Dr Charlotte Krahe

School of Psychology

Research interests:

My research seeks to explain the psychological and neurobiological pathways by which humans integrate social context with its all its complexity into their experience of emotions, from relatively fleeting sensations in our bodies to longer-term experiences of pain, anxiety and depression. How are these pathways influenced by how we view others and ourselves in social interactions, and how are they shaped by our early interpersonal experiences?

Examples of topics I am investigating:
1) Psychological and neurobiological processes by which social interactions (e.g., social support, touch) from partners and healthcare professionals influence acute and chronic pain
2) Cognitive biases which maintain repetitive negative thinking (e.g., worry and rumination) in anxiety and depression and how these can be altered through interventions such as cognitive bias modification
3) Perception of slow, gentle “affective” touch from self and others, and its modulation e.g., by depression and attachment styles
4) Investigating the above in specific populations such as in women in the perinatal period and in healthcare professionals

Method/analysis:
I use quantitative methods from experimental psychology and social cognitive neuroscience: Experimental studies, cross-sectional studies, and intervention studies with multiple time points, measuring behavioural outcomes and event-related potentials (ERPs). I have also developed and psychometrically evaluated new measures. I am committed to patient and public involvement in all aspects of my research.

Example teaching topics:
The neuroscience of pain; effects of social factors on pain; theoretical models of anxiety and depression; research methods and statistics, including research methods in experimental psychology, electroencephalography (EEG) and event-relate potential (ERP) methods; social cognitive neuroscience.

Academic appointments

Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, 2022 - present
Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool, 2019 - 2022
Post-Doctoral Research Psychologist, King's College London, 2015 - 2019

Journal article

Beal EM, Slade P, Krahé C. 2023. Cognitive Processing Biases Associated With Fear of Childbirth Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 99 :1 DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Tinker VC, Trotter PD, Krahé C. 2023. Depression severity is associated with reduced pleasantness of observed social touch and fewer current intimate touch experiences Hensel DJ. PLOS ONE, 18 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Cross H, Krahé C, Spiby H, Slade P. 2023. Do antenatal preparation and obstetric complications and procedures interact to affect birth experience and postnatal mental health? BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 23 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Krahé C, Meeten F, Hirsch CR. 2022. Development and psychometric evaluation of a scrambled sentences test specifically for worry in individuals with generalised anxiety disorder Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 91 DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Feng Y-C, Krahé C, Koster EHW, Lau JYF, Hirsch CR. 2022. Cognitive processes predict worry and anxiety under different stressful situations Behaviour Research and Therapy, 157 DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Collins A, Scott RB, Hirsch CR, Ottaviani C, Krahé C, Meeten F. 2022. A systematic review of the literature on interpretation bias and its physiological correlates Biological Psychology, 173 :108398-108398 DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Fotopoulou A, von Mohr M, Krahé C. 2021. Affective regulation through touch: homeostatic and allostatic mechanisms Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 43 :80-87 DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Hirsch CR, Krahé C, Whyte J, Krzyzanowski H, Meeten F, Norton S, Mathews A. 2021. Internet-Delivered Interpretation Training Reduces Worry and Anxiety in Individuals With Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Experiment Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 89 :575-589 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Hirsch CR, Krahé C, Whyte J, Bridge L, Loizou S, Norton S, Mathews A. 2020. Effects of modifying interpretation bias on transdiagnostic repetitive negative thinking. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 88 :226-239 DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Feng Y-C, Krahé C, Meeten F, Sumich A, Mok CLM, Hirsch CR. 2019. Impact of imagery-enhanced interpretation training on offline and online interpretations in worry Behaviour Research and Therapy, 124 DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Feng YC, Krahé C, Sumich A, Meeten F, Lau JYF, Hirsch CR. 2019. Using event-related potential and behavioural evidence to understand interpretation bias in relation to worry Biological Psychology, 148 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Krahé C, Whyte J, Bridge L, Loizou S, Hirsch CR. 2019. Are Different Forms of Repetitive Negative Thinking Associated With Interpretation Bias in Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression? Clinical Psychological Science, 7 :969-981 DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Krahé C, von Mohr M, Gentsch A, Guy L, Vari C, Nolte T, Fotopoulou A. 2018. Sensitivity to CT-optimal, Affective Touch Depends on Adult Attachment Style Scientific Reports, 8 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Mohr MV, Krahé C, Beck B, Fotopoulou A. 2018. The social buffering of pain by affective touch: A laser-evoked potential study in romantic couples Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 13 :1121-1130 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Kirsch LP, Krahé C, Blom N, Crucianelli L, Moro V, Jenkinson PM, Fotopoulou A. 2018. Reading the mind in the touch: Neurophysiological specificity in the communication of emotions by touch Neuropsychologia, 116 :136-149 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Murray E, Krahé C, Goodsman D. 2018. Are medical students in prehospital care at risk of moral injury? Emergency Medicine Journal, 35 :590-594 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Crucianelli L, Krahé C, Jenkinson PM, Fotopoulou A. 2018. Interoceptive ingredients of body ownership: Affective touch and cardiac awareness in the rubber hand illusion Cortex, 104 :180-192 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Krahé C, Mathews A, Whyte J, Hirsch CR. 2016. Cognitive bias modification for interpretation with and without prior repetitive negative thinking to reduce worry and rumination in generalised anxiety disorder and depression: Protocol for a multisession experimental study with an active control condition BMJ Open, 6 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Krahé C, Drabek MM, Paloyelis Y, Fotopoulou A. 2016. Affective touch and attachment style modulate pain: A laser-evoked potentials study Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 371 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Graham CD, Gouick J, Krahé C, Gillanders D. 2016. A systematic review of the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in chronic disease and long-term conditions Clinical Psychology Review, 46 :46-58 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Paloyelis Y, Krahé C, Maltezos S, Williams SC, Howard MA, Fotopoulou A. 2016. The Analgesic Effect of Oxytocin in Humans: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Cross-Over Study Using Laser-Evoked Potentials Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 28 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Hirsch CR, Meeten F, Krahé C, Reeder C. 2016. Resolving Ambiguity in Emotional Disorders: The Nature and Role of Interpretation Biases Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 12 :281-305 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Ricciardi L, Demartini B, Crucianelli L, Krahé C, Edwards MJ, Fotopoulou A. 2016. Interoceptive awareness in patients with functional neurological symptoms Biological Psychology, 113 :68-74 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Friedlingstein P. 2015. Carbon cycle feedbacks and future climate change. Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences, 373 :20140421 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Krahé C, Hahn U, Whitney K. 2015. Is seeing (musical) believing? the eye versus the ear in emotional responses to music Psychology of Music, 43 :140-148 DOI Publisher Url

