@article{KirschKitzmannKunde2021, author = {Kirsch, Wladimir and Kitzmann, Tim and Kunde, Wilfried}, title = {Action affects perception through modulation of attention}, series = {Attention, Perception \& Psychophysics}, volume = {83}, journal = {Attention, Perception \& Psychophysics}, number = {5}, issn = {1943-393X}, doi = {10.3758/s13414-021-02277-2}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-273176}, pages = {2320-2330}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The present study explored the origin of perceptual changes repeatedly observed in the context of actions. In Experiment 1, participants tried to hit a circular target with a stylus movement under restricted feedback conditions. We measured the perception of target size during action planning and observed larger estimates for larger movement distances. In Experiment 2, we then tested the hypothesis that this action specific influence on perception is due to changes in the allocation of spatial attention. For this purpose, we replaced the hitting task by conditions of focused and distributed attention and measured the perception of the former target stimulus. The results revealed changes in the perceived stimulus size very similar to those observed in Experiment 1. These results indicate that action's effects on perception root in changes of spatial attention.}, language = {en} } @article{SegerWannagatNieding2021, author = {Seger, Benedikt T. and Wannagat, Wienke and Nieding, Gerhild}, title = {Children's surface, textbase, and situation model representations of written and illustrated written narrative text}, series = {Reading and Writing}, volume = {34}, journal = {Reading and Writing}, number = {6}, issn = {1573-0905}, doi = {10.1007/s11145-020-10118-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-269813}, pages = {1415-1440}, year = {2021}, abstract = {According to the tripartite model of text representation (van Dijk \& Kintsch, 1983), readers form representations of the text surface and textbase, and construct a situation model. In this study, an experiment was conducted to investigate whether these levels of representation would be affected by adding illustrations to narrative text and whether the order of text and illustrations would make a difference. Students aged between 7 and 13 years (N = 146) read 12 narrative texts, 4 of them with illustrations presented before their corresponding sentences, 4 with illustrations presented after, and 4 without any illustration. A sentence recognition task was used to assess the accuracy for text surface, textbase, and situation model. For the text surface and situation model, neither the presence of illustrations nor the order of text and illustrations influenced accuracy. However, the textbase was negatively affected by illustrations when they followed their corresponding sentences. We suggest that illustrations can initiate model inspection after situation model construction (Schnotz, 2014), a process that can make substantial changes to the textbase representation.}, language = {en} } @article{WiemerRaunerStegmannetal.2021, author = {Wiemer, Julian and Rauner, Milena M. and Stegmann, Yannik and Pauli, Paul}, title = {Reappraising fear: is up-regulation more efficient than down-regulation?}, series = {Motivation and Emotion}, volume = {45}, journal = {Motivation and Emotion}, number = {2}, issn = {1573-6644}, doi = {10.1007/s11031-021-09871-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-269187}, pages = {221-234}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Catastrophizing thoughts may contribute to the development of anxiety, but functional emotion regulation may help to improve treatment. No study so far directly compared up- and down-regulation of fear by cognitive reappraisal. Here, healthy individuals took part in a cued fear experiment, in which multiple pictures of faces were paired twice with an unpleasant scream or presented as safety stimuli. Participants (N = 47) were asked (within-subjects) to down-regulate, to up-regulate and to maintain their natural emotional response. Valence and arousal ratings indicated successful up- and down-regulation of the emotional experience, while heart rate and pupil dilation increased during up-regulation, but showed no reduction in down-regulation. State and trait anxiety correlated with evaluations of safety but not threat stimuli, which supports the role of deficient safety learning in anxiety. Reappraisal did not modulate this effect. In conclusion, this study reveals evidence for up-regulation effects in fear, which might be even more efficient than down-regulation on a physiological level and highlights the importance of catastrophizing thoughts for the maintenance of fear and anxiety.}, language = {en} } @article{WongPittig2022, author = {Wong, Alex H. K. and Pittig, Andre}, title = {A dimensional measure of safety behavior: A non-dichotomous assessment of costly avoidance in human fear conditioning}, series = {Psychological Research}, volume = {86}, journal = {Psychological Research}, number = {1}, issn = {1430-2772}, doi = {10.1007/s00426-021-01490-w}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-267688}, pages = {312-330}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Safety behavior prevents the occurrence of threat, thus it is typically considered adaptive. However, safety behavior in anxiety-related disorders is often costly, and persists even the situation does not entail realistic threat. Individuals can engage in safety behavior to varying extents, however, these behaviors are typically measured dichotomously (i.e., to execute or not). To better understand the nuances of safety behavior, this study developed a dimensional measure of safety behavior that had a negative linear relationship with the admission of an aversive outcome. In two experiments, a Reward group receiving fixed or individually calibrated incentives competing with safety behavior showed reduced safety behavior than a Control group receiving no incentives. This allowed extinction learning to a previously learnt warning signal in the Reward group (i.e., updating the belief that this stimulus no longer signals threat). Despite the Reward group exhibited extinction learning, both groups showed a similar increase in fear to the warning signal once safety behavior was no longer available. This null group difference was due to some participants in the Reward group not incentivized enough to disengage from safety behavior. Dimensional assessment revealed a dissociation between low fear but substantial safety behavior to a safety signal in the Control group. This suggests that low-cost safety behavior does not accurately reflect the fear-driven processes, but also other non-fear-driven processes, such as cost (i.e., engage in safety behavior merely because it bears little to no cost). Pinpointing both processes is important for furthering the understanding of safety behavior.}, language = {en} } @article{LiesnerKunde2021, author = {Liesner, Marvin and Kunde, Wilfried}, title = {Environment-Related and Body-Related Components of the Minimal Self}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2021.712559}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-250007}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Perceptual changes that an agent produces by efferent activity can become part of the agent's minimal self. Yet, in human agents, efferent activities produce perceptual changes in various sensory modalities and in various temporal and spatial proximities. Some of these changes occur at the "biological" body, and they are to some extent conveyed by "private" sensory signals, whereas other changes occur in the environment of that biological body and are conveyed by "public" sensory signals. We discuss commonalties and differences of these signals for generating selfhood. We argue that despite considerable functional overlap of these sensory signals in generating self-experience, there are reasons to tell them apart in theorizing and empirical research about development of the self.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Brych2022, author = {Brych, Mareike Kimberly}, title = {How movements and cognition interact: An investigation of spontaneous blinks}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-26737}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-267376}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {During natural behavior, cognitive processes constantly coincide with body movements such as head or eye movements or blinks. However, during experimental investigations of cognitive processes, movements are often highly restricted which is rather unnatural. In order to improve our understanding of natural behavior, this thesis investigates the interaction between cognition and movements by focusing on spontaneous blinks, which naturally interact with other body movements. Spontaneous blinks are inevitably connected to vision as they shut out incoming visual information. Both sensory-based and cognitive factors, for example, stimulus occurrence and evaluation, were reported to influence blink behavior. Our first study investigated if such influences are comparable for visual and non-visual input. The chosen experimental design allowed dissociating sensory-driven and cognitive influences, which then could be compared between the visual and auditory domain. Our results show that blinks are more strongly modulated during passive observation of visual input compared to auditory input. This modulation is however enhanced for both input modalities by an increased attentional demand. In addition, the cognitively defined meaning of a stimulus changes blink latency independent of the sensory domain. Overall, our findings show that spontaneous blinks and cognitive processes are linked beyond vision. Moreover, the underlying cognitive processes that influence blinks are largely the same across different sensory input indicating that blinks are profoundly integrated into our system. When investigating natural behavior, it is important to consider that movements rarely occur in isolation, but are executed side by side. As these movements interact and have a link to cognitive processes, the complexity of our system increases. In order to take this complexity into account, the second part of the experimental research focused on movement interactions, more specifically on the interactions between blinks, pupil size and speaking. Our results reveal that speech-related motor activity increases blink rate and pupil size as well as modulates blink timing. This is in line with previous research that described a relation between different body and eye movements. Importantly, each bodily-induced change in eye movements affects visual information intake. Therefore, different movements can be tightly linked to perceptual processes through complex interactions. Altogether, the work of this thesis provides rich evidence that movements and cognitive processes are deeply intertwined. Therefore, movements should be seen as an integral part of our system. Taking the relevance of movements and their interactions into account during experimental investigations is necessary in order to reveal a more realistic and complete picture of human natural behavior.}, subject = {Kognition}, language = {en} } @article{HeinGamerGalletal.2021, author = {Hein, Grit and Gamer, Matthias and Gall, Dominik and Gr{\"u}ndahl, Marthe and Domschke, Katharina and Andreatta, Marta and Wieser, Matthias J. and Pauli, Paul}, title = {Social cognitive factors outweigh negative emotionality in predicting COVID-19 related safety behaviors}, series = {Preventive Medicine Reports}, volume = {24}, journal = {Preventive Medicine Reports}, doi = {10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101559}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-265008}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Emotion-motivation models propose that behaviors, including health behaviors, should be predicted by the same variables that also predict negative affect since emotional reactions should induce a motivation to avoid threatening situations. In contrast, social cognitive models propose that safety behaviors are predicted by a different set of variables that mainly reflect cognitive and socio-structural aspects. Here, we directly tested these opposing hypotheses in young adults (N = 4134) in the context of COVID-19-related safety behaviors to prevent infections. In each participant, we collected measures of negative affect as well as cognitive and socio-structural variables during the lockdown in the first infection wave in Germany. We found a negative effect of the pandemic on emotional responses. However, this was not the main predictor for young adults' willingness to comply with COVID-19-related safety measures. Instead, individual differences in compliance were mainly predicted by cognitive and socio-structural variables. These results were confirmed in an independent data set. This study shows that individuals scoring high on negative affect during the pandemic are not necessarily more likely to comply with safety regulations. Instead, political measures should focus on cognitive interventions and the societal relevance of the health issue. These findings provide important insights into the basis of health-related concerns and feelings as well as behavioral adaptations.}, language = {en} } @article{KrishnaRodriguesMitschkeetal.2021, author = {Krishna, Anand and Rodrigues, Johannes and Mitschke, Vanessa and Eder, Andreas B.}, title = {Self-reported mask-related worrying reduces relative avoidance bias toward unmasked faces in individuals with low Covid19 anxiety syndrome}, series = {Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications}, volume = {6}, journal = {Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications}, doi = {10.1186/s41235-021-00344-8}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-265720}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Facial masks have become and may remain ubiquitous. Though important for preventing infection, they may also serve as a reminder of the risks of disease. Thus, they may either act as cues for threat, priming avoidance-related behavior, or as cues for a safe interaction, priming social approach. To distinguish between these possibilities, we assessed implicit and explicit evaluations of masked individuals as well as avoidance bias toward relatively unsafe interactions with unmasked individuals in an approach-avoidance task in an online study. We further assessed Covid19 anxiety and specific attitudes toward mask-wearing, including mask effectiveness and desirability, hindrance of communication from masks, aesthetic appeal of masks, and mask-related worrying. Across one sample of younger (18-35 years, N = 147) and one of older adults (60+ years, N = 150), we found neither an average approach nor avoidance bias toward mask-wearing compared to unmasked individuals in the indirect behavior measurement task. However, across the combined sample, self-reported mask-related worrying correlated with reduced avoidance tendencies toward unmasked individuals when Covid19 anxiety was low, but not when it was high. This relationship was specific to avoidance tendencies and was not observed in respect to explicit or implicit preference for mask-wearing individuals. We conclude that unsafe interaction styles may be reduced by targeting mask-related worrying with public interventions, in particular for populations that otherwise have low generalized Covid19 anxiety.}, language = {en} } @article{CaoSteinbornHaendel2021, author = {Cao, Liyu and Steinborn, Michael B. and Haendel, Barbara F.}, title = {Delusional thinking and action binding in healthy individuals}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {11}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-021-97977-y}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-264707}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Action binding is the effect that the perceived time of an action is shifted towards the action related feedback. A much larger action binding effect in schizophrenia compared to normal controls has been shown, which might be due to positive symptoms like delusions. Here we investigated the relationship between delusional thinking and action binding in healthy individuals, predicting a positive correlation between them. The action binding effect was evaluated by comparing the perceived time of a keypress between an operant (keypress triggering a sound) and a baseline condition (keypress alone), with a novel testing method that massively improved the precision of the subjective timing measurement. A positive correlation was found between the tendency of delusional thinking (measured by the 21-item Peters et al. delusions inventory) and action binding across participants after controlling for the effect of testing order between operant and baseline conditions. The results indicate that delusional thinking in particular influences action time perception and support the notion of a continuous distribution of schizotypal traits with normal controls at one end and clinical patients at the other end.}, language = {en} } @article{KrishnaRiedMeixner2021, author = {Krishna, Anand and Ried, Sophia and Meixner, Marie}, title = {State-trait interactions in regulatory focus determine impulse buying behavior}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {16}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {7}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0253634}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-261206}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Little research has focused on motivational state-trait interactions to explain impulse buying. Although the trait chronic regulatory focus has been linked to impulse buying, no evidence yet exists for an effect of situational regulatory focus and no research has examined whether the fit of chronic and situational regulatory focus can influence impulse buying with actual consumptive consequences rather than purchase intentions. Two laboratory experiments (total N = 250) manipulated situational regulatory focus before providing opportunities for impulse buying. In addition, cognitive constraint was manipulated as a potential boundary condition for regulatory focus effects. Situational promotion focus increased impulse buying relative to situational prevention focus in participants with strong chronic promotion, consistent with regulatory fit theory and independently of cognitive constraint. Surprisingly, situational promotion focus also increased impulse buying in participants with strong chronic prevention, but only under low cognitive constraint. These results may be explained by diverging mediating cognitive processes for promotion vs. prevention focus' effect on impulse buying. Future research must focus more on combining relevant states and traits in predicting consumer behavior. Marketing implications are discussed.}, language = {en} } @article{TibkenRichterLindenetal.2022, author = {Tibken, Catharina and Richter, Tobias and Linden, Nicole von der and Schmiedeler, Sandra and Schneider, Wolfgang}, title = {The role of metacognitive competences in the development of school achievement among gifted adolescents}, series = {Child Development}, volume = {93}, journal = {Child Development}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1111/cdev.13640}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-258376}, pages = {117-133}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Gifted underachievers perform worse in school than would be expected based on their high intelligence. Possible causes for underachievement are low motivational dispositions (need for cognition) and metacognitive competences. This study tested the interplay of these variables longitudinally with gifted and non-gifted students from Germany (N = 341, 137 females) in Grades 6 (M = 12.02 years at t1) and 8 (M = 14.07 years). Declarative and procedural metacognitive competences were assessed in the domain of reading comprehension. Path analyses showed incremental effects of procedural metacognition over and above intelligence on the development of school achievement in gifted students (β = .139). Moreover, declarative metacognition and need for cognition interactively predicted procedural metacognition (β = .169), which mediated their effect on school achievement.}, language = {en} } @article{KirschmannLenhardSuggate2021, author = {Kirschmann, Nicole and Lenhard, Wolfgang and Suggate, Sebastian}, title = {Influences from working memory, word and sentence reading on passage comprehension and teacher ratings}, series = {Journal of Research in Reading}, volume = {44}, journal = {Journal of Research in Reading}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1111/1467-9817.12373}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-258043}, pages = {817-836}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Reading fluency is a major determinant of reading comprehension but depends on moderating factors such as auditory working memory (AWM), word recognition and sentence reading skills. We investigated how word and sentence reading skills relate to reading comprehension differentially across the first 6 years of schooling and tested which reading variable best predicted teacher judgements. We conducted our research in a rather transparent language, namely, German, drawing on two different data sets. The first was derived from the normative sample of a reading comprehension test (ELFE-II), including 2056 first to sixth graders with readings tests at the word, sentence and text level. The second sample included 114 students from second to fourth grade. The latter completed a series of tests that measured word and sentence reading fluency, pseudoword reading, AWM, reading comprehension, self-concept and teacher ratings. We analysed the data via hierarchical regression analyses to predict reading comprehension and teacher judgements. The impact of reading fluency was strongest in second and third grade, afterwards superseded by sentence comprehension. AWM significantly contributed to reading comprehension independently of reading fluency, whereas basic decoding skills disappeared after considering fluency. Students' AWM and reading comprehension predicted teacher judgements on reading fluency. Reading comprehension judgements depended both on the students' self-concept and reading comprehension. Our results underline that the role of word reading accuracy for reading comprehension quickly diminishes during elementary school and that teachers base their assessments mainly on the current reading comprehension skill.}, language = {en} } @article{StegmannAndreattaPaulietal.2021, author = {Stegmann, Yannik and Andreatta, Marta and Pauli, Paul and Wieser, Matthias J.}, title = {Associative learning shapes visual discrimination in a web-based classical conditioning task}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {11}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-021-95200-6}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-260480}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Threat detection plays a vital role in adapting behavior to changing environments. A fundamental function to improve threat detection is learning to differentiate between stimuli predicting danger and safety. Accordingly, aversive learning should lead to enhanced sensory discrimination of danger and safety cues. However, studies investigating the psychophysics of visual and auditory perception after aversive learning show divergent findings, and both enhanced and impaired discrimination after aversive learning have been reported. Therefore, the aim of this web-based study is to examine the impact of aversive learning on a continuous measure of visual discrimination. To this end, 205 participants underwent a differential fear conditioning paradigm before and after completing a visual discrimination task using differently oriented grating stimuli. Participants saw either unpleasant or neutral pictures as unconditioned stimuli (US). Results demonstrated sharpened visual discrimination for the US-associated stimulus (CS+), but not for the unpaired conditioned stimuli (CS-). Importantly, this finding was irrespective of the US's valence. These findings suggest that associative learning results in increased stimulus salience, which facilitates perceptual discrimination in order to prioritize attentional deployment.}, language = {en} } @article{MitschkeEder2021, author = {Mitschke, Vanessa and Eder, Andreas B.}, title = {Facing the enemy: Spontaneous facial reactions towards suffering opponents}, series = {Psychophysiology}, volume = {58}, journal = {Psychophysiology}, number = {8}, doi = {10.1111/psyp.13835}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-259672}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The suffering of an opponent is an important social affective cue that modulates how aggressive interactions progress. To investigate the affective consequences of opponent suffering on a revenge seeking individual, two experiments (total N = 82) recorded facial muscle activity while participants observed the reaction of a provoking opponent to a (retaliatory) sound punishment in a laboratory aggression task. Opponents reacted via prerecorded videos either with facial displays of pain, sadness, or neutrality. Results indicate that participants enjoyed seeing the provocateur suffer: indexed by a coordinated muscle response featuring an increase in zygomaticus major (and orbicularis oculi muscle) activation accompanied by a decrease in corrugator supercilii activation. This positive facial reaction was only shown while a provoking opponent expressed pain. Expressions of sadness, and administration of sound blasts to nonprovoking opponents, did not modulate facial activity. Overall, the results suggest that revenge-seeking individuals enjoy observing the offender suffer, which could represent schadenfreude or satisfaction of having succeeded in the retaliation goal.}, language = {en} } @article{KleihDahmsBotrelKuebler2021, author = {Kleih-Dahms, Sonja Christina and Botrel, Loic and K{\"u}bler, Andrea}, title = {The influence of motivation and emotion on sensorimotor rhythm-based brain-computer interface performance}, series = {Psychophysiology}, volume = {58}, journal = {Psychophysiology}, number = {8}, doi = {10.1111/psyp.13832}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-259664}, year = {2021}, abstract = {While decades of research have investigated and technically improved brain-computer interface (BCI)-controlled applications, relatively little is known about the psychological aspects of brain-computer interfacing. In 35 healthy students, we investigated whether extrinsic motivation manipulated via monetary reward and emotional state manipulated via video and music would influence behavioral and psychophysiological measures of performance with a sensorimotor rhythm (SMR)-based BCI. We found increased task-related brain activity in extrinsically motivated (rewarded) as compared with nonmotivated participants but no clear effect of emotional state manipulation. Our experiment investigated the short-term effect of motivation and emotion manipulation in a group of young healthy subjects, and thus, the significance for patients in the locked-in state, who may be in need of a BCI, remains to be investigated.