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This is what I study:
This is what I study:
Interpersonal physiology: how do people influence each other in their physiological processes when they interact?
Do interaction partners synchronize their heart rate? Is this influenced by their relationship? Is this influenced by how they are feeling?
(How) do emotions spread within a group? Can people guess what others are feeling? Are they influenced by others’ emotions?
Do children synchronize in an educational setting? Is this influenced by their relationships and does synchrony influence their relationships in turn?
Areas of interest:
Areas of interest:
Interpersonal physiology
Physiological synchrony
Emotions and emotional contagion
Autonomic nervous system
Collective stress
Peer interactions in children
Publications:
Publications:
Denk, B. F., Meier, M., Ocklenburg, S., Packheiser, J., Wienhold, S., Volkmer, N., Gaertner, R. J., Klink, E. S. C., Ashcraft, S. J., Benz, A. B. E., & Pruessner, J. C. (2026). Coupled hearts – Effect of partner stress on cardiac synchronization. Biological Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsychhealo.2026.109205
Denk, B. F., Pruessner, J. C., Farah, S., Barth, C., Putra, P. U., Lenggenhager, B., & Grütter, J. (2026). Cardiac synchrony, peer relationships, and affective experiences in children during group interactions. Scientific Reports, 16(1), Article 7740. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-41275-y
Meier, M., Unternaehrer, E., Ashcraft, S. J., Denk, B. F., Gaertner, R. J., Klink, E. S. C., Wienhold, S., Volkmer, N., & Pruessner, J. C. (2026). The effect of glucose on cardiac reactivity to a standardized massage in healthy adults. International Journal of Psychophysiology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2026.113367
Putra, P. U., Grütter, J., Denk, B. F., & Pruessner, J. C. (2026). Smile synchrony predicts the quality of children's peer interactions [Preprint]. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/400888663
Volkmer, N., Wienhold, S., Denk, B. F., & Pruessner, J. C. (2026). Seeing each other matters: Visual contact enhances heart rate variability synchrony between interaction partners [Preprint]. Authorea. https://doi.org/10.22541/au.177191837.70605191/v1
Gaertner, R. J., Klink, E. S. C., Benz, A. B. E., Denk, B. F., Meier, M., Wienhold, S., Volkmer, N., Kossmann, K. E., & Pruessner, J. C. (2025). Patients with borderline personality disorder show initially reduced psychophysiological relaxation levels but intact relaxation response. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 142, Article 152618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2025.152618
Meier, M., Dimitroff, S. J., Denk, B. F., Unternaehrer, E., & Pruessner, J. C. (2025). Effect of sweet and caloric drinks on cardiac reactivity to slow-paced breathing in healthy adults. Scientific Reports, 15, Article 17368. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-00980-w
Wienhold, S., Bär, L., Ringleb, Z., Zirpel, V., Gomolla, A., Denk, B. F., Volkmer, N., Gaertner, R. J., Klink, E. S. C., & Pruessner, J. C. (2025). The relationship of early life adversity and physiological synchrony within the therapeutic triad in horse-assisted therapy. Journal of Neural Transmission. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-025-02947-7
Denk, B.F., Dimitroff, S.J., Meier, M., Wienhold, S., Gaertner, R.J., Klink, E.S.C., Benz, A.B.E., Bentele, U.U., & Pruessner, J.C. (2024). Physiological synchrony of the autonomic nervous system—An analysis and comparison of different methods [Preprint]. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/dws8c
Bentele, U.U., Klink, E.S.C., Benz, A.B.E., Meier, M., Gaertner, R.J., Denk, B.F., Dimitroff, S.J., Unternaehrer, E., & Pruessner, J.C. (2024). The effect of cognitive reappraisal and early-life maternal care on neuroendocrine stress responses. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 6837. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57106-x
Gaertner, R.J., Kossmann, K.E., Benz, A.B.E., Bentele, U.U., Meier, M., Denk, B.F., Klink, E.S.C., Dimitroff, S.J., & Pruessner, J.C. (2023). Relaxing effects of virtual environments on the autonomic nervous system indicated by heart rate variability: A systematic review. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 88, 102035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102035
Dimitroff, S.J., Würfel, L., Meier, M., Faig, K.E., Benz, A.B.E., Denk, B.F., Bentele, U.U., Unternaehrer, E., & Pruessner, J.C. (2023). Estimation of antibody levels after COVID-19 vaccinations: Preliminary evidence for immune interoception. Biological Psychology, 182, 108636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108636
Benz, A.B.E., Dimitroff, S.J., Jeggle, C., Gaertner, R.J., Meier, M., Unternahrer, E., Bentele, U.U., Denk, B.F., Klink, E.S.C., & Pruessner, J.C. (2023). Increased empathic distress in adults is associated with higher levels of childhood maltreatment. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 4087. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30891-7
