@article{GrussWieserSchweinbergeretal.2012,
  author    = {Gruss, L. Forest and Wieser, Matthias J. and Schweinberger, Stefan R. and Keil, Andreas},
  title     = {Face-evoked steady-state visual potentials: effects of presentation rate and face inversion},
  series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience},
  volume    = {6},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience},
  number    = {316},
  doi       = {10.3389/fnhum.2012.00316},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-134399},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {Face processing can be explored using electrophysiological methods. Research with event-related potentials has demonstrated the so-called face inversion effect, in which the N170 component is enhanced in amplitude and latency to inverted, compared to upright, faces. The present study explored the extent to which repetitive lower-level visual cortical engagement, reflected in flicker steady-state visual evoked potentials (ssVEPs), shows similar amplitude enhancement to face inversion. We also asked if inversion-related ssVEP modulation would be dependent on the stimulation rate at which upright and inverted faces were flickered. To this end, multiple tagging frequencies were used (5, 10, 15, and 20 Hz) across two studies (n=21, n=18). Results showed that amplitude enhancement of the ssVEP for inverted faces was found solely at higher stimulation frequencies (15 and 20 Hz). By contrast, lower frequency ssVEPs did not show this inversion effect. These findings suggest that stimulation frequency affects the sensitivity of ssVEPs to face inversion.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Loeffler2016,
  author    = {L{\"o}ffler, Elisabeth Therese},
  title     = {Die Entwicklung des prozeduralen Metaged{\"a}chtnisses {\"u}ber die Lebensspanne},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-150424},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Der Entwicklungsverlauf metakognitiver {\"U}berwachungsprozesse und das Zusammenspiel von {\"U}berwachungs- und Kontrollprozessen ist {\"u}ber die gesamte Lebensspanne hinweg nur f{\"u}r isolierte Altersgruppen, nicht aber in Studien, die Teilnehmer vom Kindes- bis zum h{\"o}heren Erwachsenenalter einschließen, untersucht worden. Diese L{\"u}cke sollte mit der vorliegenden Arbeit geschlossen werden, denn gerade solche Designs k{\"o}nnen dazu beitragen, Aufbau- und Abbauprozesse zu kontrastieren, und Hinweise auf fr{\"u}hzeitig vorhandene sowie im Altersverlauf bestehende F{\"a}higkeiten geben, die dann kompensatorisch genutzt werden k{\"o}nnen. Die eigene Arbeit befasste sich dabei mit dem Verlauf einer Vielzahl von pro- und retrospektiven {\"U}berwachungsvorg{\"a}ngen {\"u}ber die Lebensspanne. Der Schwerpunkt lag auf dem Einfluss verschiedener Kontextfaktoren (z.B. Komplexit{\"a}t des Lernmaterials, Vorwissen, Strategienutzung) auf die {\"U}berwachungsleistung in den jeweiligen Altersstufen. Außerdem wurde {\"u}berpr{\"u}ft, inwieweit wechselseitige Zusammenh{\"a}nge zwischen {\"U}berwachungs- und Steuerungsprozessen in den untersuchten Altersgruppen unterschiedlich stark ausgepr{\"a}gt sind. Diese Fragestellungen wurden in sechs Experimenten mit insgesamt 816 Teilnehmern untersucht. Es handelte sich dabei um Drittkl{\"a}ssler im Alter zwischen 7 und 9 Jahren, Jugendliche zwischen 12 und 14 Jahren, j{\"u}ngere Erwachsene zwischen ca. 18 und 25 Jahren sowie {\"a}ltere Erwachsene zwischen ca. 60 und 80 Jahren. Erhoben wurden Ease-of-Learning-Urteile (EOLs) bzw. ein globales Verst{\"a}ndnisurteil als Maß der {\"U}berwachung vor dem eigentlichen Lernprozess, Judgments of Learning (JOLs) als Maß der {\"U}berwachung nach dem Lernvorgang und Sicherheitsurteile (SUs) als Maß der {\"U}berwachung nach dem Erinnerungsabruf. Es zeigte sich, dass die {\"U}berwachungsleistung sowohl, was die Differenzierungsf{\"a}higkeit zwischen richtigen und falschen Antworten, als auch, was die Genauigkeit betrifft, bez{\"u}glich der JOLs und der SUs {\"u}ber die gesamte untersuchte Altersspanne hinweg im Wesentlichen konstant und auf recht hohem Niveau blieb. Lediglich bei den EOLs ergaben sich Alterseffekte: Die j{\"u}ngeren Erwachsenen schnitten besser ab als die anderen Altersgruppen, was mit besseren F{\"a}higkeiten, sp{\"a}tere Lern- und Erinnerungsvorg{\"a}nge zu antizipieren, erkl{\"a}rt werden kann. In Bezug auf den Einfluss von Kontextfaktoren konnte nachgewiesen werden, dass sich die {\"U}berwachungsleistungen bei verschieden komplexen Materialien (Paar-Assoziationen versus Film- oder Textmaterial) unter g{\"u}nstigen Bedingungen, z.B. wenn die Leistungsvorhersagen stark mit der Erinnerungsabfrage korrespondieren, kaum unterscheiden. Bei Rekognitionsaufgaben fielen die {\"U}berwachungsleistungen im Vergleich zu Aufgaben zur freien Erinnerung insgesamt schlechter aus. Ein großes bereichsspezifisches Vorwissen resultierte {\"u}ber alle Maße hinweg eher in einer {\"U}bersch{\"a}tzung der eigenen Leistung, bei den SUs jedoch auch in einer verbesserten Leistung im Vergleich zu Personen mit weniger Vorwissen. Ein Strategietraining wirkte sich besonders bei den Grundsch{\"u}lern und den {\"a}lteren Erwachsenen positiv auf die {\"U}berwachungsleistung aus. Die eher gering ausgepr{\"a}gten Alterseffekte weisen darauf hin, dass die einzelnen Kontextfaktoren {\"u}ber die Lebensspanne hinweg einen vergleichbaren Einfluss zu haben scheinen. Hinsichtlich sequenzieller Zusammenh{\"a}nge zwischen {\"U}berwachungs- und Steuerungsprozessen (hier operationalisiert durch JOLs und die selbst gesteuerte Lernzeiteinteilung) zeigte sich, dass die Teilnehmer aller Altersgruppen in der Lage waren, sowohl Informationen aus den JOLs f{\"u}r die Anpassung der Lernzeit (Monitoring-affects-control-Modell) als auch - in etwas geringerem Ausmaß - Informationen aus der Lernzeit f{\"u}r die Anpassung der JOLs zu nutzen (Control-affects-monitoring-Modell). Der simultane Wechsel zwischen beiden Modellen stellt einen deutlich komplexeren Vorgang dar und konnte deshalb vor allem bei den Jugendlichen und den {\"a}lteren Erwachsenen nachgewiesen werden. Insgesamt gesehen belegen die Ergebnisse der sechs Experimente, dass metakognitive {\"U}berwachungsf{\"a}higkeiten bereits recht fr{\"u}h, d.h. im mittleren Grundschulalter, gut ausgepr{\"a}gt sind und auch bei {\"a}lteren Erwachsenen noch lange auf gutem Niveau erhalten bleiben. Lediglich der flexible Wechsel zwischen {\"U}berwachungs- und Kontrollprozessen scheint in diesen beiden Altersgruppen noch Schwierigkeiten zu bereiten. Die {\"a}hnliche Wirkweise der Kontextfaktoren in den einzelnen Altersgruppen weist auf vergleichbare zugrunde liegende Prozesse hin. Die grunds{\"a}tzlich guten metakognitiven Leistungen bei Kindern und {\"a}lteren Erwachsenen sollten demnach genutzt werden, um Ged{\"a}chtnisprozesse insbesondere in diesen Altersgruppen zu f{\"o}rdern.},
  subject      = {Metakognition},
  language  = {de}
}
@article{JinAllisonKaufmannetal.2012,
  author    = {Jin, Jing and Allison, Brendan Z. and Kaufmann, Tobias and K{\"u}bler, Andrea and Zhang, Yu and Wang, Xingyu and Cichocki, Andrzej},
  title     = {The Changing Face of P300 BCIs: A Comparison of Stimulus Changes in a P300 BCI Involving Faces, Emotion, and Movement},
  series = {PLoS One},
  volume    = {7},
  journal   = {PLoS One},
  number    = {11},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0049688},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-134173},
  pages     = {e49688},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {Background: One of the most common types of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) is called a P300 BCI, since it relies on the P300 and other event-related potentials (ERPs). In the canonical P300 BCI approach, items on a monitor flash briefly to elicit the necessary ERPs. Very recent work has shown that this approach may yield lower performance than alternate paradigms in which the items do not flash but instead change in other ways, such as moving, changing colour or changing to characters overlaid with faces. Methodology/Principal Findings: The present study sought to extend this research direction by parametrically comparing different ways to change items in a P300 BCI. Healthy subjects used a P300 BCI across six different conditions. Three conditions were similar to our prior work, providing the first direct comparison of characters flashing, moving, and changing to faces. Three new conditions also explored facial motion and emotional expression. The six conditions were compared across objective measures such as classification accuracy and bit rate as well as subjective measures such as perceived difficulty. In line with recent studies, our results indicated that the character flash condition resulted in the lowest accuracy and bit rate. All four face conditions (mean accuracy >91\%) yielded significantly better performance than the flash condition (mean accuracy = 75\%). Conclusions/Significance: Objective results reaffirmed that the face paradigm is superior to the canonical flash approach that has dominated P300 BCIs for over 20 years. The subjective reports indicated that the conditions that yielded better performance were not considered especially burdensome. Therefore, although further work is needed to identify which face paradigm is best, it is clear that the canonical flash approach should be replaced with a face paradigm when aiming at increasing bit rate. However, the face paradigm has to be further explored with practical applications particularly with locked-in patients.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KleihGottschaltTeichleinetal.2016,
