I am interested in the mutual relationship between cognition and emotion, both how these processes influence each other and how people can control them. I examine the role of emotion and cognition in fundamental information processing mechanisms such as attention and (working) memory, as well as in more social psychological phenomena such as self-regulation, social categorization, consumer behavior, social exclusion, and morality. In addition, I am interested in how emotion-cognition interactions translate into conscious feeling states, and why this process may vary among individuals.

I approach these topics from two different but complementary empirical angles. First, I approach the emotion-cognition interaction as an inherently social process. Emotional responses inevitably unfold in the context of interacting with others, and people's emotional responses are shaped through repeated social interaction experiences. Second, I am committed to a rigorous experimental approach, with a particular focus on physiological and neurological processes. In my research I therefore use both behavioral measures and neuroimaging-techniques such as fMRI and EEG.

Primary Interests:

Emotion, Mood, Affect
Ethics and Morality
Health Psychology
Interpersonal Processes
Judgment and Decision Making
Motivation, Goal Setting
Nonverbal Behavior
Person Perception
Social Cognition

Emotion, Mood, Affect
Ethics and Morality
Health Psychology
Interpersonal Processes
Judgment and Decision Making

Motivation, Goal Setting
Nonverbal Behavior
Person Perception
Social Cognition

Journal Articles:

Hofmann, W., & Van Dillen, L. F. (2012). Desire: The new hotspot in self-control research. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 21, 317 - 322.
Karremans, J. C., Heslenfeld, D. J., Van Dillen, L., & Van Lange, P. A. M. (2012). Secure attachment partners attenuate neural responses to social exclusion: An fMRI investigation. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 81, 44-50.
Van der Wal, R., & Van Dillen, L. F. (in press). Leaving a flat taste in your mouth: Task load reduces taste perception. Psychological Science.
Van Dijk, W. W., Van Dillen, L. F., Seip, E. C., & Rotteveel, M. (2012). Emotional time travel: Emotion regulation and the overestimation of future anger and sadness. European Journal of Social Psychology, 42, 308-313.
Van Dillen, L. F. (2009). Do the math: Cognitive load attenuates negative feelings. The Inquisitive Mind, 10.
Van Dillen, L. F., & Derks, B. (2012). Working memory load reduces facilitated processing of threatening faces: An ERP study. Emotion, 12(6), 1340-1349.
Van Dillen, L. F., Heslenfeld, D. J., & Koole, S. L. (2009). Tuning down the emotional brain: An fMRI study of the effects of cognitive load on the processing of affective images. NeuroImage, 45, 1212-1219.
Van Dillen, L. F., & Koole, S. L. (2009). How automatic is "automatic vigilance"? The role of working memory in interference of negative information. Cognition and Emotion, 23, 1106-1117.
Van Dillen, L. F., & Koole, S. L. (2007). Clearing the mind: A working memory model of distraction from negative mood. Emotion, 7(4), 715-723.
Van Dillen, L. F., Lakens, D., & Van den Bos, K. (2011). At face value: Categorization goals modulate vigilance for angry faces. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47, 235-240.
Van Dillen, L. F., Papies, E. K., & Hofmann, W. (2013). Turning a blind eye to temptation. How cognitive load can facilitate self-regulation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104, 427-443.
Van Dillen, L .F., Van der Wal, R., & Van den Bos, K. (2012). On the role of attention and emotion in morality: Attentional control modulates unrelated disgust in moral judgments. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 1221-1230.

Other Publications:

Koole, S. L., Van Dillen, L. F., & Sheppes, G. (2010). The self-regulation of emotion. In K. D. Vohs & R. F. Baumeister (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory, and applications (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford.
Van Dillen, L. F. (2008). Emotion regulation through action. Emotion Researcher.

Courses Taught:

Emotions and Irrationality in Consumer Behavior
Introduction to Social and Organizational Psychology
Motivation Science
Psychology of Health research seminar

Emotions and Irrationality in Consumer Behavior
Introduction to Social and Organizational Psychology

Motivation Science
Psychology of Health research seminar

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Phone: +31 71 5271362
Skype Name: lottevandillen

Lotte Van Dillen
Social and Organizational Psychology
Pieter de la Court Gebouw
Wassenaarseweg 52
2300 RB Leiden
The Netherlands