}, language = {en} } @article{GromerKiserPauli2021, author = {Gromer, Daniel and Kiser, Dominik P. and Pauli, Paul}, title = {Thigmotaxis in a virtual human open field test}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {11}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-021-85678-5}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-259850}, pages = {6670}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Animal models are used to study neurobiological mechanisms in mental disorders. Although there has been significant progress in the understanding of neurobiological underpinnings of threat-related behaviors and anxiety, little progress was made with regard to new or improved treatments for mental disorders. A possible reason for this lack of success is the unknown predictive and cross-species translational validity of animal models used in preclinical studies. Re-translational approaches, therefore, seek to establish cross-species translational validity by identifying behavioral operations shared across species. To this end, we implemented a human open field test in virtual reality and measured behavioral indices derived from animal studies in three experiments (N=31, N=30, and N=80). In addition, we investigated the associations between anxious traits and such behaviors. Results indicated a strong similarity in behavior across species, i.e., participants in our study-like rodents in animal studies-preferred to stay in the outer region of the open field, as indexed by multiple behavioral parameters. However, correlational analyses did not clearly indicate that these behaviors were a function of anxious traits of participants. We conclude that the realized virtual open field test is able to elicit thigmotaxis and thus demonstrates cross-species validity of this aspect of the test. Modulatory effects of anxiety on human open field behavior should be examined further by incorporating possible threats in the virtual scenario and/or by examining participants with higher anxiety levels or anxiety disorder patients.}, language = {en} } @article{BertiVosselGamer2017, author = {Berti, Stefan and Vossel, Gerhard and Gamer, Matthias}, title = {The orienting response in healthy aging: Novelty P3 indicates no general decline but reduced efficacy for fast stimulation rates}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {8}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01780}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-173651}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Automatic orienting to unexpected changes in the environment is a pre-requisite for adaptive behavior. One prominent mechanism of automatic attentional control is the Orienting Response (OR). Despite the fundamental significance of the OR in everyday life, only little is known about how the OR is affected by healthy aging. We tested this question in two age groups (19-38 and 55-72 years) and measured skin-conductance responses (SCRs) and event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to novels (i.e., short environmental sounds presented only once in the experiment; 10\% of the trials) compared to standard sounds (600 Hz sinusoidal tones with 200 ms duration; 90\% of the trials). Novel and standard stimuli were presented in four conditions differing in the inter-stimulus interval (ISI) with a mean ISI of either 10, 3, 1, or 0.5 s (blocked presentation). In both age groups, pronounced SCRs were elicited by novels in the 10 s ISI condition, suggesting the elicitation of stable ORs. These effects were accompanied by pronounced N1 and frontal P3 amplitudes in the ERP, suggesting that automatic novelty processing and orientation of attention are effective in both age groups. Furthermore, the SCR and ERP effects declined with decreasing ISI length. In addition, differences between the two groups were observable with the fastest presentation rates (i.e., 1 and 0.5 s ISI length). The most prominent difference was a shift of the peak of the frontal positivity from around 300 to 200 ms in the 19-38 years group while in the 55-72 years group the amplitude of the frontal P3 decreased linearly with decreasing ISI length. Taken together, this pattern of results does not suggest a general decline in processing efficacy with healthy aging. At least with very rare changes (here, the novels in the 10 s ISI condition) the OR is as effective in healthy older adults as in younger adults. With faster presentation rates, however, the efficacy of the OR decreases. This seems to result in a switch from novelty to deviant processing in younger adults, but less so in the group of older adults.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Grossekathoefer2022, author = {Großekath{\"o}fer, Jonas David}, title = {Virtually Valid? On the Importance of Ecological Validity and Virtual Reality for Social Attention Research}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-26041}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-260417}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Gazes are of central relevance for people. They are crucial for navigating the world and communicating with others. Nevertheless, research in recent years shows that many findings from experimental research on gaze behavior cannot be transferred from the laboratory to everyday behavior. For example, the frequency with which conspecifics are looked at is considerably higher in experimental contexts than what can be observed in daily behavior. In short: findings from laboratories cannot be generalized into general statements. This thesis is dedicated to this matter. The dissertation describes and documents the current state of research on social attention through a literature review, including a meta-analysis on the /gaze cueing/ paradigm and an empirical study on the robustness of gaze following behavior. In addition, virtual reality was used in one of the first studies in this research field. Virtual reality has the potential to significantly improve the transferability of experimental laboratory studies to everyday behavior. This is because the technology enables a high degree of experimental control in naturalistic research designs. As such, it has the potential to transform empirical research in the same way that the introduction of computers to psychological research did some 50 years ago. The general literature review on social attention is extended to the classic /gaze cueing/ paradigm through a systematic review of publications and a meta-analytic evaluation (Study 1). The cumulative evidence supported the findings of primary studies: Covert spatial attention is directed by faces. However, the experimental factors included do not explain the surprisingly large variance in the published results. Thus, there seem to be further, not well-understood variables influencing these social processes. Moreover, classic /gaze cueing/ studies have limited ecological validity. This is discussed as a central reason for the lack of generalisability. Ecological validity describes the correspondence between experimental factors and realistic situations. A stimulus or an experimental design can have high and low ecological validity on different dimensions and have different influences on behavior. Empirical research on gaze following behavior showed that the /gaze cueing/ effect also occurs with contextually embedded stimuli (Study 2). The contextual integration of the directional cue contrasted classical /gaze cueing/ studies, which usually show heads in isolation. The research results can thus be transferred /within/ laboratory studies to higher ecologically valid research paradigms. However, research shows that the lack of ecological validity in experimental designs significantly limits the transferability of experimental findings to complex situations /outside/ the laboratory. This seems to be particularly the case when social interactions and norms are investigated. However, ecological validity is also often limited in these studies for other factors, such as contextual embedding /of participants/, free exploration behavior (and, thus, attentional control), or multimodality. In a first study, such high ecological validity was achieved for these factors with virtual reality, which could not be achieved in the laboratory so far (Study 3). Notably, the observed fixation patterns showed differences even under /most similar/ conditions in the laboratory and natural environments. Interestingly, these were similar to findings also derived from comparisons of eye movement in the laboratory and field investigations. These findings, which previously came from hardly comparable groups, were thus confirmed by the present Study 3 (which did not have this limitation). Overall, /virtual reality/ is a new technical approach to contemporary social attention research that pushes the boundaries of previous experimental research. The traditional trade-off between ecological validity and experimental control thus becomes obsolete, and laboratory studies can closely inherit an excellent approximation of reality. Finally, the present work describes and discusses the possibilities of this technology and its practical implementation. Within this context, the extent to which this development can still guarantee a constructive classification of different laboratory tests in the future is examined.}, subject = {Aufmerksamkeit}, language = {en} } @article{PittigHeinigGoerigketal.2021, author = {Pittig, Andre and Heinig, Ingmar and Goerigk, Stephan and Thiel, Freya and Hummel, Katrin and Scholl, Lucie and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Pauli, Paul and Domschke, Katharina and Lueken, Ulrike and Fydrich, Thomas and Fehm, Lydia and Plag, Jens and Str{\"o}hle, Andreas and Kircher, Tilo and Straube, Benjamin and Rief, Winfried and Koelkebeck, Katja and Arolt, Volker and Dannlowski, Udo and Margraf, J{\"u}rgen and Totzeck, Christina and Schneider, Silvia and Neudeck, Peter and Craske, Michelle G. and Hollandt, Maike and Richter, Jan and Hamm, Alfons and Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich}, title = {Efficacy of temporally intensified exposure for anxiety disorders: A multicenter randomized clinical trial}, series = {Depression and Anxiety}, volume = {38}, journal = {Depression and Anxiety}, number = {11}, doi = {10.1002/da.23204}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-257331}, pages = {1169-1181}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Background The need to optimize exposure treatments for anxiety disorders may be addressed by temporally intensified exposure sessions. Effects on symptom reduction and public health benefits should be examined across different anxiety disorders with comorbid conditions. Methods This multicenter randomized controlled trial compared two variants of prediction error-based exposure therapy (PeEx) in various anxiety disorders (both 12 sessions + 2 booster sessions, 100 min/session): temporally intensified exposure (PeEx-I) with exposure sessions condensed to 2 weeks (n = 358) and standard nonintensified exposure (PeEx-S) with weekly exposure sessions (n = 368). Primary outcomes were anxiety symptoms (pre, post, and 6-months follow-up). Secondary outcomes were global severity (across sessions), quality of life, disability days, and comorbid depression. Results Both treatments resulted in substantial improvements at post (PeEx-I: d\(_{within}\) = 1.50, PeEx-S: d\(_{within}\) = 1.78) and follow-up (PeEx-I: d\(_{within}\) = 2.34; PeEx-S: d\(_{within}\) = 2.03). Both groups showed formally equivalent symptom reduction at post and follow-up. However, time until response during treatment was 32\% shorter in PeEx-I (median = 68 days) than PeEx-S (108 days; TR\(_{PeEx-I}\)-I = 0.68). Interestingly, drop-out rates were lower during intensified exposure. PeEx-I was also superior in reducing disability days and improving quality of life at follow-up without increasing relapse. Conclusions Both treatment variants focusing on the transdiagnostic exposure-based violation of threat beliefs were effective in reducing symptom severity and disability in severe anxiety disorders. Temporally intensified exposure resulted in faster treatment response with substantial public health benefits and lower drop-out during the exposure phase, without higher relapse. Clinicians can expect better or at least comparable outcomes when delivering exposure in a temporally intensified manner.}, language = {en} } @article{MuthHeiligMarquardtetal.2022, author = {Muth, Felicitas V. and Heilig, Michael and Marquardt, Dorothea and Mittelberg, Linda and Sebald, Albrecht and Kunde, Wilfried}, title = {Lightness perception of structured surfaces}, series = {Color Research and Application}, volume = {47}, journal = {Color Research and Application}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1002/col.22740}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-257314}, pages = {377-387}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Visual perception of surfaces is of utmost importance in everyday life. Therefore, it comes naturally, that different surface structures evoke different visual impressions in the viewer even if the material underlying these surface structures is the same. This topic is especially virulent for manufacturing processes in which more than one stakeholder is involved, but where the final product needs to meet certain criteria. A common practice to address such slight but perceivable differences in the visual appearance of structured surfaces is that trained evaluators assess the samples and assign a pass or fail. However, this process is both time consuming and cost intensive. Thus, we conducted two studies to analyze the relationship between physical surface structure parameters and participants visual assessment of the samples. With the first experiment, we aimed at uncovering a relationship between physical roughness parameters and visual lightness perception while the second experiment was designed to test participants' discrimination sensitivity across the range of stimuli. Perceived lightness and the measured surface roughness were nonlinearly related to the surface structure. Additionally, we found a linear relationship between the engraving parameter and physical brightness. Surface structure was an ideal predictor for perceived lightness and participants discriminated equally well across the entire range of surface structures.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Schmitt2022, author = {Schmitt, Nadine J. B.}, title = {What is integrity and how do we use it? - Enhancing the validity of integrity by reviewing integrity tests, expanding the nomological network, and reducing faking}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-26046}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-260468}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {This dissertation focuses on the construct and criterion validity of integrity tests and aims to enhance both. To accomplish this goal, three approaches were adopted: First, an overview and systematic comparison of integrity tests was conducted with reference to the construction and application of the tests. Second, the nomological network of integrity tests was expanded with reference to honesty-humility and organizational citizenship behavior at their factor and facet level. Third, two promising methods to reduce faking on integrity tests were tested: the double rating method (Hui, 2001) and the indirect questioning technique. In line with previous research, the results of the overview and comparison of integrity measures confirmed that integrity tests are multidimensional and heterogenous. A clear definition of integrity is urgently needed. The personality trait of honesty-humility and its facets of fairness, and modesty revealed the most significant relationships to integrity. Moreover, organizational citizenship behavior and its facets of altruism, conscientiousness, and sportsmanship were found to significantly relate to integrity. Furthermore, integrity tests were able not only to predict organizational citizenship behavior but also to incrementally predict job performance and organizational citizenship behavior beyond the factor and facet level of the personality traits of conscientiousness and honesty-humility. In contrast to the indirect questioning technique, the double rating method, which includes an other rating and a self rating, was shown to be able to significantly reduce faking on integrity tests in an anonymous survey setting. This dissertation makes an important contribution to better explain the construct and nomological network of integrity, provide a more detailed view on integrity tests and their protection against faking, and expand the predictive and incremental validity of these tests. The implications for future research and practice are further discussed.}, subject = {Integrit{\"a}t}, language = {en} } @article{GhafoorNordbeckRitteretal.2022, author = {Ghafoor, Hina and Nordbeck, Peter and Ritter, Oliver and Pauli, Paul and Schulz, Stefan M.}, title = {Can Religiosity and Social Support Explain Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence on Health-Related Quality of Life: A Cross-Cultural Study}, series = {Journal of Religion and Health}, volume = {61}, journal = {Journal of Religion and Health}, number = {1}, issn = {0022-4197}, doi = {10.1007/s10943-020-01163-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-232823}, pages = {158-174}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Religion and social support along with trait emotional intelligence (EI) help individuals to reduce stress caused by difficult situations. Their implications may vary across cultures in reference to predicting health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A convenience sample of N = 200 chronic heart failure (CHF) patients was recruited at cardiology centers in Germany (n = 100) and Pakistan (n = 100). Results indicated that trait-EI predicted better mental component of HRQoL in Pakistani and German CHF patients. Friends as social support appeared relevant for German patients only. Qualitative data indicate an internal locus of control in German as compared to Pakistani patients. Strengthening the beneficial role of social support in Pakistani patients is one example of how the current findings may inspire culture-specific treatment to empower patients dealing with the detrimental effects of CHF.}, language = {en} } @article{MadeiraGromerLatoschiketal.2021, author = {Madeira, Octavia and Gromer, Daniel and Latoschik, Marc Erich and Pauli, Paul}, title = {Effects of Acrophobic Fear and Trait Anxiety on Human Behavior in a Virtual Elevated Plus-Maze}, series = {Frontiers in Virtual Reality}, volume = {2}, journal = {Frontiers in Virtual Reality}, doi = {10.3389/frvir.2021.635048}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-258709}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The Elevated Plus-Maze (EPM) is a well-established apparatus to measure anxiety in rodents, i.e., animals exhibiting an increased relative time spent in the closed vs. the open arms are considered anxious. To examine whether such anxiety-modulated behaviors are conserved in humans, we re-translated this paradigm to a human setting using virtual reality in a Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) system. In two studies, we examined whether the EPM exploration behavior of humans is modulated by their trait anxiety and also assessed the individuals' levels of acrophobia (fear of height), claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces), sensation seeking, and the reported anxiety when on the maze. First, we constructed an exact virtual copy of the animal EPM adjusted to human proportions. In analogy to animal EPM studies, participants (N = 30) freely explored the EPM for 5 min. In the second study (N = 61), we redesigned the EPM to make it more human-adapted and to differentiate influences of trait anxiety and acrophobia by introducing various floor textures and lower walls of closed arms to the height of standard handrails. In the first experiment, hierarchical regression analyses of exploration behavior revealed the expected association between open arm avoidance and Trait Anxiety, an even stronger association with acrophobic fear. In the second study, results revealed that acrophobia was associated with avoidance of open arms with mesh-floor texture, whereas for trait anxiety, claustrophobia, and sensation seeking, no effect was detected. Also, subjects' fear rating was moderated by all psychometrics but trait anxiety. In sum, both studies consistently indicate that humans show no general open arm avoidance analogous to rodents and that human EPM behavior is modulated strongest by acrophobic fear, whereas trait anxiety plays a subordinate role. Thus, we conclude that the criteria for cross-species validity are met insufficiently in this case. Despite the exploratory nature, our studies provide in-depth insights into human exploration behavior on the virtual EPM.}, language = {en} } @article{WinterKernGalletal.2021, author = {Winter, Carla and Kern, Florian and Gall, Dominik and Latoschik, Marc Erich and Pauli, Paul and K{\"a}thner, Ivo}, title = {Immersive virtual reality during gait rehabilitation increases walking speed and motivation: a usability evaluation with healthy participants and individuals with multiple sclerosis and stroke}, series = {Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation}, volume = {18}, journal = {Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation}, number = {1}, issn = {1743-0003}, doi = {10.1186/s12984-021-00848-w}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-258698}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Background: The rehabilitation of gait disorders in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and stroke is often based on conventional treadmill training. Virtual reality (VR)-based treadmill training can increase motivation and improve therapy outcomes. The present study evaluated an immersive virtual reality application (using a head-mounted display, HMD) for gait rehabilitation with patients to (1) demonstrate its feasibility and acceptance and to (2) compare its short-term effects to a semi-immersive presentation (using a monitor) and a conventional treadmill training without VR to assess the usability of both systems and estimate the effects on walking speed and motivation. Methods: In a within-subjects study design, 36 healthy participants and 14 persons with MS or stroke participated in each of the three experimental conditions (VR via HMD, VR via monitor, treadmill training without VR). Results: For both groups, the walking speed in the HMD condition was higher than in treadmill training without VR and in the monitor condition. Healthy participants reported a higher motivation after the HMD condition as compared with the other conditions. Importantly, no side effects in the sense of simulator sickness occurred and usability ratings were high. No increases in heart rate were observed following the VR conditions. Presence ratings were higher for the HMD condition compared with the monitor condition for both user groups. Most of the healthy study participants (89\%) and patients (71\%) preferred the HMD-based training among the three conditions and most patients could imagine using it more frequently. Conclusions For the first time, the present study evaluated the usability of an immersive VR system for gait rehabilitation in a direct comparison with a semi-immersive system and a conventional training without VR with healthy participants and patients. The study demonstrated the feasibility of combining a treadmill training with immersive VR. Due to its high usability and low side effects, it might be particularly suited for patients to improve training motivation and training outcome e. g. the walking speed compared with treadmill training using no or only semi-immersive VR. Immersive VR systems still require specific technical setup procedures. This should be taken into account for specific clinical use-cases during a cost-benefit assessment.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Klinke2022, author = {Klinke, Christopher Matthias}, title = {Experimental investigation of the effect of distal stress induction on threat conditioning in humans}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-22556}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-225562}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Stress constitutes a major risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders, such as PTSD and anxiety disorders, by shifting the brain into a state of sensitization and makes it more vulnerable when being exposed to further aversive events. This was experimentally in-vestigated in rodents by examining the effect of a distal stress induction on threat conditioning, where stress impaired extinction learning and caused spontaneous recovery. However, this effect has never been experimentally investigated in humans, so far. Thus, the aim of this dissertation was to investigate the effect of distal stress on threat conditioning in humans. Therefore, two subsequent studies were conducted. For both studies, the threat conditioning paradigm comprised threat acquisition, extinction learning, and re-extinction. In the threat acquisition phase, two geometrical shapes were used as conditioned stimulus (CS), from which one (CS+) was paired with a painful electric stimulus (unconditioned stimulus, US), but not the other one (CS-). During extinction learning 24 h later and re-extinction seventeen days later, CSs were again presented but without any US delivery. In Study 1, 69 participants underwent either a stress (socially evaluated cold pressor test; SECPT) or sham protocol 10 days prior to threat conditioning. Furthermore, context effects were examined by placing the stress protocol in the same context (context-A stress, and sham group) or a different context (context-B stress group) than conditioning. Results revealed that the context-A, but not context-B, stress group displayed impaired safety learning (i.e. potenti-ation towards CS-) for startle response during threat acquisition. Moreover, the same stress group showed impaired threat extinction, evident in sustained CS discrimination in valence and arousal ratings during extinction learning, and memory recall. In sum, distal stress on the one hand impaired safety learning during threat conditioning on a level of startle response. On the other hand, stress impaired threat extinction on a level of ratings. Noteworthy, the effect of distal stress was only found when the stressor was placed in the same context as later threat learning. Hence, suggesting that the combination of stressor and stressor-associated context exerted the effect on threat extinction. In Study 2, it was examined if distal stress induction could also have an impact on threat and extinction processes without the necessity of context association. Therefore, the same stress (n = 45) or sham protocol (n = 44) as in Study 1 was conducted in a different context than and 24 h prior to a threat conditioning paradigm. Similar to Study 1, weakened extinction learning was found in fear ratings for the stress (vs. sham) group, which was indicated by persistent CS+/CS- differentiation after the first block of extinction trials. Alterations in safety learning towards the CS- during threat acquisition were only supported by significant correlations between stress measures on the stress day and conditioned startle response of the CS- during acquisition. Taken together, in two subsequent studies this dissertation provided first evidence of impaired threat extinction after distal stress induction in humans. Furthermore, impairments in safety learning, as can be observed in PTSD, were additionally demonstrated. Interestingly, the effects were boosted and more profound when associating the stressor to the later learning context. These results have clinical implications as they can be translated to the notion that prior stress exposure makes an individual more vulnerable for later aversive events.