Benz, A.B.E., Gaertner, R.J., Meier, M., Unternaehrer, E., Scharndke, S., Jupe, C., Wenzel, M., Bentele, U.U., Dimitroff, S.J., Denk, B.F., & Pruessner, J.C. (2022). Nature-based relaxation videos and their effect on heart rate variability. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 866682. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.866682
Benz, A.B.E., Kloker, L.V., Kuhlmann, T., Meier, M., Unternaehrer, E., Bentele, U.U., Dimitroff, S.J., Denk, B.F., Reips, U.-D., & Pruessner, J.C. (2021). Psychometrische Kennwerte einer deutschen Übersetzung des Parental Bonding Instrument. Psychotherapie Psychosomatik Medizinische Psychologie, 72(1), 34–44. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1503-5328
Meier, M., Bentele, U.U., Benz, A.B.E., Denk, B.F., Dimitroff, S.J., Pruessner, J.C., & Unternaehrer, E. (2021). Effects of psychological, sensory, and metabolic energy prime manipulation on the acute endocrine stress response in fasted women. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 134, 105452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105452
Bentele, U.U., Meier, M., Benz, A.B.E., Denk, B.F., Dimitroff, S.J., & Pruessner, J.C. (2021). The impact of maternal care and blood glucose availability on the cortisol stress response in fasted women. Journal of Neural Transmission, 128, 1287–1300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-021-02350-y
Denk, B.F., Dimitroff, S.J., Meier, M., Benz, A.B.E., Bentele, U.U., Unternaehrer, E., Popovic, N.F., Gaissmaier, W., & Pruessner, J.C. (2021). Influence of stress on physiological synchrony in a stressful versus non-stressful group setting. Journal of Neural Transmission, 128(9), 1335–1345. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-021-02384-2
Meier, M., Unternaehrer, E., Schorpp, S.M., Wenzel, M., Benz, A.B.E., Bentele, U.U., Dimitroff, S.J., Denk, B.F., & Pruessner, J.C. (2020). The opposite of stress. Experimental Psychology, 67(2), 150–159. https://doi.org/10.1027/1618-3169/a000483
Conference Proceedings:
Conference Proceedings:
Denk, B.F., Dimitroff, S.J., Meier, M., Wienhold, S., Gaertner, R.J., Klink, E.S.C., Benz, A.B.E., Bentele, U.U., Volkmer, N., Pruessner, J.C. (2024). How to analyze autonomic nervous system synchrony [Poster]. Conference: Psychologie und Gehirn (PuG).
Denk, B.F., Farah, S., Pruessner, J.C., Grütter, J. (2024). Heart rate synchrony and dyadic relationships in children [Poster]. Conference: Behavioural dynamics in social interactions.
Denk, B.F., Meier, M., Packheiser, J., Ocklenburg, S., Dimitroff, S.J., Klink, E.S.C., Pruessner, J.C. (2023). Is heart rate synchrony in romantic couples related to adult attachment style and acute stress? [Poster]. Conference: Interpersonal synchrony and its relevance for attachment and caregiving.
Denk, B.F., Bentele, U.U., Dimitroff, S.J., Meier, M., Gaertner, R.J., Unternaehrer, E., Pruessner, J.C. (2022). Movement during the Trier Social Stress Test [Poster]. Conference: Psychologie und Gehirn (PuG).
Denk, B.F., Dimitroff, S.J., Meier, M., Benz, A.B.E., Bentele, U.U., Unternaehrer, E., Popovic, N.F., Gaissmaier, W., Pruessner, J.C. (2021). Does stress influence cortisol synchrony during the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups or a non-stressful control task? [Poster]. Conference: World Association for Stress Related and Anxiety Disorders (WASAD).
Denk, B.F., Dimitroff, S.J., Zyschka, M., Zerbe, T., Geiger, G., Meier, M., Benz, A.B.E., Bentele, U.U., Unternaehrer, E., Pruessner, J.C. (2021). Does accuracy of emotional stress estimates depend on stress states of rater and target? [Poster]. Conference: European Brain and Behavior Society (EBBS).
Denk, B.F., Dimitroff, S.J., Zyschka, M., Zerbe, T., Meier, M., Benz, A.B.E., Bentele, U.U., Unternaehrer, E., Pruessner, J.C. (2021). Influence of stress on RR-interval wavelet coherence in groups [Poster]. Conference: European Society for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (ESCAN).
Denk, B.F., Dimitroff, S.J., Meier, M., Unternaehrer, E., Zerbe, T., Zyschka, M., Bentele, U.U., Benz, A.B.E., Pruessner, J.C. (2020). Physiological dynamics of group interactions under varying degrees of stress [Poster]. Conference: International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinolgy (ISPNE).
Academic Curriculum Vitae:
Academic Curriculum Vitae:
July 2019 – present:
Researcher and Doctoral Candidate, AG Grütter and AG Pruessner, University of Konstanz, Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour
March 2019 – March 2021:
M.Sc. Psychology at the University of Konstanz
Thesis: “Investigation of Endocrinological and Emotional Synchrony Between Participants of the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups”
October 2014 – March 2019:
B.Sc. Psychology at the University of Konstanz
Thesis: “Early life adversity and happiness”
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