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•    Personal and contextual determinants of hedonic goal pursuit
•    Affective, cognitive, and motivational processes involved in successful self-regulation
•    Motivational processes and conflict behavior in romantic relationships

Curriculum Vitae (PDF, 554 KB)

Peer-reviewed journal articles

Bernecker, K., Becker, D., Weitkamp, K., & Wehrli, F. (2024). Trait hedonic capacity correlates with sexual pleasure and motives for sexualized drug use in young adults. Current Psychology, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06017-1 | PDF

Landolt., S. A., Impett, E. A., Weitkamp, K., Roth, M., Bernecker, K., & Bodenmann, G. (2024). Extradyadic stress as a barrier to sexual activity in couples? A Dyadic Response Surface Analysis. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075241255910

Becker, D. & Bernecker, K. (2024). Happy hour: The association between trait hedonic capacity and motivation to drink alcohol. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 19, 100537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2024.100537 |PDF

Bernecker, K. (2023). Balancing desire and control. Nature Reviews Psychology, 2, 12, 722. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-023-00258-w

Becker, D., & Bernecker, K. (2023). Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater: Indulging in harmless pleasures can support self-regulation and foster cooperation. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 46, e295. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X23000456

Becker, D.*, & Bernecker, K.* (2023). The role of hedonic goal pursuit in self-control and self-regulation: Is pleasure the problem - or part of the solution? Affective Science. *shared first authorship https://doi.org/10.1007/s42761-023-00193-2 |PDF

Bernecker, K., Becker, D. & Guobyte, A. (2023). If the party is good, you can stay longer—effects of trait hedonic capacity on hedonic quantity and performance. Motivation and Emotion. Preprint

Kukowski, C. A., & Bernecker, K. (in press). Which factors shape public climate policy support? A social-motivational perspective. Green Ways – Perspectives on Environmental Psychology Research. German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation.

Scharinger, C., Prislan, L., Bernecker, K., & Ninaus, M. (2023). Gamification of an n-back working memory task – Is it worth the effort? An EEG and eye-tracking study. Biological Psychology, 179, 108545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108545

Kukowski, C. A., Bernecker, K., Nielsen, K. S., Hofmann, W., & Brandstätter, V. (2023). Regulate me! Self-control dissatisfaction in meat reduction success relates to stronger support for behavior-regulating policy. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 85, 101922.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101922

Sassenberg, K., Roesel, I., Sudeck, G., Bernecker, K., Durst, J., & Krauss, I. (2022). The relation of attitude toward technology and mastery experience after an app-guided physical exercise intervention: Randomized crossover trial. JMIR Formative Research, 6(2), e28913. https://doi.org/10.2196/28913

Kukowski, C. A., Bernecker, K., Von der Heyde, L., Boos, M., & Brandstätter, V. (2022). Climate policy support as a tool to control others (but not own) environmental behavior? Plos One, June, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269030

Brandstätter, V., & Bernecker (2022). Persistence and disengagemen in personal goal pursuit. Annual Review of Psychology, 73, 271-299.  https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-020821-110710

Greipl, S., Bernecker, K., & Ninaus, M. (2021). Facial and bodily expressions of emotional engagement: How dynamic measures reflect the use of game elements and subjective experience of emotions and effort. PACM in Human-Computer Interaction, 5, 240. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3474667

Kukowski, C. A., Bernecker, K., & Brandstätter, V. (2021). Self-control and beliefs surrounding others' cooperation predict own health-protective behaviors and support for COVID-19 government regulations: Evidence from two European countries. Social Psychological Bulletin, 16(1), 1-28. https://doi.org/10.32872/spb.4391

Bernecker, K., & Becker, D. (2021). Beyond self-control: Mechanisms of hedonic goal pursuit and its relevance for well-being. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 47(4), 627-642. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167220941998

Bernecker, K. & Ninaus, M. (2021). No pain, no gain? Investigating motivational mechanisms of game elements in cognitive tasks. Computers in Human Behavior, 114, 106542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106542

Bernecker, K., & Job, V. (2020). Too exhausted to go to bed: Implicit theories about willpower and stress predict bedtime procrastination. British Journal of Psychology, 111, 126-147. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12382

Ghassemi, M. G., Bernecker, K., & Brandstätter, V. (2020). “Take care, honey!”: People are more anxious about their significant others’ risk behavior than about their own. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 86, 103879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2019.103879

Bernecker, K., & Kramer, J. (2019). Implicit theories about willpower are associated with exercise levels during the academic examination period. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 9(2), 216–231 https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/spy0000182

Bernecker, K., Ghassemi, M., & Brandstätter, V. (2019). Approach and avoidance relationship goals and couples’ nonverbal communication during conflict. European Journal of Social Psychology, 49(3), 622- 636. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2379

