Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology

Team Prof. Dr. Daria Knoch (Ordinaria, chair)

Prof. Dr. Daria Knoch

Chair

Phone
+41 31 684 54 32
E-Mail
daria.knoch@unibe.ch
Office
A 345
Postal Address
University of Bern
Institute of Psychology
Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology
Fabrikstrasse 8
3012 Bern / Switzerland
Consultation Hour
Tuesdays from 14:30 to 15:30 - after prior arrangement by phone with the secretary (Daniela Kalbermatter).

Professional Interests

My research interests lie in the social and neurobiological aspects of social issues such as fairness, altruism, intergroup hostility, prosocial behavior, norm enforcement and norm violation and selfishness. I combine tools principally from Neuroscience, Social Psychology, and Behavioral Economics to study social decision making. 

Key research questions are:

  • Are humans inherently prosocial or does prosocial behavior require deliberate self-restraint?
  • Are there any neural markers that explain individual differences in social preferences?
  • Can differences in brain structure and resting brain function predict individual differences in social behavior?
  • Can we modulate self-control processes in social contexts with brain stimulation techniques or pharmacological substances?
  • Does self-regulatory training alter brain connectivity and morphometry and do these changes predict greater self-regulatory success in social contexts?

Selected Publications

 

Studler, M.*, Gianotti, L.R.R.*, Lobmaier, J., Maric, A. & Knoch, D. (2024). Human prosocial preferences are related to slow-wave activity in sleep. Journal of Neuroscience. (*shared first co-authorship).

Link to article.
Guizar Rosales, E.*, Baumgartner, T.* & Knoch, D. (2022). Interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainable behavior are associated with cortical thickness of the dorsomedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Neuroimage. (*shared first co-authorship). 

Link to article. 
Studler, M.*, Gianotti, L.R.R. *, Koch, K., Hausfeld, J., Tarokh, L., Maric, A. & Knoch, D. (2022). Local slow-wave activity over the right prefrontal cortex reveals individual risk preferences. Neuroimage. (*shared first co-authorship).

Link to article.
Langenbach, B.P., Savic, B., Baumgartner, T., Wyss, A.M. & Knoch, D. (2021). Mentalizing with the future: Electrical stimulation of the right TPJ increases sustainable decision-making. Cortex. 

Link to article. 
Lobmaier, J.S., Fischbacher, U., Wirtmüller, U., Knoch, D. (2018). The scent of attractiveness: levels of reproductive hormones explain individual differences in women’s body odour. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 285: 20181520

Link to article
  Rudorf, S., Schmelz, K., Baumgartner, T., Wiest, R., Fischbacher, U., Knoch, D. (2018). Neural mechanisms underlying individual differences in control-averse behavior. Journal of Neuroscience.

Link to article.
Schiller, B.*, Gianotti, L.R.R*, Baumgartner, T., Nash K., Koenig, T. & Knoch, D. (2016). Clocking the social mind by identifying mental processes in the IAT with electrical neuroimaging. PNAS, 113 (10), 2786-2791.(*shared first co-authorship).

Link to article.
  Baumgartner, T.*, Knoch, D.*, Hotz, P., Eisengger, C., & Fehr, E.(2011). Dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortex orchestrate normative choice. Nature Neuroscience, 14, 1468-1474.  (*shared first co-authorship). download (pdf, 667KB)
  Figner, B., Knoch, D., Johnson, E.J., Krosch, A.R., Lisanby, S.H., Fehr, E., & Weber, E.U. (2010). Lateral prefrontal cortex and self-control in intertemporal choice. Nature Neuroscience, 13, 538–539. download (pdf, 175KB)
Knoch, D.*, Gianotti, L.*, Baumgartner, T., & Fehr, E. (2010). A neural marker of costly punishment behavior. Psychological Science,21, 337–342. (*shared first co-authorship). download (pdf, 426KB)
Knoch, D., Schneider, F., Schunk, D., Hohmann, M., & Fehr, E. (2009). Disrupting the prefrontal cortex diminishes the human ability to build a good reputation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 106, 20895–20899. download (pdf, 735KB)
Knoch, D.*, Nitsche, M.*, Fischbacher, U., Eisenegger, C., Pascual-Leone, A., & Fehr, E. (2008). Studying the neurobiology of social interaction behavior with transcranial direct current stimulation – The example of punishing unfairness. Cerebral Cortex, 18, 1987–1990. (*shared first co-authorship). download (pdf, 218KB)
Knoch, D., Pascual-Leone, A., Meyer, K., Treyer, V., & Fehr, E. (2006). Diminishing reciprocal fairness by disrupting the right prefrontal cortex. Science, 314, 829–832. download (pdf, 164KB)

