Faculty

Erik Benau

Assistant ProfessorPsychophysiology of Risk, Interoception, Stigma, and Minority stress (PRISM), Safe Zone Advisor

Ph.D. University of KansasMS University of Sciences

mailto:Erik.Benau@liu.edu

Description

Erik Benau is an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Psychology PsyD Program at LIU Post. He received his PhD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Health Psychology from the University of Kansas and an MS in Health Psychology from the University of the Sciences. He directs the PRISM (Psychophysiology of Risk, Interoception, Stigma, and Minority stress) Lab, where his research centers on emotion dysregulation, suicide risk, ageism, and stigma, particularly in LGBTQ+ populations and individuals with substance use concerns. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Benau maintains a clinical practice in the Bronx focused on cognitive-behavioral and integrative treatment for mood, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders.

Publications

Yirdong, G.*, Benau, E.M., Segura, P.*, Polanco-Roman, L. (in press) Dimensions of emotion dysregulation and childhood adversities differentiate young adults with histories of suicide ideation and attempts. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a001020

Benau, E.M. (in press) Editorial: Teaching and training in psychophysiology and neuroscience (introduction to the special issue), Frontiers in: Psychology—Cognitive Science.

Benau, E.M. (in press) Infusing creativity in the teaching of psychology: Two more case studies of the unessay. Psychology Teaching Review.

Atchley, P., Atchley, R.A., Hopkins, M., Benau, E.M., Priester, G., Strayer, D. (in press) Cooperation in Nature: A nature-based intervention improves collaboration and creativity. Journal of Cognitive Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/20445911.2025.2509752

Vaughan, C.R.*, Liotta, L.*, Benau, E.M. (in press) The power of protective factors to mitigate LGBTQ+ suicide risk: Improving positive aspects of one's identity in a vacuum is not enough. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000864

Benau, E.M., Hanna, M.,* Yirdong, F.,* Polanco-Roman, L. (2025) Correlates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among bisexual+, gay/lesbian, and heterosexual young adults. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 64. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12525

Benau, E.M., Jung, S., Vaughan, C.,* Cooper, M. (2025) Implicit biases toward aging-related stimuli corresponds with anxiety about aging, but not ageism: Evidence from a crowdsourced Go/NoGo Association Task. Social Cognition, 43(1), 17-39. https://doi.org/10.1521/soco.2025.43.1.17.

Zampella, B.J.* & Benau, E.M. (2024). Delay of gratification, gender role attitudes, and death reflections all predict death anxiety. Omega: The Journal of Death and Dying. 89(3) 1142-11-61. https://doi.org/10.1177/00302228221085177

Polanco-Roman, L., Ebrahimi, C.T., Satinsky, E.N., Benau, E.M., Martins Lanes, A.M., Iyer, M., Galán, C.A. (2024) Racism-related experiences and traumatic stress symptoms in ethnoracially minoritized children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the empirical evidence. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. 53(4), 690-707 https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2023.2292042

Benau, E.M.†, Zavodnick, J.H.†, Jaffee, R.C. (2024). Initial indices of reliability and validity of an Implicit Association Task measuring bias toward individuals who use substances. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 50(1), 64-74. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2023.2300398

Escobar, L. E.*, Liew, M., Yirdong, F*., Mandelos, K. P.*, Ferraro-Diglio, S. R.*, Abraham, B. M.*, Polanco-Roman, L. & Benau, E. M. (2024). Reduced attentional control in individuals with a history of suicide attempts compared to those with suicidal ideation: Results from a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 349, 8-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.12.082

Treger, S.,† Benau, E.M.,† & Timko, C.A. (2023). Not so terrifying after all? A set of failed replications of the effects of mortality salience in a Terror Management Theory paradigm. PLoS One, 18(5). e0285267. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285267

Benau, E.M. (2023) Self-reported interoceptive abilities positively correspond to measures of self-esteem and attentional performance. PeerJ 11, e15348. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15348

Negi, S.,* Benau, E.M., Strowger, M., Grammer, A.C., Timko, C.A. (2022) Internalization of the thin ideal, not religiosity, mediates the relation between acculturation and disordered eating in South and South East Asian women living in the United States. Frontiers in Psychology: Eating Behaviors, 13(843717). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.843717.

Benau, E.M. & Atchley, R.A. (2022) The blink and the body: Cardiac awareness modulates the perception of emotionally salient words in an attentional blink paradigm. Experimental Psychology, 68(6), 323-332. https://doi.org/10.1027/1618-3169/a000539

Benau, E.M., Makara, A.,* Orloff, N.C., Benner, E., Serpell, L., & Timko, C.A. (2021). How does fasting affect cognition? An updated systematic review (2013-2020). Current Nutrition Reports, 10(4), 376-390. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-021-00370-4

Benau, E.M., Wiatrowski, R.,* & Timko, C.A. (2020). The role of emotion dysregulation, alexithymia, and social anxiety in disordered eating in college athletes. Frontiers in Psychology: Eating Behaviors, 11(1648), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01646

Benau, E.M., & Atchley, R.A. (2020). Time flies faster when you’re feeling blue: Sad mood induction accelerates the perception of time in a temporal judgment task. Cognitive Processing, 21, 479-491, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-020-00966-8

Benau, E.M., & Atchley, R.A. (2020). Some compliments (and insults) are more heartfelt: High cardiac awareness increases P2 amplitudes to emotional verbal stimuli that involve the body. Journal of Psychophysiology, 34(1), 50–59. https://doi.org/10.1027/0269-8803/a000235.

