Prof. Dr Nicolas Rothen

Rector ad interim

Professor Nicolas Rothen is Rector ad-interim and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Psychology at UniDistance Suisse. He obtained his PhD from the Institute of Psychology at the University of Bern in 2009. After a year as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Bern, he worked as a researcher for more than four years at the School of Psychology and the Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science at the University of Sussex (UK). He then returned to the University of Bern to work on his own research projects and obtained his habilitation (Venia Docendi) in psychology in 2016. He joined UniDistance Suisse in 2018 as an assistant professor. He has been an associate professor since 2020. He holds the position of Rector ad-interim since 2024.

Reinstating location improves mnemonic access but not fidelity of visual mental representations

DOI

2021-02 | Journal of Center for Open Science

K. Globig Laura //
Rothen Nicolas
//
Ovalle Rebecca
// Popic Deian //
Martarelli Corinna
When Conditioned Responses "Fire Back": Bidirectional Cross-Activation Creates Learning Opportunities in Synesthesia

DOI

2007-07 | Journal of Neuroscience

Rothen Nicolas
// Meier Beat

Peer-reviewed
Training Grapheme-Colour Associations Produces a Synaesthetic Stroop Effect, but Not a Conditioned Synaesthetic Response

DOI

2009-03 | Journal of Neuropsychologia

Rothen Nicolas
// Meier Beat

Peer-reviewed
Do Synesthetes Have a General Advantage in Visual Search and Episodic Memory? A Case for Group Studies

DOI

2009-04 | Journal of PLoS ONE

Rothen Nicolas
// Meier Beat

Peer-reviewed
Higher Prevalence of Synaesthesia in Art Students

DOI

2010-06 | Journal of Perception

Rothen Nicolas
// Meier Beat

Peer-reviewed
Synaesthesia and Memory

DOI

2013-01 | Journal of Oxford Handbook of Synaesthesia

Rothen Nicolas
// Meier Beat

Peer-reviewed
Levels of Processing Effects on Memory for Color-Object Associations

DOI

2025-03 | Journal of Journal of Cognition

Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
Parieto-occipital suppression eliminates implicit bidirectionality in grapheme-colour synaesthesia

DOI

2010-08 | Journal of Elsevier BV

Rothen Nicolas
// Nyffeler Thomas // von Wartburg Roman // Müri René // Meier Beat

Peer-reviewed
Grapheme–colour synaesthesia yields an ordinary rather than extraordinary memory advantage: Evidence from a group study

DOI

2010-02 | Journal of Informa UK Limited

Rothen Nicolas
// Meier Beat

Peer-reviewed
Training Synaesthesia

DOI

2011-11 | Journal of Perception

Rothen Nicolas
// Wantz Andrea-Laura // Meier Beat

Peer-reviewed
Swimming-style synesthesia

DOI

2011-02 | Journal of Cortex

Nikolić Danko // M. Jürgens Uta //
Rothen Nicolas
// Meier Beat // Mroczko Aleksandra

Peer-reviewed
Performance predictions improve prospective memory and influence retrieval experience.

DOI

2011-03 | Journal of Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology/Revue Canadienne de Psychologie Expérimentale

Meier Beat // von Wartburg Philipp // Matter Sibylle //
Rothen Nicolas
// Reber Rolf

Peer-reviewed
Increased Resting State Network Connectivity in Synesthesia: Evidence for a Neural Basis of Synesthetic Consistency

DOI

2012-10 | Journal of Society for Neuroscience

Rothen Nicolas
// Blair Terhune Devin

Peer-reviewed
Enhanced memory ability: Insights from synaesthesia

DOI

2012-05 | Journal of Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

Rothen Nicolas
// Meier Beat // Ward Jamie

Peer-reviewed
Why vicarious experience is not an instance of synesthesia

DOI

2013-04 | Journal of Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

Rothen Nicolas
// Meier Beat

Peer-reviewed
Synesthetic experiences enhance unconscious learning

DOI

2013-10 | Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

Rothen Nicolas
// B. Scott Ryan // D. Mealor Andy // J. Coolbear Daniel // Burckhardt Vera // Ward Jamie