Bernecker, K., Wenzler, M., & Sassenberg, K. (2019). Tweeted anger predicts county-level results of the 2016 United States presidential election. International Review of Social Psychology, 32(1), 6, 1–14.  https://doi.org/10.5334/irsp.256

Sieber, V., Flückiger, L., Mata, J., Bernecker, K., & Job, V. (2019). Autonomous goal striving promotes a nonlimited theory about willpower. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 45(8), 1295-1307. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167218820921

Bernecker, K., Job, V., & Hofmann, W. (2018). Experience, resistance, and enactment of desires: Differential relationships with trait measures predicting self-control. Journal of Research in Personality, 76, 92-101. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2018.07.007

Leuchtmann, L., Milek, A., Bernecker, K., Nussbeck, F. W., Backes, S., Martin, M., ... Bodenmann, G. (2018). Temporal dynamics of couples’ communication behaviors in conflict discussions: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(9), 2937–2960. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407518806582

Bernecker, K., & Job V. (2017). Implicit theories about willpower in resisting temptations and emotion control. Journal of Psychology, 225, 157-166. https://dx.doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000292

Ghassemi, M., Bernecker, K., Herrmann, M., & Brandstätter, V. (2017). The process of disengagement from personal goals: Reciprocal influences between the experience of action crisis and appraisals of goal desirability and attainability. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43(4), 524 – 537. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167216689052

Bernecker, K., Herrmann, M., Brandstätter, V., & Job, V. (2017). Implicit theories about willpower predict subjective well-being. Journal of Personality, 85(2), 136–150. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12225

Neysari, M., Bodenmann, G., Mehl, M.R., Bernecker, K., Nussbeck, F.W., Backes, S., Zemp, M., Martin, M., & Horn, A. (2016). Monitoring pronouns in conflicts: Temporal dynamics of verbal communication in couples across the lifespan. The Journal of Gerontopsychology and Geriatric Psychiatry, 29, 201-213. https://doi.org/10.1024/1662-9647/a000158

Job, V., Friese, M., & Bernecker, K. (2015). Effects of practicing self-control on academic performance. Motivation Science, 1(4), 219–232. http://doi.org/10.1037/mot0000024

Bernecker, K., & Job, V. (2015). Beliefs about willpower are related to therapy adherence and psychological adjustment in patients with type 2 diabetes. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 37(3), 188–195. http://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2015.1049348

Bernecker, K., & Job, V. (2015). Beliefs about willpower moderate the effect of previous day demands on next day’s expectations and effective goal striving. Frontiers in Psychology, 6(1496), 1–10. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01496

Job, V., Walton, G. M., Bernecker, K., & Dweck, C. S. (2015). Implicit theories about willpower predict self-regulation and grades in everyday life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(4), 637– 647. http://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000014

Job, V., Bernecker, K., Miketta, S., & Friese, M. (2015). Implicit theories about willpower predict the activation of a rest goal following self-control exertion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109, 694–706. http://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000042

Kuster, M., Bernecker, K., Backes, S., Brandstätter, V., Bradbury, T. N., Martin, M., Sutter-Stickel, D., & Bodenmann, G. (2015). Avoidance orientation and the escalation of negative communication in intimate relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Social Psychology, 109(2), 262–275. http://doi.org/10.1037/PSPI0000025

Job, V., Walton, G. M., Bernecker, K., & Dweck, C. S. (2013). Beliefs about willpower determine the impact of glucose on self-control. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110(37), 14837–42. http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1313475110

Job, V., Bernecker, K. & Dweck, C.S. (2012). Are implicit motives the need to feel certain affect? Motive– affect congruence predicts relationship satisfaction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38(12), 1552–1565. http://doi.org/10.1177/0146167212454920

Bernecker, K., & Job, V. (2011). Assessing implicit motives with an online version of the picture story exercise. Motivation and Emotion, 35(3), 251-266. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-010-9175-8

Book Chapters and Articles for Public Interest

Bernecker, K., & Job, V. (in press). Mindset Theorie [Mindset theory]. In K. Sassenberg & Vliek, M.L.W. (Eds.). Social Psychology in Action – Deutsche Fassung. Basel: Springer International Publishing.

