Thorsten Erle

Thorsten Erle is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Social Psychology, Tilburg University, affiliated with the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. His research focuses on social cognition, particularly perspective-taking mechanisms and their implications for empathy, decision-making, and mental health. He explores embodied cognition, including visuo-spatial perspective-taking and interoceptive accuracy, and investigates non-verbal communication via emojis in digital interactions. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to well-being and social cohesion.

Research interests include ostracism coping strategies, coalition formation dynamics, and mental state attribution. Recent studies analyze how choice availability and incentive structures influence responses to social exclusion, and how perspective-taking enhances coalition success. He also examines facial thermal signatures linked to coping behaviors and integrates interdisciplinary frameworks to unify mental state attribution concepts.

Thorsten’s articles span 2015–2025, emphasizing social psychology, behavioral economics, and psychophysiology. His work highlights the role of perspective-taking in collaboration and decision-making, with practical applications in organizational settings. He coordinates the social psychology track in the bachelor’s program and manages the department’s lab facilities, supporting experimental research.