Dr Pascal Vrticka (PhD, FHEA)
Associate Professor* in Psychology
(* Senior Lecturer)
Welcome and thank you very much for your interest in Dr Pascal Vrticka’s work.
Please feel free to explore the remaining sections of this website dedicated to Dr Vrticka’s research.
If you have any questions, please do get in touch. You can also follow Dr Vrticka on various social media channels.
Below, you can find links to recent highlights followed by a complete website menu.
Copyright © 2025 Dr Pascal Vrticka. All rights reserved.
Do not reproduce any materials from this website without explicit permission.
Highlights
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Myth-Busting
Examples of the most prevalent myths surrounding attachment theory and science as well as more accurate and up-to-date explanations.
Attachment Q & A
Ask your questions about current attachment theory and research and spread state-of-the-art evidence-based information about attachment science.
Attachment Science
Summaries of recent studies and theoretical perspectives on attachment to help disseminating attachment science.
“Are Dads Wired Differently” Podcast
Dr Vrticka was a guest in the WHY? Podmasters podcast series hosted by Dr Anna Machin. They talked about the many changes that happen in men’s body and brain during the transition to fatherhood. Listen in!
Attachment & Synchrony
Podcast
Dr Vrticka was a guest in the Mommy Brain Revisited podcast series hosted by Dr Jodi Pawluski. They talked about attachment, synchrony, dads, mums, and much more. Listen in!
“6 weeks for dads: meet the experts” Interview
Dr Vrticka was a guest in the “6 weeks for dads: meet the experts” interview series by the Fatherhood Institute as part of their ongoing campaign for improved paternity and reserved parental leave for fathers.
TEDx Talk
On May 14th 2022, Dr Pascal Vrticka participated in the TEDx University of Essex event and gave a talk on “Caring Dads: The Making of Involved and Confident Fathers”. You can now watch the recording on YouTube.
Caring Dads
A new website section is now available specifically dedicated to the social neuroscience of attachment and caregiving in fathers.
Babygro Charity
Dr Pascal Vrticka is an Associate Trustee of the UK Charity Babygro. Together, they published a free book for parents and are offering professional training for individuals working with children and families based on SoNeAt Lab’s research.
Secure Brain
Is your brain securely attached? If you are looking for a concise and accessible summary of the social neuroscience of human attachment, then this series is made for you!
Social Connection
How are attachment, social connection and energy conservation through social allostasis all linked to one another? Check out this accessible summary.
fNIRS Hyperscanning
Based on the first fNIRS hyperscanning workshop held at the University of Essex in May 2023, Dr Pascal Vrticka compiled an introduction to fNIRS hyperscanning covering the most important questions within the field.
Website Menu
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TEDx Talk
Dr Pascal Vrticka’s 2022 TEDx
University of Essex Talk
SoNeAt Lab
The Social Neuroscience of Human Attachment Lab (SoNeAt Lab): How to become involved (prospective students), current students & research topics, and student alumni & research topics
SIRG SoNeAt
Description of the Special Interest Research Group (SIRG) on the Social Neuroscience of Human Attachment (SoNeAt) within SEAS
About
Dr Pascal Vrticka’s CV as well as current teaching and research
SoNeAt
The Social Neuroscience of Human Attachment
Caring Dads
The social neuroscience of attachment & caregiving in fathers
Research Methods
Experimental methods used within
the SoNeAt Lab
Publications
List of Dr Pascal Vrticka’s publications
Talks & Presentations
List of Dr Pascal Vrticka’s talks and
other presentations –
check out the recordings &
posters available online
Blog
Dr Pascal Vrticka’s blog posts
Press
Press reports and other outlets about SoNeAt Lab’s research
Babygro Book
Free book for parents – including dads – based on Dr Vrticka’s functional neuro-anatomical model of human attachment (NAMA)
Latest Blog Posts
Why attachment is foundational for effective leadership
Introducing our new attachment-informed leadership (AIL) framework Leadership comes in many different shapes and forms. As eloquently pointed out by Stogdill, there are almost as many different definitions of leadership as there are people who have tried to define it. According to Northouse, it nonetheless appears that four components are central to leadership: (a) Leadership…
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Is your brain securely attached? Part I: What’s the brain got to do with it?