Bernecker, K. (2022). Zwischen Spass und Verzicht. Spektrum der Wissenschaft: Gehirn&Geist, 1/2022, Titelthema. Zum Heft

Becker, D., & Bernecker, K. (2020). Wenn das Glas Wein am Abend der einzige Weg zur Entspannung ist. SuchtMagazin, 6, 19-23. https://www.suchtmagazin.ch/2020/articles/id-62020.html

Bernecker, K., & Job, V. (2019). Mindset theory. In K. Sassenberg & Vliek, M.L.W. (Eds.). Social Psychology in Action: Evidence-Based Interventions from Theory to Practice. Basel: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13788-5

Bernecker, K., & Job, V. (2017). Implicit theories about willpower and their implications for health and well-being. In D. T. D. DeRidder, M.A. Adriaanse, & K. Fujita (Eds). Routledge International Handbook of Self-Control in Health and Well-Being. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315648576

Conference Talks (*presenting author)

Guobyte, A.*, Becker, D., & Bernecker, K. (2023, March). Blending goals: Hedonic outcomes of multifinal means. ICPS Congress, Brussels, Belgium.

Bernecker, K.*, & Becker, D. (2023, February). Is pleasure the problem or part of the solution. Moderation of panel discussion, Motivation Science Pre-conference, SPSP Convention, Atlanta, USA.

Bernecker, K.*, Becker, D., Weitkamp, K. & Wehrli, F. (2022, September). Who Experiences Pleasure? Relationships Between Trait Hedonic Capacity, Sexual Pleasure, and Distracting Thoughts. 17th Annual Meeting Swiss Psychological Society 2022, Zurich.

Becker, D.* & Bernecker, K. (2022, September). “Happy Hour”: The relationship between hedonic capacity and motivation to drink alcohol. 17th Annual Meeting Swiss Psychological Society 2022, Zurich.

Guobyte, A., Becker, D., & Bernecker, K.  (2022, September). Blending goals: Hedonic outcomes of multifinal means. 17th Annual Meeting Swiss Psychological Society 2022, Zurich.

Bernecker, K.*, Becker, D., & Guobyte, A. (2022, July). If the party is good, you should stay longer—effects of trait hedonic capacity on hedonic quantity and performance. European Congress of Personality, Madrid, Spain.

Bernecker, K.*, & Becker, D. (2019, October). Beyond self-control: The ability to pursue hedonic goals. Motivationspsychologisches Kolloquium (MPK). Berlin, Germany.

Bernecker, K.*, & Becker, D., (2019, September).The ability to pursue hedonic goals - A necessary counterbalance to the concept of trait self-control? General Meeting of the Swiss Psychological Association (SGP). Bern, Switzerland.

Becker, D.*, & Bernecker, K. (2018, December). The ability to pursue hedonic goals - A necessary counterbalance to the concept of trait self-control? Associatie van Sociaal-Psychologische Onderzoekers (ASPO). Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Becker, D.*, & Bernecker, K. (2018, September). The ability to pursue hedonic goals - A necessary counterbalance to the concept of trait self-control? European Social Cognition Network (ESCON). Köln.

Bernecker, K.*, & Becker, D.(2018, September). The ability to pursue hedonic goals - A necessary counterbalance to the concept of (trait) self-control? 51. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie (DGPs). Frankfurt am Main.

Bernecker, K.*, & Becker, D. (2018, June). The ability to pursue hedonic goals - A necessary counterbalance to the concept of trait self-control? 30th Annual Meeting of the Association for Psychological Science (APS). San Francisco, USA.

Bernecker, K.*, Job, V. (2017, July). Beliefs about willpower and sleep procrastination. Preconference “The self-regulation of health”, 18th General Meeting of The European Association of Social Psychology, Granada, Spain.

Sieber, V.*, Flueckiger, L., Bernecker, K., Mata, J., & Job, V. (2017, July). Autonomous goal striving promotes a nonlimited belief about willpower. 18th General Meeting of The European Association of Social Psychology, Granada, Spain.

Brandstätter, V.*, Bernecker, K., & Ghassemi, M., (2016, September). Avoidance motivation, negative (non)verbal communication, and emotional experience in intimate relationships in younger and older age. 50th Congress of the German Psychological Association (DGPs), Leipzig, Germany.

Bernecker, K.*, Ghassemi, M., & Brandstätter, V. (2016, September). "Fahr vorsichtig, Schatz!" – Emotionale Auswirkungen von riskantem Verhalten in (Paar-)Beziehungen. 50th Congress of the German Psychological Association (DGPs), Leipzig, Germany.

Ghassemi, M.*, Bernecker, K., & Brandstätter, V. (2016, August). “Take care, honey”: People are more anxious about their partner's risk behavior than about their own. ESCON Transfer of Knowledge Conference, Lisbon, Portugal.

Bernecker, K., Job V., & Hofmann, W. (2016, August). Trait Measures of Self-Control and their Relationship to Experience, Resistance, and Enactment of Desires in Everyday Life. ESCON Transfer of Knowledge Conference, Lisbon, Portugal.