  author    = {Kleih, Sonja C. and Gottschalt, Lea and Teichlein, Eva and Weilbach, Franz X.},
  title     = {Toward a P300 Based Brain-Computer Interface for Aphasia Rehabilitation after Stroke: Presentation of Theoretical Considerations and a Pilot Feasibility Study},
  series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience},
  number    = {547},
  doi       = {10.3389/fnhum.2016.00547},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147929},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {People with post-stroke motor aphasia know what they would like to say but cannot express it through motor pathways due to disruption of cortical circuits. We present a theoretical background for our hypothesized connection between attention and aphasia rehabilitation and suggest why in this context, Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) use might be beneficial for patients diagnosed with aphasia. Not only could BCI technology provide a communication tool, it might support neuronal plasticity by activating language circuits and thereby boost aphasia recovery. However, stroke may lead to heterogeneous symptoms that might hinder BCI use, which is why the feasibility of this approach needs to be investigated first. In this pilot study, we included five participants diagnosed with post-stroke aphasia. Four participants were initially unable to use the visual P300 speller paradigm. By adjusting the paradigm to their needs, participants could successfully learn to use the speller for communication with accuracies up to 100\%. We describe necessary adjustments to the paradigm and present future steps to investigate further this approach.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Will2017,
  author    = {Will, Sebastian},
  title     = {Development of a presence model for driving simulators based on speed perception in a motorcycle riding simulator},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-149748},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2017},
  abstract  = {Driving simulators are powerful research tools. Countless simulator studies have contributed to traffic safety over the last decades. Constant improvements in simulator technology call for a measureable scale to assess driving simulators with regard to their utility in human factors research. A promising psychological construct to do so is presence. It is commonly defined as the feeling of being located in a remote or virtual environment that seems to be real. Another aspect of presence describes the ability to act there successfully. The main aim of this thesis is to develop a presence model dedicated to the application in driving simulators. Established models have been combined and extended in order to gain a comprehensive model of presence that allows understanding its emergence and deriving recommendations on how to design or improve driving simulators. The five studies presented in this thesis investigate specific postulated model components and their interactions. All studies deal with motorcycling or a motorcycle riding simulator as exemplary field of application. The first study used a speed estimation task to investigate the contribution of different sensory cues to presence. While visualization plays a particularly important role, further improvements could be achieved by adding more consistent sensory stimuli to the virtual environment. Auditory, proprioceptive and vestibular cues have been subject to investigation. In the second study, the speed production method was applied. It confirmed the positive contribution of action to presence as predicted by psychocybernetic models. The third study dealt with the effect of training on presence. Hence, no positive effect was observed. The fourth study aimed at replicating previous findings on sensory fidelity and diversity in a more complex riding situation than only longitudinal vehicle control. The riders had to cross an unexpectedly appearing deep pit with the virtual motorcycle. The contribution of more consistent sensory stimulation on presence was successfully shown in this scenario, too. The final study was a real riding experiment that delivered reference values for the speed estimation capabilities of motorcycle riders. Besides higher variations in the simulator data, the general speed estimation performance was on a comparable level. Different measures, such as subjective ratings, behavioral responses, performance, and physiological reactions, have been applied as presence indicators. These studies' findings deliver evidence for the meaningful application of the proposed presence model in driving simulator settings. The results suggest that presence can be interpreted as a quality measure for perception in virtual environments. In line with psychocybernetic models, taking action, which is seen as controlling perception, enhances this quality even further. Describing the psychological construct of presence in a theoretical framework that takes the diversity of perception and action in driving simulator settings into account closes a gap in traffic psychological research.},
  subject      = {Fahrsimulator},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HuesteggeBoeckler2016,
  author    = {Huestegge, Lynn and B{\"o}ckler, Anne},
  title     = {Out of the corner of the driver's eye: Peripheral processing of hazards in static traffic scenes},
  series = {Journal of Vision},
  volume    = {16},
  journal   = {Journal of Vision},
  number    = {11},
  doi       = {10.1167/16.2.11},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147726},
  pages     = {1-15},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Effective gaze control in traffic, based on peripheral visual information, is important to avoid hazards. Whereas previous hazard perception research mainly focused on skill-component development (e.g., orientation and hazard processing), little is known about the role and dynamics of peripheral vision in hazard perception. We analyzed eye movement data from a study in which participants scanned static traffic scenes including medium-level versus dangerous hazards and focused on characteristics of fixations prior to entering the hazard region. We found that initial saccade amplitudes into the hazard region were substantially longer for dangerous (vs. medium-level) hazards, irrespective of participants' driving expertise. An analysis of the temporal dynamics of this hazard-level dependent saccade targeting distance effect revealed that peripheral hazard-level processing occurred around 200-400 ms during the course of the fixation prior to entering the hazard region. An additional psychophysical hazard detection experiment, in which hazard eccentricity was manipulated, revealed better detection for dangerous (vs. medium-level) hazards in both central and peripheral vision. Furthermore, we observed a significant perceptual decline from center to periphery for medium (but not for highly) dangerous hazards. Overall, the results suggest that hazard processing is remarkably effective in peripheral vision and utilized to guide the eyes toward potential hazards.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{RieplMusselOsinskyetal.2016,
  author    = {Riepl, Korbinian and Mussel, Patrick and Osinsky, Roman and Hewig, Johannes},
  title     = {Influences of State and Trait Affect on Behavior, Feedback-Related Negativity, and P3b in the Ultimatum Game},
  series = {PLoS One},
  volume    = {7},
  journal   = {PLoS One},
  number    = {11},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0146358},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147386},