Peer-reviewed
Recognition memory across the lifespan: the impact of word frequency and study-test interval on estimates of familiarity and recollection

DOI

2013-10 | Journal of Frontiers in Psychology

Meier Beat //
Rey-Mermet Alodie
//
Rothen Nicolas
// Graf Peter

Peer-reviewed
Psychophysiological evidence for the genuineness of swimming-style colour synaesthesia

DOI

2012-12 | Journal of Consciousness and Cognition

Rothen Nicolas
// Nikolić Danko // Maria Jürgens Uta // Mroczko-Wąsowicz Aleksandra // Cock Josephine // Meier Beat

Peer-reviewed
Grapheme-color synaesthesia is associated with a distinct cognitive style

DOI

2013-09 | Journal of Frontiers in Psychology

Meier Beat //
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
Enhanced recognition memory in grapheme-color synaesthesia for different categories of visual stimuli

DOI

2013-10 | Journal of Frontiers in Psychology

Ward Jamie // Hovard Peter // Jones Alicia //
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
Enhanced associative memory for colour (but not shape or location) in synaesthesia

DOI

2013-03 | Journal of Cognition

Pritchard Jamie //
Rothen Nicolas
// J. Coolbear Daniel // Ward Jamie

Peer-reviewed
Diagnosing synaesthesia with online colour pickers: Maximising sensitivity and specificity

DOI

2013-03 | Journal of Journal of Neuroscience Methods

Rothen Nicolas
// K. Seth Anil // Witzel Christoph // Ward Jamie

Peer-reviewed
Correcting misconceptions about synaesthesia

DOI

2013-04 | Journal of Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

Blair Terhune Devin //
Rothen Nicolas
// Cohen Kadosh Roi

Peer-reviewed
Coloured Letters and Numbers (CLaN): A reliable factor-analysis based synaesthesia questionnaire

DOI

2013-08 | Journal of Consciousness and Cognition

Rothen Nicolas
// Tsakanikos Elias // Meier Beat // Ward Jamie

Peer-reviewed
Psychophysiology of prospective memory

DOI

2013-10 | Journal of Memory

Rothen Nicolas
// Meier Beat

Peer-reviewed
Developmental aspects of synaesthesia across the adult lifespan

DOI

2014-03 | Journal of Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

Meier Beat //
Rothen Nicolas
// Walter Stefan

Peer-reviewed
Associative memory advantage in grapheme-color synesthetes compared to older, but not young adults

DOI

2014-07 | Journal of Frontiers in Psychology

Pfeifer Gaby //
Rothen Nicolas
// Ward Jamie // Chan Dennis // Sigala Natasha

Peer-reviewed
Adults Can Be Trained to Acquire Synesthetic Experiences

DOI

2014-11 | Journal of Scientific Reports

Bor Daniel //
Rothen Nicolas
// J. Schwartzman David // Clayton Stephanie // K. Seth Anil

Peer-reviewed
Acquiring synaesthesia: insights from training studies

DOI

2014-03 | Journal of Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

Rothen Nicolas
// Meier Beat

Peer-reviewed
Turning univalent stimuli bivalent: Synesthesia can cause cognitive conflict in task switching

DOI

2015-03 | Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

Meier Beat //
Rey-Mermet Alodie
//
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
How mirror-touch informs theories of synesthesia

DOI

2015-06 | Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

Meier Beat // Lunke Katrin //
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
Developing synaesthesia: a primer

DOI

2015-04 | Journal of Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

Meier Beat //
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
Time of day affects implicit memory for unattended stimuli

DOI

2016-09 | Journal of Consciousness and Cognition

Meier Beat //
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
The sensitivity and specificity of a diagnostic test of sequence-space synesthesia

DOI

2015-11 | Journal of Behavior Research Methods

Rothen Nicolas
// Jünemann Kristin // D. Mealor Andy // Burckhardt Vera // Ward Jamie

Peer-reviewed
Different Dimensions of Cognitive Style in Typical and Atypical Cognition: New Evidence and a New Measurement Tool

DOI

2016-05 | Journal of Public Library of Science (PLoS)

