Dr. Anoushiravan Zahedi
post-doctoral student
Institut für Psychologie
Fliednerstraße 21
D-48149 Münster
room Fl 315
phone: +49 (0) 251 / 83 34192
E-Mail: azahedi@uni-muenster.de
Academic CV
2022-
Postdoc fellow at the bio-psychology lab (P.I. Prof. Dr. Ricarda I. Schubotz),
University of Münster
2021-2022
Postdoc fellowship at (1) Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (corporate
member of Freie University Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, and Berlin
Institute of Health) (2) the German Institute of Human Nutrition
(DIfE), Department of Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition
2016-2021
Ph.D. of Psychology at the Humboldt University of Berlin under the supervision of
Prof. Dr. Werner Sommer and Prof. Dr. Birgit Stürmer. Thesis title: "Hypnotic
Suggestions: Their Nature and Applicability in Studying Executive Functions."
2014-2016
Master of Science in Psychology at the University of Tehran
2008-2014
Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering at the AmirKabir University of
Tehran
Academic Interests
⦁ Predictive coding
⦁ Executive functions
⦁ Cognitive control
⦁ Consciousness
⦁ Decision making
⦁ Perception
⦁ Suggestions
⦁ Placebo and nocebo
⦁ Hypnosis
Publications
Pomp, J., Garlichs, A., Kulvicius, T., Tamosiunaite, M., Wurm, M. F., Zahedi, A., Wörgötter, F., & Schubotz, R. I. (2024). Action Segmentation in the Brain: The Role of Object–Action Associations. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 36(9), 1784-1806. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_02210
Jainta, B., Zahedi, A., & Schubotz, R. I. (2024). Same Same, But Different: Brain Areas Underlying the Learning from Repetitive Episodic Prediction Errors. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 36(9), 1847-1863. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_02204
Zahedi, A., Jay Lynn, S., & Sommer, W. (2024). How hypnotic suggestions work - A systematic review of prominent theories of hypnosis. Conscious Cogn, 123, 103730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2024.103730
Zahedi, A., Lynn, S. J., & Sommer, W. (2024). Cognitive simulation along with neural adaptation explain effects of suggestions: a novel theoretical framework. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1388347
Herkstroter, F., Zahedi, A., Standke, I., Dannlowski, U., Lencer, R., Schubotz, R. I., & Trempler, I. (2024). Gray matter matters: Cognitive stability and flexibility in schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Psychophysiology, 61(9), e14596. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.14596
Selvan, R. N., Cheng, M. H., Siestrup, S., MecKlenbrauck, F., Jainta, B., Pomp, J., Zahedi, A., Tamosiunaite, M., Wörgötter, F., & Schubotz, R. I. (2024). Updating predictions in a complex repertoire of actions and its neural representation. Neuroimage, 296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120687
Lynn, S. J., Green, J. P., Zahedi, A., Apelian, C., & Kirsch, I. (2024). An Empirically-Informed Integrative Theory of Hypnosis. In The Routledge International Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis (pp. 158-167). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003449126-14
Mecklenbrauck, F., Gruber, M., Siestrup, S., Zahedi, A., Grotegerd, D., Mauritz, M., . . . Schubotz, R. I. (2023). The significance of structural rich club hubs for the processing of hierarchical stimuli. Hum Brain Mapp. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.26543
Zahedi, A., Artigas, S. O., Swaboda, N., Wiers, C. E., Gorgen, K., & Park, S. Q. (2023). Neural correlates of changing food choices while bypassing values. Neuroimage, 274, 120134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120134
Lynn, S. J., Green, J. P., Zahedi, A., & Apelian, C. (2023). The response set theory of hypnosis reconsidered: toward an integrative model. Am J Clin Hypn, 65(3), 186-210. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.2022.2117680
Katembu, S., Zahedi, A., & Sommer, W. (2023). Childhood trauma and violent behavior in adolescents are differentially related to cognitive-emotional deficits. Frontiers in Public Health, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1001132
Zahedi, A., Öznur Akalin, R., Lawrence, J. E., Baumann, A., & Sommer, W. (2023). The nature and persistence of the effects of posthypnotic suggestions on food preferences: The final report of an online study. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1123907
Zahedi, A., Öznur Akalin, R., Lawrence, J. E., Baumann, A., & Sommer, W. (2022). The Nature and Persistence of Posthypnotic Suggestions' Effects on Food Preferences: An Online Study. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.859656
Zahedi, A., & Sommer, W. (2022). Can hypnotic susceptibility be explained by bifactor models? Structural equation modeling of the Harvard group scale of hypnotic susceptibility - Form A. Consciousness and Cognition, 99, 103289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2022.103289
Zahedi, A. (2021). Hypnotic Suggestions: Their Nature and Applicability in Studying Executive Functions Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin].
Zahedi, A., Stürmer, B., & Sommer, W. (2020). Can posthypnotic suggestions boost updating in working memory? Behavioral and ERP evidence. Neuropsychologia, 148, 107632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107632
Zahedi, A., Luczak, A., & Sommer, W. (2020). Modification of food preferences by posthypnotic suggestions: An event-related brain potential study. Appetite, 151, 104713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.104713
Zahedi, A., Abdel Rahman, R., Stürmer, B., & Sommer, W. (2019). Common and specific loci of Stroop effects in vocal and manual tasks, revealed by event-related brain potentials and posthypnotic suggestions. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 148(9), 1575-1594. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000574
Zahedi, A., Stuermer, B., Hatami, J., Rostami, R., & Sommer, W. (2017). Eliminating Stroop effects with posthypnotic instructions: Brain mechanisms inferred from EEG. Neuropsychologia, 96, 70-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.01.006
Conference Contributions
Zahedi, A., Sundermeier, M., Standke, I., Schubotz, R., I., Dannlowski, U., Lencer, R., Trempler, I., (2024). Alterations of fMRI Topology and Grey Matter Volume in Schizophrenia. In 49th Jahrestagung Psychologie und Gehirn (PUG).