Benau, E.M., Plumhoff, J.,* & Timko, C.A., (2019). Women's dieting goals (weight loss, weight maintenance, or not dieting) predict exercise motivation, goals, and engagement in undergraduate women: A self-determination theory framework. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 17(6), 553-557. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2017.1421683

Benau, E.M.†, Hill, K.†, Foti, D., Atchley, R.A., O’Hare, A., Gibson, L., Hajcak, G., Ilardi, S.S., & Foti, D. (2019). Increased neural sensitivity to self‐relevant stimuli in major depressive disorder. Psychophysiology, 56(7), e13345. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13345

Liese, B.S., Benau, E.M., Atchley, P., Becirevic, A., & Kaplan, B.A. (2019) Revisiting the construct validity of the Self-Perception of Texting Dependence Questionnaire in a national sample. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 45(1), 42-50. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2018.1465572.

Benau, E.M., Gregersen, S.C., Siakaluk, P.D., O’hare, A., Johnson, E.K., & Atchley, R.A. (2018). Sweet-Cheeks Vs. Pea-Brain: embodiment, valence and task all influence the time course of the LPP in emotional language. Cognition and Emotion, 32(4), 691-708.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2017.1342602.

Benau, E.M., DeLoretta, L.C.,* & Moelter, S.T. (2018). The time is “right:” Brain electrophysiology reveals hemispheric differences in time perception. Brain and Cognition, 123, 92-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.008

Benau, E.M., Jenkins, A.J., & Conner, B.T. (2017). Perceived parental monitoring and sexual orientation moderate lifetime acts of non-suicidal self-injury. Archives of Suicide Research, 21, 322-340. https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2016.1182092

Benau, E.M., & Moelter, S.T. (2016). Content of lexical stimuli and self-reported physiological state modulate the amplitude of the Error-Related Negativity. Physiology and Behavior, 163(1), 43-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.04.036

Fennel, A.,* Benau, E.M., & Atchley, R.A., (2016). A single session of meditation reduces physiological indices of anger in both experienced and novice meditators. Consciousness and Cognition, 40, 54-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2015.12.010

Balass, M., Halderman, L.K., Benau, E.M., & Perfetti, C.A. (2016). Semantic processes and individual differences detected through error-related negativities. Journal of Neurolinguistics. 37, 82-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroling.2015.08.002

Benau, E.M., Orloff, N.A., Janke, E.A., Serpell, L. & Timko, C.A. (2014). A systematic review of experimental fasting and cognitive function in healthy adults. Appetite, 77, 52-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.02.014

Votta, R.J., & Benau, E.M. (2014). Sources of stress for pharmacy students in a nationwide sample. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 6(5), 675-681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2014.05.002

Yean, C.,* Benau, E.M., Dakanalis, A., Hormes, J.A., Perone, J. & Timko, C.A. (2013). The relationship of sex and sexual orientation on self-esteem, body shape satisfaction, and eating disorder symptomatology. Frontiers in Psychology: Eating Behavior, 887(4), 1-10 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00887

Votta, R.J., & Benau, E.M. (2013). Predictors of stress in pharmacy students: Results from a nationwide survey. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 5(5), 365-372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2013.06.014

Benau, E.M., Morris, J., & Couperus, J.W. (2011). Semantic processing in children and adults: Incongruity and the N400. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 40(3), 225-239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-011-9167-1

Lectures and Presentations

Vaughan, C.R., Liotta, L., Benau, E.M., (2024) identifying protective factors in LGBTQ+ suicide risk: The impact of community and authenticity. 58th Annual Convention of the Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies, Philadelphia, PA

Benau, E.M. (2024) When we do the policing of our own bodies: Disordered eating and self-harm in LGBTQ+ individuals. Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Sponsored Talk, SUNY Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY

Benau, E.M. (2024) Dr. ChatGPT, or, how I learned to stop worrying and love generative A.I. American Medical Writers Association, Delaware Valley Chapter, Princeton, NJ. (remote).

Benau, E.M., Jenkins, J., Konecny, E.,* Dozier, B., Gerber, A., & Atchley, R.A. (2018). The blink and the body: Cardiac awareness and the perception of emotionally salient words in an attentional blink paradigm. 58th Annual Meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research. Québec City, QC.

Benau, E.M., Liese, B.S., Atchley, P., Becirevic, A., & Kaplan, B.A. (2016). Construct validity of a texting dependence scale that predicts motor vehicle accidents and moving violations. Flash Talk Presented at Addictive Behaviors Special Interest Group, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies 50th Annual Convention. New York, NY.

Benau, E.M., Jenkins, A.L., & Conner, B.T. (2012). Perceived Parental Monitoring and Health Risk Behavior in an Urban University. Symposium on Resilience in LGBT Populations. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies 46th Annual Convention. National Harbor, MD.

Associations:

• Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)
• American Psychological Association (APA)
• Society for Psychophysiological Research (SPR)
• Psi-Chi (Honors Society for Psychology)