}, subject = {Stress}, language = {en} } @article{LiesnerHinzKunde2021, author = {Liesner, Marvin and Hinz, Nina-Alisa and Kunde, Wilfried}, title = {How Action Shapes Body Ownership Momentarily and Throughout the Lifespan}, series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, volume = {15}, journal = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, issn = {1662-5161}, doi = {10.3389/fnhum.2021.697810}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-241869}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Objects which a human agent controls by efferent activities (such as real or virtual tools) can be perceived by the agent as belonging to his or her body. This suggests that what an agent counts as "body" is plastic, depending on what she or he controls. Yet there are possible limitations for such momentary plasticity. One of these limitations is that sensations stemming from the body (e.g., proprioception) and sensations stemming from objects outside the body (e.g., vision) are not integrated if they do not sufficiently "match". What "matches" and what does not is conceivably determined by long-term experience with the perceptual changes that body movements typically produce. Children have accumulated less sensorimotor experience than adults have. Consequently, they express higher flexibility to integrate body-internal and body-external signals, independent of their "match" as suggested by rubber hand illusion studies. However, children's motor performance in tool use is more affected by mismatching body-internal and body-external action effects than that of adults, possibly because of less developed means to overcome such mismatches. We review research on perception-action interactions, multisensory integration, and developmental psychology to build bridges between these research fields. By doing so, we account for the flexibility of the sense of body ownership for actively controlled events and its development through ontogeny. This gives us the opportunity to validate the suggested mechanisms for generating ownership by investigating their effects in still developing and incomplete stages in children. We suggest testable predictions for future studies investigating both body ownership and motor skills throughout the lifespan.}, language = {en} } @article{GrevingRichter2021, author = {Greving, Carla Elisabeth and Richter, Tobias}, title = {Beyond the Distributed Practice Effect: Is Distributed Learning Also Effective for Learning With Non-repeated Text Materials?}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2021.685245}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-247944}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Distributed learning is often recommended as a general learning strategy, but previous research has established its benefits mainly for learning with repeated materials. In two experiments, we investigated distributed learning with complementary text materials. 77 (Experiment 1) and 130 (Experiment 2) seventh graders read two texts, massed vs. distributed, by 1 week (Experiment 1) or 15 min (Experiment 2). Learning outcomes were measured immediately and 1 week later and metacognitive judgments of learning were assessed. In Experiment 1, distributed learning was perceived as more difficult than massed learning. In both experiments, massed learning led to better outcomes immediately after learning but learning outcomes were lower after 1 week. No such decrease occurred for distributed learning, yielding similar outcomes for massed and distributed learning after 1 week. In sum, no benefits of distributed learning vs. massed learning were found, but distributed learning might lower the decrease in learning outcomes over time.}, language = {en} } @article{HerzogAndreattaSchneideretal.2021, author = {Herzog, Katharina and Andreatta, Marta and Schneider, Kristina and Schiele, Miriam A. and Domschke, Katharina and Romanos, Marcel and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Pauli, Paul}, title = {Reducing Generalization of Conditioned Fear: Beneficial Impact of Fear Relevance and Feedback in Discrimination Training}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2021.665711}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-239970}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Anxiety patients over-generalize fear, possibly because of an incapacity to discriminate threat and safety signals. Discrimination trainings are promising approaches for reducing such fear over-generalization. Here we investigated the efficacy of a fear-relevant vs. a fear-irrelevant discrimination training on fear generalization and whether the effects are increased with feedback during training. Eighty participants underwent two fear acquisition blocks, during which one face (conditioned stimulus, CS+), but not another face (CS-), was associated with a female scream (unconditioned stimulus, US). During two generalization blocks, both CSs plus four morphs (generalization stimuli, GS1-GS4) were presented. Between these generalization blocks, half of the participants underwent a fear-relevant discrimination training (discrimination between CS+ and the other faces) with or without feedback and the other half a fear-irrelevant discrimination training (discrimination between the width of lines) with or without feedback. US expectancy, arousal, valence ratings, and skin conductance responses (SCR) indicated successful fear acquisition. Importantly, fear-relevant vs. fear-irrelevant discrimination trainings and feedback vs. no feedback reduced generalization as reflected in US expectancy ratings independently from one another. No effects of training condition were found for arousal and valence ratings or SCR. In summary, this is a first indication that fear-relevant discrimination training and feedback can improve the discrimination between threat and safety signals in healthy individuals, at least for learning-related evaluations, but not evaluations of valence or (physiological) arousal.}, language = {en} } @article{RodriguesWeissHewigetal.2021, author = {Rodrigues, Johannes and Weiß, Martin and Hewig, Johannes and Allen, John J. B.}, title = {EPOS: EEG Processing Open-Source Scripts}, series = {Frontiers in Neuroscience}, volume = {15}, journal = {Frontiers in Neuroscience}, issn = {1662-453X}, doi = {10.3389/fnins.2021.660449}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-240221}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Background: Since the replication crisis, standardization has become even more important in psychological science and neuroscience. As a result, many methods are being reconsidered, and researchers' degrees of freedom in these methods are being discussed as a potential source of inconsistencies across studies. New Method: With the aim of addressing these subjectivity issues, we have been working on a tutorial-like EEG (pre-)processing pipeline to achieve an automated method based on the semi-automated analysis proposed by Delorme and Makeig. Results: Two scripts are presented and explained step-by-step to perform basic, informed ERP and frequency-domain analyses, including data export to statistical programs and visual representations of the data. The open-source software EEGlab in MATLAB is used as the data handling platform, but scripts based on code provided by Mike Cohen (2014) are also included. Comparison with existing methods: This accompanying tutorial-like article explains and shows how the processing of our automated pipeline affects the data and addresses, especially beginners in EEG-analysis, as other (pre)-processing chains are mostly targeting rather informed users in specialized areas or only parts of a complete procedure. In this context, we compared our pipeline with a selection of existing approaches. Conclusion: The need for standardization and replication is evident, yet it is equally important to control the plausibility of the suggested solution by data exploration. Here, we provide the community with a tool to enhance the understanding and capability of EEG-analysis. We aim to contribute to comprehensive and reliable analyses for neuro-scientific research.}, language = {en} } @article{WeissPaeleckeHewig2021, author = {Weiß, Martin and Paelecke, Marko and Hewig, Johannes}, title = {In Your Face(t) — Personality Traits Interact With Prototypical Personality Faces in Economic Decision Making}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2021.652506}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-237051}, year = {2021}, abstract = {In everyday life, assumptions about our peers' as well as our own personality shape social interactions. We investigated whether self-rated personality and inferences drawn from partners' faces influence economic decisions. Participants (N = 285) played the trust game in the role of the trustor as well as the ultimatum game in the role of the proposer and interacted with trustees and receivers represented by prototypical personality faces. Participants also evaluated both their own traits and the personality of the faces. In the trust game, trustees represented by faces rated higher on agreeableness yielded higher transferred amounts. This effect was more pronounced for trustors low on dispositional trust, whereas trustors high on dispositional trust did not relate their decisions to the faces. Trustees represented by faces rated higher on conscientiousness yielded higher transferred amounts only for trustors high on dispositional anxiety. In the ultimatum game, receivers represented by faces rated higher on conscientiousness yielded lower offers only for proposers high on dispositional assertiveness. These results extend previous findings on the inferences drawn from facial features and the influence of personality on decision making. They highlight the importance of considering the personality of both interaction partner, as well as potential interactions of players' traits.}, language = {en} } @article{BrychMuraliHaendel2021, author = {Brych, Mareike and Murali, Supriya and H{\"a}ndel, Barbara}, title = {The Role of Blinks, Microsaccades and their Retinal Consequences in Bistable Motion Perception}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2021.647256}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-235217}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Eye-related movements such as blinks and microsaccades are modulated during bistable perceptual tasks. However, if they play an active role during internal perceptual switches is not known. We conducted two experiments involving an ambiguous plaid stimulus, wherein participants were asked to continuously report their percept, which could consist of either unidirectional coherent or bidirectional component movement. Our main results show that blinks and microsaccades did not facilitate perceptual switches. On the contrary, a reduction in eye movements preceded the perceptual switch. Blanks, on the other hand, thought to mimic the retinal consequences of a blink, consistently led to a switch. Through the timing of the blank-introduced perceptual change, we were able to estimate the delay between the internal switch and the response. This delay further allowed us to evaluate that the reduction in blink probability co-occurred with the internal perceptual switch. Additionally, our results indicate that distinct internal processes underlie the switch to coherent vs. component percept. Blanks exclusively facilitated a switch to the coherent percept, and only the switch to coherent percept was followed by an increase in blink rate. In a second study, we largely replicated the findings and included a microsaccade analysis. Microsaccades only showed a weak relation with perceptual switches, but their direction was correlated with the perceived motion direction. Nevertheless, our data suggests an interaction between microsaccades and blinks by showing that microsaccades were differently modulated around blinks compared with blanks. This study shows that a reduction in eye movements precedes internal perceptual switches indicating that the rate of blinks can set the stage for a reinterpretation of sensory input. While a perceptual switch based on changed sensory input usually leads to an increase in blink rate, such an increase was only present after the perceptual switch to coherent motion but absent after the switch to component percept. This provides evidence of different underlying mechanism or internal consequence of the two perceptual switches and suggests that blinks can uncover differences in internal percept-related processes that are not evident from the percept itself.}, language = {en} } @article{FarmerStrzelczykFinisguerraetal.2021, author = {Farmer, Adam D. and Strzelczyk, Adam and Finisguerra, Alessandra and Gourine, Alexander V. and Gharabaghi, Alireza and Hasan, Alkomiet and Burger, Andreas M. and Jaramillo, Andr{\´e}s M. and Mertens, Ann and Majid, Arshad and Verkuil, Bart and Badran, Bashar W. and Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Gaul, Charly and Beste, Christian and Warren, Christopher M. and Quintana, Daniel S. and H{\"a}mmerer, Dorothea and Freri, Elena and Frangos, Eleni and Tobaldini, Eleonora and Kaniusas, Eugenijus and Rosenow, Felix and Capone, Fioravante and Panetsos, Fivos and Ackland, Gareth L. and Kaithwas, Gaurav and O'Leary, Georgia H. and Genheimer, Hannah and Jacobs, Heidi I. L. and Van Diest, Ilse and Schoenen, Jean and Redgrave, Jessica and Fang, Jiliang and Deuchars, Jim and Sz{\´e}les, Jozsef C. and Thayer, Julian F. and More, Kaushik and Vonck, Kristl and Steenbergen, Laura and Vianna, Lauro C. and McTeague, Lisa M. and Ludwig, Mareike and Veldhuizen, Maria G. and De Couck, Marijke and Casazza, Marina and Keute, Marius and Bikson, Marom and Andreatta, Marta and D'Agostini, Martina and Weymar, Mathias and Betts, Matthew and Prigge, Matthias and Kaess, Michael and Roden, Michael and Thai, Michelle and Schuster, Nathaniel M. and Montano, Nicola and Hansen, Niels and Kroemer, Nils B. and Rong, Peijing and Fischer, Rico and Howland, Robert H. and Sclocco, Roberta and Sellaro, Roberta and Garcia, Ronald G. and Bauer, Sebastian and Gancheva, Sofiya and Stavrakis, Stavros and Kampusch, Stefan and Deuchars, Susan A. and Wehner, Sven and Laborde, Sylvain and Usichenko, Taras and Polak, Thomas and Zaehle, Tino and Borges, Uirassu and Teckentrup, Vanessa and Jandackova, Vera K. and Napadow, Vitaly and Koenig, Julian}, title = {International Consensus Based Review and Recommendations for Minimum Reporting Standards in Research on Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Version 2020)}, series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, volume = {14}, journal = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, issn = {1662-5161}, doi = {10.3389/fnhum.2020.568051}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-234346}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Given its non-invasive nature, there is increasing interest in the use of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) across basic, translational and clinical research. Contemporaneously, tVNS can be achieved by stimulating either the auricular branch or the cervical bundle of the vagus nerve, referred to as transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation(VNS) and transcutaneous cervical VNS, respectively. In order to advance the field in a systematic manner, studies using these technologies need to adequately report sufficient methodological detail to enable comparison of results between studies, replication of studies, as well as enhancing study participant safety. We systematically reviewed the existing tVNS literature to evaluate current reporting practices. Based on this review, and consensus among participating authors, we propose a set of minimal reporting items to guide future tVNS studies. The suggested items address specific technical aspects of the device and stimulation parameters. We also cover general recommendations including inclusion and exclusion criteria for participants, outcome parameters and the detailed reporting of side effects. Furthermore, we review strategies used to identify the optimal stimulation parameters for a given research setting and summarize ongoing developments in animal research with potential implications for the application of tVNS in humans. Finally, we discuss the potential of tVNS in future research as well as the associated challenges across several disciplines in research and clinical practice.}, language = {en} } @article{MunozCentifantiStickleThomasetal.2021, author = {Mu{\~n}oz Centifanti, Luna C. and Stickle, Timothy R. and Thomas, Jamila and Falc{\´o}n, Amanda and Thomson, Nicholas D. and Gamer, Matthias}, title = {Reflexive Gaze Shifts and Fear Recognition Deficits in Children with Callous-Unemotional Traits and Impulsivity/Conduct Problems}, series = {Brain Sciences}, volume = {11}, journal = {Brain Sciences}, number = {10}, issn = {2076-3425}, doi = {10.3390/brainsci11101342}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-248536}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The ability to efficiently recognize the emotions on others' faces is something that most of us take for granted. Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits and impulsivity/conduct problems (ICP), such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, have been previously described as being "fear blind". This is also associated with looking less at the eye regions of fearful faces, which are highly diagnostic. Previous attempts to intervene into emotion recognition strategies have not had lasting effects on participants' fear recognition abilities. Here we present both (a) additional evidence that there is a two-part causal chain, from personality traits to face recognition strategies using the eyes, then from strategies to rates of recognizing fear in others; and (b) a pilot intervention that had persistent effects for weeks after the end of instruction. Further, the intervention led to more change in those with the highest CU traits. This both clarifies the specific mechanisms linking personality to emotion recognition and shows that the process is fundamentally malleable. It is possible that such training could promote empathy and reduce the rates of antisocial behavior in specific populations in the future.}, language = {en} } @article{ZieglerEhlisWeberetal.2021, author = {Ziegler, Georg C. and Ehlis, Ann-Christine and Weber, Heike and Vitale, Maria Rosaria and Z{\"o}ller, Johanna E. M. and Ku, Hsing-Ping and Schiele, Miriam A. and K{\"u}rbitz, Laura I. and Romanos, Marcel and Pauli, Paul and Kalisch, Raffael and Zwanzger, Peter and Domschke, Katharina and Fallgatter, Andreas J. and Reif, Andreas and Lesch, Klaus-Peter}, title = {A Common CDH13 Variant is Associated with Low Agreeableness and Neural Responses to Working Memory Tasks in ADHD}, series = {Genes}, volume = {12}, journal = {Genes}, number = {9}, issn = {2073-4425}, doi = {10.3390/genes12091356}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-245220}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The cell—cell signaling gene CDH13 is associated with a wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, and major depression. CDH13 regulates axonal outgrowth and synapse formation, substantiating its relevance for neurodevelopmental processes. Several studies support the influence of CDH13 on personality traits, behavior, and executive functions. However, evidence for functional effects of common gene variation in the CDH13 gene in humans is sparse. Therefore, we tested for association of a functional intronic CDH13 SNP rs2199430 with ADHD in a sample of 998 adult patients and 884 healthy controls. The Big Five personality traits were assessed by the NEO-PI-R questionnaire. Assuming that altered neural correlates of working memory and cognitive response inhibition show genotype-dependent alterations, task performance and electroencephalographic event-related potentials were measured by n-back and continuous performance (Go/NoGo) tasks. The rs2199430 genotype was not associated with adult ADHD on the categorical diagnosis level. However, rs2199430 was significantly associated with agreeableness, with minor G allele homozygotes scoring lower than A allele carriers. Whereas task performance was not affected by genotype, a significant heterosis effect limited to the ADHD group was identified for the n-back task. Heterozygotes (AG) exhibited significantly higher N200 amplitudes during both the 1-back and 2-back condition in the central electrode position Cz. Consequently, the common genetic variation of CDH13 is associated with personality traits and impacts neural processing during working memory tasks. Thus, CDH13 might contribute to symptomatic core dysfunctions of social and cognitive impairment in ADHD.}, language = {en} } @article{SeibelVolmer2021, author = {Seibel, Sebastian and Volmer, Judith}, title = {A Diary Study on Anticipated Leisure Time, Morning Recovery, and Employees' Work Engagement}, series = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, volume = {18}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, number = {18}, issn = {1660-4601}, doi = {10.3390/ijerph18189436}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-246090}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Recovery during yesterday's leisure time is beneficial for morning recovery, and morning recovery fosters employees' work engagement, a positive, motivational state associated with job performance. We extended existing research by assuming that both, morning recovery (considered a resource) and anticipated leisure time (considered an anticipated resource gain), relate to work engagement. Anticipated leisure time comprises two constructs: general anticipation of leisure time, which refers to employees' cognitive evaluation of their entire upcoming leisure time, and pleasant anticipation of a planned leisure activity, which describes a positive affective reaction because of one specific, upcoming leisure activity. We suggested that employees with high pleasant anticipation generate more thoughts of a planned leisure activity (ToPLA), which may distract them from their work, reducing their work engagement. A diary study over five days showed that morning recovery and general anticipation of leisure time were positively related to work engagement. Furthermore, employees with higher pleasant anticipation of a planned leisure activity reported more ToPLA. In contrast to our expectations, neither pleasant anticipation nor ToPLA was related to work engagement. In sum, this study introduced anticipated leisure time as a novel antecedent of work engagement and demonstrated that anticipated resource gains are important for high work engagement.}, language = {en} } @article{PostemaHoogmanAmbrosinoetal.2021, author = {Postema, Merel C. and Hoogman, Martine and Ambrosino, Sara and Asherson, Philip and Banaschewski, Tobias and Bandeira, Cibele E. and Baranov, Alexandr and Bau, Claiton H.D. and Baumeister, Sarah and Baur-Streubel, Ramona and Bellgrove, Mark A. and Biederman, Joseph and Bralten, Janita and Brandeis, Daniel and Brem, Silvia and Buitelaar, Jan K. and Busatto, Geraldo F. and Castellanos, Francisco X. and Cercignani, Mara and Chaim-Avancini, Tiffany M. and Chantiluke, Kaylita C. and Christakou, Anastasia and Coghill, David and Conzelmann, Annette and Cubillo, Ana I. and Cupertino, Renata B. and de Zeeuw, Patrick and Doyle, Alysa E. and Durston, Sarah and Earl, Eric A. and Epstein, Jeffery N. and Ethofer, Thomas and Fair, Damien A. and Fallgatter, Andreas J. and Faraone, Stephen V. and Frodl, Thomas and Gabel, Matt C. and Gogberashvili, Tinatin and Grevet, Eugenio H. and Haavik, Jan and Harrison, Neil A. and Hartman, Catharina A. and Heslenfeld, Dirk J. and Hoekstra, Pieter J. and Hohmann, Sarah and H{\o}vik, Marie F. and Jernigan, Terry L. and Kardatzki, Bernd and Karkashadze, Georgii and Kelly, Clare and Kohls, Gregor and Konrad, Kerstin and Kuntsi, Jonna and Lazaro, Luisa and Lera-Miguel, Sara and Lesch, Klaus-Peter and Louza, Mario R. and Lundervold, Astri J. and Malpas, Charles B and Mattos, Paulo and McCarthy, Hazel and Namazova-Baranova, Leyla and Nicolau, Rosa and Nigg, Joel T. and Novotny, Stephanie E. and Oberwelland Weiss, Eileen and O'Gorman Tuura, Ruth L. and Oosterlaan, Jaap and Oranje, Bob and Paloyelis, Yannis and Pauli, Paul and Picon, Felipe A. and Plessen, Kerstin J. and Ramos-Quiroga, J. Antoni and Reif, Andreas and Reneman, Liesbeth and Rosa, Pedro G.P. and Rubia, Katya and Schrantee, Anouk and Schweren, Lizanne J.S. and Seitz, Jochen and Shaw, Philip and Silk, Tim J. and Skokauskas, Norbert and Soliva Vila, Juan C. and Stevens, Michael C. and Sudre, Gustavo and Tamm, Leanne and Tovar-Moll, Fernanda and van Erp, Theo G.M. and Vance, Alasdair and Vilarroya, Oscar and Vives-Gilabert, Yolanda and von Polier, Georg G. and Walitza, Susanne and Yoncheva, Yuliya N. and Zanetti, Marcus V. and Ziegler, Georg C. and Glahn, David C. and Jahanshad, Neda and Medland, Sarah E. and Thompson, Paul M. and Fisher, Simon E. and Franke, Barbara and Francks, Clyde}, title = {Analysis of structural brain asymmetries in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in 39 datasets}, series = {Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry}, volume = {62}, journal = {Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry}, number = {10}, doi = {10.1111/jcpp.13396}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-239968}, pages = {1202 -- 1219}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Objective Some studies have suggested alterations of structural brain asymmetry in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but findings have been contradictory and based on small samples. Here, we performed the largest ever analysis of brain left-right asymmetry in ADHD, using 39 datasets of the ENIGMA consortium. Methods We analyzed asymmetry of subcortical and cerebral cortical structures in up to 1,933 people with ADHD and 1,829 unaffected controls. Asymmetry Indexes (AIs) were calculated per participant for each bilaterally paired measure, and linear mixed effects modeling was applied separately in children, adolescents, adults, and the total sample, to test exhaustively for potential associations of ADHD with structural brain asymmetries. Results There was no evidence for altered caudate nucleus asymmetry in ADHD, in contrast to prior literature. In children, there was less rightward asymmetry of the total hemispheric surface area compared to controls (t = 2.1, p = .04). Lower rightward asymmetry of medial orbitofrontal cortex surface area in ADHD (t = 2.7, p = .01) was similar to a recent finding for autism spectrum disorder. There were also some differences in cortical thickness asymmetry across age groups. In adults with ADHD, globus pallidus asymmetry was altered compared to those without ADHD. However, all effects were small (Cohen's d from -0.18 to 0.18) and would not survive study-wide correction for multiple testing. Conclusion Prior studies of altered structural brain asymmetry in ADHD were likely underpowered to detect the small effects reported here. Altered structural asymmetry is unlikely to provide a useful biomarker for ADHD, but may provide neurobiological insights into the trait.