Selected Publications by Topic

 

Neuromodulation of decision making behavior
Wyss, A.M., Baumgartner, T., Guizar Rosales, E., Soutschek, A. & Knoch, D. (2024). Cathodal HD-tDCS above the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex increases environmentally sustainable decision-making. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Link to article.
Langenbach, B.P., Savic, B., Baumgartner, T., Wyss, A.M. & Knoch, D. (2021). Mentalizing with the future: Electrical stimulation of the right TPJ increases sustainable decision-making. Cortex. Link to article. 
Langenbach, B.P.*, Baumgartner, T.*, Cazzoli, D.,  Müri, R.M. & Knoch, D. (2019). Inhibition of the right dlPFC by theta burst stimulation does not alter sustainable decision-making. Scientific reports.  (*shared first co-authorship). Link to article.

Pedroni, A., Eisenegger, C., Hartmann, M. N., Fischbacher, U., & Knoch, D. (2014). Dopaminergic stimulation increases selfish behavior in the absence of punishment threat. Psychopharmacology, 231, 135-141. download (pdf, 212KB)

Baumgartner, T., Schiller, B., Rieskamp, J., Gianotti, L. R., & Knoch, D. (2014). Diminishing parochialism in intergroup conflict by disrupting the right temporo-parietal junction. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 9, 653-660. download (pdf, 251KB)

Eisenegger, C., Pedroni, A., Rieskamp, J., Zehnder, C., Ebstein, R., Fehr, E., & Knoch, D. (2013). DAT1 Polymorphism Determines L-DOPA Effects on Learning about Others’ Prosociality. PloS one, 8, e67820. download (pdf, 342KB)
Baumgartner, T.*, Knoch, D.*, Hotz, P., Eisengger, C., & Fehr, E.(2011). Dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortex orchestrate normative choice. Nature Neuroscience, 14, 1468-1474.  (*shared first co-authorship). download (pdf, 667KB)
Eisenegger, C.*, Knoch, D.*, Ebstein, R.P., Gianotti, L., Sandor, P., & Fehr, E. (2010). DRD4 polymorphism predicts the effect of L-DOPA on gambling behavior. Biological Psychiatry, 67, 702–706 (*shared first co-authorship). download (pdf, 292KB)

Figner, B., Knoch, D., Johnson, E.J., Krosch, A.R., Lisanby, S.H., Fehr, E., & Weber, E.U. (2010).Lateral prefrontal cortex and self-control in intertemporal choice. Nature Neuroscience, 13, 538–539. download (pdf, 175KB)

Knoch, D., Schneider, F., Schunk, D., Hohmann, M., & Fehr, E. (2009). Disrupting the prefrontal cortex diminishes the human ability to build a good reputation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 106, 20895–20899. download (pdf, 735KB)

Knoch, D.*, Nitsche, M.*, Fischbacher, U., Eisenegger, C., Pascual-Leone, A., & Fehr, E. (2008). Studying the neurobiology of social interaction behavior with transcranial direct current stimulation – The example of punishing unfairness. Cerebral Cortex, 18, 1987–1990. (*shared first co-authorship). download (pdf, 218KB)

Knoch, D., & Fehr, E. (2007). Resisting the power of temptations: The right prefrontal cortex and self-control. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1104, 123-134. download (pdf, 518KB)
Fecteau, S., Knoch, D., Fregni, F., Sultani, N., Boggio, P., & Pascual-Leone, A. (2007). Diminishing risk-taking behavior by modulating activity in the prefrontal cortex: a direct current stimulation study. The Journal of Neuroscience, 27, 12500-12505. download (pdf, 173KB)
Knoch, D. (2007). Funktionelle Hemisphärenasymmetrie der Selbstkontrolle? Zeitschrift für Neuropsychologie, 18, 183–192. download (pdf, 333KB)
Knoch, D., Gianotti, L. R., Pascual-Leone, A., Treyer, V., Regard, M., Hohmann, M., & Brugger, P. (2006). Disruption of right prefrontal cortex by low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation induces risk-taking behavior. The Journal of Neuroscience, 26, 6469-6472. download (pdf, 152KB)
Knoch, D., Pascual-Leone, A., Meyer, K., Treyer, V., & Fehr, E. (2006). Diminishing reciprocal fairness by disrupting the right prefrontal cortex. Science, 314, 829-832. download (pdf, 164KB)
Knoch, D., Brugger, P., & Regard, M. (2005). Suppressing versus releasing a habit: frequency-dependent effects of prefrontal transcranial magnetic stimulation.Cerebral Cortex, 15, 885-887. download (pdf, 130KB)
.

