@phdthesis{Schulz2024, author = {Schulz, Daniel}, title = {Development of Inhibitory Control in Kindergarten Children}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-35715}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-357152}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {This dissertation explores the development and assessment of inhibitory control - a crucial component of executive functions - in young children. Inhibitory control, defined as the ability to suppress inappropriate responses (Verbruggen \& Logan, 2008), is essential for adaptable and goal-oriented behavior. The rapid and non-linear development of this cognitive function in early childhood presents unique challenges for accurate assessment. As children age, they often exhibit a ceiling effect in terms of response accuracy (Petersen et al., 2016), underscoring the need to consider response latency as well. Ideally, combining response latency with accuracy could yield a more precise measure of inhibitory control (e.g., Magnus et al., 2019), facilitating a detailed tracking of developmental changes in inhibitory control across a wider age spectrum. The three studies of this dissertation collectively aim to clarify the relationship between response accuracy, response latency, and inhibitory control across different stages of child development. Each study utilizes a computerized Pointing Stroop Task (Berger et al., 2000) to measure inhibitory control, examining the task's validity and the integration of dual metrics for a more comprehensive evaluation. The first study focuses on establishing the validity of using both response accuracy and latency as indicators of inhibitory control. Utilizing the framework of explanatory item-response modeling (De Boeck \& Wilson, 2004), the study revealed how the task characteristics congruency and item position influence both the difficulty level and timing aspects in young children's responses in the computerized Pointing Stroop task. Further, this study found that integrating response accuracy with latency, even in a basic manner, provides additional insights. Building upon these findings, the second study investigates the nuances of integrating response accuracy and latency, examining whether this approach can account for age-related differences in inhibitory control. It also explores whether response latencies may contain different information depending on the age and proficiency of the children. The study leverages novel and established methodological perspectives to integrate response accuracy and latency into a single metric, showing the potential applicability of different approaches for assessing inhibitory control development. The third study extends the investigation to a longitudinal perspective, exploring the dynamic relationship between response accuracy, latency, and inhibitory control over time. It assesses whether children who achieve high accuracy at an earlier age show faster improvement in response latency, suggesting a non-linear maturation pathway of inhibitory control. The study also examines if the predictive value of early response latency for later fluid intelligence is dependent on the response accuracy level. Together, these empirical studies contribute to a more robust understanding of the complex interaction between inhibitory control, response accuracy, and response latency, facilitating valid evaluations of cognitive capabilities in children. Moreover, the findings may have practical implications for designing educational strategies and clinical interventions that address the developmental trajectory of inhibitory control. The nuanced approach advocated in this dissertation suggests prioritizing accuracy in assessment and interventions during the early stages of children's cognitive development, gradually shifting the focus to response latency as children mature and secure their inhibitory control abilities.}, subject = {Kognitive Entwicklung}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Pollerhoff2024, author = {Pollerhoff, Lena Katharina}, title = {Age differences in prosociality across the adult lifespan: Insights from self-reports, experimental paradigms, and meta-analyses}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-35944}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-359445}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Human prosociality, encompassing generosity, cooperation, and volunteering, holds a vital role in our daily lives. Over the last decades, the question of whether prosociality undergoes changes over the adult lifespan has gained increased research attention. Earlier studies suggested increased prosociality in older compared to younger individuals. However, recent meta-analyses revealed that this age effect might be heterogeneous and modest. Moreover, the contributing factors and mechanisms behind these age-related variations remain to be identified. To unravel age-related differences in prosociality, the first study of this dissertation employed a meta-analytical approach to summarize existing findings and provide insight into their heterogeneity by exploring linear and quadratic age effects on self-reported and behavioral prosociality. Additionally, two empirical research studies investigated whether these age-related differences in prosociality were observed in real life, assessed through ecological momentary assessment (Study 2), and in a controlled laboratory setting by applying a modified dictator game (Study 3). Throughout these three studies, potential underlying behavioral and computational mechanisms were explored. The outcome of the meta-analysis (Study 1) revealed small linear age effects on prosociality and significant age group differences between younger and older adults, with higher levels of prosociality in older adults. Explorative evidence emerged in favor of a quadratic age effect on behavioral prosociality, indicating the highest levels in midlife. Additionally, heightened prosocial behavior among middle-aged adults was observed compared to younger adults, whereas no significant differences in prosocial behavior were noted between middle-aged and older adults. Situational and contextual features, such as the setting of the study and specific paradigm characteristics, moderated the age-prosociality relationship, highlighting the importance of the (social) context when studying prosociality. For Study 2, no significant age effect on real-life prosocial behavior was observed. However, evidence for a significant linear and quadratic age effect on experiencing empathy in real life emerged, indicating a midlife peak. Additionally, across all age groups, the link between an opportunity to empathize and age significantly predicted real-life prosocial behavior. This effect, indicating higher levels of prosocial behavior when there was a situation possibly evoking empathy, was most pronounced in midlife. Study 3 presented age differences in how older and younger adults integrate values related to monetary gains for self and others to make a potential prosocial decision. Younger individuals effectively combined both values in a multiplicative fashion, enhancing decision-making efficiency. Older adults showed an additive effect of values for self and other and displayed increased decision-making efficiency when considering the values separately. However, among older adults, individuals with better inhibitory control were better able to integrate information about both values in their decisions. Taken together, the findings of this dissertation offer new insights into the multi-faceted nature of prosociality across adulthood and the mechanisms that help explain these age-related disparities. While this dissertation observed increasing prosociality across the adult lifespan, it also questions the assumption that older adults are inherently more prosocial. The studies highlight midlife as a potential peak period in social development but also emphasize the importance of the (social) context and that different operationalizations might capture distinct facets of prosociality. This underpins the need for a comprehensive framework to understand age effects of prosociality better and guide potential interventions.