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Zetzl2021, author = {Zetzl, Teresa Margarete}, title = {Cancer-related fatigue intervention}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-25166}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-251662}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The incidence of cancer cases is rising steadily, while improved early detection and new cancer-specific therapies are reducing the mortality rate. In addition to curing cancer or prolonging life, increasing the quality of life is thus an important goal of oncology, which is why the burdens of cancer and treatment are becoming more important. A common side effect of cancer and its therapy is cancer-related fatigue, a tiredness that manifests itself on physical, emotional and cognitive levels and is not in proportion to previous physical efforts. Since the etiology of fatigue has not yet been fully clarified, symptom-oriented therapy is preferable to cause-specific therapy. In addition to activity management, sleep hygiene, and cognitive behavioral therapy, mind-body interventions such as yoga are recommended for reducing fatigue. Previous studies with small sample sizes were able to examine the efficacy of yoga regarding fatigue predominantly in patients with breast cancer. Long-term effects of yoga have rarely been studied and there have been no attempts to increase long-term effects through interventions such as reminder e-mails. This dissertation takes a closer look at these mentioned aspects of the study sample and long-term effects. An 8-week randomized controlled yoga intervention was conducted, including patients with different cancer types reporting mild to severe fatigue. Following the 8-week yoga therapy, a randomized group of participants received weekly reminder e-mails for 6 months for regular yoga practice, whereas the control group did not receive reminder e-mails. The first paper is a protocol article, which addresses the design and planned implementation of the research project this dissertation is based upon. This serves to ensure better replicability and comparability with other yoga studies. Due to a very low consent rate of patients in the pilot phase, it was necessary to deviate from the protocol article in the actual implementation and the planned inclusion criterion of fatigue >5 was reduced to fatigue >1. The second paper examines the efficacy of the eight-week yoga intervention. Patients in the intervention group who participated in the yoga classes seven times or more showed a significantly greater reduction in general and physical fatigue than those who participated less often. The efficacy of yoga was related to the number of attended yoga sessions. Women with breast cancer who participated in yoga reported greater reductions in fatigue than women with other cancer types. There was also an improvement for depression and quality of life after eight weeks of yoga therapy compared to no yoga therapy. These results imply that yoga is helpful in reducing depression and cancer-related fatigue, especially in terms of physical aspects and improving quality of life. The third paper focuses on the efficacy of reminder e-mails in terms of fatigue and practice frequency. Patients who received reminder e-mails reported greater reductions in general and emotional fatigue, as well as significant increases in practice frequency, compared to patients who did not receive reminder e-mails. Compared to fatigue scores before yoga, significantly lower fatigue and depression scores and higher quality of life were reported after yoga therapy and at follow-up six months later. Weekly e-mail reminders after yoga therapy may have positive effects on general and emotional fatigue and help cancer patients with fatigue establish a regular yoga practice at home. However, higher practice frequency did not lead to higher improvement in physical fatigue as found in Paper 2. This may indicate other factors that influence the efficacy of yoga practice on physical fatigue, such as mindfulness or side effects of therapy. This research project provides insight into the efficacy of yoga therapy for oncology patients with fatigue. It is important that such interventions be offered early, while fatigue symptoms are not too severe. Regular guided yoga practice can reduce physical fatigue, but subsequent yoga practice at home does not further reduce physical fatigue. Reminder emails after completed yoga therapy could only reduce patients' emotional fatigue. It may be that physical fatigue was reduced as much as possible by the previous yoga therapy and that there was a floor effect, or it may be that reminder emails are not suitable as an intervention to reduce physical fatigue at all. Further research is needed to examine the mechanisms of the different interventions in more detail and to find appropriate interventions that reduce all levels of fatigue equally.}, subject = {Erm{\"u}dungssyndrom}, language = {en} } @unpublished{HaendelSchoelvinck2019, author = {H{\"a}ndel, Barbara and Sch{\"o}lvinck, Marieke}, title = {The brain during free movement - what can we learn from the animal model}, series = {Brain Research}, journal = {Brain Research}, edition = {accepted manuscript}, doi = {10.1016/j.brainres.2017.09.003}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-251406}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Animals, just like humans, can freely move. They do so for various important reasons, such as finding food and escaping predators. Observing these behaviors can inform us about the underlying cognitive processes. In addition, while humans can convey complicated information easily through speaking, animals need to move their bodies to communicate. This has prompted many creative solutions by animal neuroscientists to enable studying the brain during movement. In this review, we first summarize how animal researchers record from the brain while an animal is moving, by describing the most common neural recording techniques in animals and how they were adapted to record during movement. We further discuss the challenge of controlling or monitoring sensory input during free movement. However, not only is free movement a necessity to reflect the outcome of certain internal cognitive processes in animals, it is also a fascinating field of research since certain crucial behavioral patterns can only be observed and studied during free movement. Therefore, in a second part of the review, we focus on some key findings in animal research that specifically address the interaction between free movement and brain activity. First, focusing on walking as a fundamental form of free movement, we discuss how important such intentional movements are for understanding processes as diverse as spatial navigation, active sensing, and complex motor planning. Second, we propose the idea of regarding free movement as the expression of a behavioral state. This view can help to understand the general influence of movement on brain function. Together, the technological advancements towards recording from the brain during movement, and the scientific questions asked about the brain engaged in movement, make animal research highly valuable to research into the human "moving brain".}, language = {en} } @article{BrychHaendelRiechelmannetal.2021, author = {Brych, Mareike and H{\"a}ndel, Barbara F. and Riechelmann, Eva and Pieczykolan, Aleksandra and Huestegge, Lynn}, title = {Effects of vocal demands on pupil dilation}, series = {Psychophysiology}, volume = {58}, journal = {Psychophysiology}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1111/psyp.13729}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-224425}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Pupil dilation is known to be affected by a variety of factors, including physical (e.g., light) and cognitive sources of influence (e.g., mental load due to working memory demands, stimulus/response competition etc.). In the present experiment, we tested the extent to which vocal demands (speaking) can affect pupil dilation. Based on corresponding preliminary evidence found in a reanalysis of an existing data set from our lab, we setup a new experiment that systematically investigated vocal response-related effects compared to mere jaw/lip movement and button press responses. Conditions changed on a trial-by-trial basis while participants were instructed to keep fixating a central cross on a screen throughout. In line with our prediction (and previous observation), speaking caused the pupils to dilate strongest, followed by nonvocal movements and finally a baseline condition without any vocal or muscular demands. An additional analysis of blink rates showed no difference in blink frequency between vocal and baseline conditions, but different blink dynamics. Finally, simultaneously recorded electromyographic activity showed that muscle activity may contribute to some (but not all) aspects of the observed effects on pupil size. The results are discussed in the context of other recent research indicating effects of perceived (instead of executed) vocal action on pupil dynamics.}, language = {en} } @article{SchindlerRichterMar2021, author = {Schindler, Julia and Richter, Tobias and Mar, Raymond}, title = {Does generation benefit learning for narrative and expository texts? A direct replication attempt}, series = {Applied Cognitive Psychology}, volume = {35}, journal = {Applied Cognitive Psychology}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1002/acp.3781}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-224496}, pages = {559 -- 564}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Generated information is better recognized and recalled than information that is read. This so-called generation effect has been replicated several times for different types of material, including texts. Perhaps the most influential demonstration was by McDaniel et al. (1986, Journal of Memory and Language, 25, 645-656; henceforth MEDC). This group tested whether the generation effect occurs only if the generation task stimulates cognitive processes not already stimulated by the text. Numerous studies, however, report difficulties replicating this text by generation-task interaction, which suggests that the effect might only be found under conditions closer to the original method of MEDC. To test this assumption, we will closely replicate MEDC's Experiment 2 in German and English-speaking samples. Replicating the effect would suggest that it can be reproduced, at least under limited conditions, which will provide the necessary foundation for future investigations into the boundary conditions of this effect, with an eye towards its utility in applied contexts.}, language = {en} } @article{EndlichRichterMarxetal.2020, author = {Endlich, Darius and Richter, Tobias and Marx, Peter and Lenhard, Wolfgang and Moll, Kristina and Witzel, Bj{\"o}rn and Schulte-K{\"o}rne, Gerd}, title = {Spelling Error Detection : A Valid and Economical Task for Assessing Spelling Skills in Elementary-School Children}, series = {Zeitschrift f{\"u}r Entwicklungspsychologie und P{\"a}dagogische Psychologie}, volume = {52}, journal = {Zeitschrift f{\"u}r Entwicklungspsychologie und P{\"a}dagogische Psychologie}, number = {1-2}, issn = {0049-8637}, doi = {10.1026/0049-8637/a000227}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-244665}, pages = {25-40}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The ability to spell words correctly is a key competence for educational and professional achievement. Economical procedures are essential to identifying children with spelling problems as early as possible. Given the strong evidence showing that reading and spelling are based on the same orthographic knowledge, error-detection tasks (EDTs) could be considered such an economical procedure. Although EDTs are widely used in English-speaking countries, the few studies in German-speaking countries investigated only pupils in secondary school. The present study investigated N = 1,513 children in elementary school. We predicted spelling competencies (measured by dictation or gap-fill dictation) based on an EDT via linear regression. Error-detection abilities significantly predicted spelling competencies (R² between .509 and .679), indicating a strong connection. Predictive values in identifying children with poor spelling abilities with an EDT proved to be sufficient. Error detection for the assessment of spelling skills is therefore a valid instrument for transparent languages as well.}, language = {en} } @article{BoecklerRennertRaettig2021, author = {B{\"o}ckler, Anne and Rennert, Annika and Raettig, Tim}, title = {Stranger, Lover, Friend?}, series = {Social Psychology}, volume = {52}, journal = {Social Psychology}, number = {3}, issn = {1864-9335}, doi = {10.1027/1864-9335/a000446}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-238721}, pages = {173-184}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Social exclusion, even from minimal game-based interactions, induces negative consequences. We investigated whether the nature of the relationship with the excluder modulates the effects of ostracism. Participants played a virtual ball-tossing game with a stranger and a friend (friend condition) or a stranger and their romantic partner (partner condition) while being fully included, fully excluded, excluded only by the stranger, or excluded only by their close other. Replicating previous findings, full exclusion impaired participants' basic-need satisfaction and relationship evaluation most severely. While the degree of exclusion mattered, the relationship to the excluder did not: Classic null hypothesis testing and Bayesian statistics showed no modulation of ostracism effects depending on whether participants were excluded by a stranger, a friend, or their partner.}, language = {en} } @article{WittkowskiScheuchenpflug2021, author = {Wittkowski, Joachim and Scheuchenpflug, Rainer}, title = {Evidence on the Conceptual Distinctness of Normal Grief From Depression}, series = {European Journal of Health Psychology}, volume = {28}, journal = {European Journal of Health Psychology}, number = {3}, issn = {2512-8442}, doi = {10.1027/2512-8442/a000077}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-236531}, pages = {101-110}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Background: The distinctness of grief from depression has been the subject of a long scholarly debate, even influencing definitions of diagnostic criteria. Aims: This study aims at clarifying the issue by a multifaceted analysis of data from a large German sample. Method: A community sample of 406 bereaved persons answered the Wuerzburg Grief Inventory (WGI), a multidimensional grief questionnaire designed to measure normal grief in the German language, and the General Depression Scale - Short Version (GDS-S), a self-report depression scale. Data were analyzed by factor analysis to identify structural (dis-)similarities of the constructs, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to identify the influence of the factors relationship to the deceased, type of death, and time since loss on grief measures and depression scores. Results: Factor analysis clustered items referring to grief-related impairments and depression into one factor, items referring to other dimensions of grief on separate factors, however. Relationship to the deceased influenced the grief measures impairments and nearness to the deceased, but not depression scores if controlled for impairments. Type of death showed specific effects on grief scores, but not on depression scores. Time since loss influenced grief scores, but not depression scores. Limitations: The analysis is based on a self-selected community sample of grieving persons, self-report measures, and in part, on cross-sectional data. Conclusion: Factor analysis and objective data show a clear distinction of dimensions of grief and depression. The human experience of grief contains a sense of nearness to the lost person, feelings of guilt, and positive aspects of the loss experience in addition to components resembling depression.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{RiechelmannverhSteinbacher2021, author = {Riechelmann [verh. Steinbacher], Eva Katharina}, title = {Gaze interaction: Cognitive mechanisms of oculomotor action control}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-21527}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-215279}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Humans use their eyes not only as visual input devices to perceive the environment, but also as an action tool in order to generate intended effects in their environment. For instance, glances are used to direct someone else's attention to a place of interest, indicating that gaze control is an important part of social communication. Previous research on gaze control in a social context mainly focused on the gaze recipient by asking how humans respond to perceived gaze (gaze cueing). So far, this perspective has hardly considered the actor's point of view by neglecting to investigate what mental processes are involved when actors decide to perform an eye movement to trigger a gaze response in another person. Furthermore, eye movements are also used to affect the non-social environment, for instance when unlocking the smartphone with the help of the eyes. This and other observations demonstrate the necessity to consider gaze control in contexts other than social communication whilst at the same time focusing on commonalities and differences inherent to the nature of a social (vs. non-social) action context. Thus, the present work explores the cognitive mechanisms that control such goal-oriented eye movements in both social and non-social contexts. The experiments presented throughout this work are built on pre-established paradigms from both the oculomotor research domain and from basic cognitive psychology. These paradigms are based on the principle of ideomotor action control, which provides an explanatory framework for understanding how goal-oriented, intentional actions come into being. The ideomotor idea suggests that humans acquire associations between their actions and the resulting effects, which can be accessed in a bi-directional manner: Actions can trigger anticipations of their effects, but the anticipated resulting effects can also trigger the associated actions. According to ideomotor theory, action generation involves the mental anticipation of the intended effect (i.e., the action goal) to activate the associated motor pattern. The present experiments involve situations where participants control the gaze of a virtual face via their eye movements. The triggered gaze responses of the virtual face are consistent to the participant's eye movements, representing visual action effects. Experimental situations are varied with respect to determinants of action-effect learning (e.g., contingency, contiguity, action mode during acquisition) in order to unravel the underlying dynamics of oculomotor control in these situations. In addition to faces, conditions involving changes in non-social objects were included to address the question of whether mechanisms underlying gaze control differ for social versus non-social context situations. The results of the present work can be summarized into three major findings. 1. My data suggest that humans indeed acquire bi-directional associations between their eye movements and the subsequently perceived gaze response of another person, which in turn affect oculomotor action control via the anticipation of the intended effects. The observed results show for the first time that eye movements in a gaze-interaction scenario are represented in terms of their gaze response in others. This observation is in line with the ideomotor theory of action control. 2. The present series of experiments confirms and extends pioneering results of Huestegge and Kreutzfeldt (2012) with respect to the significant influence of action effects in gaze control. I have shown that the results of Huestegge and Kreutzfeldt (2012) can be replicated across different contexts with different stimulus material given that the perceived action effects were sufficiently salient. 3. Furthermore, I could show that mechanisms of gaze control in a social gaze-interaction context do not appear to be qualitatively different from those in a non-social context. All in all, the results support recent theoretical claims emphasizing the role of anticipation-based action control in social interaction. Moreover, my results suggest that anticipation-based gaze control in a social context is based on the same general psychological mechanisms as ideomotor gaze control, and thus should be considered as an integral part rather than as a special form of ideomotor gaze control.}, subject = {Verhaltenskontrolle}, language = {en} } @unpublished{BrychHaendel2020, author = {Brych, Mareike and H{\"a}ndel, Barbara}, title = {Disentangling top-down and bottom-up influences on blinks in the visual and auditory domain}, series = {International Journal of Psychophysiology}, journal = {International Journal of Psychophysiology}, issn = {1872-7697}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2020.11.002}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-246590}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Sensory input as well as cognitive factors can drive the modulation of blinking. Our aim was to dissociate sensory driven bottom-up from cognitive top-down influences on blinking behavior and compare these influences between the auditory and the visual domain. Using an oddball paradigm, we found a significant pre-stimulus decrease in blink probability for visual input compared to auditory input. Sensory input further led to an early post-stimulus blink increase in both modalities if a task demanded attention to the input. Only visual input caused a pronounced early increase without a task. In case of a target or the omission of a stimulus (as compared to standard input), an additional late increase in blink rate was found in the auditory and visual domain. This suggests that blink modulation must be based on the interpretation of the input, but does not need any sensory input at all to occur. Our results show a complex modulation of blinking based on top-down factors such as prediction and attention in addition to sensory-based influences. The magnitude of the modulation is mainly influenced by general attentional demands, while the latency of this modulation allows to dissociate general from specific top-down influences that are independent of the sensory domain.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Seger2021, author = {Seger, Benedikt Thomas}, title = {Children's Comprehension of Illustrated Narrative Text: The Role of Tripartite Representations and Perceptual Simulation}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-24228}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-242280}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2021}, abstract = {This doctoral thesis is part of a research project on the development of the cognitive compre-hension of film at W{\"u}rzburg University that was funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) between 2013 and 2019 and awarded to Gerhild Nied-ing. That project examined children's comprehension of narrative text and its development in illustrated versus non-illustrated formats. For this purpose, van Dijk and Kintsch's (1983) tri-partite model was used, according to which text recipients form text surface and textbase rep-resentations and construct a situation model. In particular, predictions referring to the influ-ence of illustrations on these three levels of text representation were derived from the inte-grated model of text and picture comprehension (ITPC; Schnotz, 2014), which holds that text-picture units are processed on both text-based (descriptive) and picture-based (depictive) paths. Accordingly, illustrations support the construction of a situation model. Moreover, in line with the embodied cognition account (e.g., Barsalou, 1999), it was assumed that the situa-tion model is grounded in perception and action; text recipients mentally simulate the situation addressed in the text through their neural systems related to perception (perceptual simulation) and action (motor resonance). Therefore, the thesis also examines whether perceptual simula-tion takes place during story reception, whether it improves the comprehension of illustrated stories, and whether motor resonance is related to the comprehension of text accompanied by dynamic illustrations. Finally, predictions concerning the development of comprehending illus-trated text were made in line with Springer's (2001) hypotheses according to which younger children, compared with older children and adults, focus more on illustrations during text comprehension (perceptual boundedness) and use illustrations for the development of cogni-tive skills (perceptual support). The first research question sought to validate the tripartite model in the context of children's comprehension of narrative text, so Hypothesis 1 predicted that children yield representations of the text surface, the textbase, and the situation model during text reception. The second research question comprised the assumptions regarding the impact of illustrations on text comprehension. Accordingly, it was expected that illustrations improve the situation model (Hypothesis 2a), especially when they are processed before their corresponding text passages (Hypothesis 2b). Both hypotheses were derived from the ITPC and the assumption that per-ceptual simulation supports the situation model. It was further predicted that dynamic illustra-tions evoke more accurate situation models than static ones (Hypothesis 2c); this followed from the assumption that motor resonance supports the situation model. In line with the ITPC, it was assumed that illustrations impair the textbase (Hypothesis 2d), especially when they are presented after their corresponding text passages (Hypothesis 2e). In accordance with earlier results, it was posited that illustrations have a beneficial effect for the text surface (Hypothesis 2f). The third research question addressed the embodied approach to the situation model. Here, it was assumed that perceptual simulation takes place during text reception (Hypothesis 3a) and that it is more pronounced in illustrated than in non-illustrated text (Hypothesis 3b); the latter hypothesis was related to a necessary premise of the assumption that perceptual sim-ulation improves the comprehension of illustrated text. The fourth research question was relat-ed to perceptual boundedness and perceptual support and predicted age-related differences; younger children were expected to benefit more from illustrations regarding the situation model (Hypothesis 4a) and to simulate vertical object movements in a more pronounced fash-ion (Hypothesis 4b) than older children. In addition, Hypothesis 4c held that perceptual simu-lation is more pronounced in younger children particularly when illustrations are present. Three experiments were conducted to investigate these hypotheses. Experiment 1 (Seger, Wannagat, \& Nieding, submitted).compared the tripartite representations of written text without illustrations, with illustrations presented first, and with illustrations presented after their corresponding sentences. Students between 7 and 13 years old (N = 146) took part. Ex-periment 2 (Seger, Wannagat, \& Nieding, 2019) investigated the tripartite representations of auditory text, audiovisual text with static illustrations, and audiovisual text with dynamic il-lustrations among children in the same age range (N = 108). In both experiments, a sentence recognition method similar to that introduced by Schmalhofer and Glavanov (1986) was em-ployed. This method enables the simultaneous measurement of all three text representations. Experiment 3 (Seger, Hauf, \& Nieding, 2020) determined the perceptual simulation of vertical object movements during the reception of auditory and audiovisual narrative text among chil-dren between 5 and 11 years old and among adults (N = 190). For this experiment, a picture verification task based on Stanfield and Zwaan's (2001) paradigm and adapted from Hauf (2016) was used. The first two experiments confirmed Hypothesis 1, indicating that the tripartite model is appli-cable to the comprehension of auditory and written narrative text among children. A benefi-cial effect of illustrations to the situation model was observed when they were presented syn-chronously with auditory text (Hypotheses 2a), but not when presented asynchronously with written text (Hypothesis 2b), so the ITPC is partly supported on this point. Hypothesis 2c was rejected, indicating that motor resonance does not make an additional contribution to the comprehension of narrative text with dynamic illustrations. Regarding the textbase, a general negative effect of illustrations was not observed (Hypothesis 2d), but a specific negative effect of illustrations that follow their corresponding text passages was seen (Hypothesis 2e); the latter result is also in line with the ITPC. The text surface (Hypothesis 2f) appears to benefit from illustrations in auditory but not written text. The results obtained in Experiment 3 sug-gest that children and adults perceptually simulate vertical object movements (Hypothesis 3a), but there appears to be no difference between auditory and audiovisual text (Hypothesis 3b), so there is no support for a functional relationship between perceptual simulation and the situ-ation model in illustrated text. Hypotheses 4a-4c were investigated in all three experiments and did not receive support in any of them, which indicates that representations of illustrated and non-illustrated narrative text remain stable within the age range examined here.