Individual differences in decision making behavior
Wunderlin, M.*, Studler, M.*, Gianotti, L.R.R., Züst, M.A. & Knoch, D. (2024). Interindividual differences in mindfulness are linked to sleep-electroencephalographic characteristics. Sleep. (*shared first co-authorship). Link to article.
Studler, M.*, Gianotti, L.R.R.*, Lobmaier, J., Maric, A. & Knoch, D. (2024). Human prosocial preferences are related to slow-wave activity in sleep. Journal of Neuroscience. (*shared first co-authorship). Link to article.
Lobmaier, J.S. & Knoch, D. (2024). Face coverings increase apparent honesty and cooperativeness. Scientific Reports. Link to article.
Wyss, A.M., Berger, S. & Knoch, D. (2023). Pro-environmental behavior in a common-resource dilemma: The role of beliefs. Journal of Environmental Psychology. Link to article. 
Baumgartner, T.*, Guizar Rosales E.* & Knoch, D. (2023). Neural mechanisms underlying interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainable behavior. Scientific Reports. (*shared first co-authorship). Link to article. 
Globig, L.K.*, Gianotti, L.R.R.*, Ponsi, G., Koenig, T., Dahinden, F.M. & Knoch, D. (2023). The path of dishonesty: identification of mental processes with electrical neuroimaging. Cerebral Cortex. (* shared-first co-authorship). Link to article. 
Guizar Rosales, E.*, Baumgartner, T.* & Knoch, D. (2022). Interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainable behavior are associated with cortical thickness of the dorsomedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Neuroimage. (*shared first co-authorship). Link to article. 
Studler, M.*, Gianotti, L.R.R. *, Koch, K., Hausfeld, J., Tarokh, L., Maric, A. & Knoch, D. (2022). Local slow-wave activity over the right prefrontal cortex reveals individual risk preferences.  Neuroimage. (*shared first co-authorship). Link to article.
Wyss, A.M., Knoch, D. & Berger, S. (2022). When and how pro-environmental attitudes turn into behavior: The role of costs, benefits, and self-control. Journal of Environmental Psychology. Link to article.  
Wyss, A. M., Berger, S., Baumgartner, T. & Knoch, D. (2021). Reactions to warnings in the climate commons. Journal of Environmental Psychology. Link to article
Baumgartner, T.*, Hausfeld, J.*, dos Santos, M. & Knoch, D. (2021). Who initiates punishment, who joins punishment? Disentangling types of third-party punishers by neural traits. Human Brain Mapping. (*shared first co-authorship). Link to article. 
Wyss, A. & Knoch, D. (2021). Neuroscientific approaches to study prosociality. Current Opinion in Psychology. Link to article 
Koch K., Gianotti L.R.R., Hausfeld J., Studler M. & Knoch D. (2021). Different behavioral types of distributional preferences are characterized by distinct neural signatures. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. Link to article
Lobmaier, J.S., Savic, B., Baumgartner, T. & Knoch, D. (2021). The cone of direct gaze: A stable trait. Frontiers in Psychology. Link to article. 