  pages     = {e0146358},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {The present study investigates how different emotions can alter social bargaining behavior. An important paradigm to study social bargaining is the Ultimatum Game. There, a proposer gets a pot of money and has to offer part of it to a responder. If the responder accepts, both players get the money as proposed by the proposer. If he rejects, none of the players gets anything. Rational choice models would predict that responders accept all offers above 0. However, evidence shows that responders typically reject a large proportion of all unfair offers. We analyzed participants' behavior when they played the Ultimatum Game as responders and simultaneously collected electroencephalogram data in order to quantify the feedback-related negativity and P3b components. We induced state affect (momentarily emotions unrelated to the task) via short movie clips and measured trait affect (longer-lasting emotional dispositions) via questionnaires. State happiness led to increased acceptance rates of very unfair offers. Regarding neurophysiology, we found that unfair offers elicited larger feedback-related negativity amplitudes than fair offers. Additionally, an interaction of state and trait affect occurred: high trait negative affect (subsuming a variety of aversive mood states) led to increased feedback-related negativity amplitudes when participants were in an angry mood, but not if they currently experienced fear or happiness. We discuss that increased rumination might be responsible for this result, which might not occur, however, when people experience happiness or fear. Apart from that, we found that fair offers elicited larger P3b components than unfair offers, which might reflect increased pleasure in response to fair offers. Moreover, high trait negative affect was associated with decreased P3b amplitudes, potentially reflecting decreased motivation to engage in activities. We discuss implications of our results in the light of theories and research on depression and anxiety.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Muenchow2016,
  author    = {M{\"u}nchow, Hannes},
  title     = {I feel, therefore I learn - Effectiveness of affect induction interventions and possible covariates on learning outcomes},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148432},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Affective states in the context of learning and achievement can influence the learning process essentially. The impact of affective states can be both directly on the learning performance and indirectly mediated via, for example, motivational processes. Positive activating affect is often associated with increased memory skills as well as advantages in creative problem solving. Negative activating affect on the other hand is regarded to impair learning outcomes because of promoting task-irrelevant thinking. While these relationships were found to be relatively stable in correlation studies, causal relationships have been examined rarely so far. This dissertation aims to investigate the effects of positive and negative affective states in multimedia learning settings and to identify potential moderating factors. Therefore, three experimental empirical studies on university students were conducted. In Experiment 1, N = 57 university students were randomly allocated to either a positive or negative affect induction group. Affects were elicited using short film clips. After a 20-minute learning phase in a hypertext-based multimedia learning environment on "functional neuroanatomy" the learners' knowledge as well as transfer performance were measured. It was assumed that inducing positive activating affect should enhance learning performance. Eliciting negative activating affect on the other hand should impair learning performance. However, it was found that the induction of negative activating affect prior to the learning phase resulted in slight deteriorations in knowledge. Contrary to the assumptions, inducing positive activating affect before the learning phase did not improve learning performance. Experiment 2 induced positive activating affect directly during learning. To induce affective states during the entire duration of the learning phase, Experiment 2 used an emotional design paradigm. Therefore, N = 111 university students were randomly assigned to learn either in an affect inducing multimedia learning environment (use of warm colours and round shapes) or an affectively neutral counterpart (using shades of grey and angular shapes) on the same topic as in Experiment 1. Again, knowledge as well as transfer performance were measured after learning for 20 minutes. In addition, positive and negative affective states were measured before and after learning. Complex interaction patterns between the treatment and initial affective states were found. Specifically, learners with high levels of positive affect before learning showed better transfer performance when they learned in the affect inducing learning environment. Regarding knowledge, those participants who reported high levels of negative activating affect prior to the learning period performed worse. However, the effect on knowledge did not occur for those students learning in the affect inducing learning environment. For knowledge, the treatment therefore protected against poorer performance due to high levels of negative affective states. Results of Experiment 2 showed that the induction of positive activating affect influenced learning performance positively when taking into account affective states prior to the learning phase. In order to confirm these interaction effects, a conceptual replication of the previous experiment was conducted in Experiment 3. Experiment 3 largely retained the former study design, but changed the learning materials and tests used. Analogous to Experiment 2, N = 145 university students learning for 20 minutes in either an affect inducing or an affectively neutral multimedia learning environment on "eukaryotic cell". To strengthen the treatment, Experiment 3 also used anthropomorphic design elements to induce affective states next to warm colours and round shapes. Moreover, in order to assess the change in affective states more exactly, an additional measurement of positive and negative affective states after half of the learning time was inserted. Knowledge and transfer were assessed again to measure learning performance. The learners' memory skills were used as an additional learning outcome. To control the influence of potential confounding variables, the participants' general and current achievement motivation as well as interest, and emotion regulation skills were measured. Contrary to the assumptions, Experiment 3 could not confirm the interaction effects of Experiment 2. Instead, there was a significant impact of positive activating affect prior to the learning phase on transfer, irrespective of the learners' group affiliation. This effect was further independent of the control variables that were measured. Nevertheless, the results of Experiment 3 fit into the picture of findings regarding "emotional design" in hypermedia learning settings. To date, the few publications that have used this approach propose heterogeneous results, even when using identical materials and procedures.},
  subject      = {Affekt},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MusselUlrichAllenetal.2016,
  author    = {Mussel, Patrick and Ulrich, Nathalie and Allen, John J. B. and Osinsky, Roman and Hewig, Johannes},
  title     = {Patterns of theta oscillation reflect the neural basis of individual differences in epistemic motivation},
  series = {Scientific Reports},
  volume    = {6},
  journal   = {Scientific Reports},
  doi       = {10.1038/srep29245},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-146957},
  pages     = {29245},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Theta oscillations in the EEG have been shown to reflect ongoing cognitive processes related to mental effort. Here, we show that the pattern of theta oscillation in response to varying cognitive demands reflects stable individual differences in the personality trait epistemic motivation: Individuals with high levels of epistemic motivation recruit relatively more cognitive resources in response to situations possessing high, compared to low, cognitive demand; individuals with low levels do not show such a specific response. Our results provide direct evidence for the theory of the construct need for cognition and add to our understanding of the neural processes underlying theta oscillations. More generally, we provide an explanation how individual differences in personality traits might be represented on a neural level.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KaethnerKueblerHalder2015,