}, subject = {Textverstehen}, language = {en} } @article{WeissHeinHewig2021, author = {Weiß, Martin and Hein, Grit and Hewig, Johannes}, title = {Between joy and sympathy: Smiling and sad recipient faces increase prosocial behavior in the dictator game}, series = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, volume = {18}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, number = {11}, doi = {10.3390/ijerph18116172}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-241106}, year = {2021}, abstract = {In human interactions, the facial expression of a bargaining partner may contain relevant information that affects prosocial decisions. We were interested in whether facial expressions of the recipient in the dictator game influence dictators´ ehavior. To test this, we conducted an online study (n = 106) based on a modified version of a dictator game. The dictators allocated money between themselves and another person (recipient), who had no possibility to respond to the dictator. Importantly, before the allocation decision, the dictator was presented with the facial expression of the recipient (angry, disgusted, sad, smiling, or neutral). The results showed that dictators sent more money to recipients with sad or smiling facial expressions and less to recipients with angry or disgusted facial expressions compared with a neutral facial expression. Moreover, based on the sequential analysis of the decision and the interaction partner in the preceding trial, we found that decision-making depends upon previous interactions.}, language = {en} } @article{PfisterKlaffehnKalckertetal.2021, author = {Pfister, Robert and Klaffehn, Annika L. and Kalckert, Andreas and Kunde, Winfried and Dignath, David}, title = {How to lose a hand: Sensory updating drives disembodiment}, series = {Psychonomic Bulletin \& Review}, volume = {28}, journal = {Psychonomic Bulletin \& Review}, issn = {1069-9384}, doi = {10.3758/s13423-020-01854-0}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-235195}, pages = {827-833}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Body representations are readily expanded based on sensorimotor experience. A dynamic view of body representations, however, holds that these representations cannot only be expanded but that they can also be narrowed down by disembodying elements of the body representation that are no longer warranted. Here we induced illusory ownership in terms of a moving rubber hand illusion and studied the maintenance of this illusion across different conditions. We observed ownership experience to decrease gradually unless participants continued to receive confirmatory multisensory input. Moreover, a single instance of multisensory mismatch - a hammer striking the rubber hand but not the real hand - triggered substantial and immediate disembodiment. Together, these findings support and extend previous theoretical efforts to model body representations through basic mechanisms of multisensory integration. They further support an updating model suggesting that embodied entities fade from the body representation if they are not refreshed continuously.}, language = {en} } @article{MuthWirthKunde2021, author = {Muth, Felicitas V. and Wirth, Robert and Kunde, Winfried}, title = {Temporal binding past the Libet clock: testing design factors for an auditory timer}, series = {Behavior Research Methods}, volume = {53}, journal = {Behavior Research Methods}, number = {3}, doi = {10.3758/s13428-020-01474-5}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-234922}, pages = {1322-1341}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Voluntary actions and causally linked sensory stimuli are perceived to be shifted towards each other in time. This so-called temporal binding is commonly assessed in paradigms using the Libet Clock. In such experiments, participants have to estimate the timing of actions performed or ensuing sensory stimuli (usually tones) by means of a rotating clock hand presented on a screen. The aforementioned task setup is however ill-suited for many conceivable setups, especially when they involve visual effects. To address this shortcoming, the line of research presented here establishes an alternative measure for temporal binding by using a sequence of timed sounds. This method uses an auditory timer, a sequence of letters presented during task execution, which serve as anchors for temporal judgments. In four experiments, we manipulated four design factors of this auditory timer, namely interval length, interval filling, sequence predictability, and sequence length, to determine the most effective and economic method for measuring temporal binding with an auditory timer.}, language = {en} } @article{RaynerColemanPurvesetal.2019, author = {Rayner, Christopher and Coleman, Jonathan R. I. and Purves, Kirstin L. and Hodsoll, John and Goldsmith, Kimberley and Alpers, Georg W. and Andersson, Evelyn and Arolt, Volker and Boberg, Julia and B{\"o}gels, Susan and Creswell, Cathy and Cooper, Peter and Curtis, Charles and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Domschke, Katharina and El Alaoui, Samir and Fehm, Lydia and Fydrich, Thomas and Gerlach, Alexander L. and Grocholewski, Anja and Hahlweg, Kurt and Hamm, Alfons and Hedman, Erik and Heiervang, Einar R. and Hudson, Jennifer L. and J{\"o}hren, Peter and Keers, Robert and Kircher, Tilo and Lang, Thomas and Lavebratt, Catharina and Lee, Sang-hyuck and Lester, Kathryn J. and Lindefors, Nils and Margraf, J{\"u}rgen and Nauta, Maaike and Pan{\´e}-Farr{\´e}, Christiane A. and Pauli, Paul and Rapee, Ronald M. and Reif, Andreas and Rief, Winfried and Roberts, Susanna and Schalling, Martin and Schneider, Silvia and Silverman, Wendy K. and Str{\"o}hle, Andreas and Teismann, Tobias and Thastum, Mikael and Wannem{\"u}ller, Andre and Weber, Heike and Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich and Wolf, Christiane and R{\"u}ck, Christian and Breen, Gerome and Eley, Thalia C.}, title = {A genome-wide association meta-analysis of prognostic outcomes following cognitive behavioural therapy in individuals with anxiety and depressive disorders}, series = {Translational Psychiatry}, volume = {9}, journal = {Translational Psychiatry}, number = {150}, doi = {10.1038/s41398-019-0481-y}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-225048}, pages = {1-13}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Major depressive disorder and the anxiety disorders are highly prevalent, disabling and moderately heritable. Depression and anxiety are also highly comorbid and have a strong genetic correlation (r(g) approximate to 1). Cognitive behavioural therapy is a leading evidence-based treatment but has variable outcomes. Currently, there are no strong predictors of outcome. Therapygenetics research aims to identify genetic predictors of prognosis following therapy. We performed genome-wide association meta-analyses of symptoms following cognitive behavioural therapy in adults with anxiety disorders (n = 972), adults with major depressive disorder (n = 832) and children with anxiety disorders (n = 920; meta-analysis n = 2724). We (h(SNP)(2)) and polygenic scoring was used to examine genetic associations between therapy outcomes and psychopathology, personality and estimated the variance in therapy outcomes that could be explained by common genetic variants learning. No single nucleotide polymorphisms were strongly associated with treatment outcomes. No significant estimate of h(SNP)(2) could be obtained, suggesting the heritability of therapy outcome is smaller than our analysis was powered to detect. Polygenic scoring failed to detect genetic overlap between therapy outcome and psychopathology, personality or learning. This study is the largest therapygenetics study to date. Results are consistent with previous, similarly powered genome-wide association studies of complex traits.}, language = {en} } @article{RuboGamer2021, author = {Rubo, Marius and Gamer, Matthias}, title = {Stronger reactivity to social gaze in virtual reality compared to a classical laboratory environment}, series = {British Journal of Psychology}, volume = {112}, journal = {British Journal of Psychology}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1111/bjop.12453}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-215972}, pages = {301 -- 314}, year = {2021}, abstract = {People show a robust tendency to gaze at other human beings when viewing images or videos, but were also found to relatively avoid gaze at others in several real-world situations. This discrepancy, along with theoretical considerations, spawned doubts about the appropriateness of classical laboratory-based experimental paradigms in social attention research. Several researchers instead suggested the use of immersive virtual scenarios in eliciting and measuring naturalistic attentional patterns, but the field, struggling with methodological challenges, still needs to establish the advantages of this approach. Here, we show using eye-tracking in a complex social scenario displayed in virtual reality that participants show enhanced attention towards the face of an avatar at near distance and demonstrate an increased reactivity towards her social gaze as compared to participants who viewed the same scene on a computer monitor. The present study suggests that reactive virtual agents observed in immersive virtual reality can elicit natural modes of information processing and can help to conduct ecologically more valid experiments while maintaining high experimental control.}, language = {en} } @article{BreilBoeckler2020, author = {Breil, Christina and B{\"o}ckler, Anne}, title = {The Lens Shapes the View: on Task Dependency in ToM Research}, series = {Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports}, volume = {7}, journal = {Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports}, doi = {10.1007/s40473-020-00205-6}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-232646}, pages = {41-50}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Purpose of Review This article provides an overview of current findings on Theory of Mind (ToM) in human children and adults and highlights the relationship between task specifications and their outcome in socio-cognitive research. Recent Findings ToM, the capacity to reason about and infer others' mental states, develops progressively throughout childhood—the exact time course is still a matter of debate. Neuroimaging studies indicate the involvement of a widespread neuronal network during mentalizing, suggesting that ToM is a multifaceted process. Accordingly, the tasks and trainings that currently exist to investigate and enhance ToM are heterogeneous, and the outcomes largely depend on the paradigm that was used. Summary We argue for the implementation of multiple-task batteries in the assessment of socio-cognitive abilities. Decisions for a particular paradigm need to be carefully considered and justified. We want to emphasize the importance of targeted research on the relationship between task specifications and outcomes.}, language = {en} } @article{LeopoldBauerBechdolfetal.2020, author = {Leopold, Karolina and Bauer, Michael and Bechdolf, Andreas and Correll, Christoph U. and Holtmann, Martin and Juckel, Georg and Lambert, Martin and Meyer, Thomas D. and Pfeiffer, Steffi and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Reif, Andreas and Stamm, Thomas J. and Rottmann-Wolf, Maren and Mathiebe, Josephine and Kellmann, Eva L. and Ritter, Philipp and Kr{\"u}ger-{\"O}zg{\"u}rdal, Seza and Karow, Anne and Sondergeld, Lene-Marie and Roessner, Veit and Sauer, Cathrin and Pfennig, Andrea}, title = {Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral group therapy in patients at risk for serious mental illness presenting with subthreshold bipolar symptoms: Results from a prespecified interim analysis of a multicenter, randomized, controlled study}, series = {Bipolar Disorders}, volume = {22}, journal = {Bipolar Disorders}, number = {5}, doi = {10.1111/bdi.12894}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-215469}, pages = {517 -- 529}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Objective Most patients with bipolar disorders (BD) exhibit prodromal symptoms before a first (hypo)manic episode. Patients with clinically significant symptoms fulfilling at-risk criteria for serious mental illness (SMI) require effective and safe treatment. Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy (CBT) has shown promising results in early stages of BD and in patients at high risk for psychosis. We aimed to investigate whether group CBT can improve symptoms and functional deficits in young patients at risk for SMI presenting with subthreshold bipolar symptoms. Method In a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial, patients at clinical risk for SMI presenting with subthreshold bipolar symptoms aged 15-30 years were randomized to 14 weeks of at-risk for BD-specific group CBT or unstructured group meetings. Primary efficacy endpoints were differences in affective symptomatology and psychosocial functioning at 14 weeks. At-risk status was defined as a combination of subthreshold bipolar symptomatology, reduction of psychosocial functioning and a family history for (schizo)affective disorders. A prespecified interim analysis was conducted at 75\% of the targeted sample. Results Of 128 screened participants, 75 were randomized to group CBT (n = 38, completers = 65.8\%) vs unstructured group meetings (n = 37, completers = 78.4\%). Affective symptomatology and psychosocial functioning improved significantly at week 14 (P < .001) and during 6 months (P < .001) in both groups, without significant between-group differences. Findings are limited by the interim character of the analysis, the use of not fully validated early detection interviews, a newly adapted intervention manual, and the substantial drop-outs. Conclusions Results suggest that young patients at-risk for SMI presenting with subthreshold bipolar symptoms benefit from early group sessions. The degree of specificity and psychotherapeutic interaction needed requires clarification.}, language = {en} } @article{WannagatWaizeneggerNiedling2021, author = {Wannagat, Wienke and Waizenegger, Gesine and Niedling, Gerhild}, title = {Coherence formation during narrative text processing: a comparison between auditory and audiovisual text presentation in 9- to 12-year-old children}, series = {Cognitive Processing}, volume = {22}, journal = {Cognitive Processing}, issn = {1612-4782}, doi = {10.1007/s10339-020-01008-z}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-235744}, pages = {299-310}, year = {2021}, abstract = {In an experiment with 114 children aged 9-12 years, we compared the ability to establish local and global coherence of narrative texts between auditory and audiovisual (auditory text and pictures) presentation. The participants listened to a series of short narrative texts, in each of which a protagonist pursued a goal. Following each text, we collected the response time to a query word that was either associated with a near or a distant causal antecedent of the final sentence. Analysis of these response times indicated that audiovisual presentation has advantages over auditory presentation for accessing information relevant for establishing both local and global coherence, but there are indications that this effect may be slightly more pronounced for global coherence.}, language = {en} } @article{WirthFoersterKundeetal.2020, author = {Wirth, Robert and Foerster, Anna and Kunde, Wilfried and Pfister, Roland}, title = {Design choices: Empirical recommendations for designing two-dimensional finger-tracking experiments}, series = {Behavior Research Methods}, volume = {52}, journal = {Behavior Research Methods}, doi = {10.3758/s13428-020-01409-0}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-235569}, pages = {2394-2416}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The continuous tracking of mouse or finger movements has become an increasingly popular research method for investigating cognitive and motivational processes such as decision-making, action-planning, and executive functions. In the present paper, we evaluate and discuss how apparently trivial design choices of researchers may impact participants' behavior and, consequently, a study's results. We first provide a thorough comparison of mouse- and finger-tracking setups on the basis of a Simon task. We then vary a comprehensive set of design factors, including spatial layout, movement extent, time of stimulus onset, size of the target areas, and hit detection in a finger-tracking variant of this task. We explore the impact of these variations on a broad spectrum of movement parameters that are typically used to describe movement trajectories. Based on our findings, we suggest several recommendations for best practice that avoid some of the pitfalls of the methodology. Keeping these recommendations in mind will allow for informed decisions when planning and conducting future tracking experiments.}, language = {en} } @article{LischkeHerpertzBergeretal.2017, author = {Lischke, Alexander and Herpertz, Sabine C. and Berger, Christoph and Domes, Gregor and Gamer, Matthias}, title = {Divergent effects of oxytocin on (para-)limbic reactivity to emotional and neutral scenes in females with and without borderline personality disorder}, series = {Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience}, volume = {12}, journal = {Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience}, number = {11}, doi = {10.1093/scan/nsx107}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-173309}, pages = {1783-1792}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Borderline personality disorder (BPD) patients' hypersensitivity for emotionally relevant stimuli has been suggested be due to abnormal activity and connectivity in (para-)limbic and prefrontal brain regions during stimulus processing. The neuropeptide oxytocin has been shown to modulate activity and functional connectivity in these brain regions, thereby optimizing the processing of emotional and neutral stimuli. To investigate whether oxytocin would be capable of attenuating BPD patients' hypersensitivity for such stimuli, we recorded brain activity and gaze behavior during the processing of complex scenes in 51 females with and 48 without BPD after intranasal application of either oxytocin or placebo. We found divergent effects of oxytocin on BPD and healthy control (HC) participants' (para-)limbic reactivity to emotional and neutral scenes: Oxytocin decreased amygdala and insula reactivity in BPD participants but increased it in HC participants, indicating an oxytocin-induced normalization of amygdala and insula activity during scene processing. In addition, oxytocin normalized the abnormal coupling between amygdala activity and gaze behavior across all scenes in BPD participants. Overall, these findings suggest that oxytocin may be capable of attenuating BPD patients' hypersensitivity for complex scenes, irrespective of their valence.}, language = {en} } @article{ZetzlRennerPittigetal.2021, author = {Zetzl, Teresa and Renner, Agnes and Pittig, Andre and Jentschke, Elisabeth and Roch, Carmen and van Oorschot, Birgitt}, title = {Yoga effectively reduces fatigue and symptoms of depression in patients with different types of cancer}, series = {Supportive Care in Cancer}, volume = {29}, journal = {Supportive Care in Cancer}, issn = {0941-4355}, doi = {10.1007/s00520-020-05794-2}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-235415}, pages = {2973-2982}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Purpose Examine the effects of an 8-week yoga therapy on fatigue in patients with different types of cancer. Methods A total of 173 cancer patients suffering from mild to severe fatigue were randomly allocated to yoga intervention (n = 84) (IG) versus waitlist control group (CG) (n = 88). Yoga therapy consisted of eight weekly sessions with 60 min each. The primary outcome was self-reported fatigue symptoms. Secondary outcomes were symptoms of depression and quality of life (QoL). Data were assessed using questionnaires before (T0) and after yoga therapy for IG versus waiting period for CG (T1). Results A stronger reduction of general fatigue (P = .033), physical fatigue (P = .048), and depression (P < .001) as well as a stronger increase in QoL (P = .002) was found for patients who attended 7 or 8 sessions compared with controls. Within the yoga group, both higher attendance rate and lower T0-fatigue were significant predictors of lower T1-fatigue (P ≤ .001). Exploratory results revealed that women with breast cancer report a higher reduction of fatigue than women with other types of cancer (P = .016) after yoga therapy. Conclusion The findings support the assumption that yoga therapy is useful to reduce cancer-related fatigue, especially for the physical aspects of fatigue. Women with breast cancer seem to benefit most, and higher attendance rate results in greater reduction of fatigue. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00016034}, language = {en} } @article{HoffmannPieczykolanKochetal.2020, author = {Hoffmann, Mareike A. and Pieczykolan, Aleks and Koch, Iring and Huestegge, Lynn}, title = {Two sources of task prioritization: The interplay of effector-based and task order-based capacity allocation in the PRP paradigm}, series = {Attention, Perception, \& Psychophysics}, volume = {82}, journal = {Attention, Perception, \& Psychophysics}, issn = {1943-3921}, doi = {10.3758/s13414-020-02071-6}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-235365}, pages = {3402-3414}, year = {2020}, abstract = {When processing of two tasks overlaps, performance is known to suffer. In the well-established psychological refractory period (PRP) paradigm, tasks are triggered by two stimuli with a short temporal delay (stimulus onset asynchrony; SOA), thereby allowing control of the degree of task overlap. A decrease of the SOA reliably yields longer RTs of the task associated with the second stimulus (Task 2) while performance in the other task (Task 1) remains largely unaffected. This Task 2-specific SOA effect is usually interpreted in terms of central capacity limitations. Particularly, it has been assumed that response selection in Task 2 is delayed due to the allocation of less capacity until this process has been completed in Task 1. Recently, another important factor determining task prioritization has been proposed—namely, the particular effector systems associated with tasks. Here, we study both sources of task prioritization simultaneously by systematically combining three different effector systems (pairwise combinations of oculomotor, vocal, and manual responses) in the PRP paradigm. Specifically, we asked whether task order-based task prioritization (SOA effect) is modulated as a function of Task 2 effector system. The results indicate a modulation of SOA effects when the same (oculomotor) Task 1 is combined with a vocal versus a manual Task 2. This is incompatible with the assumption that SOA effects are solely determined by Task 1 response selection duration. Instead, they support the view that dual-task processing bottlenecks are resolved by establishing a capacity allocation scheme fed by multiple input factors, including attentional weights associated with particular effector systems.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Gromer2021, author = {Gromer, Daniel}, title = {Mechanisms Underlying Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Specific Phobias}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-20733}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-207334}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is an effective cognitive-behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders that comprises systematic confrontations to virtual representations of feared stimuli and situations. However, not all patients respond to VRET, and some patients relapse after successful treatment. One explanation for this limitation of VRET is that its underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood, leaving room for further improvement. On these grounds, the present thesis aimed to investigate two major research questions: first, it explored how virtual stimuli induce fear responses in height-fearful participants, and second, it tested if VRET outcome could be improved by incorporating techniques derived from two different theories of exposure therapy. To this end, five studies in virtual reality (VR) were conducted. Study 1 (N = 99) established a virtual environment for height exposure using a Computer Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) and investigated the effects of tactile wind simulation in VR. Height-fearful and non-fearful participants climbed a virtual outlook, and half of the participants received wind simulation. Results revealed that height-fearful participants showed stronger fear responses, on both a subjective and behavioral level, and that wind simulation increased subjective fear. However, adding tactile wind simulation in VR did not affect presence, the user's sense of 'being there' in the virtual environment. Replicating previous studies, fear and presence in VR were correlated, and the correlation was higher in height-fearful compared to non-fearful participants. Study 2 (N = 43) sought to corroborate the findings of the first study, using a different VR system for exposure (a head-mounted display) and measuring physiological fear responses. In addition, the effects of a visual cognitive distractor on fear in VR were investigated. Participants' fear responses were evident on both a subjective and physiological level---although much more pronounced on skin conductance than on heart rate---but the virtual distractor did not affect the strength of fear responses. In Study 3 (N = 50), the effects of trait height-fearfulness and height level on fear responses were investigated in more detail. Self-rated level of acrophobia and five different height levels in VR (1 m--20 m) were used as linear predictors of subjective and physiological indices of fear. Results showed that subjective fear and skin conductance responses were a function of both trait height-fearfulness and height level, whereas no clear effects were visible for heart rate. Study 4 (N = 64 + N = 49) aimed to advance the understanding of the relationship between presence and fear in VR. Previous research indicates a positive correlation between both measures, but possible causal mechanisms have not yet been identified. The study was the first to experimentally manipulate both presence (via the visual and auditive realism of the virtual environment) and fear (by presenting both height and control situations). Results indicated a causal effect of fear on presence, i.e., experiencing fear in a virtual environment led to a stronger sense of `being there' in the virtual environment. However, conversely, presence increased by higher scene realism did not affect fear responses. Nonetheless, presence seemed to have some effects on fear responding via another pathway, as participants whose presence levels were highest in the first safe context were also those who had the strongest fear responses in a later height situation. This finding indicated the importance of immersive user characteristics in the emergence of presence and fear in VR. The findings of the first four studies were integrated into a model of fear in VR, extending previous models and highlighting factors that lead to the emergence of both fear and presence in VR. Results of the studies showed that fear responses towards virtual heights were affected by trait height-fearfulness, phobic elements in the virtual environment, and, at least to some degree, on presence. Presence, on the other hand, was affected by experiencing fear in VR, immersion---the characteristics of the VR system---and immersive user characteristics. Of note, the manipulations of immersion used in the present thesis, visual and auditory realism of the virtual environment and tactile wind simulation, were not particularly effective in manipulating presence. Finally, Study 5 (N = 34) compared two different implementations of VRET for acrophobia to investigate mechanisms underlying its efficacy. The first implementation followed the Emotional Processing Theory, assuming that fear reduction during exposure is crucial for positive treatment outcome. In this condition, patients were asked to focus on their fear responses and on the decline of fear (habituation) during exposures. The second implementation was based on the inhibitory learning model, assuming that expectancy violation is the primary mechanism underlying exposure therapy efficacy. In this condition, patients were asked to focus on the non-occurrence of feared outcomes (e.g., 'I could fall off') during exposure. Based on predictions of the inhibitory learning model, the hypothesis for the study was that expectancy-violation-based exposure would outperform habituation-based exposure. After two treatment sessions in VR, both treatment conditions effectively reduced the patients' fear of heights, but the two conditions did not differ in their efficacy. The study replicated previous studies by showing that VRET is an effective treatment for acrophobia; however, contrary to the assumption, explicitly targeting the violation of threat expectancies did not improve outcome. This finding adds to other studies failing to provide clear evidence for expectancy violation as the primary mechanism underlying exposure therapy. Possible explanations for this finding and clinical implications are discussed, along with suggestions for further research.