It’s now been about twenty years since I embarked on my scientific journey to study the Social Neuroscience of Human Attachment (SoNeAt). This series with the overarching title “Is your brain securely attached?” is a reflection of my journey: how everything started, the challenges and achievements it entailed, the insights it revealed, whom I met along…
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Lost in Translation: Disorganised Attachment
Not too long ago, I wrote the first post of my attachment myth-busting series. In this series, I aim at providing examples of the most prevalent myths surrounding attachment theory and science as well as more accurate and up-to-date explanations. My first attachment myth-busting post was about disorganised attachment — what it is, what it isn’t,…
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So happy together: Deconstructing the right brain / left brain myth
A blog post co-written by psychotherapist Dr Ana Kozomara-Lund and social neuroscientist Dr Pascal Vrticka on the pervasive “left brain versus right brain” myth. Main take home messageThe “right brain” versus “left brain” concept intuitively resonates with many people’s self-perceived strengths and weaknesses. It offers a tangible explanation for understanding personality and cognitive styles and their underlying…
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On the same wavelength—Do parents and children understand each other better if their brains are “in sync”?
Humans are social beings by nature. We often (unconsciously) imitate each other’s behaviors—think of yawning or laughing. Recent research shows that this imitation extends even beyond actions; it happens in our brains, too. State-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques reveal that interpersonal neural synchrony, where the brain activities of two or more interacting people align, is important for understanding others, starting…
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Attachment Is the Fifth Element
A blog post co-written by psychotherapist Dr Ana Kozomara-Lund and social neuroscientist Dr Pascal Vrticka on why attachment is so important and special. Last week, we explored the ’attachment shadow’ – i.e., how the meaning of attachment concepts can get lost in translation and how they are often mingled with lots of neurobollocks. We did so because the ‘bright…
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Attachment Shadow
A blog post co-written by psychotherapist Dr Ana Kozomara-Lund and social neuroscientist Dr Pascal Vrticka on the Barnum Effect, how the meaning of attachment concepts can get lost in translation, attachment neurobollocks, and, as a bonus: everything you ever wanted to know about attachment (but were afraid to ask).
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Synced brains: why being constantly tuned in to your child’s every need isn’t always ideal
This post first appeared in The Conversation UK on 21 May 2024. It’s crucial for healthy child development that children can form secure attachment bonds with their parents. Decades of research identified one key ingredient for this process: the coordination of parents’ and children’s brains and behaviour during social interactions. Humans connect with each other by synchronising in many…
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Neuronaler Gleichklang zwischen Eltern und Kindern – Warum mehr Synchronie nicht unbedingt besser ist
Pressemitteilung der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg vom 25.04.2024. Im Erwachsenenalter hat sich in uns eine Vorstellung davon etabliert, was es bedeutet in Beziehung zu anderen Menschen zu stehen und wie diese funktioniert. Dieses Modell zwischenmenschlicher Bindung basiert zu einem großen Teil auf unseren frühen Erfahrungen und beeinflusst wiederum die Qualität unserer Interaktion mit unseren Kindern, beispielsweise auch…
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fNIRS Hyperscanning: An Introduction
A couple weeks ago, Dr Pascal Vrticka had the privilege to organise a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning workshop at the Department of Psychology, University of Essex (Colchester, United Kingdom). The workshop was supported by Trinh Nguyen (Italian Institute of Technology, Rome), the SoNeAt Lab & Artinis Medical Systems, and hosted by SIRG SoNeAt as…
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Dr Pascal Vrticka (PhD, FHEA) 