D. Mealor Andy // Simner Julia //
Rothen Nicolas
// A. Carmichael Duncan // Ward Jamie

Peer-reviewed
Time-of-day affects prospective memory differently in younger and older adults

DOI

2016-09 | Journal of Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition

Rothen Nicolas
// Meier Beat

Peer-reviewed
The structure of inter-individual differences in visual ability: Evidence from the general population and synaesthesia

DOI

2016-07 | Journal of Vision Research

Ward Jamie //
Rothen Nicolas
// Chang Acer // Kanai Ryota

Peer-reviewed
Electrophysiological correlates and psychoacoustic characteristics of hearing-motion synaesthesia

DOI

2017-10 | Journal of Neuropsychologia

Rothen Nicolas
// Bartl Gergely // Franklin Anna // Ward Jamie

Peer-reviewed
Synesthesia improves sensory memory, when perceptual awareness is high

DOI

2018-09 | Journal of Vision Research

Rothen Nicolas
// K. Seth Anil // Ward Jamie

Peer-reviewed
Spontaneous retrieval reveals right-ear advantage in prospective memory

DOI

2017-08 | Journal of Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

Rothen Nicolas
// Meier Beat

Peer-reviewed
Educational App-Development needs to be informed by the Cognitive Neurosciences of Learning & Memory

DOI

2018-12 | Journal of Science of Learning

Reber Thomas
//
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
Coordinated neural, behavioral, and phenomenological changes in perceptual plasticity through overtraining of synesthetic associations

DOI

2018-01 | Journal of Neuropsychologia

Rothen Nicolas
// J. Schwartzman David // Bor Daniel // K. Seth Anil

Peer-reviewed
Training Enhances Fidelity of Color Representations in Visual Long-Term Memory

DOI

2019-01 | Journal of Journal of Cognitive Enhancement

Ovalle Fresa Rebecca //
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
Neurophenomenology of induced and natural synaesthesia

DOI

2019-10 | Journal of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

J. Schwartzman David // Bor Daniel //
Rothen Nicolas
// K. Seth Anil

Peer-reviewed
Development of synaesthetic consistency: Repeated autonomous engagement with graphemes and colours leads to consistent associations

DOI

2019-06 | Journal of Consciousness and Cognition

Ovalle Rebecca
//
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
The evolution of the concept of synesthesia in the nineteenth century as revealed through the history of its name

DOI

2019-11 | Journal of Journal of the History of the Neurosciences

Jewanski Jörg // Simner Julia // A. Day Sean //
Rothen Nicolas
// Ward Jamie

Peer-reviewed
The End of an Era

DOI

2020-12 | Journal of Swiss Journal of Psychology

Kliegel Matthias //
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
The “golden age” of synesthesia inquiry in the late nineteenth century (1876–1895)

DOI

2019-07 | Journal of Journal of the History of the Neurosciences

Jewanski Jörg // Simner Julia // A. Day Sean //
Rothen Nicolas
// Ward Jamie

Peer-reviewed
Recognizing synesthesia on the international stage: The first scientific symposium on synesthesia (at The International Conference of Physiological Psychology, Paris, 1889)

DOI

2020-05 | Journal of Journal of the History of the Neurosciences

Jewanski Jörg // Simner Julia // A. Day Sean //
Rothen Nicolas
// Ward Jamie

Peer-reviewed
Does a smartphone on the desk drain our brain? No evidence of cognitive costs due to smartphone presence in a short-term and prospective memory task

DOI

2020-10 | Journal of Consciousness and Cognition

Maalouli-Hartmann Matthias
//
Martarelli Corinna
//
Reber Thomas
//
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
A single system account of enhanced recognition memory in synaesthesia

DOI

2020-01 | Journal of Memory & Cognition

Rothen Nicolas
// J. Berry Christopher // K. Seth Anil // Oligschläger Sabine // Ward Jamie