Baumgartner, T., Lobmaier, J.S., Ruffieux, N. & Knoch, D. (2021). Feeling of guilt explains why people react differently to resource depletion warnings. Scientific reports. Link to article. 
Dos Santos, M. & Knoch, D. (2020). Explaining the evolution of parochial punishment in humans. Evolution and Human Behavior. Link to article. 
Hausfeld, J., Fischbacher, U. & Knoch, D. (2020). The value of decision-making power in social decisions. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization Link to article. 
Lobmaier, J.S., Probst, F., Fischbacher, U., Wirthmüller, U. & Knoch, D. (2020). Pleasant body odours, but not genetic similarity, influence trustworthiness in a modified trust game. Scientific reports. Link to article. 
Baumgartner, T.*, Dahinden, F.M.*, Gianotti, L.R.R. & Knoch, D. (2019). Neural traits characterize unconditional cooperators, conditional cooperators, and noncooperators in group‐based cooperation. Human Brain Mapping. (*shared first co-authorship).  Link to article.
Langenbach, B.P., Berger, S., Baumgartner, T. & Knoch, D. (2019). Cognitive resources moderate the relationship between pro-environmental attitudes and green behavior.Environment and Behavior. Link to article
Rudorf, S., Baumgartner, T., Knoch, D. (2019). Peer effects on control-averse behavior. Scientific reports. Link to article.
Schiller, B.*, Gianotti, L.R.R.*, Baumgartner, T., Knoch, D. (2019). Theta resting EEG in the right TPJ is associated with individual differences in implicit intergroup bias. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. (*shared first co-authorship). Link to article. 
Baumgartner, T.*, Langenbach, B.P.*, Gianotti, L.R.R., Müri, R.M. & Knoch, D. (2019). Frequency of everyday proenvironmental behaviour is explained by baseline activation in lateral prefrontal cortex. Scientific reports. (*shared first co-authorship). Link to article 
Gianotti, L.R.R.*, Dahinden, F.M.*, Baumgartner, T. & Knoch, D. (2018). Understanding Individual Differences in Domain-General Prosociality: A Resting EEG Study.Brain Topography. (*shared first co-authorship). Link to article
Gianotti, L.R.R.*, Nash, K.*, Baumgartner, T., Dahinden, F.M. & Knoch, D. (2018). Neural signatures of different behavioral types in fairness norm compliance. Scientific reports. (*shared first co-authorship). Link to article
Saulin, A.*, Baumgartner, T.*, Gianotti, L.R.R., Hofmann, W. & Knoch, D. (2018). Frequency of helping friends and helping strangers is explained by different neural signatures. Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience. (*shared first co-authorship). Link to article
Lobmaier, J.S., Fischbacher, U., Wirtmüller, U., Knoch, D. (2018). The scent of attractiveness: levels of reproductive hormones explain individual differences in women’s body odour. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 285: 20181520 Link to article
Rudorf, S., Baumgartner, T., Markett, S., Schmelz, K., Wiest, R., Fischbacher, U., Knoch, D. (2018).  Intrinsic connectivity networks underlying individual differences in control-averse behavior. Human Brain Mapping. Link to article
Calluso, C., Saulin, A., Baumgartner, T. & Knoch, D. (2018). Distinct patterns of cognitive conflict dynamics in promise keepers and promise breakers. Frontiers in Psychology. Link to article.
Rudorf, S., Schmelz, K., Baumgartner, T., Wiest, R., Fischbacher, U., Knoch, D. (2018). Neural mechanisms underlying individual differences in control-averse behavior. Journal of Neuroscience.

Link to article.
Gianotti, L.R.R.*, Lobmaier, J.S.*, Calluso, C. Dahinden, F.M., Knoch, D. (2017). Theta resting EEG in TPJ/pSTS is associated with individual differences in the feeling of being looked at. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 1-8. (*shared first co-authership). Download (PDF, 394KB)
Probst,  F.*, Fischbacher, U.*, Lobmaier, J.S., Wirthmüller, U., Knoch, D. (2017). Men’s preferences for women’s body odours are not associated with human leucocyte antigen. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 284: 20171830. (*shared first co-authorship) Link to article
Nash, K.*, Baumgartner, T.*, Knoch, D. (2017). Group-focused morality is associated with limited conflict detection and resolution capacity: Neuroanatomical evidence. Biological Psychology, 123, 235-240. (*shared first co-authorship). Download (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Baumgartner, T., Saulin, A., Hein, G., Knoch, D. (2016). Structural Differences in Insular Cortex Reflect Vicarious Injustice Sensitivity. PLoS ONE 11(12): e0167538. Link to article.
Pedroni, A., Gianotti, L.R.R., Koenig, T. Lehmann, D., Faber, P., Knoch. D. (2016). Temporal characteristics of EEG Microstates mediate trial-by-trial risk taking. Brain Topography.  download (PDF, 909KB)
Schiller, B.*, Gianotti, L.R.R*, Baumgartner, T., Nash K., Koenig, T. & Knoch, D. (2016). Clocking the social mind by identifying mental processes in the IAT with electrical neuroimaging. PNAS, 113 (10), 2786-2791.(*shared first co-authorship). Link to article.

Baumgartner, T., Nash, K., Hill, C., & Knoch, D. (2015). Neuroanatomy of intergroup bias: A white matter microstructure study of individual differences. Neuroimage, 122,345-354.  download (pdf, 1.0 MB)

Nash, K., Gianotti, L.R.R., Knoch, D. (2015). A neural trait approach to exploring individual differences in social preferences. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. Link to article.