Ghassemi, M., Bernecker, K., Herrmann, M., & Brandstätter, V. (2016, May). The process of disengagement from personal goals. Paper presented at the 9th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Motivation (SSM), Chicago, IL

Bernecker, K. *, Job, V, & Friese, M. (2016, February). Effects of Practicing Self-Control on Academic Performance. Self-Regulation Pre-Conference 17th SPSP Annual Convention, San Diego, CA, US.

Job, V., Bernecker, K.*, Herrmann, M., & Brandstätter, V. (2015, September). Implicit theories about willpower predict subjective well-being. SSP/SGP Conference, Geneva, Switzerland.

Ghassemi, M.*, Herrmann, M., Bernecker, K., & Brandstätter, V. (2015, September). Should I stop or should I go? Recent findings on the action crisis as a motivational conflict between goal pursuit and goal disengagement. Paper presented at the 14th Biannual Congress of the Swiss Psychological Society (SSP/SGP), Geneva, Switzerland.

Bernecker, K.*, Job, V., Dweck, C.S. & Walton, G.M. (2013, September). Veränderung von Impliziten Theorien über Willenskraft verbessert Selbstkontrolle unter Stress [Changing lay theories about willpower improves self-regulation under stress]. Fachgruppentagung Sozialpsychologie, Hagen, Germany.

Job, V.*, Bernecker, K., & Friese, M. (2013, September). “That was exhausting, I need a break!”: A limited theory of willpower predicts rest-goal-activation following self-control exertion. 13th Congress of the Swiss Psychological Society, Basel, Switzerland.

Bernecker, K.* & Job, V. (2013, August). Implicit theories about willpower predict preference for sugar after self-control exertion. Meeting of the European Social Cognition Network (ESCON), Vilnius, Lithuania.

Job, V.*, Walton, G. M., Bernecker, K., & Dweck, C. S. (2013, August). Beliefs about willpower determine the impact of glucose on self-control. European Social Cognition Network Meeting (ESCON), Vilnius, Lithuania.

Job, V.*, Bernecker, K., & Dweck, C. S. (2013, May). Are implicit motives the need to feel certain affect? Motive-affect congruence predicts relationship satisfaction. 6th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Motivation (SSM), Washington, DC.

Job, V.*, Bernecker, K. & Friese, M. (2013, May). “That was exhausting, I need a break!”: A limited theory of willpower predicts rest-goal-activation following self-control exertion. 25th Annual convention of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), Washington, US.

Job, V.*, Walton, G. M., Bernecker K., & Dweck, C. S. (2012, October). Does glucose really boost willpower? Implicit theories vs. glucose as determinants of self-control. Annual Meeting of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology (SESP), Austin, US.

Bernecker, K.* & Job, V. (2012, September). Exploring the mechanism of implicit theories of willpower. Meeting of the European Social Cognition Network (ESCON), Estoril, Portugal.

Bernecker, K.*, Job, V., Dweck, C.S., & Walton, G.M. (2012, September). Veränderung von Impliziten Theorien der Willenskraft verbessert Selbstregulation unter Stress. [Change in willpower theories predicts better self-regulation under stress.] 48th Annual meeting of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie, e.V. (DGPs), Bielefeld, Germany.

Job, V.*, Walton, G. M., Bernecker K., & Dweck, C. S. (2012, September). Implizite Theorien vs. Glucose als Determinanten von Selbstkontrolle [Implicit theories vs. glucose as determinants of self-control]. 48th Annual meeting of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie, e.V. (DGPs), Bielefeld, Germany.

Bernecker, K.*, Job, V., Walton, G.M., & Dweck, C.S. (2012, January). Changing lay theories about willpower improves self-regulation under stress. 13thAnnual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), San Diego, US.

Bernecker, K.* & Job, V. (2013, September). When Do People Want Sugar? 13th Congress of the Swiss Psychological Society, Basel, Switzerland.

Bernecker, K.* & Job, V. (2012, May). Implizite Theorien der Willenskraft verändern [Change implicit theories about willpower]. LiMaDoKo, Zurich, Switzerland.

Bernecker, K.*, Job, V., & Dweck, C.S. (2011, January). Explicit motives buffer ego-depletion. 12th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), San Antonio, US.

Bernecker, K.*, Schmidt, A.*, Wagner, S.*, & Rummer, R. (2011, March). Gibt es einen Testing-Effekt für handlungsbezogenes Wissen? [Is there a testing-effect in action-related knowledge?]. 53. Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen (TeaP), Halle, Germany.

Bernecker, K.*, Job, V., & Dweck, C.S. (2010, January). Which emotions create relationship satisfaction? 11th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), Las Vegas, US.

Bernecker, K.*, Dressler, A.*, Feistel, P.*, & Kaufmann, M. (2008). Unterscheiden sich implizite und explizite Stereotype? [Do implicit and explicit stereotypes differ?]. 53. Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen (TeaP), Marburg, Germany