Peer-reviewed
The time course of synaesthetic colour perception

DOI

2021-05 | Journal of Cortex

Lungu Laura //
Rothen Nicolas
// Blair Terhune Devin

Peer-reviewed
The Beginning of a New Era

DOI

2021-07 | Journal of Swiss Psychology Open

Rothen Nicolas
// Burtscher Michael // Gobet Fernand // Mantzouranis Gregory // Mayor Julien // Pirrone Angelo // Raeder Sabine // Ramon Meike // Rossier Jérôme

Peer-reviewed
The advantage of distributed practice in a blended learning setting

DOI

2021-01 | Journal of Education and Information Technologies

S. Jost Nathanael // L. Jossen Sina //
Rothen Nicolas
//
Martarelli Corinna

Peer-reviewed
Spacing, Feedback, and Testing Boost Vocabulary Learning in a Web Application

DOI

2021-11 | Journal of Frontiers in Psychology

Belardi Angelo
// Salome Pedrett //
Rothen Nicolas
//
Reber Thomas

Peer-reviewed
Levels of Processing Affect Perceptual Features in Visual Associative Memory

DOI

2021-01 | Journal of Psychological Science

Ovalle Rebecca
// Sinan Uslu Arif //
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
Enhanced perception and memory: Insights from synesthesia and expertise

DOI

2021-03 | Journal of Cortex

Ovalle Rebecca
// Ankner Sophie //
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
Ten simple rules for good research practice

DOI

2022-06 | Journal of Public Library of Science (PLoS)

Schwab Simon // Janiaud Perrine // Dayan Michael // Amrhein Valentin // Panczak Radoslaw // M. Palagi Patricia // G. Hemkens Lars // Ramon Meike //
Rothen Nicolas
// Senn Stephen // Furrer Eva // Held Leonhard

Peer-reviewed
Standardized database of 400 complex abstract fractals

DOI

2021-12 | Journal of Behavior Research Methods

Ovalle Rebecca
// V Di Pietro Sarah //
Reber Thomas
// Balbi Eleonora //
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
Reinstating location improves mnemonic access but not fidelity of visual mental representations

DOI

2022-08 | Journal of Cortex

Martarelli Corinna
//
Ovalle Rebecca
// Popic Deian // K. Globig Laura //
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
On the relationship between mind wandering and mindfulness

DOI

2022-05 | Journal of Scientific Reports

Belardi Angelo
// Chaieb Leila //
Rey-Mermet Alodie
// Mormann Florian //
Rothen Nicolas
// Fell Juergen //
Reber Thomas

Peer-reviewed
A Meta-Analysis on Mobile-Assisted Language Learning Applications: Benefits and Risks

DOI

2022-09 | Journal of Psychologica Belgica

Mihaylova Mariela // Gorin Simon //
Reber Thomas
//
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
The Interplay of Time-of-day and Chronotype Results in No General and Robust Cognitive Boost

DOI

2023-10 | Journal of Collabra: Psychology

Rey-Mermet Alodie
//
Rothen Nicolas

Peer-reviewed
Extensive Phenomenological Overlap Between Training-Induced and Naturally-Occurring Synaesthetic Experiences

DOI

2023-04 | Journal of Collabra: Psychology

J. Schwartzman David // Oblak Ales //
Rothen Nicolas
// Bor Daniel // K. Seth Anil

Peer-reviewed
Effects of 5 Hz Auditory Beat Stimulation on Mind Wandering and Sustained Attention in an Online Experiment

DOI

2024-04 | Journal of Journal of Cognitive Enhancement

Belardi Angelo
// Chaieb Leila // Fell Juergen //
Rothen Nicolas
//
Reber Thomas

Peer-reviewed
Correlates of implicit semantic processing as revealed by representational similarity analysis applied to EEG

DOI

2024-10 | Journal of iScience

Weber Vincent //
Ruch Simon
// H. Skieresz Nicole //
Rothen Nicolas
//
Reber Thomas

Peer-reviewed
Consequences of the Timing of Menarche on Female Adolescent Sleep Phase Preference

DOI

2009-04 | Journal of Public Library of Science (PLoS)

Cajochen Christian //
Rothen Nicolas
// Greusing Sarah // Balu Silvia // Frey Sylvia

Peer-reviewed