Friese*, M., Gianotti*, L.R.R, Knoch, D. (2016). The Association Between Implicit Alcohol Attitudes and Drinking Behavior is Moderated by Baseline Activation in the Lateral Prefrontal Cortex. Health Psychology, 35 (8), 837-841. (*equal first authorship). 
Schiller, B.*, Baumgartner, T.*, & Knoch, D. (2014). Intergroup bias in third-party punishment stems from both ingroup favoritism and outgroup discrimination.Evolution and Human Behavior, 35, 169-175. (*shared first co-authership). download (pdf, 432KB)
Schiller, B.*, Gianotti, L. R.*, Nash, K., & Knoch, D. (2014). Individual differences in inhibitory control—Relationship between baseline activation in lateral PFC and an electrophysiological index of response inhibition. Cerebral Cortex, 24, 2430-2435. (*shared first co-authership). download (pdf, 371KB)

Nash, K., Schiller, B., Gianotti, L. R., Baumgartner, T., & Knoch, D. (2013). Electrophysiological Indices of Response Inhibition in a Go/NoGo Task Predict Self-Control in a Social Context. PloS one, 8, e79462. uthership).

Baumgartner, T., Gianotti, L. R., & Knoch, D. (2013). Who is honest and why: Baseline activation in anterior insula predicts inter-individual differences in deceptive behavior. Biological Psychology, 94, 192-197 download (pdf, 878KB)

Baumgartner, T., Schiller, B., Hill, C., & Knoch, D. (2013). Impartiality in humans is predicted by brain structure of dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Neuroimage, 81, 317-324. download (pdf, 578KB)

Gianotti, L. R., Figner, B., Ebstein, R. P., & Knoch, D. (2012). Why some people discount more than others: baseline activation in the dorsal PFC mediates the link between COMT genotype and impatient choice. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 6, 1-7. download (pdf, 832KB)
Knoch, D.*, Gianotti, L. R.*, Baumgartner, T., & Fehr, E. (2010). A neural marker of costly punishment behavior. Psychological Science, 21, 337-342. (*shared first co-authorship). download (pdf, 426KB)
Gianotti, L. R.*, Knoch, D.*, Faber, P. L., Lehmann, D., Pascual-Marqui, R. D., Diezi, C., Eisenegger, C.,& Fehr, E. (2009). Tonic activity level in the right prefrontal cortex predicts individuals' risk taking. Psychological Science, 20, 33-38. (*shared first co-authorship). download (pdf, 264KB)
 

TMS/tDCS – methodological and ethical aspects
Langenbach, B.P.*, Savic, B.*, Baumgartner, T., Knoch, D. (2020). Repeated anodal HD-tDCS stimulation might render silver chloride electrodes unreliable. Brain Stimulation, 13, 525-526. (*shared first co-authorship). Link to article.

Eisenegger, C., Treyer, V., Fehr, E., & Knoch, D. (2008). Time-course of “off-line” prefrontal rTMS effects—a PET study. Neuroimage, 42, 379-384. download (pdf, 367KB)

Knoch, D., Pascual-Leone, A., & Fehr, E. (2007). The ethics of transcranial magnetic stimulation-Response. Science, 315, 1663-1664. download  (pdf, 262KB)

Knoch, D., Treyer, V., Regard, M., Müri, R. M., Buck, A., & Weber, B. (2006). Lateralized and frequency-dependent effects of prefrontal rTMS on regional cerebral blood flow. Neuroimage, 31, 641-648. download (pdf, 240KB)
 

Synaesthesia

Brugger, P., Loetscher, T., Graves, R. E., & Knoch, D. (2007). Semantic, perceptual and number space: Relations between category width and spatial processing. Neuroscience Letters, 418, 133-137. download (pdf, 134KB)

Burrack, A., Knoch, D., & Brugger, P. (2006). Mitempfindung in Synaesthetes: Co-incidence or Meaningful Association? Cortex, 42, 151-154. download (pdf, 89KB)

Knoch, D., Gianotti, L. R., Mohr, C., & Brugger, P. (2005). Synesthesia: when colors count. Cognitive Brain Research, 25, 372-374. download (pdf, 133KB)
Brugger, P., Knoch, D., Mohr, C., & Gianotti, L. R. (2004). Is digit-color synaesthesia strictly unidirectional? Preliminary evidence for an implicitly colored number space in three synaesthetes. Acta Neuropsychologica, 2, 252-258. download (pdf, 4.7 MB)