GRIT HERZMANN, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience

The College of Wooster

Curriculum Vitae

Education and Positions

Chair, Neuroscience Program, 2022 - present

Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, 2019 - present

Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, 2013 - 2019

Postdoctoral Associate at University of Colorado at Boulder, 2009 - 2013

Adjunct Instructor at Indiana University, Fall 2012

Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from the Humboldt University Berlin, Germany, in 2008

M.S. in Psychology from the Humboldt University Berlin, Germany, in 2003

My Research Interests

At some point in all of our lives, we have wondered why we can remember one thing but not another, or why we cannot recognize a person who remembers us right away. My research focuses on the neural processes that give rise to abilities in memory and perception, and investigates how environmental factors and traits of an individual influence these processes. To study such brain-behavior relationships, I combine event-related potentials (ERPs), which measure the brain activation of cognitive functions, with behavioral indicators of memory and perception.

One line of research investigates the underlying mechanisms of the other-race effect by manipulating learning situations and testing whether or not they are able to reduce the other-race effect. Another line of research examines whether celebrity status, that is remote experience with people through media but not personal contact, can minimize the other-race effect. Understanding the perceptual and memory processes that underlie the other-race effect in face memory may be able to diminish racial biases present in everyday life.

Publications (*denotes undergraduate author)

32) Herzmann, G., *Ogle, O. & Curran, T. (2022). More elaborate processing of own-race faces and less elaborate processing of other-race faces contributes to the other-race effect in face memory. British Journal of Psychology: Special Issue. pdf

31) *Sendek, K., Herzmann, G., Pfeifer, V., & Lai, V. (2022). The impact of acquisition context on the affective perception of swear words. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 22, 362–382. pdf

30) *Kacin, M. & Herzmann, G. (2021). Facial expressions of anger improve neural correlates of memory retrieval but not encoding of same-race but not other-race faces. Neuropsychologia, 159, 107915. pdf

29) *Minor, G. & Herzmann, G. (2019). Effects of negative emotion on neural correlates of item and source memory during encoding and retrieval. Brain Research, 1718, 32-45. pdf

28) Herzmann, G., *Minor, G., & Curran, T. (2018). Neural evidence for the contribution of holistic processing but notattention allocation to the other-race effect on face memory. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 18(5), 1015-1033. pdf

27) Herzmann, G., *Minor, G., & *Adkins, M. (2017). Neural correlates of memory encoding and recognition for own-race and other-race faces in an associative-memory task. Brain Research, 1655, 194-203. pdf

26) Herzmann, G. (2016). Increased N250 amplitudes for other-race faces reflect more effortful processing at the individual level. International Journal Psychophysiology, 105, 57-65. pdf

25) Cho, Sun-Joo, Wilmer, J., Herzmann, G., McGugin, R.W., Fiset, D., Van Gulick, A.E., Ryan, K, & Gauthier, I. (2015). Item Response Theory Analyses of the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT). Psychological Assessment, 27, 552-566. pdf

24) Gauthier, I., McGugin, R.W., Richler, J.J., Herzmann, G., Speegle, M. & VanGulick, A.E. (2014). Experience moderates overlap between object and face recognition, suggesting a common ability. Journal of Vision, 14(8), 7. pdf

23) Dolzycka D, Herzmann G, Sommer W, Wilhelm O (2014). Can Training Enhance Face Cognition Abilities in Middle-Aged Adults? PLoS ONE, 9, e90249. pdf

22) Noh, E., Herzmann, G., Curran, T., & de Sa, V. (2014). Using single-trial EEG to predict and analyze subsequent memory. NeuroImage, 84, 712-723. pdf 

21) Herzmann, G. & Curran, T. (2013). Neural correlates of the in-group memory advantage on the encoding and recognition of faces.  PLoS ONE, 8, e82797. pdf

20) Herzmann, G., Bird, C. W., Freeman, M., & Curran, T. (2013). Effects of oxytocin on behavioral and brain measures of recognition memory for own-race and other-race faces in women and men. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 38, 2140-2151. pdf

19) Hildebrandt, A., Wilhelm, O., Herzmann, G., & Sommer, W. (2013). Face and object cognition across adult age. Psychology and Aging, 28, 243-248.

18) McGugin, R. W., Richler, J. J., Herzmann, G., Speegle, M., & Gauthier, I. (2012). The Vanderbilt Expertise Test reveals domain-general and domain-specific sex effects in object recognition. Vision Research, 69, 10-22. pdf

17) Herzmann, G., Jin, M., Cordes, D., & Curran, T. (2012). A within-subject ERP and fMRI investigation of orientation-specific recognition memory for pictures. Cognitive Neuroscience, 3, 174-193. pdf

16) Cordes, D., Herzmann, G., Nandy, R., & Curran, T. (2012). Optimization of contrast detection power with probabilistic behavioral information. NeuroImage, 60, 1788-99. pdf