Krahé C, Paloyelis Y, Condon H, Jenkinson PM, Williams SCR, Fotopoulou A. 2014. Attachment style moderates partner presence effects on pain: A laser-evoked potentials study Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 10 :1030-1037 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Krahé C, Paloyelis Y, Sambo CF, Fotopoulou A. 2014. I like it when my partner holds my hand: Development of the responses and attitudes to support during pain questionnaire (RASP) Frontiers in Psychology, 5 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Krahé C, Springer A, Weinman JA, Fotopoulou A. 2013. The social modulation of pain: Others as predictive signals of salience - a systematic review Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, DOI Author Url Publisher Url

preprint

Krahe C, Fotopoulou A, Hammond C, Banissy MJ, KOUKOUTSAKIS A, Jenkinson PM. 2023. The meaning of touch: Relational and individual variables shape emotions and intentions associated with imagined social touch Center for Open Science DOI Publisher Url

Fotopoulou A, Von Mohr M, Krahé C. 2021. Affective Regulation Through Touch: Homeostatic and Allostatic Mechanisms Center for Open Science DOI Publisher Url

Chapters

Krahé C, Fotopoulou A. 2018. Psychological and neurobiological processes in coping with pain: The role of social interactions Murphy PN. The Routledge International Handbook of Psychobiology :73-92 Routledge. London 9781315642765 DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Award:

The Royal Society Pairing Scheme, pairing research scientists with UK parliamentarians and civil servants, The Royal Society, https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/pairing-scheme/. 2023

Award Lecture Winner at the British Science Festival, British Science Association, https://www.britishscienceassociation.org/news/award-lectures-british-science-festival-2022. 2022

2nd prize for 'Patient with CRPS Days' and 'FMS/CRPS discussion groups', University of Liverpool’s 2019 Faculty Public and Patient Involvement Awards. 2019

Teaching qualification:

Postgraduate Certificate Academic Practice. 2022

External committees:

British Science Association Psychology Section, British Science Association, Committee member, https://sites.google.com/site/bsapsychology/who-we-are. 2022

External PGR Supervision - completed students:

University of Liverpool, Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy), An exploration of interpersonal touch in relation to mental health difficulties. 2022

University of Liverpool, Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy), Examining the role of cognitive processes in eating disorders and transdiagnostic repetitive negative thinking. 2022

University of Liverpool, Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy), In harm’s way: Compassion, forgiveness, and moral injury in emergency work. 2022

University of Liverpool, Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy), The EXPECTING Study: EXPloring pattErns of Common ThinkING styles in pregnancy. 2022

University of Liverpool, Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy), The experience of and subsequent psychological and professional impact of witnessing childbirth. 2021

University of Liverpool, Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Women’s experiences of antenatal preparation, obstetric complications and procedures, and postnatal mental health. 2021

King's College London, PhD, Investigating electrophysiological correlates of interpretation bias and its malleability using cognitive bias modification. 2020

University College London, PhD, The soothing function of touch: Experimental and neuroimaging studies. 2018

King's College London, Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy), Modification of interpretation biases in worry: an examination of cognitive and physiological responses. 2017

King's College London, Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy), Shared and contrasting features of episodes of rumination and worry. 2017

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