}, subject = {Virtuelle Realit{\"a}t}, language = {en} } @article{HerbortKrauseKunde2021, author = {Herbort, Oliver and Krause, Lisa-Marie and Kunde, Wilfried}, title = {Perspective determines the production and interpretation of pointing gestures}, series = {Psychonomic Bulletin \& Review}, volume = {28}, journal = {Psychonomic Bulletin \& Review}, issn = {1069-9384}, doi = {10.3758/s13423-020-01823-7}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-235293}, pages = {641-648}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Pointing is a ubiquitous means of communication. Nevertheless, observers systematically misinterpret the location indicated by pointers. We examined whether these misunderstandings result from the typically different viewpoints of pointers and observers. Participants either pointed themselves or interpreted points while assuming the pointer's or a typical observer perspective in a virtual reality environment. The perspective had a strong effect on the relationship between pointing gestures and referents, whereas the task had only a minor influence. This suggests that misunderstandings between pointers and observers primarily result from their typically different viewpoints.}, language = {en} } @article{RiechelmannGamerBoeckleretal.2021, author = {Riechelmann, Eva and Gamer, Matthias and B{\"o}ckler, Anna and Huestegge, Lynn}, title = {How ubiquitous is the direct-gaze advantage? Evidence for an averted-gaze advantage in a gaze-discrimination task}, series = {Attention, Perception, \& Psychophysics}, volume = {83}, journal = {Attention, Perception, \& Psychophysics}, issn = {1943-3921}, doi = {10.3758/s13414-020-02147-3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-235268}, pages = {215-237}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Human eye gaze conveys an enormous amount of socially relevant information, and the rapid assessment of gaze direction is of particular relevance in order to adapt behavior accordingly. Specifically, previous research demonstrated evidence for an advantage of processing direct (vs. averted) gaze. The present study examined discrimination performance for gaze direction (direct vs. averted) under controlled presentation conditions: Using a backward-masking gaze-discrimination task, photographs of faces with direct and averted gaze were briefly presented, followed by a mask stimulus. Additionally, effects of facial context on gaze discrimination were assessed by either presenting gaze direction in isolation (i.e., by only showing the eye region) or in the context of an upright or inverted face. Across three experiments, we consistently observed a facial context effect with highest discrimination performance for faces presented in upright position, lower performance for inverted faces, and lowest performance for eyes presented in isolation. Additionally, averted gaze was generally responded to faster and with higher accuracy than direct gaze, indicating an averted-gaze advantage. Overall, the results suggest that direct gaze is not generally associated with processing advantages, thereby highlighting the important role of presentation conditions and task demands in gaze perception.}, language = {en} } @article{GesellNiklasSchmiedeleretal.2020, author = {Gesell, Nathalie and Niklas, Frank and Schmiedeler, Sandra and Segerer, Robin}, title = {Mindfulness and romantic relationship outcomes: the mediating role of conflict resolution styles and closeness}, series = {Mindfulness}, volume = {11}, journal = {Mindfulness}, issn = {1868-8527}, doi = {10.1007/s12671-020-01449-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-235080}, pages = {2314-2324}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Objectives The association of mindfulness and romantic relationship outcomes such as partnership quality and satisfaction is well-established; however, the mechanisms of action are not yet clear. The current study tested conflict resolution styles and closeness as possible mediating factors. We hypothesized that trait mindfulness would increase the use of constructive conflict resolution styles (positive problem solving), decrease the use of destructive styles (conflict engagement, withdrawal, and compliance), and promote feelings of closeness between partners, which in turn would predict positive relationship outcomes (namely partnership quality, partnership satisfaction, and sexual satisfaction). Methods A total of 209 individuals (86\% German, 76\% female, mean age = 32 years) living in a relationship (31\% married) participated in an online questionnaire. Results Mediation analyses revealed that positive problem solving mediated the association between mindfulness and partnership quality with b = .09 (95\% CI = .03-.17), mindfulness and partnership satisfaction with b = .07 (95\% CI = .02-.13), and mindfulness and sexual satisfaction with b = .04 (95\% CI = .00-.10). Furthermore, a mediating role of withdrawal and closeness was shown for individual relationship outcomes. Conclusions Findings suggest that more positive problem solving, less withdrawal, and more closeness are mechanisms by which mindfulness is associated with positive relationship outcomes. The results of our study thus broaden our understanding of the processes that underlie fulfilling romantic relationships and, in turn, underline the positive effects of mindfulness.}, language = {en} } @article{WertgenRichter2020, author = {Wertgen, Andreas G. and Richter, Tobias}, title = {Source credibility modulates the validation of implausible information}, series = {Memory \& Cognition}, volume = {48}, journal = {Memory \& Cognition}, issn = {0090-502X}, doi = {10.3758/s13421-020-01067-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-234825}, pages = {1359-1375}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Validation of text information as a general mechanism for detecting inconsistent or false information is an integral part of text comprehension. This study examined how the credibility of the information source affects validation processes. Two experiments investigated combined effects of source credibility and plausibility of information during validation with explicit (ratings) and implicit (reading times) measurements. Participants read short stories with a high-credible versus low-credible person that stated a consistent or inconsistent assertion with general world knowledge. Ratings of plausibility and ratings of source credibility were lower when a credible source stated a world-knowledge inconsistent assertion compared with a low-credible source. Reading times on target sentences and on spillover sentences were slower when a credible source stated an assertion inconsistent with world knowledge compared with a low-credible source, suggesting that source information modulated the validation of implausible information. These results show that source credibility modulates validation and suggest a bidirectional relationship of perceived plausibility and source credibility in the reading process.}, language = {en} } @article{LiesnerKirschPfisteretal.2020, author = {Liesner, Marvin and Kirsch, Wladimir and Pfister, Roland and Kunde, Wilfried}, title = {Spatial action-effect binding depends on type of action-effect transformation}, series = {Attention, Perception, \& Psychophysics}, volume = {82}, journal = {Attention, Perception, \& Psychophysics}, issn = {1943-3921}, doi = {10.3758/s13414-020-02013-2}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-232781}, pages = {2531-2543}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Spatial action-effect binding denotes the mutual attraction between the perceived position of an effector (e.g., one's own hand) and a distal object that is controlled by this effector. Such spatial binding can be construed as an implicit measure of object ownership, thus the belonging of a controlled object to the own body. The current study investigated how different transformations of hand movements (body-internal action component) into movements of a visual object (body-external action component) affect spatial action-effect binding, and thus implicit object ownership. In brief, participants had to bring a cursor on the computer screen into a predefined target position by moving their occluded hand on a tablet and had to estimate their final hand position. In Experiment 1, we found a significantly lower drift of the proprioceptive position of the hand towards the visual object when hand movements were transformed into laterally inverted cursor movements, rather than cursor movements in the same direction. Experiment 2 showed that this reduction reflected an elimination of spatial action-effect binding in the inverted condition. The results are discussed with respect to the prerequisites for an experience of ownership over artificial, noncorporeal objects. Our results show that predictability of an object movement alone is not a sufficient condition for ownership because, depending on the type of transformation, integration of the effector and a distal object can be fully abolished even under conditions of full controllability.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Stegmann2021, author = {Stegmann, Yannik}, title = {Electrocortical mechanisms of sustained attention during the acquisition and interaction of conditioned fear and anxiety}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-23770}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-237700}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Adapting defensive behavior to the characteristics of a threatening situation is a fundamental function of the brain. Particularly, threat imminence plays a major role for the organization of defensive responses. Acute threat prompts phasic physiological responses, which are usually associated with an intense feeling of fear. In contrast, diffuse and potentially threatening situations elicit a sustained state of anxious apprehension. Detection of the threatening stimulus defines the key event in this framework, initiating the transition from potential to acute threat. Consequently, attention to threat is crucial for supporting defensive behavior. The functions of attention are finely tuned to the characteristics of a threatening situation. Potential threat is associated with hypervigilance, in order to facilitate threat detection. Once a threatening stimulus has been identified, attention is selectively focused on the source of danger. Even though the concepts of selective attention and hypervigilance to threat are well established, evidence for their neural correlates remain scarce. Therefore, a major goal of this thesis is to elucidate the neural correlates of selective attention to acute threat and hypervigilance during potential threat. A second aim of this thesis is to provide a mechanistic account for the interaction of fear and anxiety. While contemporary models view fear and anxiety as mutually exclusive, recent findings for the neural networks of fear and anxiety suggest potential interactions. In four studies, aversive cue conditioning was used to induce acute threat, while context conditioning served as a laboratory model of potential threat. To quantify neural correlates of selective attention and hypervigilance, steady-state visual evoked potentials (ssVEPs) were measured as an index of visuocortical responding. Study 1 compared visuocortical responses to acute and potential threat for high versus low trait-anxious individuals. All individuals demonstrated enhanced electrocortical responses to the central cue in the acute threat condition, suggesting evidence for the neural correlate of selective attention. However, only low anxious individuals revealed facilitated processing of the contexts in the potential threat condition, reflecting a neural correlate of hypervigilance. High anxious individuals did not discriminate among contexts. These findings contribute to the notion of aberrational processing of potential threat for high anxious individuals. Study 2 and 3 realized orthogonal combinations of cue and context conditioning to investigate potential interactions of fear and anxiety. In contrast to Study 1 and 2, Study 3 used verbal instructions to induce potentially threatening contexts. Besides ssVEPs, threat ratings and skin conductance responses (SCRs) were recorded as efferent indices of defensive responding. None of these studies found further evidence for the neural correlates of hypervigilance and selective attention. However, results for ratings and SCRs revealed additive effects of fear and anxiety, suggesting that fear and anxiety are not mutually exclusive, but interact linearly to organize and facilitate defensive behavior. Study 4 tested ssVEPs to more ecologically valid forms of context conditioning, using flickering video stimuli of virtual offices to establish context representations. Contrary to expectations, results revealed decreased visuocortical responses during sustained presentations of anxiety compared to neutral contexts. A disruption of ssVEP signals eventually suggests interferences by continuously changing video streams which are enhanced as a function of motivational relevance. In summary, this thesis provided evidence for the neural correlates of attention only for isolated forms of fear and anxiety, but not for their interaction. In contrast, an additive interaction model of fear and anxiety for measures of defensive responding offers a new perspective on the topography of defensive behavior.}, subject = {Furcht}, language = {en} } @article{CaoSteinbornKundeetal.2020, author = {Cao, Liyu and Steinborn, Michael and Kunde, Wilfried and Haendel, Barbara}, title = {Action force modulates action binding: evidence for a multisensory information integration explanation}, series = {Experimental Brain Research}, volume = {238}, journal = {Experimental Brain Research}, issn = {0014-4819}, doi = {10.1007/s00221-020-05861-4}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-232534}, pages = {2019-2029}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Action binding refers to the observation that the perceived time of an action (e.g., a keypress) is shifted towards the distal sensory feedback (usually a sound) triggered by that action. Surprisingly, the role of somatosensory feedback for this phe-nomenon has been largely ignored. We fill this gap by showing that the somatosensory feedback, indexed by keypress peak force, is functional in judging keypress time. Specifically, the strength of somatosensory feedback is positively correlated with reported keypress time when the keypress is not associated with an auditory feedback and negatively correlated when the keypress triggers an auditory feedback. The result is consistent with the view that the reported keypress time is shaped by sensory information from different modalities. Moreover, individual differences in action binding can be explained by a sensory information weighting between somatosensory and auditory feedback. At the group level, increasing the strength of somatosensory feedback can decrease action binding to a level not being detected statistically. Therefore, a multisensory information integration account (between somatosensory and auditory inputs) explains action binding at both a group level and an individual level.}, language = {en} } @article{MockeWellerFringsetal.2020, author = {Mocke, Viola and Weller, Lisa and Frings, Christian and Rothermund, Klaus and Kunde, Wilfried}, title = {Task relevance determines binding of effect features in action planning}, series = {Attention, Perception, \& Psychophysics}, volume = {82}, journal = {Attention, Perception, \& Psychophysics}, issn = {1943-3921}, doi = {10.3758/s13414-020-02123-x}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-231906}, pages = {3811-3831}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Action planning can be construed as the temporary binding of features of perceptual action effects. While previous research demonstrated binding for task-relevant, body-related effect features, the role of task-irrelevant or environment-related effect features in action planning is less clear. Here, we studied whether task-relevance or body-relatedness determines feature binding in action planning. Participants planned an action A, but before executing it initiated an intermediate action B. Each action relied on a body-related effect feature (index vs. middle finger movement) and an environment-related effect feature (cursor movement towards vs. away from a reference object). In Experiments 1 and 2, both effects were task-relevant. Performance in action B suffered from partial feature overlap with action A compared to full feature repetition or alternation, which is in line with binding of both features while planning action A. Importantly, this cost disappeared when all features were available but only body-related features were task-relevant (Experiment 3). When only the environment-related effect of action A was known in advance, action B benefitted when it aimed at the same (vs. a different) environment-related effect (Experiment 4). Consequently, the present results support the idea that task relevance determines whether binding of body-related and environment-related effect features takes place while the pre-activation of environment-related features without binding them primes feature-overlapping actions.}, language = {en} } @article{ShibanDiemerMuelleretal.2017, author = {Shiban, Youssef and Diemer, Julia and M{\"u}ller, Jana and Br{\"u}tting-Schick, Johanna and Pauli, Paul and M{\"u}hlberger, Andreas}, title = {Diaphragmatic breathing during virtual reality exposure therapy for aviophobia: functional coping strategy or avoidance behavior? A pilot study}, series = {BMC Psychiatry}, volume = {17}, journal = {BMC Psychiatry}, doi = {10.1186/s12888-016-1181-2}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-181007}, pages = {10}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Background: Although there is solid evidence for the efficacy of in vivo and virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy for a specific phobia, there is a significant debate over whether techniques promoting distraction or relaxation have impairing or enhancing effects on treatment outcome. In the present pilot study, we investigated the effect of diaphragmatic breathing (DB) as a relaxation technique during VR exposure treatment. Method: Twenty-nine patients with aviophobia were randomly assigned to VR exposure treatment either with or without diaphragmatic breathing (six cycles per minute). Subjective fear ratings, heart rate and skin conductance were assessed as indicators of fear during both the exposure and the test session one week later. Results: The group that experienced VR exposure combined with diaphragmatic breathing showed a higher tendency to effectively overcome the fear of flying. Psychophysiological measures of fear decreased and self-efficacy increased in both groups with no significant difference between the groups. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that diaphragmatic breathing during VR exposure does not interfere with the treatment outcome and may even enhance treatment effects of VR exposure therapy for aviophobic patients.}, language = {en} } @article{Ingerslev2020, author = {Ingerslev, Line Ryberg}, title = {Inhibited Intentionality: On Possible Self-Understanding in Cases of Weak Agency}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {11}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2020.558709}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-212950}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The paper addresses the question of how to approach consciousness in unreflective actions. Unreflective actions differ from reflective, conscious actions in that the intentional description under which the agent knows what she is doing is not available or present to the agent at the moment of acting. Yet, unreflective actions belong to the field in which an agent experiences herself as capable of acting. Some unreflective actions, however, narrow this field and can be characterized by intentionality being inhibited. By studying inhibited intentionality in unreflective actions, the aim of the paper is to show how weaker forms of action urge us to expand our overall understanding of action. If we expand the field of actions such that it encompasses also some of the involuntary aspects of action, we are able to understand how unreflective actions can remain actions and do not fall under the scope of automatic behavior. With the notion of weak agency, the paper thus addresses one aspect of unreflective action, namely, "inhibited intentionality" in which an agent feels a diminished sense of authorship in relation to her possibility for self-understanding. The notion of weak agency clarifies how agency itself remains intact but can involve a process of appropriation of one's actions as one's own. With a diachronic account of consciousness in unreflective action, the paper accounts for possible self-understanding in cases where none seems available at the moment of action.}, language = {en} } @article{LiesnerKunde2020, author = {Liesner, Marvin and Kunde, Wilfried}, title = {Suppression of mutually incompatible proprioceptive and visual action effects in tool use}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {15}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {11}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0242327}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-231250}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Movements of a tool typically diverge from the movements of the hand manipulating that tool, such as when operating a pivotal lever where tool and hand move in opposite directions. Previous studies suggest that humans are often unaware of the position or movements of their effective body part (mostly the hand) in such situations. It has been suggested that this might be due to a "haptic neglect" of bodily sensations to decrease the interference of representations of body and tool movements. However, in principle this interference could also be decreased by neglecting sensations regarding the tool and focusing instead on body movements. While in most tool use situations the tool-related action effects are task-relevant and thus suppression of body-related rather than tool-related sensations is more beneficial for successful goal achievement, we manipulated this task-relevance in a controlled experiment. The results showed that visual, tool-related effect representations can be suppressed just as proprioceptive, body-related ones in situations where effect representations interfere, given that task-relevance of body-related effects is increased relative to tool-related ones.}, language = {en} } @article{SuchotzkiMayGamer2020, author = {Suchotzki, Kristina and May, Heidi and Gamer, Matthias}, title = {No effect of moderate alcohol intake on the detection of concealed identity information in the laboratory}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {10}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-76811-x}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-231208}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The Concealed Information Test (CIT) enables the detection of certain (e.g., crime-relevant or personal) information, even if participants aim to conceal their knowledge. The current preregistered study investigated whether previously observed impairing effects of alcohol intoxication on participants' performance in a reaction time CIT (RT CIT) field study also translate to a laboratory environment. In contrast to the previous study of Suchotzki and Gamer (Sci Rep 8:7825, 2018) in which alcohol consumption was voluntary and self-administered, the current study used a randomized assignment of participants to either an alcohol group (n=88; receiving a drink with 3 cl alcohol) or a sober control group (n=89; receiving a drink with just some alcohol drops to hide group assignment). After drink administration, participants completed an RT CIT, in which they were instructed to hide knowledge of their own identity. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was estimated via breath alcohol ratio. In contrast to the previous field study, results revealed no differences in CIT-performance between intoxicated and sober participants. Aside from questioning the robustness of the result of the previous field study, our results also point to a number of interesting theoretical explanations for the discrepancy between both results, which are elaborated in the discussion.}, language = {en} } @article{SeitzLenhartRuebsam2020, author = {Seitz, Maximilian and Lenhart, Jan and R{\"u}bsam, Nina}, title = {The effects of gendered information in stories on preschool children's development of gender stereotypes}, series = {British Journal of Developmental Psychology}, volume = {38}, journal = {British Journal of Developmental Psychology}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1111/bjdp.12323}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-214622}, pages = {363 -- 390}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Social-cognitive theory posits that children learn gender stereotypes through gendered information. The present study examined whether children learn new gender stereotypes from stories when unknown words are linked to a gendered protagonist or context information. In Experiment 1, 40 3- to 6-year-old preschoolers were read stories with either a gendered protagonist embedded within a non-gendered context, or a non-gendered protagonist embedded within a gendered context. In Experiment 2, the same sample of children were read stories with the protagonist and the context displaying congruent or incongruent gender information. Each story featured an unknown activity linked with the stereotypical content. Both experiments indicate that the children rated the activity according to both the gender of the context and of the protagonist; however, the effect of the latter was stronger. In addition, children showed higher interest in the unknown activity if the protagonist's gender matched their own sex. Thus, gender information in stories influences how children perceive unknown words.