15) Herzmann, G., Young, B., Bird, C. W., & Curran, T. (2012). Oxytocin can impair memory for social and non-social visual objects: A within-subject investigation of oxytocin's effects on human memory. Brain Research, 1451, 65-73. pdf

14) Dörr, P., Herzmann, G., & Sommer, W. (2011). Multiple sources of priming effects for famous faces: Analyses with backward masking and event-related potentials. British Journal of Psychology, 120, 765-782. pdf

13) Herzmann, G. & Curran, T. (2011). Experts’ memory: An ERP study of perceptual expertise effects on encoding and recognition. Memory & Cognition, 39, 412-432. pdf

12) Herzmann, G., Willenbockel, V., Tanaka, J. W., & Curran, T. (2011). The neural correlates of memory encoding and recognition of own-race and other-race faces. Neuropsychologia, 49, 3103-3115. pdf

11) Hildebrandt, A., Wilhelm, O., Schmiedek, F., Herzmann, G., & Sommer, W. (2011). On the specificity of face cognition compared to general cognitive functioning across adult age. Psychology and Aging, 26, 701-715. pdf

10) Ouyang, G., Herzmann, G., Zhou, C., & Sommer, W. (2011). Residue Iteration Decomposition (RIDE): a new method to separate ERP components on the basis of latency variability in single trials. Psychophysiology, 48, 1631-1647. pdf

9) Herzmann, G., Kunina, O., Sommer, W., & Wilhelm, O. (2010). Individual differences in face cognition: Brain-behavior relationships. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 22, 571-589. pdf

8) Herzmann, G. & Sommer, W. (2010). Effects of previous experience and biographical knowledge on retrieval processes of faces: An ERP investigation of newly learned faces. Brain Research, 1356, 54-72. pdf

7) Hildebrandt, A., Sommer, W., Herzmann, G., & Wilhelm, O. (2010). Structural invariance and age-related performance differences in face cognition. Psychology and Aging, 25, 794-810. pdf

6) Wilhelm, O., Herzmann, G., Kunina, O., Danthiir, V., Schacht, A., & Sommer, W. (2010). Individual differences in perceiving and recognizing faces—One element of social cognition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99, 530-548. pdf

5) Wilhelm, O., Hildebrandt, A., Herzmann, G., & Sommer, W. (2010). Computergestützes Testverfahren zur Erfassung gesichterspezifischer Denkleistungen-Berlin Face Test (BeFaT) [Computerized test battery for the measurement of face-related reasoning abilities-Berlin Face Test (BeFaT)]. Diagnostica, 2, 119-122. 

4) Herzmann, G., Danthiir, V., Schacht, A., Sommer, W., & Wilhelm, O. (2008). Toward a comprehensive test battery for face processing: Assessment of the tasks. Behavior Research Methods, 40, 840-857. pdf

3) Herzmann, G., Danthiir, V., Wilhelm. O. Sommer, W., & Schacht, A. (2007). Face memory: A cognitive and psychophysiological approach to the assessment of antecedents of emotional intelligence. In G. Matthews, M. Zeidner, & R. Roberts, The Science of Emotional Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pdf

2) Herzmann, G. & Sommer, W. (2007). Memory-related ERP components for experimentally learned faces and names: Characteristics and parallel-test reliabilities. Psychophysiology, 44, 262-276. pdf

1) Herzmann, G., Schweinberger, S. R., Sommer, W., & Jentzsch, I. (2004). What’s special about personally familiar faces? A multimodal approach. Psychophysiology, 41, 688-701. pdf

Posters (*denotes undergraduate author)

*Gonzales, K., *Pounds, N., & Herzmann, G. (2022). Systematic investigation of the quality of EEG recording in Black participants with natural curly hair. Poster submitted for presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).

*Gonzales, K., Herzmann, G. (2021). Addressing racial bias in EEG, the use of ActiCap flat electrodes in Black participants with natural coily hair, Herzmann Lab. Poster presented at the MidBrains-mGluRs, Virtual.

*Taté, M., Herzmann, G. (2021). Now you see me—Now you don’t: An investigation of hair alterations effect on face identification in own- and other-race faces. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Virtual.

*Sendek, K., Herzmann, G., Donahoo, S., Pfeifer, V., & Lai, V. (2020). The impact of acquisition context on the affective perception of swear words. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, Boston, USA.

*Kacin, M. & Herzmann, G. (2019). Anger and the other-race effect in a recognition memory task. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, USA.

Herzmann, G. & Curran, T. (2019). Levels-of-processing during memory encoding: An explanation for the other-race effect in face memory? Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, USA.

*Minor, G., *Adkins, M., & Herzmann, G. (2016). Familiarity and recollection of own-race and other-race faces measured with an objective memory-judgment task. Poster presented by undergraduate research assistants from my lab at the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, New York City, USA.

Herzmann, G. & Curran, T. (2016). Holistic processing but not attention allocation contributes to the own-race advantage in face recognition. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, New York City, USA.

