Current Research

The relationship of alexinomia and social anxiety: This project is looking at the links of alexinomia and social anxiety. We know from previous research that there seems to be a strong relationship, however, our findings also show that not everyone who is affected by alexinomia is also socially anxious and vice versa. To answer this question, we are also taking into account potential interactions with attachment-related anxiety.

The neural foundation of alexinomia: What are the brain mechanisms that contribute and potentially cause the experience of not being able to say names? We are using EEG to understand the electrophysiological processes in brain structures such as the prefrontal cortex to understand better the neurocognitive mechanisms of alexinomia.

Development of a standardized clinical diagnostic of alexinomia: To reliably measure alexinomia and the various subaspects that govern it, we are developing a standardized psychological self-report questionnaire. The scale will be useful in determining different levels of severity and thus aid both research and clinical work with people affected by alexinomia.

The prevalence of alexinomia: How common is alexinomia and how many people are affected? How does the prevalence vary with respect to geographical and cultural regions? Based on our previous research, we assume that, although still largely unknown, alexinomia is more widespread than one would think.

The subjective experience of alexinomia: What does it mean to have troubles with saying other people’s names? How does it feel and what kind of relationships and forms of communication are affected? What are the effects on the individual and their social interactions and relationships and how do affected individuals cope? To research the very fundaments of alexinomia, we are using a mix of qualitative (i.e., interviews with affected individuals; content analysis of internet forums; etc.) and quantitative (i.e. survey studies; etc.) approaches.