Research Topics

· 6 min read

ERP4IDR: Individualised ERP Parameterisation

Since 2026, I have been Principal Investigator of the DFG-funded ERP4IDR Project (A systematic analysis of Event-Related Brain Potential parameterisations for Individual Differences Research). This project examines a central methodological problem in EEG individual differences research: event-related potentials (ERPs) are often quantified using a “one-size-fits-all” approach, in which the same time windows and electrode locations are applied across all participants and trials. This can obscure meaningful between-person and within-person variability and may weaken the validity and replicability of reported findings.

ERP4IDR systematically evaluates individualised, single-trial approaches to ERP parameterisation, focusing on whether they produce estimates that are reliable, unbiased, theoretically plausible, and robust to defensible EEG preprocessing decisions. Using simulated and empirical datasets, the project examines existing algorithms and uses these insights to develop and validate a novel approach for individualised and dynamic ERP parameterisation.

The broader goal of this work is to strengthen the methodological foundations of EEG individual differences research and support more valid and replicable links between brain activity, cognition, and behaviour.

Selected related works: International workshop: https://hanse-ias.de/veranstaltungen/detail/event/520

EEG Individual Differences

I investigate how meaningful differences between individuals in cognition, affect, behaviour, and personality are reflected in neural activity measured with electroencephalography (EEG). A central goal of this work is to strengthen the validity, robustness, and interpretability of EEG-based individual differences research by improving how neural estimates are quantified, evaluated, and reported.

During my postdoctoral work on the multi-laboratory CoScience Project, I was one of two postdoctoral researchers responsible for overseeing the implementation of the project across laboratories. In this context, I investigated the robustness of EEG-personality associations to defensible variation in data processing, EEG parameterisation, and analysis. This work strengthened my interest in how methodological choices shape the credibility of claims about differences between people.

My current work builds on this foundation by examining how EEG estimates can be made more reliable, valid, and robust for use in individual differences research. I am particularly interested in how improved quantification and evaluation of neural estimates can support more credible links between brain activity, cognition, affect, and behaviour.

Selected related works:

  • Paul, K., Short, C. A.(shared first author), 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), e7177. https://doi.org/10.5964/ps.7177

  • Beauducel, A., Scheuble-Cabrera, V., Hennig, J., Hewig, J., Hildebrandt, A., Kührt, C., Lange, L., Mueller, E. M., Osinsky, R., Paul, K., Porth, E., Riesel, A., Rodrigues, J., Scheffel, C., Short, C. A., Stahl, J., Strobel, A. & 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

  • Short, C. A., Beauducel, A., Härpfer, K., Hennig, J., Hewig, J., Hildebrandt, A., Kührt, C., Mueller, E. M., Osinsky, R., Paul, K., Porth, E., Riesel, A., Rodrigues, J., Stahl, J., Strobel, A., Scheffel, C., Wacker, J. Experimenter-based moderation of the association between trait approach motivation and resting frontal asymmetry: A large forking paths investigation. (in prep). https://coscience.psy.uni-hamburg.de/sample-apps/FAA_Experimenter/

Metascience, Robustness and Multiverse Analysis

I am deeply committed to advancing scientific transparency, rigour, and credibility through metascientific research. A major focus of my work in this area is understanding how defensible methodological choices shape scientific conclusions, and how these sources of uncertainty can be made more visible, systematic, and interpretable.

A central strand of this work concerns multiverse analysis. I apply multiverse analysis to assess the robustness of research findings across defensible variations in data processing and analytic decisions. Beyond application, I also contribute to the methodological development of multiverse analysis itself. In particular, I work on reducing uncertainty associated with pipeline sampling in large-scale multiverse designs, formalising transparent decision-making when constructing multiverse analyses, and improving the systematicity and interpretability of robustness assessments. I also collaborate within a multi-disciplinary working group dedicated to promoting conceptual cohesion in multiverse practices across scientific fields.

A second strand of this work focuses on replication terminology cohesion. Here, I contribute to a cross-disciplinary initiative developing a shared vocabulary to describe the spectrum of replication and reproduction practices more precisely. The aim is to promote conceptual clarity and greater coherence across disciplines in how replication-related constructs are communicated and operationalised.

Overall, my metascientific work aims to develop tools, frameworks, and conceptual guidance that help researchers communicate uncertainty more transparently and build more cumulative and trustworthy scientific knowledge.

Selected related works:

  • Short, C. A., Breznau, N., Bruntsch, M., Burkhardt, M., Busch, N., Cesnaite, E., Frank, M., Gießing, C., Krähmer, D., Kristanto, D., Neuendorf, C., Nguyen, H. H. V., Rausch, M., Schmalz, X, Schneck, A., Tabakci, C. & Hildebrandt, A. (in press). Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science.

  • Short, C. A., Hildebrandt, A., Bosse, R., Debener, S., Oezyagcilar, M., Paul, K., Wacker, J., & Kristanto, D. (2025). Lost in a Large EEG Multiverse? Comparing Sampling Approaches for Representative Pipeline Selection. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 424, 110564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110564

  • Short, C. A., Inceler, Y, C., Frank, M., & Hildebrandt, A. (2025). The Systematic Multiverse Analysis Registration Tool (SMART) for Defining Multiverse Analyses. Royal Society Open Science. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.250800

Inter-person Neuroscience

My earlier work used dual-EEG (hyperscanning) in child-parent dyads to investigate the neural correlates of features of social interactions between children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their parents. This sparked an interest in inter-brain neural synchrony and compensatory neural dynamics, and their potential as markers of interpersonal attunement.

In future research, I aim to return to this method to explore how synchronous and compensatory dynamics vary across individuals and relationships, and how it may be modulated by personality, affect, and context. Currently, I am preparing the EEG lab for piloting an EEG hyperscanning study in collaboration with colleagues form the University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy.

Open Science

Open science is a core dimension of my research philosophy and academic practice. I currently co-lead the Open Science Interest Group (OSIG) in the Department of Psychology at the Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg. Through this role, I have initiated and coordinated several grassroots initiatives, including a university-wide open science conference, a ReproducibiliTea journal club, and the further integration of open science principles into teaching. I also regularly give workshops and presentations on open science topics.

More broadly, I am committed to promoting a culture of transparency, collaboration, and cumulative knowledge building, both through my research and through community-building activities within and beyond my institution.

Selected related works:

  • Materials from the latest workshop on multiverse analysis - Psychologie und Gehirn 2025 Pre-Conference Workshop: Jupyter Notebook
  • Website of the forst Oldenburg Open Science Conference for which I initiated and led the oranisation: UOL Open Science Conference