}, language = {en} } @article{DuekingTaflerWallmannSperlichetal.2020, author = {D{\"u}king, Peter and Tafler, Marie and Wallmann-Sperlich, Birgit and Sperlich, Billy and Kleih, Sonja}, title = {Behavior Change Techniques in Wrist-Worn Wearables to Promote Physical Activity: Content Analysis}, series = {JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth}, volume = {8}, journal = {JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth}, number = {11}, doi = {10.2196/20820}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-230556}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Background: Decreasing levels of physical activity (PA) increase the incidences of noncommunicable diseases, obesity, and mortality. To counteract these developments, interventions aiming to increase PA are urgently needed. Mobile health (mHealth) solutions such as wearable sensors (wearables) may assist with an improvement in PA. Objective: The aim of this study is to examine which behavior change techniques (BCTs) are incorporated in currently available commercial high-end wearables that target users' PA behavior. Methods: The BCTs incorporated in 5 different high-end wearables (Apple Watch Series 3, Garmin V{\´i}voactive 3, Fitbit Versa, Xiaomi Amazfit Stratos 2, and Polar M600) were assessed by 2 researchers using the BCT Taxonomy version 1 (BCTTv1). Effectiveness of the incorporated BCTs in promoting PA behavior was assessed by a content analysis of the existing literature. Results: The most common BCTs were goal setting (behavior), action planning, review behavior goal(s), discrepancy between current behavior and goal, feedback on behavior, self-monitoring of behavior, and biofeedback. Fitbit Versa, Garmin V{\´i}voactive 3, Apple Watch Series 3, Polar M600, and Xiaomi Amazfit Stratos 2 incorporated 17, 16, 12, 11, and 11 BCTs, respectively, which are proven to effectively promote PA. Conclusions: Wearables employ different numbers and combinations of BCTs, which might impact their effectiveness in improving PA. To promote PA by employing wearables, we encourage researchers to develop a taxonomy specifically designed to assess BCTs incorporated in wearables. We also encourage manufacturers to customize BCTs based on the targeted populations.}, language = {en} } @article{RodriguesLiesnerReutteretal.2020, author = {Rodrigues, Johannes and Liesner, Marvin and Reutter, Mario and Mussel, Patrick and Hewig, Johannes}, title = {It's costly punishment, not altruistic: Low midfrontal theta and state anger predict punishment}, series = {Psychophysiology}, volume = {57}, journal = {Psychophysiology}, number = {8}, doi = {10.1111/psyp.13557}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-214696}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Punishment in economic games has been interpreted as "altruistic." However, it was shown that punishment is related to trait anger instead of trait altruism in a third-party dictator game if compensation is also available. Here, we investigated the influence of state anger on punishment and compensation in the third-party dictator game. Therefore, we used movie sequences for emotional priming, including the target states anger, happy, and neutral. We measured the Feedback-Related Negativity (FRN) and midfrontal theta band activation, to investigate an electro-cortical correlate of the processing of fair and unfair offers. Also, we assessed single-trial FRN and midfrontal theta band activation as a predictor for punishment and compensation. We found that punishment was linked to state anger. Midfrontal theta band activation, which has previously been linked to altruistic acts and cognitive control, predicted less punishment. Additionally, trait anger led to enhanced FRN for unfair offers. This led to the interpretation that the FRN depicts the evaluation of fairness, while midfrontal theta band activation captures an aspect of cognitive control and altruistic motivation. We conclude that we need to redefine "altruistic punishment" into "costly punishment," as no direct link of altruism and punishment is given. Additionally, midfrontal theta band activation complements the FRN and offers additional insights into complex responses and decision processes, especially as a single trial predictor. }, language = {en} } @article{EderMitschkeGollwitzer2020, author = {Eder, Andreas B. and Mitschke, Vanessa and Gollwitzer, Mario}, title = {What stops revenge taking? Effects of observed emotional reactions on revenge seeking}, series = {Aggressive Behavior}, volume = {46}, journal = {Aggressive Behavior}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1002/ab.21890}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-214686}, pages = {305 -- 316}, year = {2020}, abstract = {What reaction stops revenge taking? Four experiments (total N = 191) examined this question where the victim of an interpersonal transgression could observe the offender's reaction (anger, sadness, pain, or calm) to a retributive noise punishment. We compared the punishment intensity selected by the participant before and after seeing the offender's reaction. Seeing the opponent in pain reduced subsequent punishment most strongly, while displays of sadness and verbal indications of suffering had no appeasing effect. Expression of anger about a retributive punishment did not increase revenge seeking relative to a calm reaction, even when the anger response was disambiguated as being angry with the punisher. It is concluded that the expression of pain is the most effective emotional display for the reduction of retaliatory aggression. The findings are discussed in light of recent research on reactive aggression and retributive justice.}, language = {en} } @article{CaoChenHaendel2020, author = {Cao, Liyu and Chen, Xinyu and Haendel, Barbara F.}, title = {Overground Walking Decreases Alpha Activity and Entrains Eye Movements in Humans}, series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, volume = {14}, journal = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, issn = {1662-5161}, doi = {10.3389/fnhum.2020.561755}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-219872}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Experiments in animal models have shown that running increases neuronal activity in early visual areas in light as well as in darkness. This suggests that visual processing is influenced by locomotion independent of visual input. Combining mobile electroencephalography, motion- and eye-tracking, we investigated the influence of overground free walking on cortical alpha activity (~10 Hz) and eye movements in healthy humans. Alpha activity has been considered a valuable marker of inhibition of sensory processing and shown to negatively correlate with neuronal firing rates. We found that walking led to a decrease in alpha activity over occipital cortex compared to standing. This decrease was present during walking in darkness as well as during light. Importantly, eye movements could not explain the change in alpha activity. Nevertheless, we found that walking and eye related movements were linked. While the blink rate increased with increasing walking speed independent of light or darkness, saccade rate was only significantly linked to walking speed in the light. Pupil size, on the other hand, was larger during darkness than during light, but only showed a modulation by walking in darkness. Analyzing the effect of walking with respect to the stride cycle, we further found that blinks and saccades preferentially occurred during the double support phase of walking. Alpha power, as shown previously, was lower during the swing phase than during the double support phase. We however could exclude the possibility that the alpha modulation was introduced by a walking movement induced change in electrode impedance. Overall, our work indicates that the human visual system is influenced by the current locomotion state of the body. This influence affects eye movement pattern as well as neuronal activity in sensory areas and might form part of an implicit strategy to optimally extract sensory information during locomotion.}, language = {en} } @article{BahnikStrack2016, author = {Bahn{\´i}k, Štěp{\´a}n and Strack, Fritz}, title = {Overlap of accessible information undermines the anchoring effect}, series = {Judgment and Decision Making}, volume = {11}, journal = {Judgment and Decision Making}, number = {1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-169287}, pages = {92-98}, year = {2016}, abstract = {According to the Selective Accessibility Model of anchoring, the comparison question in the standard anchoring paradigm activates information that is congruent with an anchor. As a consequence, this information will be more likely to become the basis for the absolute judgment which will therefore be assimilated toward the anchor. However, if the activated information overlaps with information that is elicited by the absolute judgment itself, the preceding comparative judgment should not exert an incremental effect and should fail to result in an anchoring effect. The present studies find this result when the comparative judgment refers to a general category and the absolute judgment refers to a subset of the general category that was activated by the anchor value. For example, participants comparing the average annual temperature in New York City to a high 102 °F judged the average winter, but not summer temperature to be higher than participants making no comparison. On the other hand, participants comparing the annual temperature to a low -4 °F judged the average summer, but not winter temperature to be lower than control participants. This pattern of results was shown also in another content domain. It is consistent with the Selective Accessibility Model but difficult to reconcile with other main explanations of the anchoring effect.}, language = {en} } @article{WeissRodriguesPaeleckeetal.2020, author = {Weiß, Martin and Rodrigues, Johannes and Paelecke, Marko and Hewig, Johannes}, title = {We, Them, and It: Dictator Game Offers Depend on Hierarchical Social Status, Artificial Intelligence, and Social Dominance}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {11}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2020.541756}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-218168}, year = {2020}, abstract = {We investigated the influence of social status on behavior in a modified dictator game (DG). Since the DG contains an inherent dominance gradient, we examined the relationship between dictator decisions and recipient status, which was operationalized by three social identities and an artificial intelligence (AI). Additionally, we examined the predictive value of social dominance orientation (SDO) on the behavior of dictators toward the different social and non-social hierarchical recipients. A multilevel model analysis showed that recipients with the same status as the dictator benefited the most and the artificial intelligence the least. Furthermore, SDO, regardless of social status, predicted behavior toward recipients in such a way that higher dominance was associated with lower dictator offers. In summary, participants treated other persons of higher and lower status equally, those of equal status better and, above all, an algorithm worst. The large proportion of female participants and the limited variance of SDO should be taken into account with regard to the results of individual differences in SDO.}, language = {en} } @article{HaspertWieserPaulietal.2020, author = {Haspert, Valentina and Wieser, Matthias J. and Pauli, Paul and Reicherts, Philipp}, title = {Acceptance-Based Emotion Regulation Reduces Subjective and Physiological Pain Responses}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {11}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01514}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-207220}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Acceptance-based regulation of pain, which focuses on the allowing of pain and pain related thoughts and emotions, was found to modulate pain. However, results so far are inconsistent regarding different pain modalities and indices. Moreover, studies so far often lack a suitable control condition, focus on behavioral pain measures rather than physiological correlates, and often use between-subject designs, which potentially impede the evaluation of the effectiveness of the strategies. Therefore, we investigated whether acceptance-based strategies can reduce subjective and physiological markers of acute pain in comparison to a control condition in a within-subject design. To this end, participants (N = 30) completed 24 trials comprising 10 s of heat pain stimulation. Each trial started with a cue instructing participants to welcome and experience pain (acceptance trials) or to react to the pain as it is without employing any regulation strategies (control trials). In addition to pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings, heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC) were recorded. Results showed significantly decreased pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings for acceptance compared to control trials. Additionally, HR was significantly lower during acceptance compared to control trials, whereas SC revealed no significant differences. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of acceptance-based strategies in reducing subjective and physiological pain responses relative to a control condition, even after short training. Therefore, the systematic investigation of acceptance in different pain modalities in healthy and chronic pain patients is warranted.}, language = {en} } @article{EidelKuebler2020, author = {Eidel, Matthias and K{\"u}bler, Andrea}, title = {Wheelchair Control in a Virtual Environment by Healthy Participants Using a P300-BCI Based on Tactile Stimulation: Training Effects and Usability}, series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, volume = {14}, journal = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, issn = {1662-5161}, doi = {10.3389/fnhum.2020.00265}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-207775}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Tactile stimulation is less frequently used than visual for brain-computer interface (BCI) control, partly because of limitations in speed and accuracy. Non-visual BCI paradigms, however, may be required for patients who struggle with vision dependent BCIs because of a loss of gaze control. With the present study, we attempted to replicate earlier results by Herweg et al. (2016), with several minor adjustments and a focus on training effects and usability. We invited 16 healthy participants and trained them with a 4-class tactile P300-based BCI in five sessions. Their main task was to navigate a virtual wheelchair through a 3D apartment using the BCI. We found significant training effects on information transfer rate (ITR), which increased from a mean of 3.10-9.50 bits/min. Further, both online and offline accuracies significantly increased with training from 65\% to 86\% and 70\% to 95\%, respectively. We found only a descriptive increase of P300 amplitudes at Fz and Cz with training. Furthermore, we report subjective data from questionnaires, which indicated a relatively high workload and moderate to high satisfaction. Although our participants have not achieved the same high performance as in the Herweg et al. (2016) study, we provide evidence for training effects on performance with a tactile BCI and confirm the feasibility of the paradigm.}, language = {en} } @article{PoetzschGermanakosHuestegge2020, author = {Poetzsch, Tristan and Germanakos, Panagiotis and Huestegge, Lynn}, title = {Toward a Taxonomy for Adaptive Data Visualization in Analytics Applications}, series = {Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence}, volume = {3}, journal = {Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence}, issn = {2624-8212}, doi = {10.3389/frai.2020.00009}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-202074}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Data analytics as a field is currently at a crucial point in its development, as a commoditization takes place in the context of increasing amounts of data, more user diversity, and automated analysis solutions, the latter potentially eliminating the need for expert analysts. A central hypothesis of the present paper is that data visualizations should be adapted to both the user and the context. This idea was initially addressed in Study 1, which demonstrated substantial interindividual variability among a group of experts when freely choosing an option to visualize data sets. To lay the theoretical groundwork for a systematic, taxonomic approach, a user model combining user traits, states, strategies, and actions was proposed and further evaluated empirically in Studies 2 and 3. The results implied that for adapting to user traits, statistical expertise is a relevant dimension that should be considered. Additionally, for adapting to user states different user intentions such as monitoring and analysis should be accounted for. These results were used to develop a taxonomy which adapts visualization recommendations to these (and other) factors. A preliminary attempt to validate the taxonomy in Study 4 tested its visualization recommendations with a group of experts. While the corresponding results were somewhat ambiguous overall, some aspects nevertheless supported the claim that a user-adaptive data visualization approach based on the principles outlined in the taxonomy can indeed be useful. While the present approach to user adaptivity is still in its infancy and should be extended (e.g., by testing more participants), the general approach appears to be very promising.}, language = {en} } @article{MavratzakisHerbertWalla2016, author = {Mavratzakis, Aimee and Herbert, Cornelia and Walla, Peter}, title = {Emotional facial expressions evoke faster orienting responses, but weaker emotional responses at neural and behavioural levels compared to scenes: a simultaneous EEG and facial EMG study}, series = {NeuroImage}, volume = {124}, journal = {NeuroImage}, number = {Part A}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.09.065}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-191535}, pages = {931-946}, year = {2016}, abstract = {In the current study, electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded simultaneously with facial electromyography (fEMG) to determine whether emotional faces and emotional scenes are processed differently at the neural level. In addition, it was investigated whether these differences can be observed at the behavioural level via spontaneous facial muscle activity. Emotional content of the stimuli did not affect early P1 activity. Emotional faces elicited enhanced amplitudes of the face-sensitive N170 component, while its counterpart, the scene-related N100, was not sensitive to emotional content of scenes. At 220-280 ms, the early posterior negativity (EPN) was enhanced only slightly for fearful as compared to neutral or happy faces. However, its amplitudes were significantly enhanced during processing of scenes with positive content, particularly over the right hemisphere. Scenes of positive content also elicited enhanced spontaneous zygomatic activity from 500-750 ms onwards, while happy faces elicited no such changes. Contrastingly, both fearful faces and negative scenes elicited enhanced spontaneous corrugator activity at 500-750 ms after stimulus onset. However, relative to baseline EMG changes occurred earlier for faces (250 ms) than for scenes (500 ms) whereas for scenes activity changes were more pronounced over the whole viewing period. Taking into account all effects, the data suggests that emotional facial expressions evoke faster attentional orienting, but weaker affective neural activity and emotional behavioural responses compared to emotional scenes.}, language = {en} } @article{ReichertsGerdesPaulietal.2016, author = {Reicherts, Philipp and Gerdes, Antje B. M. and Pauli, Paul and Wieser, Matthias J.}, title = {Psychological placebo and nocebo effects on pain rely on expectation and previous experience}, series = {Journal of Pain}, volume = {17}, journal = {Journal of Pain}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpain.2015.10.010}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-190962}, pages = {203-214}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Expectation and previous experience are both well established key mediators of placebo and nocebo effects. However, the investigation of their respective contribution to placebo and nocebo responses is rather difficult because most placebo and nocebo manipulations are contaminated by pre-existing treatment expectancies resulting from a learning history of previous medical interventions. To circumvent any resemblance to classical treatments, a purely psychological placebonocebo manipulation was established, namely, the "visual stripe pattern induced modulation of pain." To this end, experience and expectation regarding the effects of different visual cues (stripe patterns) on pain were varied across 3 different groups, with either only placebo instruction (expectation), placebo conditioning (experience), or both (expectation + experience) applied. Only the combined manipulation (expectation + experience) revealed significant behavioral and physiological placebo nocebo effects on pain. Two subsequent experiments, which, in addition to placebo and nocebo cues, included a neutral control condition further showed that especially nocebo responses were more easily induced by this psychological placebo and nocebo manipulation. The results emphasize the great effect of psychological processes on placebo and nocebo effects. Particularly, nocebo effects should be addressed more thoroughly and carefully considered in clinical practice to prevent the accidental induction of side effects.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Schmidts2021, author = {Schmidts, Constantin}, title = {Affective regulation of cognitive conflict}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-21989}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-219897}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Kognitive Kontrolle beschreibt Prozesse die n{\"o}tig sind um zielgerichtetes Handeln im Angesicht von internen oder externen Widerst{\"a}nden zu erm{\"o}glichen. Wenn wir aus eigenen St{\"u}cken oder inspiriert durch unsere Umwelt Handlungen vorbereiten die unseren aktuellen Zielen entgegen stehen, kommt es zu Konflikten. Solche Konflikte k{\"o}nnen sich auf nachfolgendes Erleben und Verhalten auswirken. Aversive Konsequenzen von Konflikt k{\"o}nnten in einem Konflikt{\"u}berwachungsmodul registriert werden, welches anschließend Aufmerksamkeits{\"a}nderungen und Handlungstendenzen zur Reduzierung dieses negativen Affektes in Gang setzt. Wenn das der Fall w{\"a}re, k{\"o}nnten die vielfach beobachteten Verhaltensanpassungen an kognitiven Konflikt ein Ausdruck von Emotionsregulation sein. Ein theoretischer Eckpfeiler der gegenw{\"a}rtigen Forschung zur Emotionsregulation ist das Prozessmodell der Emotionsregulation, das aus den Regulationsstrategien Situationsauswahl, Situationsmodifikation, Aufmerksamkeitslenkung, kognitiven Ver{\"a}nderungen und Reaktionsmodulation besteht. Unter der Annahme, dass Konfliktanpassung und Affektregulation auf gemeinsamen Mechanismen fußen, habe ich aus dem Prozessmodell der Emotionsregulation Vorhersagen zur kognitiven Kontrolle abgeleitet und diese in elf Experimenten getestet (N = 509). Die Versuchsteilnehmer zeigten Situationsauswahl in Bezug auf Konflikte, allerdings nur dann, wenn sie ausdr{\"u}cklich auf Handlungs- und Ergebniskontingenzen hingewiesen wurden (Experimente 1 bis 3). Ich fand Anzeichen f{\"u}r einen Mechanismus, der der Situationsmodifikation {\"a}hnelt, aber keine Hinweise auf eine Beteiligung von Affekt (Experimente 4 bis 10). Eine {\"A}nderung der Konfliktbewertung hatte keinen Einfluss auf das Ausmaß der Konfliktadaptation (Experiment 11). Insgesamt gab es Hinweise auf eine explizite Aversivit{\"a}t kognitiver Konflikte, jedoch weniger auf implizite Aversivit{\"a}t, was darauf hindeutet, dass Konflikte vor allem dann Affektregulationsprozesse ausl{\"o}sen, wenn Menschen explizit Affektregulationsziele vor Augen haben.}, subject = {Affekt}, language = {en} } @article{KuhnScharfenortSchuemannetal.2016, author = {Kuhn, Manuel and Scharfenort, Robert and Sch{\"u}mann, Dirk and Schiele, Miriam A. and M{\"u}nsterk{\"o}tter, Anna L. and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Domschke, Katharina and Haaker, Jan and Kalisch, Raffael and Pauli, Paul and Reif, Andreas and Romanos, Marcel and Zwanzger, Peter and Lonsdorf, Tina B.}, title = {Mismatch or allostatic load? Timing of life adversity differentially shapes gray matter volume and anxious temperament}, series = {Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience}, volume = {11}, journal = {Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1093/scan/nsv137}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-189645}, pages = {537-547}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Traditionally, adversity was defined as the accumulation of environmental events (allostatic load). Recently however, a mismatch between the early and the later (adult) environment (mismatch) has been hypothesized to be critical for disease development, a hypothesis that has not yet been tested explicitly in humans. We explored the impact of timing of life adversity (childhood and past year) on anxiety and depression levels (N = 833) and brain morphology (N = 129). Both remote (childhood) and proximal (recent) adversities were differentially mirrored in morphometric changes in areas critically involved in emotional processing (i.e. amygdala/hippocampus, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, respectively). The effect of adversity on affect acted in an additive way with no evidence for interactions (mismatch). Structural equation modeling demonstrated a direct effect of adversity on morphometric estimates and anxiety/depression without evidence of brain morphology functioning as a mediator. Our results highlight that adversity manifests as pronounced changes in brain morphometric and affective temperament even though these seem to represent distinct mechanistic pathways. A major goal of future studies should be to define critical time periods for the impact of adversity and strategies for intervening to prevent or reverse the effects of adverse childhood life experiences.}, language = {en} } @article{KirschUllrichKunde2016, author = {Kirsch, Wladimir and Ullrich, Benjamin and Kunde, Wilfried}, title = {Are Effects of Action on Perception Real? Evidence from Transformed Movements}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {12}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0167993}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-178574}, year = {2016}, abstract = {It has been argued that several reported non-visual influences on perception cannot be truly perceptual. If they were, they should affect the perception of target objects and reference objects used to express perceptual judgments, and thus cancel each other out. This reasoning presumes that non-visual manipulations impact target objects and comparison objects equally. In the present study we show that equalizing a body-related manipulation between target objects and reference objects essentially abolishes the impact of that manipulation so as it should do when that manipulation actually altered perception. Moreover, the manipulation has an impact on judgements when applied to only the target object but not to the reference object, and that impact reverses when only applied to the reference object but not to the target object. A perceptual explanation predicts this reversal, whereas explanations in terms of post-perceptual response biases or demand effects do not. Altogether these results suggest that body-related influences on perception cannot as a whole be attributed to extra-perceptual factors.