  author    = {K{\"a}thner, Ivo and K{\"u}bler, Andrea and Halder, Sebastian},
  title     = {Comparison of eye tracking, electrooculography and an auditory brain-computer interface for binary communication: a case study with a participant in the locked-in state},
  series = {Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation},
  volume    = {12},
  journal   = {Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation},
  number    = {76},
  doi       = {10.1186/s12984-015-0071-z},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-145305},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Background In this study, we evaluated electrooculography (EOG), an eye tracker and an auditory brain-computer interface (BCI) as access methods to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The participant of the study has been in the locked-in state (LIS) for 6 years due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He was able to communicate with slow residual eye movements, but had no means of partner independent communication. We discuss the usability of all tested access methods and the prospects of using BCIs as an assistive technology. Methods Within four days, we tested whether EOG, eye tracking and a BCI would allow the participant in LIS to make simple selections. We optimized the parameters in an iterative procedure for all systems. Results The participant was able to gain control over all three systems. Nonetheless, due to the level of proficiency previously achieved with his low-tech AAC method, he did not consider using any of the tested systems as an additional communication channel. However, he would consider using the BCI once control over his eye muscles would no longer be possible. He rated the ease of use of the BCI as the highest among the tested systems, because no precise eye movements were required; but also as the most tiring, due to the high level of attention needed to operate the BCI. Conclusions In this case study, the partner based communication was possible due to the good care provided and the proficiency achieved by the interlocutors. To ease the transition from a low-tech AAC method to a BCI once control over all muscles is lost, it must be simple to operate. For persons, who rely on AAC and are affected by a progressive neuromuscular disease, we argue that a complementary approach, combining BCIs and standard assistive technology, can prove valuable to achieve partner independent communication and ease the transition to a purely BCI based approach. Finally, we provide further evidence for the importance of a user-centered approach in the design of new assistive devices.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HommersLewandEhrmann2012,
  author    = {Hommers, Wilfried and Lewand, Martin and Ehrmann, Dominic},
  title     = {Testing the moral algebra of two Kohlbergian informers},
  series = {Ps{\´i}cologica},
  volume    = {33},
  journal   = {Ps{\´i}cologica},
  number    = {3},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-133917},
  pages     = {515-532},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {This paper seeks to unify two major theories of moral judgment: Kohlberg's stage theory and Anderson's moral information integration theory. Subjects were told about thoughts of actors in Kohlberg's classic altruistic Heinz dilemma and in a new egoistical dilemma. These actors's thoughts represented Kohlberg's stages I (Personal Risk) and IV (Societal Risk) and had three levels, High, Medium, and Low. They were presented singly and in a 3 x 3 integration design. Subjects judged how many months of prison the actor deserved. The data supported the averaging model of moral integration theory, whereas Kohlberg's theory has no way to handle the integration problem. Following this, subjects ranked statements related to Kohlberg's first four stages in a procedure similar to that of Rest (1975). Higher score went with larger effect of Societal Risk as predicted by Kohlberg's theory. But contrary to Kohlberg's theory, no age trends were found. Also strongly contrary to Kohlberg's theory, effects of Personal Risk (Stage I) and Societal Risk (Stage IV) correlated positively.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Baur2016,
  author    = {Baur, Ramona},
  title     = {Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Emotion Processing, and Emotion Regulation in Virtual Reality},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-142064},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by symptoms of inattentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Besides, increasing evidence points to ADHD patients showing emotional dysfunctions and concomitant problems in social life. However, systematic research on emotional dysfunctions in ADHD is still rare, and to date most studies lack conceptual differentiation between emotion processing and emotion regulation. The aim of this thesis was to systematically investigate emotion processing and emotion regulation in adult ADHD in a virtual reality paradigm implementing social interaction. Emotional reactions were assessed on experiential, physiological, and behavioral levels. Experiment 1 was conducted to develop a virtual penalty kicking paradigm implying social feedback and to test it in a healthy sample. This paradigm should then be applied in ADHD patients later on. Pleasant and unpleasant trials in this paradigm consisted of hits respectively misses and subsequent feedback from a virtual coach. In neutral trials, participants were teleported to different spots of the virtual stadium. Results indicated increased positive affectivity (higher valence and arousal ratings, higher zygomaticus activations, and higher expression rates of positive emotional behavior) in response to pleasant compared to neutral trials. Reactions to unpleasant trials were contradictory, indicating increased levels of both positive and negative affectivity, compared to neutral trials. Unpleasant vs. neutral trials revealed lower valence ratings, higher arousal ratings, higher zygomaticus activations, slightly lower corrugator activations, and higher expression rates of both positive and negative emotional behavior. The intensity of emotional reactions correlated with experienced presence in the virtual reality. To better understand the impact of hits or misses per se vs. hits or misses with coach feedback healthy participants' emotional reactions, only 50\% of all shots were followed by coach feedback in experiment 2. Neutral trials consisted of shots over the free soccer field which were followed by coach feedback in 50 \% of all trials. Shots and feedback evoked more extreme valence and arousal ratings, higher zygomaticus activations, lower corrugator activations, and higher skin conductance responses than shots alone across emotional conditions. Again, results speak for the induction of positive emotions in pleasant trials whereas the induction of negative emotions in unpleasant trials seems ambiguous. Technical improvements of the virtual reality were reflected in higher presence ratings than in experiment 1. Experiment 3 investigated emotional reactions of adult ADHD patients and healthy controls after emotion processing and response-focused emotion regulation. Participants successively went through an ostensible online ball-tossing game (cyber ball) inducing negative emotions, and an adapted version of the virtual penalty kicking game. Throughout cyber ball, participants were included or ostracized by two other players in different experimental blocks. Participants were instructed to explicitly show, not regulate, or hide their emotions in different experimental blocks. Results provided some evidence for deficient processing of positive emotions in ADHD. Patients reported slightly lower positive affect than controls during cyber ball, gave lower valence ratings than controls in response to pleasant penalty kicking trials, and showed lower zygomaticus activations than controls especially during penalty kicking. Patients in comparison with controls showed slightly increased processing of unpleasant events during cyber ball (higher ratings of negative affect, especially in response to ostracism), but not during penalty kicking. Patients showed lower baseline skin conductance levels than controls, and impaired skin conductance modulations. Compared to controls, patients showed slight over-expression of positive as well as negative emotional behavior. Emotion regulation analyses revealed no major difficulties of ADHD vs. controls in altering their emotional reactions through deliberate response modulation. Moreover, patients reported to habitually apply adaptive emotion regulation strategies even more frequently than controls. The analyses of genetic high-risk vs. low-risk groups for ADHD across the whole sample revealed similar results as analyses for patients vs. controls for zygomaticus modulations during emotion processing, and for modulations of emotional reactions due to emotion regulation. To sum up, the virtual penalty kicking paradigm proved to be successful for the induction of positive, but not negative emotions. The importance of presence in virtual reality for the intensity of induced emotions could be replicated. ADHD patients showed impaired processing of primarily positive emotions. Aberrations in negative emotional responding were less clear and need further investigation. Results point to adult ADHD in comparison to healthy controls suffering from baseline deficits in autonomic arousal and deficits in arousal modulation. Deficits of ADHD in the deliberate application of response-focused emotion regulation could not be found.},