Herzmann, G. (2015). The neural correlates of categorization and individuation of own-race and other-race faces. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Vision Science Society, St. Pete Beach, USA.

Herzmann, G. & Curran, T. (2012). Oxytocin and recognition memory—Behavioral and ERP effects on own-race and other-race faces, sub-processes of memory, and participant’s sex. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, New Orleans, USA. 

Herzmann, G., Willenbockel, V., Tanaka, J. W., & Curran, T. (2011). The neural processes underlying memory encoding and retrieval of own-race and other-race faces. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Vision Science Society, Naples, USA. 

Herzmann, G., Jin, M., Cordes, D., & Curran, T. (2011). The role of the parietal cortex in picture orientation recollection: A within-subjects investigation with ERPs and fMRI. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, San Francisco, USA. 

Herzmann, G. & Curran, T. (2011). The effect of oxytocin on face recognition. Poster presented at the All-Hands-Meeting of the Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center, San Diego, USA. 

Herzmann, G., Willenbockel, V., Tanaka, J. W., & Curran, T. (2010). Learning and recognition processes of own- and other-race faces. Poster presented at the site-visit meeting of the Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center, San Diego, USA. 

Herzmann, G., Curran, T. (2010). Effects of expertise on recognition memory. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, Montreal, Canada. 

Herzmann, G., Kunina, O., Sommer, W., & Wilhelm, O. (2007). Individual differences in face processing: Behavioral and psychophysiological indicators. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Long Beach, USA. 

Herzmann, G. & Sommer, W. (2006). The reliability of the Dm as a measure of face encoding into memory. Poster presented at the biennale meeting of the Federation of European Psychophysiology Societies, Budapest, Hungary. 

Herzmann, G. & Sommer, W. (2005). The build-up of structural representations for faces and names in long-term memory. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, New York, USA. 

Herzmann, G., Schweinberger, S. R., Sommer, W., & Jentzsch, I. (2003). Dual-Routes to face recognition: Evidence from a normal population for a Functional dissociation of affective and cognitive pathways. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, New York, USA. 

Selected Talks

Herzmann, G. (2015). Electrophysiological investigations of social and cognitive factors in face memory. Invited colloquium at Cleveland State University.

Herzmann, G. (2014). EEG and ERP. Summer camp of the Great Lakes College Association.

Herzmann, G. (2011). A within-subjects ERP and fMRI investigation of recognition memory. Invited colloquium at Indiana University, USA.

Herzmann, G. (2011). Expertise and recognition memory. Invited colloquium at Indiana University, USA.

Herzmann, G. (2011). Individual differences in episodic memory. Invited colloquium at University of Jena, Germany.

Herzmann, G. & Curran, T. (2011). Similar neural processes underlie memory performance for own-race faces and items of expertise. Talk presented at the All-Hands meeting of the Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center, San Diego, USA. watch online

Herzmann, G. (2010). Influences of perceptual expertise on the neural processes of encoding and recognition. Invited colloquium at University of Colorado at Boulder, USA.

Herzmann, G. (2010). Investigating experts’ memory with event-related potentials. Invited colloquium at University of Victoria, Canada.

Herzmann, G. (2008). Understanding individual differences in face cognition with ERPs. Invited colloquium at University of Colorado at Boulder, USA.

Herzmann, G. (2008). Individual differences in face cognition: Using ERPs to determine relationships between behavioral and neurocognitive indicators. Invited colloquium at University of Jena, Germany.

Herzmann, G., Kunina, O., Sommer, W., & Wilhelm, O. (2008). Individual differences in face processing: Psychophysiological indicators. Talk presented at the XXIX. International Congress of Psychology, Berlin, Germany.

Herzmann, G., Kunina, O., Sommer, W., & Wilhelm, O. (2008). Individual differences in face cognition: Distinct component abilities and basic neural processes. Talk presented at the annual meeting of the Vision Sciences Society, Naples, USA.

Herzmann, G., Kunina, O., Sommer, W., & Wilhelm, O. (2007). Measuring face processing II: Psychophysiological data. Talk presented at the biennial meeting of the International Society for the Study of Individual Differences, Gießen, Germany.

Herzmann, G. & Sommer, W. (2006). Die Reliabilität der Dm – ein Maß der Enkodierung von Gesichtern in’s Gedächtnis. Talk (in German) presented at the annual meeting of experimental psychologists, Mainz, Germany.

Herzmann, G. (2005). The early repetition effect: Reliability and methodological influences. Invited talk presented at the Perception Conference in Tübingen, Germany.

Herzmann, G. (2005). The build-up of new representations for faces and names in long-term memory. Invited colloquium at University of Bern, Switzerland.

Herzmann, G. (2004). Investigating familiar face recognition using SCR and ERPs. Invited colloquium at Waseda University, Japan.

Herzmann, G., Schweinberger, S.R., Sommer, W., & Jentzsch, I. (2002). Routes to face recognition: Functional dissociation of cognitive and affective pathways. Talk presented at the annual meeting of the German Society of Psychology, Berlin, Germany.