Sundermeier, M., Standke, I., Schubotz, R., I., Dannlowski, U., Lencer, R., Trempler, I., Zahedi, A. (2024). Alterations of Task-based fMRI Topology Underlying Cognitive Flexibility and Stability in Schizophrenia. In 66th Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen.
Zahedi, A., Herkströter, F., Standke, I., Dannlowski, U., Lencer, R., Schubotz, R., I., Trempler, I., (2024). Grey Matter Matters: Cognitive Stability and Flexibility in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder. In 66th Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen.
Zahedi, A., Öznur Akalin, R., Lawrence, J. E., Baumann, A., & Sommer, W. (2023). The Nature and Persistence of Posthypnotic Suggestions' Effects on Food Preferences: An Online Study. In 65th Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen.
Zahedi, A., Artigas, S. O., Swaboda, N., Wiers, C. E., Görgen, K., & Park, S. Q. (2022) Behavioral modification training changes brain function and food choices while bypassing values. In 47th Jahrestagung Psychologie und Gehirn (PUG).
Zahedi, A., Artigas, S. O., Swaboda, N., Wiers, C. E., Görgen, K., & Park, S. Q. (2022) The neural underpinnings of approach-avoidance training changing food choice: an fMRI study. In 64th Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen.
Zahedi, A., & Sommer, W. (2021). Is there a G-factor in hypnotizability? Evidence from Structural equation modeling of the Harvard group scale of hypnotic susceptibility. In 63rd Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen.
Zahedi, A., & Sommer, W. (2020, October). Can Food Preferences be Modified by Posthypnotic Suggestions? An Event-Related Brain Potential Study. In the Big Idea session of Society for Psychophysiology Research (SPR) annual meeting.
Zahedi, A., & Sommer, W. (2020, March). Can Food Preferences be Modified by Posthypnotic Suggestions? An event-related brain potential study. In LXII Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen.
Zahedi, A., Rahman, R. A., Sommer, W., & Stürmer, B. (2019). Loci of Stroop effects in vocal and manual tasks, revealed by event-related brain potentials and posthypnotic suggestions. In XVI European Congress of Psychology (pp. 82-82).
Zahedi, A., & Sommer, W. (2019). Boosting updating in working memory by posthypnotic suggestions and its ERP correlates. In XVI European Congress of Psychology (pp. 1178-1178).
Zahedi, A., & Sommer, W. (2019 Juni). Boosting working memory (updating) by posthypnotic suggestions and its ERP correlates. In XLV Jahrestagung Psychologie und Gehirn (PUG).
Zahedi, A., & Sommer, W., (2019, March). Boosting updating in working memory by posthypnotic suggestions and its event-related brain potential correlates. In Milton Erikson Gesellschaft Annual Meeting (MEG)
Zahedi, A., Abdel Rahman, R., Stürmer, B., & Sommer, W. (2018, March). Similarities and differences between vocal and manual tasks, revealed by event-related brain potentials and posthypnotic suggestions. In Milton Erikson Gesellschaft Annual Meeting (MEG)
Zahedi, A., Stürmer, B., Rahman, R. A., & Sommer, W. (2017, December). Brain mechanisms of hypnotic and posthypnotic effects on Stroop task performance: inferred from EEG oscillations. In Psychophysiology (Vol. 54, pp. S95-S95).
Zahedi, A., Stürmer, B., Hatami, J., Rostami, R., & Sommer, W. (2017, March). Eliminating Stroop effects with posthypnotic instructions: Brain mechanisms inferred from EEG oscillations. In Milton Erikson Gesellschaft Annual Meeting (MEG)
projects
Mental Flexibility-Stability through the lens of Baseline Brain Activity - BASTAFLEX
Our brain constantly compares its predictive models with feedback from reality rather than idly waiting for stimuli. These predictive models should simultaneously be stable to prevent premature prediction abandonment when encountering noise and flexible to get updated based on prediction errors. The current study examines the relationship between cognitive stability-flexibility and baseline brain activity (BBA) using microstates extracted from EEG. Microstates are global patterns of scalp topographies that rapidly and discretely vary over time and can be calculated from resting-state (RS-EEG) and task EEG. Based on a priori power analysis, 100 participants will be recruited who will first undergo RS-EEG and then perform several tasks that measure stability-flexibility while EEG is being recorded. We hypothesize that if BBA can measure an individual's mental stability-flexibility, then the behavioral task performance and task microstates derived from event-related brain potentials (ERPs) should be predictable by RS-microstates. By conducting multilevel Bayesian generalized linear modeling, we will test these hypotheses.
Why do we want the apple but choose the chips? - AATEC
Current theories of decision-making suggest that option valuation and action selection are distinguished from each other, where the latter is a mechanical procedure that follows the former without any constructive feedback between these two components. However, this theoretical separation between action selection and valuation is challenged when considering that learning methods focusing on action selection without considering associated values, i.e., nonreinforced learning, can ultimately affect choices. These findings beg the question of whether these two procedures rely on two distinguishable but interacting systems, one focusing predominantly on stimulus-action contingencies (SAC) and the other on stimulus-outcome contingencies (SOC). In the current study using two commonly employed learning techniques, one focusing on nonreinforced learning and the other on reinforced learning, we want to investigate the nature and interaction between SACs and SOCs and their underpinning neural circuits.