  subject      = {Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-Syndrom},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Rodrigues2016,
  author    = {Rodrigues, Johannes},
  title     = {Let me change your mind… Frontal brain activity in a virtual T-maze},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-143280},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Frontal asymmetry, a construct invented by Richard Davidson, linking positive and negative valence as well as approach and withdrawal motivation to lateralized frontal brain activation has been investigated for over thirty years. The frontal activation patterns described as relevant were measured via alpha-band frequency activity (8-13 Hz) as a measurement of deactivation in electroencephalography (EEG) for homologous electrode pairs, especially for the electrode position F4/ F3 to account for the frontal relative lateralized brain activation. Three different theories about frontal activation patterns linked to motivational states were investigated in two studies. The valence theory of Davidson (1984; 1998a; 1998b) and its extension to the motivational direction theory by Harmon-Jones and Allen (1998) refers to the approach motivation with relative left frontal brain activity (indicated by relative right frontal alpha activity) and to withdrawal motivation with relative right frontal brain activation (indicated by relative left frontal alpha activity). The second theory proposed by Hewig and colleagues (2004; 2005; 2006) integrates the findings of Davidson and Harmon - Jones and Allen with the reinforcement sensitivity theory of Jeffrey A. Gray (1982, 1991). Hewig sees the lateralized frontal approach system and withdrawal system proposed by Davidson as subsystems of the behavioral activation system proposed by Gray and bilateral frontal activation as a biological marker for the behavioral activation system. The third theory investigated in the present studies is the theory from Wacker and colleagues (2003; 2008; 2010) where the frontal asymmetrical brain activation patterns are linked to the revised reinforcement sensitivity theory of Gray and McNaughton (2000). Here, right frontal brain activity (indicated by lower relative right frontal alpha activity) accounts for conflict, behavioral inhibition and activity of the revised behavioral inhibition system, while left frontal brain activation (indicated by lower relative left frontal alpha activity) stands for active behavior and the activity of the revised behavioral activation system as well as the activation of the revised flight fight freezing system. In order to investigate these three theories, a virtual reality T-maze paradigm was introduced to evoke motivational states in the participants, offering the opportunity to measure frontal brain activation patterns via EEG and behavior simultaneously in the first study. In the second study the virtual reality paradigm was additionally compared to mental imagery and a movie paradigm, two well-known state inducing paradigms in the research field of frontal asymmetry. In the two studies, there was confirming evidence for the theory of Hewig and colleages (2004; 2005; 2006), showing higher bilateral frontal activation for active behavior and lateralized frontal activation patterns for approach (left frontal brain activation) and avoidance (right frontal brain activation) behavior. Additionally a limitation for the capability model of anterior brain asymmetry proposed by Coan and colleagues (2006), where the frontal asymmetry should be dependent on the relevant traits driving the frontal asymmetry pattern if a relevant situation occurs, could be found. As the very intense virtual reality paradigm did not lead to a difference of frontal brain activation patterns compared to the mental imagery paradigm or the movie paradigm for the traits of the participants, the trait dependency of the frontal asymmetry in a relevant situation might not be given, if the intensity of the situation exceeds a certain level. Nevertheless there was an influence of the traits in the virtual reality T-maze paradigm, because the shown behavior in the maze was trait-dependent. The implications of the findings are multifarious, leading from possible objective personality testing via diversification of the virtual reality paradigm to even clinical implications for depression treatments based on changes in the lateralized frontal brain activation patterns for changes in the motivational aspects, but also for changes in bilateral frontal brain activation when it comes to the drive and preparedness for action in patients. Finally, with the limitation of the capability model, additional variance in the different findings about frontal asymmetry can be explained by taking the intensity of a state manipulation into account.},
  subject      = {Electroencephalographie},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Erle2016,
  author    = {Erle, Thorsten Michael},
  title     = {A Grounded Approach to Psychological Perspective-Taking},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-143247},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {„Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme" bezeichnet die F{\"a}higkeit des Menschen, sich in die Lage eines anderen hineinzuversetzen. In der psychologischen Forschung unterscheidet man drei Arten der Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme, n{\"a}mlich perzeptuelle (visuo-spatiale), affektive (Empathie) und kognitive (Theory of Mind). Die letztgenannten Arten der Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme werden oft als „psychologische Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme" zusammengefasst. Diese Dissertation befasst sich mit der Frage, ob diese verschiedenen Arten der Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme als theoretisch unterscheidbare Konstrukte oder lediglich als Facetten ein und desselben Konstrukts angesehen werden sollten. Die Befundlage in der psychologischen Fachliteratur ist diesbez{\"u}glich nicht eindeutig. W{\"a}hrend einige Autoren Korrelationen zwischen verschiedenen Arten der Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme f{\"u}r zu gering erachten, um ein einheitliches Konstrukt zu konstatieren, bewerten andere Autoren Korrelationen derselben Gr{\"o}ße als Evidenz hierf{\"u}r. Ein weniger arbitr{\"a}res Vorgehen w{\"a}re es, experimentalpsychologisch zugrunde liegende Mechanismen zu identifizieren, die allen Arten der Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme gemein sind, und zu untersuchen, ob eine Manipulation dieser Mechanismen abh{\"a}ngige Maße affektiver, kognitiver und perzeptueller Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme gleichermaßen beeinflusst. Diesem Ansatz folgend macht die vorliegende Arbeit die Annahme, dass die mentale Selbstrotation des K{\"o}rperschemas in die Position einer anderen Person, der zentrale Mechanismus visuo-spatialer Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme, ein gemeinsamer Mechanismus aller Arten der Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme ist. Entgegen fr{\"u}herer Ans{\"a}tze wird diese Einheit somit nicht nur {\"u}ber die zentrale gemeinsame Funktionalit{\"a}t aller Arten von Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme, also dem Verlassen des egozentrischen Referenzrahmens zugunsten einer (visuellen, affektiven oder kognitiven) Fremdperspektive, gerechtfertigt, sondern mit der Annahme eines gemeinsamen zugrundeliegenden Mechanismus. Daraus wird die einfache Hypothese abgeleitet, dass visuo-spatiale Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme zu psychologischen Konsequenzen f{\"u}hren kann. Dies wurde in 6 Experimenten getestet. In diesen Experimenten mussten die Probanden zun{\"a}chst immer