Social Psychology Network

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Kai Epstude

Kai Epstude

My current research interests center around the broad question of how goals influence our feelings and behavior. Specifically, I'm exploring goal-related aspects of counterfactual thinking and regret. I also have an interest in consequences of counterfactual thoughts and (life) regrets for well-being and health-related outcomes. Other research interests include the mental representation of the self in intergroup contexts, and the related question of how group contexts shape our affective experience.

Primary Interests:

  • Emotion, Mood, Affect
  • Intergroup Relations
  • Motivation, Goal Setting
  • Self and Identity
  • Social Cognition

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Journal Articles:

  • Epstude, K., & Jonas, K. J. (2015). Regret and counterfactual thinking in the face of inevitability: The case of HIV positive men. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 6, 157-163.
  • Epstude, K., & Mussweiler, T. (2009). What you feel is how you compare: How comparisons influence the social induction of affect. Emotion, 9, 1-14.
  • Epstude, K., & Peetz, J. (2012). Mental time travel: A conceptual overview of social psychological perspectives on a fundamental human capacity. European Journal of Social Psychology, 42, 269-275.
  • Epstude, K., & Roese, N. J. (2011). When goal pursuit fails: The functions of counterfactual thought in intention formation. Social Psychology, 48, 19-27.
  • Epstude, K., & Roese, N. J. (2008). The functional theory of counterfactual thinking. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 12, 168-192.
  • Epstude, K., Scholl, A., & Roese, N.J. (2016). Prefactual thoughts: Mental simulations about what might happen. Review of General Psychology, 20, 48-56.
  • Fessel, F., Epstude, K., & Roese, N. J. (2009). Hindsight bias redefined: It's about time. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 110, 56-64.
  • Kutlaca, M., van Zomeren, M., & Epstude, K. (2016). Preaching to the Choir? Framing values and identity in collective action mobilization. Social Psychology, 47, 15-28.
  • Meerholz, E.W., Spears, R, & Epstude, K. (in press). Having pity on our victims to save ourselves: Compassion reduces self-critical emotions and self-blame about past harmful behavior among those who highly identify with their past self. PLOS One.
  • Morrison M., Epstude, K., & Roese, N. J. (2012). Life regrets and the need to belong. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 3, 675-681.
  • Mussweiler, T., & Epstude, K. (2009). Relatively fast! Efficiency Advantages of Comparative Thinking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 138, 1-21.
  • Peetz, J., & Epstude, K. (2016). Calendars matter: Temporal categories affect cognition about future time periods. Social Cognition,34, 255-270.
  • Roese, N. J., & Epstude, K. (2017). The Functional Theory of Counterfactual Thinking: New Evidence, New Challenges, New Insights. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 56, 1-79.
  • Roese, N. J., Smallman, R., & Epstude, K. (2017). Do Episodic Counterfactual Thoughts Focus on Personally Controllable Action? The Role of Self-Initiation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 73, 14-23.
  • Seehusen, J., Cordaro, F., Wildschut, R. T., Sedikides, C., Routledge, C., Blackhart, G. C., Epstude, K., & Vingerhoets, A. J. J. M. (2013). Individual Differences in Nostalgia Proneness: The Integrating Role of the Need to Belong. Personality and Individual Differences, 8, 904-908.
  • Ünal, A.B., Steg, L., Epstude, K. (2012). The effects of music on mental effort and driving performance. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 48 , 271-278

Other Publications:

  • Häfner, M., & Epstude, K. (in press). Sexual Behavior. In R. Deutsch, B. Gawronski, & W. Hofmann (Eds.), Reflective and Impulsive Determinants of Human Behavior. Psychology Press.

Courses Taught:

  • Advanced Research Methods in Social and Organizational Psychology
  • Anger and Aggression
  • Controversies in Social Psychology
  • Intergroup Relations
  • Social Cognition and Affect

Kai Epstude
Department of Psychology
University of Groningen
Grote Kruisstraat 2/1
9712 TS Groningen
The Netherlands

  • Phone: +31 50 363 7632
  • Fax: +31 50 363 4581

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