}, language = {en} } @article{GrevingRichter2018, author = {Greving, Sven and Richter, Tobias}, title = {Examining the testing effect in university teaching: retrievability and question format matter}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {9}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02412}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-190802}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Review of learned material is crucial for the learning process. One approach that promises to increase the effectiveness of reviewing during learning is to answer questions about the learning content rather than restudying the material (testing effect). This effect is well established in lab experiments. However, existing research in educational contexts has often combined testing with additional didactical measures that hampers the interpretation of testing effects. We aimed to examine the testing effect in its pure form by implementing a minimal intervention design in a university lecture (N = 92). The last 10 min of each lecture session were used for reviewing the lecture content by either answering short-answer questions, multiple-choice questions, or reading summarizing statements about core lecture content. Three unannounced criterial tests measured the retention of learning content at different times (1, 12, and 23 weeks after the last lecture). A positive testing effect emerged for short-answer questions that targeted information that participants could retrieve from memory. This effect was independent of the time of test. The results indicated no testing effect for multiple-choice testing. These results suggest that short-answer testing but not multiple-choice testing may benefit learning in higher education contexts.}, language = {en} } @article{PfisterSchwarzJanczyketal.2013, author = {Pfister, Roland and Schwarz, Katharina A. and Janczyk, Markus and Dale, Rick and Freeman, Jonathan B.}, title = {Good things peak in pairs: a note on the bimodality coefficient}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {4}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00700}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-190413}, year = {2013}, abstract = {A commentary on Assessing bimodality to detect the presence of a dual cognitive process by Freeman, J. B., and Dale, R. (2013). Behav. Res. Methods 45, 83-97. doi: 10.3758/s13428-012-0225-x}, language = {en} } @article{FoersterPfisterSchmidtsetal.2013, author = {Foerster, Anna and Pfister, Roland and Schmidts, Constantin and Dignath, David and Kunde, Wilfried}, title = {Honesty saves time (and justifications)}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {4}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00473}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-190451}, year = {2013}, abstract = {A commentary on Honesty requires time (and lack of justifications) by Shalvi, S., Eldar, O., and Bereby-Meyer, Y. (2012). Psychol. Sci. 23, 1264-1270. doi: 10.1177/0956797612443835}, language = {en} } @article{MeuleVoegele2013, author = {Meule, Adrian and V{\"o}gele, Claus}, title = {The psychology of eating}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {4}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00215}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-190460}, year = {2013}, abstract = {No abstract available.}, language = {en} } @article{Meule2013, author = {Meule, Adrian}, title = {Impulsivity and overeating: a closer look at the subscales of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {4}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00177}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-190497}, year = {2013}, abstract = {No abstract available.}, language = {en} } @article{SchieleReinhardReifetal.2016, author = {Schiele, Miriam A. and Reinhard, Julia and Reif, Andreas and Domschke, Katharina and Romanos, Marcel and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Pauli, Paul}, title = {Developmental aspects of fear: Comparing the acquisition and generalization of conditioned fear in children and adults}, series = {Developmental Psychobiology}, volume = {58}, journal = {Developmental Psychobiology}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1002/dev.21393}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-189488}, pages = {471-481}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Most research on human fear conditioning and its generalization has focused on adults whereas only little is known about these processes in children. Direct comparisons between child and adult populations are needed to determine developmental risk markers of fear and anxiety. We compared 267 children and 285 adults in a differential fear conditioning paradigm and generalization test. Skin conductance responses (SCR) and ratings of valence and arousal were obtained to indicate fear learning. Both groups displayed robust and similar differential conditioning on subjective and physiological levels. However, children showed heightened fear generalization compared to adults as indexed by higher arousal ratings and SCR to the generalization stimuli. Results indicate overgeneralization of conditioned fear as a developmental correlate of fear learning. The developmental change from a shallow to a steeper generalization gradient is likely related to the maturation of brain structures that modulate efficient discrimination between danger and (ambiguous) safety cues.}, language = {en} } @article{LuleKueblerLudolph2019, author = {Lul{\´e}, Doroth{\´e}e and K{\"u}bler, Andrea and Ludolph, Albert C.}, title = {Ethical principles in patient-centered medical care to support quality of life in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis}, series = {Frontiers in Neurology}, volume = {10}, journal = {Frontiers in Neurology}, issn = {1664-2295}, doi = {10.3389/fneur.2019.00259}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-196239}, year = {2019}, abstract = {It is one of the primary goals of medical care to secure good quality of life (QoL) while prolonging survival. This is a major challenge in severe medical conditions with a prognosis such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Further, the definition of QoL and the question whether survival in this severe condition is compatible with a good QoL is a matter of subjective and culture-specific debate. Some people without neurodegenerative conditions believe that physical decline is incompatible with satisfactory QoL. Current data provide extensive evidence that psychosocial adaptation in ALS is possible, indicated by a satisfactory QoL. Thus, there is no fatalistic link of loss of QoL when physical health declines. There are intrinsic and extrinsic factors that have been shown to successfully facilitate and secure QoL in ALS which will be reviewed in the following article following the four ethical principles (1) Beneficence, (2) Non-maleficence, (3) Autonomy and (4) Justice, which are regarded as key elements of patient centered medical care according to Beauchamp and Childress. This is a JPND-funded work to summarize findings of the project NEEDSinALS (www.NEEDSinALS.com) which highlights subjective perspectives and preferences in medical decision making in ALS.}, language = {en} } @article{BollBartholomaeusPeteretal.2016, author = {Boll, Sabine and Bartholomaeus, Marie and Peter, Ulrike and Lupke, Ulrike and Gamer, Matthias}, title = {Attentional mechanisms of social perception are biased in social phobia}, series = {Journal of Anxiety Disorders}, volume = {40}, journal = {Journal of Anxiety Disorders}, doi = {10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.04.004}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-189046}, pages = {83-93}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Previous studies of social phobia have reported an increased vigilance to social threat cues but also an avoidance of socially relevant stimuli such as eye gaze. The primary aim of this study was to examine attentional mechanisms relevant for perceiving social cues by means of abnormalities in scanning of facial features in patients with social phobia. In two novel experimental paradigms, patients with social phobia and healthy controls matched on age, gender and education were compared regarding their gazing behavior towards facial cues. The first experiment was an emotion classification paradigm which allowed for differentiating reflexive attentional shifts from sustained attention towards diagnostically relevant facial features. In the second experiment, attentional orienting by gaze direction was assessed in a gaze-cueing paradigm in which non-predictive gaze cues shifted attention towards or away from subsequently presented targets. We found that patients as compared to controls reflexively oriented their attention more frequently towards the eyes of emotional faces in the emotion classification paradigm. This initial hypervigilance for the eye region was observed at very early attentional stages when faces were presented for 150 ms, and persisted when facial stimuli were shown for 3 s. Moreover, a delayed attentional orienting into the direction of eye gaze was observed in individuals with social phobia suggesting a differential time course of eye gaze processing in patients and controls. Our findings suggest that basic mechanisms of early attentional exploration of social cues are biased in social phobia and might contribute to the development and maintenance of the disorder.}, language = {en} } @article{SchererEllgringDieckmannetal.2019, author = {Scherer, Klaus R. and Ellgring, Heiner and Dieckmann, Anja and Unfried, Matthias and Mortillaro, Marcello}, title = {Dynamic Facial Expression of Emotion and Observer Inference}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {10}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, number = {508}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00508}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-195853}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Research on facial emotion expression has mostly focused on emotion recognition, assuming that a small number of discrete emotions is elicited and expressed via prototypical facial muscle configurations as captured in still photographs. These are expected to be recognized by observers, presumably via template matching. In contrast, appraisal theories of emotion propose a more dynamic approach, suggesting that specific elements of facial expressions are directly produced by the result of certain appraisals and predicting the facial patterns to be expected for certain appraisal configurations. This approach has recently been extended to emotion perception, claiming that observers first infer individual appraisals and only then make categorical emotion judgments based on the estimated appraisal patterns, using inference rules. Here, we report two related studies to empirically investigate the facial action unit configurations that are used by actors to convey specific emotions in short affect bursts and to examine to what extent observers can infer a person's emotions from the predicted facial expression configurations. The results show that (1) professional actors use many of the predicted facial action unit patterns to enact systematically specified appraisal outcomes in a realistic scenario setting, and (2) na{\"i}ve observers infer the respective emotions based on highly similar facial movement configurations with a degree of accuracy comparable to earlier research findings. Based on estimates of underlying appraisal criteria for the different emotions we conclude that the patterns of facial action units identified in this research correspond largely to prior predictions and encourage further research on appraisal-driven expression and inference.}, language = {en} } @article{GromerMadeiraGastetal.2018, author = {Gromer, Daniel and Madeira, Oct{\´a}via and Gast, Philipp and Nehfischer, Markus and Jost, Michael and M{\"u}ller, Mathias and M{\"u}hlberger, Andreas and Pauli, Paul}, title = {Height Simulation in a Virtual Reality CAVE System: Validity of Fear Responses and Effects of an Immersion Manipulation}, series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, number = {372}, issn = {1662-5161}, doi = {10.3389/fnhum.2018.00372}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-196113}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Acrophobia is characterized by intense fear in height situations. Virtual reality (VR) can be used to trigger such phobic fear, and VR exposure therapy (VRET) has proven effective for treatment of phobias, although it remains important to further elucidate factors that modulate and mediate the fear responses triggered in VR. The present study assessed verbal and behavioral fear responses triggered by a height simulation in a 5-sided cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE) with visual and acoustic simulation and further investigated how fear responses are modulated by immersion, i.e., an additional wind simulation, and presence, i.e., the feeling to be present in the VE. Results revealed a high validity for the CAVE and VE in provoking height related self-reported fear and avoidance behavior in accordance with a trait measure of acrophobic fear. Increasing immersion significantly increased fear responses in high height anxious (HHA) participants, but did not affect presence. Nevertheless, presence was found to be an important predictor of fear responses. We conclude that a CAVE system can be used to elicit valid fear responses, which might be further enhanced by immersion manipulations independent from presence. These results may help to improve VRET efficacy and its transfer to real situations.}, language = {en} } @article{VenturaBortWirknerGenheimeretal.2018, author = {Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Wirkner, Janine and Genheimer, Hannah and Wendt, Julia and Hamm, Alfons O. and Weymar, Mathias}, title = {Effects of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS) on the P300 and Alpha-Amylase Level: A Pilot Study}, series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, number = {202}, issn = {1662-5161}, doi = {10.3389/fnhum.2018.00202}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-196129}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Recent research suggests that the P3b may be closely related to the activation of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system. To further study the potential association, we applied a novel technique, the non-invasive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), which is speculated to increase noradrenaline levels. Using a within-subject cross-over design, 20 healthy participants received continuous tVNS and sham stimulation on two consecutive days (stimulation counterbalanced across participants) while performing a visual oddball task. During stimulation, oval non-targets (standard), normal-head (easy) and rotated-head (difficult) targets, as well as novel stimuli (scenes) were presented. As an indirect marker of noradrenergic activation we also collected salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) before and after stimulation. Results showed larger P3b amplitudes for target, relative to standard stimuli, irrespective of stimulation condition. Exploratory post hoc analyses, however, revealed that, in comparison to standard stimuli, easy (but not difficult) targets produced larger P3b (but not P3a) amplitudes during active tVNS, compared to sham stimulation. For sAA levels, although main analyses did not show differential effects of stimulation, direct testing revealed that tVNS (but not sham stimulation) increased sAA levels after stimulation. Additionally, larger differences between tVNS and sham stimulation in P3b magnitudes for easy targets were associated with larger increase in sAA levels after tVNS, but not after sham stimulation. Despite preliminary evidence for a modulatory influence of tVNS on the P3b, which may be partly mediated by activation of the noradrenergic system, additional research in this field is clearly warranted. Future studies need to clarify whether tVNS also facilitates other processes, such as learning and memory, and whether tVNS can be used as therapeutic tool.}, language = {en} } @article{GrevingRichter2019, author = {Greving, Carla E. and Richter, Tobias}, title = {Distributed Learning in the Classroom: Effects of Rereading Schedules Depend on Time of Test}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {9}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, number = {2517}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02517}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-190783}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Research with adults in laboratory settings has shown that distributed rereading is a beneficial learning strategy but its effects depend on time of test. When learning outcomes are measured immediately after rereading, distributed rereading yields no benefits or even detrimental effects on learning, but the beneficial effects emerge two days later. In a preregistered experiment, the effects of distributed rereading were investigated in a classroom setting with school students. Seventh-graders (N = 191) reread a text either immediately or after 1 week. Learning outcomes were measured after 4 min or 1 week. Participants in the distributed rereading condition reread the text more slowly, predicted their learning success to be lower, and reported a lower on-task focus. At the shorter retention interval, massed rereading outperformed distributed rereading in terms of learning outcomes. Contrary to students in the massed condition, students in the distributed condition showed no forgetting from the short to the long retention interval. As a result, they performed equally well as the students in the massed condition at the longer retention interval. Our results indicate that distributed rereading makes learning more demanding and difficult and leads to higher effort during rereading. Its effects on learning depend on time of test, but no beneficial effects were found, not even at the delayed test.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{LangeneSoehnchen2020, author = {Lange [n{\´e} S{\"o}hnchen], Bastian}, title = {Influence of social anxiety on social attention and corresponding changes in action patterns}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-18900}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-189001}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {People who suffer Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) are under substantial personal distress and endure impaired normal functioning in at least some parts of everyday life. Next, to the personal suffering, there are also the immense public health costs to consider, as SAD is the most common anxiety disorder and thereby one of the major psychiatric disorders in general. Over the last years, fundamental research found cognitive factors as essential components in the development and maintenance of social fears. Following leading cognitive models, avoidance behaviors are thought to be an important factor in maintaining the developed social anxieties. Therefore, this thesis aims to deepen the knowledge of avoidance behaviors exhibited in social anxiety, which allows to get a better understanding of how SAD is maintained. To reach this goal three studies were conducted, each using a different research approach. In the first study cutting-edge Virtual Reality (VR) equipment was used to immerse participants in a virtual environment. In this virtual setting, High Socially Anxious (HSA) individuals and matched controls had to execute a social Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT). In the task, participants had to pass a virtual person displaying neutral or angry facial expressions. By using a highly immersive VR apparatus, the first described study took the initial step in establishing a new VR task for the implicit research on social approach-avoidance behaviors. By moving freely through a VR environment, participants experienced near real-life social situations. By tracking body and head movements, physical and attentional approach-avoidance processes were studied. The second study looked at differences in attention shifts initiated by gaze-cues of neutral or emotional faces. Comparing HSA and controls, enabled a closer look at attention re-allocation with special focus on social stimuli. Further, context conditioning was used to compare task performance in a safe and in a threatening environment. Next to behavioral performance, the study also investigated neural activity using Electroencephalography (EEG) primarily looking at the N2pc component. In the third study, eye movements of HSA and Low Socially Anxious (LSA) were analyzed using an eye-tracking apparatus while participants executed a computer task. The participants' tasks consisted of the detection of either social or non-social stimuli in complex visual settings. The study intended to compare attention shifts towards social components between these two tasks and how high levels of social anxiety influence them. In other words, the measurements of eye movements enabled the investigation to what extent social attention is task-dependent and how it is influenced by social anxiety. With the three described studies, three different approaches were used to get an in-depth understanding of what avoidance behaviors in SAD are and to which extent they are exhibited. Overall, the results showed that HSA individuals exhibited exaggerated physical and attentional avoidance behavior. Furthermore, the results highlighted that the task profoundly influences attention allocation. Finally, all evidence indicates that avoidance behaviors in SAD are exceedingly complex. They are not merely based on the fear of a particular stimulus, but rather involve highly compound cognitive processes, which surpass the simple avoidance of threatening stimuli. To conclude, it is essential that further research is conducted with special focus on SAD, its maintaining factors, and the influence of the chosen research task and method.}, subject = {Sozialangst}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Ahrens2020, author = {Ahrens, Lea Marlen}, title = {The Role of Attentional Control and Fear Acquisition and Generalization in Social Anxiety Disorder}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-17162}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-171622}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Although Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is one of the most prevalent mental disorders, still little is known about its development and maintenance. Cognitive models assume that deviations in attentional as well as associative learning processes play a role in the etiology of SAD. Amongst others, deficits in inhibitory attentional control as well as aberrations during fear generalization, which have already been observed in other anxiety disorders, are two candidate mechanisms that might contribute to the onset and retention of SAD. However, a review of the literature shows that there is a lack of research relating to these topics. Thus, the aim of the present thesis was to examine in which way individuals with SAD differ from healthy controls regarding attentional control and generalization of acquired fear during the processing of social stimuli. Study 1 tested whether impairment in the inhibitory control of attention is a feature of SAD, and how it might be influenced by emotional expression and gaze direction of an interactional partner. For this purpose, individuals with SAD and healthy controls (HC) participated in an antisaccade task with faces displaying different emotional expressions (angry, neutral and happy) and gaze directions (direct and averted) serving as target stimuli. While the participants performed either pro- or antisaccades in response to the peripherally presented faces, their gaze behavior was recorded via eye-tracking, and ratings of valence and arousal were obtained. Results revealed that both groups showed prolonged latencies and increased error rates in trials with correct anti- compared to prosaccades. However, there were no differences between groups with regard to response latency or error rates, indicating that SAD patients did not exhibit impairment on inhibitory attentional control in comparison to HC during eye-tracking. Possible explanations for this finding could be that reduced inhibitory attentional control in SAD only occurs under certain circumstances, for example, when these individuals currently run the risk of being negatively evaluated by others and not in the mere presence of phobic stimuli, or when the cognitive load of a task is so high that it cannot be unwound by compensatory strategies, such as putting more effort into a task. As not only deviations in attentional, but also associative learning processes might be pathogenic markers of SAD, these mechanisms were further addressed in the following experiments. Study 2 is the first that attempted to investigate the generalization of conditioned fear in patients with SAD. To this end, patients with SAD and HC were conditioned to two neutral female faces serving as conditioned stimuli (CS+: reinforced; CS-: non-reinforced) and a fearful face paired with a loud scream serving as unconditioned stimulus (US). Fear generalization was tested by presenting morphs of the two faces (GS: generalization stimuli), which varied in their similarity to the original faces. During the whole experiment, self-report ratings, heart rate (HR) and skin conductance responses (SCR) were recorded. Results demonstrated that SAD patients rated all stimuli as less pleasant and more arousing, and overestimated the occurrence of the US compared to HC, indicating a general hyperarousal in individuals with SAD. In addition, ratings and SCR indicated that both groups generalized their acquired fear from the CS+ to intermediate GSs as a function of their similarity to the CS+. However, except for the HR data, which indicated that only SAD patients but not HC displayed a generalization response in this measure, most of the results did not support the hypothesis that SAD is characterized by overgeneralization. A plausible reason for this finding could be that overgeneralization is just a key characteristic of some anxiety disorders and SAD is not one of them. Still, other factors, such as comorbidities in the individuals with SAD, could also have had an influence on the results, which is why overgeneralization was further examined in study 3. The aim of study 3 was to investigate fear generalization on a neuronal level. Hence, high (HSA) and low socially anxious participants (LSA) underwent a conditioning paradigm, which was an adaption of the experimental design used study 2 for EEG. During the experiment, steady-state visually evoked potentials (ssVEPs) and ratings of valence and arousal were recorded. Analyses revealed significant generalization gradients in all ratings with highest fear responses to the CS+ and a progressive decline of these reactions with increasing similarity to the CS-. In contrast, the generalization gradient on a neuronal level showed highest amplitudes for the CS+ and a reduction in amplitude to the most proximal, but not distal GSs in the ssVEP signal, which might be interpreted as lateral inhibition in the visual cortex. The observed dissociation among explicit and implicit measures points to different functions of behavioral and sensory cortical processes during fear generalization: While the ratings might reflect an individual's consciously increased readiness to react to threat, the lateral inhibition pattern in the occipital cortex might serve to maximize the contrast among stimuli with and without affective value and thereby improve adaptive behavior. As no group differences could be observed, the finding of study 2 that overgeneralization does not seem to be a marker of SAD is further consolidated. In sum, the conducted experiments suggest that individuals with SAD are characterized by a general hyperarousal during the exposition to disorder-relevant stimuli as indicated by enhanced arousal and reduced valence ratings of the stimuli compared to HC. However, the hypotheses that reduced inhibitory attentional control and overgeneralization of conditioned fear are markers of SAD were mostly not confirmed. Further research is required to elucidate whether they only occur under certain circumstances, such as high cognitive load (e.g. handling two tasks simultaneously) or social stress (e.g. before giving a speech), or whether they are not characteristics of SAD at all. With the help of these findings, new interventions for the treatment of SAD can be developed, such as attentional bias modification or discrimination learning.}, subject = {Sozialangst}, language = {en} }