die visuelle Perspektive einer anderen Person einnehmen. Hierzu sahen die Probanden eine Person, die mit zwei Objekten an einem Tisch sitzt. In jedem Durchgang mussten die Probanden sich entscheiden, mit welcher Hand diese Person eines der beiden Objekte greifen w{\"u}rde. Dabei wurde die Position der Zielperson so manipuliert, dass sie in der H{\"a}lfte der F{\"a}lle im selben visuo-spatialen Referenzrahmen wie der Proband saß, was Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme zur L{\"o}sung der Aufgabe obsolet machte, w{\"a}hrend sie sich in den verbleibenden Durchg{\"a}ngen in einem anderen visuo-spatialen Referenzrahmen befand, so dass die Probanden die visuelle Perspektive der Zielperson {\"u}bernehmen mussten um die Aufgabe korrekt zu l{\"o}sen. Nach jedem Durchgang wurde dem Ziel dieser visuo-spatialen Aufgabe eine psychologische Eigenschaft zugeschrieben. Dies geschah im Rahmen eines abgewandelten Paradigmas zur Untersuchung der Ankerheuristik. Hierzu wurde den Probanden nach jedem Durchgang der visuo-spatialen Aufgabe eine Sch{\"a}tzfrage gestellt. Zeitgleich wurde die Antwort des Ziels bekannt gegeben. Entsprechend der Haupthypothese, dass visuo-spatiale Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme psychologische Konsequenzen erzeugen kann, konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Probanden nach visuo-spatialer Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme in h{\"o}herem Maße die Gedanken der Zielperson {\"u}bernahmen. Dies konnte sowohl anhand der absoluten Gr{\"o}ße des Ankereffekts, als auch anhand der Differenz zwischen den Urteilen der Probanden und der Zielperson, gezeigt werden. Weitere Experimente schlossen Stichprobeneigenschaften, die verwendeten Stimuli oder die Aufgabenschwierigkeit als Alternativerkl{\"a}rungen f{\"u}r diese Effekte aus. Die beiden letzten Experimente zeigten zudem, dass dieser Effekt spezifisch f{\"u}r alle Konstellationen ist, in denen eine mentale Selbstrotation in die Zielperspektive notwendig war und dass die {\"U}bernahme fremder Gedanken mit einem Gef{\"u}hl von {\"A}hnlichkeit assoziiert war. Zusammengenommen unterst{\"u}tzen die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit die theoretisch abgeleitete Sicht eines einheitlichen Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme-Konstrukts und grenzen dieses zus{\"a}tzlich von verwandten Konstrukten ab. In der abschließenden Diskussion werden die Bedeutung dieser Befunde f{\"u}r die Forschung in den Bereichen Empathie, Theory of Mind, und Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme und ebenfalls praktische Implikationen der Ergebnisse aufgezeigt.},
  subject      = {Perspektiven{\"u}bernahme},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KlaukeWinterGajewskaetal.2012,
  author    = {Klauke, Benedikt and Winter, Bernward and Gajewska, Agnes and Zwanzger, Peter and Reif, Andreas and Herrmann, Martin J. and Dlugos, Andrea and Warrings, Bodo and Jacob, Christian and M{\"u}hlberger, Andreas and Arolt, Volker and Pauli, Paul and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Domschke, Katharina},
  title     = {Affect-Modulated Startle: Interactive Influence of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Val158Met Genotype and Childhood Trauma},
  series = {PLoS One},
  volume    = {7},
  journal   = {PLoS One},
  number    = {6},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0039709},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-132184},
  pages     = {e39709},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {The etiology of emotion-related disorders such as anxiety or affective disorders is considered to be complex with an interaction of biological and environmental factors. Particular evidence has accumulated for alterations in the dopaminergic and noradrenergic system - partly conferred by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene variation - for the adenosinergic system as well as for early life trauma to constitute risk factors for those conditions. Applying a multi-level approach, in a sample of 95 healthy adults, we investigated effects of the functional COMT Val158Met polymorphism, caffeine as an adenosine A2A receptor antagonist (300 mg in a placebo-controlled intervention design) and childhood maltreatment (CTQ) as well as their interaction on the affect-modulated startle response as a neurobiologically founded defensive reflex potentially related to fear- and distress-related disorders. COMT val/val genotype significantly increased startle magnitude in response to unpleasant stimuli, while met/met homozygotes showed a blunted startle response to aversive pictures. Furthermore, significant gene-environment interaction of COMT Val158Met genotype with CTQ was discerned with more maltreatment being associated with higher startle potentiation in val/val subjects but not in met carriers. No main effect of or interaction effects with caffeine were observed. Results indicate a main as well as a GxE effect of the COMT Val158Met variant and childhood maltreatment on the affect-modulated startle reflex, supporting a complex pathogenetic model of the affect-modulated startle reflex as a basic neurobiological defensive reflex potentially related to anxiety and affective disorders.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Pieczykolan2016,
  author    = {Pieczykolan, Aleksandra},
  title     = {Cross-Modal Action Control},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-142356},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Multitasking als allgegenw{\"a}rtiges Ph{\"a}nomen wird heutzutage in verschiedenen wissenschaftlichen Disziplinen diskutiert. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird Multitasking aus der Perspektive der kognitiven Verhaltenswissenschaften beleuchtet mit dem Fokus auf der Rolle von Konfliktl{\"o}sungs- prozessen bei der Verarbeitung von Mehrfacht{\"a}tigkeiten. Insbesondere liegt der Fokus auf kognitiven Mechanismen der crossmodalen Handlungskontrolle, d.h. der Kontrolle von zwei Handlungen in verschiedenen Effektorsystemen. Mit dem Ziel, den bisherigen Umfang derjenigen Handlungsmodalit{\"a}ten zu erweitern, die {\"u}blicherweise in Studien eingesetzt wurden, wurden okulomotorische Reaktionen (d.h. Sakkaden), die bisher als Handlungsmodalit{\"a}t in der Forschung vernachl{\"a}ssigt wurden, in Kombination mit Reaktionen in anderen Efffektorsystemen untersucht (d.h. mit manuellen und vokalen Reaktionen). Weiterhin wurde beabsichtigt, Mechanismen von Crosstalk zu spezifizieren, welches ein Erkl{\"a}rungskonzept darstellt, das sich auf den Aufgabeninhalt bezieht. Crosstalk erscheint besonders relevant f{\"u}r crossmodale Handlungen, da sich Handlungsmodalit{\"a}ten vor allem bez{\"u}glich ihrer Reaktionsmerkmale unterscheiden. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden vier Studien berichtet, die auf jeweils zwei oder drei Experimenten beruhen. In Studie A wurden crossmodale Doppelreaktionen auf einen einzelnen Stimulus untersucht mit der Fragestellung, wie sich das Zusammenspiel des Vorhandenseins von Reaktionsalternativen und der Kompatibilit{\"a}t zwischen Reaktionen (also dem Crosstalkpotential) auswirkt. In drei Experimenten zeigte sich, dass Crosstalk in mehrere Komponenten dissoziiert werden kann, n{\"a}mlich eine Komponente, die auf der aktuellen Konfliktst{\"a}rke (Online-Crosstalk) basiert, und eine ged{\"a}chtnisbasierte Komponente, die entweder durch Restaktivit{\"a}t vergangener Handlungsanforderungen bestimmt wird (retrospektiver Crosstalk), oder durch Vorbereitung auf zuk{\"u}nftige Handlungsanforderungen (prospektiver Crosstalk). Studie B lieferte Evidenz daf{\"u}r, dass okulomotorische Reaktionen sowohl struktureller als auch inhaltsbasierte Interferenz unterliegen. In drei Experimenten wurde das Paradigma zeitlich {\"u}berlappender Aufgaben verwendet, bei dem zwei Stimuli mit zeitlichem Versatz pr{\"a}sentiert wurden, auf die jeweils mit einer okulomotorischen und einer manuellen Handlung reagiert werden musste. Dabei wurden sowohl Hinweise auf einen seriellen als auch auf einen parallelen Verarbeitungsmodus gefunden. Weiterhin deuteten die Ergebnisse darauf hin, dass abh{\"a}ngig von der Aufgabenkompatibilit{\"a}t zwischen diesen Verarbeitungsmodi gewechselt wurde, d.h. zu eher paralleler Verarbeitung bei kompatiblen Aufgabenanforderungen und zu eher serieller Verarbeitung bei inkompatiblen Aufgabenanforderungen. In Studie C wurden Verarbeitungspriorit{\"a}ten zwischen Effektorsystemen untersucht. In zwei Experimenten zeigte sich, dass das zuvor berichtete Verarbeitungsdominanzmuster repliziert werden konnte, bei der okulomotorische Reaktionen vokale Reaktionen dominieren und diese wiederum manuelle Reaktionen dominieren. Die relative St{\"a}rke der Dominanz konnte allerdings bei vorhandenem Reaktionskonflikt angepasst werden. Die Verarbeitungspriorit{\"a}ten wurden hierbei zum Teil in Richtung derjenigen Reaktion verschoben, in der bereits ein Konflikt im Bezug auf die Kompatibilit{\"a}t zwischen Stimulus und Reaktion gel{\"o}st werden musste. Dieses Ergebnis zeigt, dass Verarbeitungspriorit{\"a}ten flexibel an die spezifischen Handlungsanforderungen angepasst werden k{\"o}nnen. Studie D besch{\"a}ftigte sich mit einem bisher weitgehend vernachl{\"a}ssigten Bereich innerhalb der Doppelaufgabenforschung, n{\"a}mlich der Kontrolle der zeitlichen Reaktionsreihenfolge. In einer drei Experimente umfassenden Untersuchung wurden mehrere Faktoren variiert, die sich in fr{\"u}heren Studien bereits als relevant f{\"u}r Mechanismen der Doppelaufgabeninterferenz gezeigt haben. