 46-59.

Stemmler, G., Aue, T., & Wacker, J. (2007). Anger and fear: Separable effects of emotion and motivational direction on somatovisceral responses. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 66, 141-153.

Wacker, J., Chavanon, M.-L., & Stemmler, G. (2006). Investigating the dopaminergic basis of extraversion in humans: A multilevel approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91(1), 171-187.

Wacker, J., & Stemmler, G. (2006). Agentic extraversion modulates the cardiovascular effects of the dopamine D2 agonist bromocriptine. Psychophysiology, 43, 372-381.

Pauls, C. A., Wacker, J., & Crost, N. W. (2005). The two components of social desirability and their relations to resting frontal brain asymmetry. Journal of Individual Differences, 26(1),29-42.

Wacker, J., Reuter, M., Hennig, J., & Stemmler, G. (2005). Sexually dimorphic link between dopamine D2 receptor gene and neuroticism-anxiety. Neuroreport, 16(6), 611-614.

Wacker, J., Heldmann, M., & Stemmler, G. (2003). Separating emotion and motivational direction in fear and anger: Effects on frontal asymmetry. Emotion, 3, 167-193

Books

Wacker, J., DeYoung C., & Mueller, E.M. (2024). Personality Neuroscience. In P. Corr & D. Krupić (Eds.), Psychology of Individual Differences: Intelligence and Personality in Action. New York: Oxford University Press.

Wacker, J. (2005). Dopamin, Handlungssteuerung und Spontan-EEG: Bausteine einer psychobiologischen Extraversionstheorie. Berlin: Logos.

• Biopsychologische Emotions- und Persönlichkeitsforschung
• Persönlichkeit und soziale Interaktion