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde gezeigt, dass die finale Reaktionsreihenfolge in einem Handlungsdurchgang das Ergebnis eines kontinuierlichen Anpassungsprozesses ist, welcher auf dem Zusammenspiel mehrerer top-down-Faktoren, z.B. der Antizipation von Reaktionsmerkmalen, und mehrerer bottom-up-Faktoren, wie z.B. der Stimulusreihenfolge oder der Aufgabenkompatibilit{\"a}t, basiert. Die vorliegende Arbeit liefert somit einen wichtigen Beitrag zum Fortschritt des Verst{\"a}ndnisses der Verarbeitung komplexer Handlungsanforderungen aus der Perspektive crossmodaler Handlungen. Insbesondere wurden Spezifikationen f{\"u}r Mechanismen der Effektorpriorisierung und der Kontrolle der Reaktionsreihenfolge als auch eine neuartige Taxonomie von Crosstalk vorgestellt, welche als umfassende Rahmenvorstellung zur Erkl{\"a}rung von Interferenzmechanismen bei Kontrollprozessen von Mehrfachanforderungen dienlich sein kann.},
  subject      = {Kognition},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Kastner2015,
  author    = {Kastner, Anna Katharina},
  title     = {Attention mechanisms in contextual anxiety and cued fear and their influence on processing of social cues},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-123747},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Anxiety is an affective state characterized by a sustained, long-lasting defensive response, induced by unpredictable, diffuse threat. In comparison, fear is a phasic response to predictable threat. Fear can be experimentally modeled with the help of cue conditioning. Context conditioning, in which the context serves as the best predictor of a threat due to the absence of any conditioned cues, is seen as an operationalization of sustained anxiety. This thesis used a differential context conditioning paradigm to examine sustained attention processes in a threat context compared to a safety context for the first time. In three studies, the attention mechanisms during the processing of contextual anxiety were examined by measuring heart rate responses and steady-state-visually evoked potentials (ssVEPs). An additional focus was set on the processing of social cues (i.e. faces) and the influence of contextual information on these cues. In a last step, the correlates of sustained anxiety were compared to evoked responses by phasic fear, which was realized in a previously established paradigm combining predictable and unpredictable threat. In the first study, a contextual stimulus was associated with an aversive loud noise, while a second context remained unpaired. This conditioning paradigm created an anxiety context (CTX+) and a safety context (CTX-). After acquisition, a social agent vs. an object was presented as a distractor in both contexts. Heart rate and cortical responses, with ssVEPs by using frequency tagging, to the contexts and the distractors were assessed. Results revealed enhanced ssVEP amplitudes for the CTX+ compared to the CTX- during acquisition and during presentation of distractor stimuli. Additionally, the heart rate was accelerated in the acquisition phase, followed by a heart rate deceleration as a psychophysiological marker of contextual anxiety. Study 2 used the same context conditioning paradigm as Study 1. In contrast to the first study, persons with different emotional facial expressions were presented in the anxiety and safety contexts in order to compare the differential processing of these cues within periods of threat and safety. A similar anxiety response was found in the second study, although only participants who Abstract VIII were aware of the contingency between contexts and aversive event showed a sensory amplification of the threat context, indicated by heart rate response and ssVEP activation. All faces irrespective of their emotional expression received increased attentional resources when presented within the anxiety context, which suggests a general hypervigilance in anxiety contexts. In the third study, the differentiation of predictable and unpredictable threat as an operationalization of fear and anxiety was examined on a cortical and physiological level. In the predictable condition, a social cue was paired with an aversive event, while in the unpredictable condition the aversive event remained unpaired with the respective cue. A fear response to the predictable cue was found, indicated by increased oscillatory response and accelerated heart rate. Both predictable and unpredictable threat yielded increased ssVEP amplitudes evoked by the context stimuli, while the response in the unpredictable context showed longer-lasting ssVEP activation to the threat context. To sum up, all three studies endorsed anxiety as a long-lasting defensive response. Due to the unpredictability of the aversive events, the individuals reacted with hypervigilance in the anxiety context, reflected in a facilitated processing of sensory information and an orienting response. This hypervigilance had an impact on the processing of novel cues, which appeared in the anxiety context. Considering the compared stimuli categories, the stimuli perceived in a state of anxiety received increased attentional resources, irrespective of the emotional arousal conveyed by the facial expression. Both predictable and unpredictable threat elicited sensory amplification of the contexts, while the response in the unpredictable context showed longer-lasting sensory facilitation of the threat context.},
  subject      = {Angst},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HerbertMuthPollatosetal.2012,
  author    = {Herbert, Beate M. and Muth, Eric R. and Pollatos, Olga and Herbert, Cornelia},
  title     = {Interoception across Modalities: On the Relationship between Cardiac Awareness and the Sensitivity for Gastric Functions},
  series = {PLoS One},
  volume    = {7},
  journal   = {PLoS One},
  number    = {5},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0036646},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-130733},
  pages     = {e36646},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {The individual sensitivity for ones internal bodily signals ("interoceptive awareness") has been shown to be of relevance for a broad range of cognitive and affective functions. Interoceptive awareness has been primarily assessed via measuring the sensitivity for ones cardiac signals ("cardiac awareness") which can be non-invasively measured by heartbeat perception tasks. It is an open question whether cardiac awareness is related to the sensitivity for other bodily, visceral functions. This study investigated the relationship between cardiac awareness and the sensitivity for gastric functions in healthy female persons by using non-invasive methods. Heartbeat perception as a measure for cardiac awareness was assessed by a heartbeat tracking task and gastric sensitivity was assessed by a water load test. Gastric myoelectrical activity was measured by electrogastrography (EGG) and subjective feelings of fullness, valence, arousal and nausea were assessed. The results show that cardiac awareness was inversely correlated with ingested water volume and with normogastric activity after water load. However, persons with good and poor cardiac awareness did not differ in their subjective ratings of fullness, nausea and affective feelings after drinking. This suggests that good heartbeat perceivers ingested less water because they subjectively felt more intense signals of fullness during this lower amount of water intake compared to poor heartbeat perceivers who ingested more water until feeling the same signs of fullness. These findings demonstrate that cardiac awareness is related to greater sensitivity for gastric functions, suggesting that there is a general sensitivity for interoceptive processes across the gastric and cardiac modality.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Ulrich2016,
  author    = {Ulrich, Natalie},
  title     = {Processing of Near Outcomes and Outcome Sequences in Gambling: Implications for the Biopsychological Basis of Problem Gambling},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-139612},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Gambling is a popular activity in Germany, with 40\% of a representative sample reporting having gambled at least once in the past year (Bundeszentrale f{\"u}r gesundheitliche Aufkl{\"a}rung, 2014). While the majority of gamblers show harmless gambling behavior, a subset develops serious problems due to their gambling, affecting their psychological well-being, social life and work. According to recent estimates, up to 0.8\% of the German population are affected by such pathological gambling. People in general and pathological gamblers in particular show several cognitive distortions, that is, misconceptions about the chances of winning and skill involvement, in gambling. The current work aimed at elucidating the biopsychological basis of two such kinds of cognitive distortions, the illusion of control and the gambler's and hot hand fallacies, and their modulation by gambling problems. Therefore, four studies were conducted assessing the processing of near outcomes (used as a proxy for the illusion of control) and outcome sequences (used as a proxy for the gambler's and hot hand fallacies) in samples of varying degrees of gambling problems, using a multimethod approach. The first study analyzed the processing and evaluation of near outcomes as well as choice behavior in a wheel of fortune paradigm using electroencephalography (EEG). To assess the influence of gambling problems, a group of problem gamblers was compared to a group of controls. The results showed that there were no differences in the processing of near outcomes between the two groups. Near compared to full outcomes elicited smaller P300 amplitudes. Furthermore, at a trend level, the choice behavior of participants showed signs of a pattern opposite to the gambler's fallacy, with longer runs of an outcome color leading to increased probabilities of choosing this color again on the subsequent trial. Finally, problem gamblers showed smaller feedback-related negativity (FRN) amplitudes relative to controls. The second study also targeted the processing of near outcomes in a wheel of fortune paradigm, this time using functional magnetic resonance imaging and a group of participants with varying degrees of gambling problems. The results showed increased activity in the bilateral superior parietal cortex following near compared to full outcomes. The third study examined the peripheral physiology reactions to near outcomes in the wheel of fortune. Heart period and skin conductance were measured while participants with varying degrees of gambling problems played on the wheel of fortune. Near compared to full outcomes led to increased heart period duration shortly after the outcome. Furthermore, heart period reactions and skin conductance responses (SCRs) were modulated by gambling problems. Participants with high relative to low levels of gambling problems showed increased SCRs to near outcomes and similar heart period reactions to near outcomes and full wins. The fourth study analyzed choice behavior and sequence effects in the processing of outcomes in a coin toss paradigm using EEG in a group of problem gamblers and controls. Again, problem gamblers showed generally smaller FRN amplitudes compared to controls. There were no differences between groups in the processing of outcome sequences. The break of an outcome streak led to increased power in the theta frequency band. Furthermore, the P300 amplitude was increased after a sequence of previous wins. Finally, problem gamblers compared to controls showed a trend of switching the outcome symbol relative to the previous outcome symbol more often. In sum, the results point towards differences in the processing of near compared to full outcomes in brain areas and measures implicated in attentional and salience processes. The processing of outcome sequences involves processes of salience attribution and violation of expectations. Furthermore, problem gamblers seem to process near outcomes as more win-like compared to controls. The results and their implications for problem gambling as well as further possible lines of research are discussed.},
  subject      = {Spielsucht},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Herber2014,
  author    = {Herber, Kristina},
  title     = {Ausl{\"o}ser und Modifikation emotionalen Essverhaltens - Feldstudien zum emotionalen Essverhalten und seiner Ver{\"a}nderung durch ein achtsamkeitsbasiertes Training},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-138799},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {Emotionale Esser neigen dazu, in emotional belastenden Situationen {\"u}berwiegend s{\"u}ße und fettreiche Nahrung h{\"a}ufig in Abwesenheit von Hunger zu essen, um negative Gef{\"u}hle zu bew{\"a}ltigen. In unangenehmen emotionalen Zust{\"a}nden setzen sie sich kaum mit den Emotionen auseinander und essen stattdessen. Es f{\"a}llt ihnen oft schwer, ihren Emotionen, aber auch ihren Hunger- und S{\"a}ttigungsgef{\"u}hlen Aufmerksamkeit zu schenken und diese zu erkennen. Emotionales Essverhalten kann Betroffene davon abhalten, einen konstruktiven Umgang mit den emotionalen Belastungen zu erlernen, und kann zu {\"U}bergewicht, den mit {\"U}bergewicht einhergehenden ern{\"a}hrungsbedingten Erkrankungen oder gar zu Essst{\"o}rungen f{\"u}hren. Um diese langfristigen Folgen gar nicht erst entstehen zu lassen, ist es von zentraler Bedeutung, problematischen Formen des emotionalen Essverhaltens vorzubeugen oder sie zu ver{\"a}ndern. Die vorliegende Dissertation umfasst 3 empirische Studien, in denen anhand von standardisierten und selbst entwickelten Frageb{\"o}gen sowie mithilfe der Experience-Sampling-Methode die Ausl{\"o}ser und die Modifikation emotionalen Essverhaltens untersucht wurden. Die Experience-Sampling-Methode basiert auf alltagsnahen, zeitlich pr{\"a}zisen, multiplen Messungen im Feld. In der 1. Studie wurde bei gesunden Personen die Wirkung der negativen Gef{\"u}hle als Ausl{\"o}ser des emotionalen Essverhaltens im Alltag beobachtet. Die Befunde deuten darauf hin, dass keine bestimmten negativen Emotionen zu existieren scheinen, die einen st{\"a}rkeren Einfluss auf das emotionale Essverhalten haben als andere, und dass alle negativen Gef{\"u}hle nahezu gleichermaßen das Potenzial bergen, emotionales Essverhalten hervorzurufen. Diese Erkenntnis ist in die Konzeption eines Trainingsprogramms zur Ver{\"a}nderung des emotionalen Essverhaltens f{\"u}r emotionale Esser eingeflossen, das achtsamkeitsbasierte Konzepte mit verhaltenstherapeutischen Behandlungsmethoden kombiniert. Die 2. und die 3. Studie {\"u}berpr{\"u}ften mit einem randomisierten, kontrollierten Design die Machbarkeit und die Wirksamkeit des Gruppentrainings im ambulanten und klinischen Setting. Das Training ließ sich ambulant und in einer Klinik sehr gut umsetzen und wurde von den Teilnehmern weitgehend positiv bewertet. Im Anschluss an das Training aßen emotionale Esser weniger emotional, indem sie durch die achtsame Selbstbeobachtung lernten, die Essausl{\"o}ser besser zu erkennen und sie von den k{\"o}rperlichen Hungerempfindungen zu unterscheiden. Vielmehr fingen sie bis zu einem gewissen Grad an, achtsamer zu essen und das Essen zu genießen. Die Emotionsregulation verbesserte sich ebenfalls in vielen Aspekten. Die Trainingsteilnehmer entwickelten die Kompetenzen oder tendierten dazu, ihre Gef{\"u}hle aufmerksamer wahrzunehmen, klarer zu erkennen und zu benennen, sie st{\"a}rker positiv zu beeinflussen und sie leichter zu akzeptieren, wenn sie im Augenblick nicht ver{\"a}ndert werden konnten. Somit konnten die Machbarkeit und die Wirksamkeit des entwickelten Trainingsprogramms sowohl im ambulanten Setting als auch in den bedeutendsten Aspekten im klinischen Kontext als Teil eines breiter angelegten Therapiekonzepts nachgewiesen werden. Die drei vorgelegten Arbeiten liefern einen Beitrag zum Verst{\"a}ndnis und zur Ver{\"a}nderung des emotionalen Essverhaltens. Weitergehende Untersuchungen sollten die Merkmale der {\"a}ußeren Situation als Risikofaktoren f{\"u}r das emotionale Essverhalten analysieren sowie die zeitliche Stabilit{\"a}t der Trainingseffekte testen, die außerhalb einer Katamnese von 3 Monaten liegt. Die Wirksamkeit des Trainingsprogramms k{\"o}nnte ferner gegen{\"u}ber anderen Therapieverfahren und multizentrisch in unterschiedlichen Kliniken unter zahlreichen Rahmenbedingungen gepr{\"u}ft werden.},
  subject      = {Essgewohnheit},
  language  = {de}
}