}, subject = {Altersunterschied}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Chen2024, author = {Chen, Xinyu}, title = {How natural walking changes occipital alpha oscillations and concurrently modulates cognitive processes}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-35295}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-352958}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Humans actively interact with the world through a wide range of body movements. To understand human cognition in its natural state, we need to incorporate ecologically relevant body movement into our account. One fundamental body movement during daily life is natural walking. Despite its ubiquity, the impact of natural walking on brain activity and cognition has remained a realm underexplored. In electrophysiology, previous studies have shown a robust reduction of ongoing alpha power in the parieto-occipital cortex during body movements. However, what causes the reduction of ongoing alpha, namely whether this is due to body movement or prevalent sensory input changes, was unknown. To clarify this, study 1 was performed to test if the alpha reduction is dependent on visual input. I compared the resting state alpha power during natural walking and standing, in both light and darkness. The results showed that natural walking led to decreased alpha activity over the occipital cortex compared to standing, regardless of the lighting condition. This suggests that the movement-induced modulation of occipital alpha activity is not driven by visual input changes during walking. I argue that the observed alpha power reduction reflects a change in the state of the subject based on disinhibition induced by walking. Accordingly, natural walking might enhance visual processing and other cognitive processes that involve occipital cortical activity. I first tested this hypothesis in vision. Study 2 was performed to examine the possible effects of natural walking across visual processing stages by assessing various neural markers during different movement states. The findings revealed an amplified early visual response, while a later visual response remain unaffected. A follow-up study 3 replicated the walking-induced enhancement of the early visual evoked potential and showed that the enhancement was dependent on specific stimulus-related parameters (eccentricity, laterality, distractor presence). Importantly, the results provided evidence that the enhanced early visual responses are indeed linked to the modulation of ongoing occipital alpha power. Walking also modulated the stimulus-induced alpha power. Specifically, it showed that when the target appeared in the fovea area without a distractor, walking exhibited a significantly reduced modulation of alpha power, and showed the largest difference to standing condition. This effect of eccentricity indicates that during later visual processing stages, the visual input in the fovea area is less processed than in peripheral areas while walking. The two visual studies showed that walking leads to an enhancement in temporally early visual processes which can be predicted by the walking-induced change in ongoing alpha oscillation likely marking disinhibition. However, while walking affects neural markers of early sensory processes, it does not necessarily lead to a change in the behavioural outcome of a sensory task. The two visual studies suggested that the behavioural outcome seems to be mainly based on later processing stages. To test the effects of walking outside the visual domain, I turned to audition in study 4. I investigated the influence of walking in a particular path vs. simply stepping on auditory processing. Specifically, the study tested whether enhanced processing due to natural walking can be found in primary auditory brain activity and whether the processing preferences are dependent on the walking path. In addition, I tested whether the changed spatial processing that was reported in previous visual studies can be seen in the auditory domain. The results showed enhanced sensory processing due to walking in the auditory domain, which was again linked to the modulation of occipital alpha oscillation. The auditory processing was further dependent on the walking path. Additionally, enhanced peripheral sensory processing, as found in vision, was also present in audition. The findings outside vision supported the idea of natural walking affecting cognition in a rather general way. Therefore in my study 5, I examined the effect of natural walking on higher cognitive processing, namely divergent thinking, and its correlation with the modulation of ongoing alpha oscillation. I analyzed alpha oscillations and behavioural performance during restricted and unrestricted movement conditions while subjects completed a Guilford's alternate uses test. The results showed that natural walking, as well as missing body restriction, reduces the occipital alpha ongoing power independent of the task phase which goes along with higher test scores. The occipital alpha power reduction can therefore be an indicator of a changed state that allows improved higher cognitive processes. In summary, the research presented in this thesis highlights that natural walking can change different processes in the visual and auditory domain as well as higher cognitive processes. The effect can be attributed to the movement of natural walking itself rather than to changes in sensory input during walking. The results further indicate that the walking-induced modulation of ongoing occipital alpha oscillations drives the cognitive effects. We therefore suggest that walking changes the inhibitory state which can influence awareness and attention. Such a mechanism could facilitate an adaptive enhancement in cognitive processes and thereby optimize movement-related behaviour such as navigation.}, subject = {Walking}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Mueller2024, author = {M{\"u}ller, Saskia}, title = {The Influence of Personality and Trust on Information Processing and Decision Making in the Specific Context of Online Marketing}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-35952}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-359526}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Trust carries the capacity to shift the focus from risks to opportunities of a situation. Scientific studies from the field of trust research point out that besides situation-specific factors (i.e., stimuli of the environment), cross-situationally stable interindividual differences (i.e., personality) are involved in the emergence of trust. Stable interindividual differences are particularly influential to the subjective experience of situational conditions when crucial information is incomplete. The online shopping environment classifies as a prime example of markets with asymmetric information. Research has examined online consumer trust in the light of signaling theory to understand the effects of trust-enhancing signals. Previous research largely neglects interindividual differences in the perception, processing and reaction to these signals. Against this background, this scientific work has two primary objectives: the investigation of (1) interindividual differences in the evaluation of trust-enhancing signals and (2) a personality-based personalization of trust-enhancing signals in its effect on cognition and behavior. For this purpose, an interactive online shop setup was created, which served as realistic environmental framework. First, the results show a trust-enhancing effect of both objective and subjective personalization, with a superiority of subjective over objective personalization. Second, results suggest a particular susceptibility of the beliefs component of trust. Third, the results suggest that personalization exerts a specifically strong effect in what is, by definition, the particularly uncertain environment of credence goods. Fourth, results indicate that while the trust-enhancing effects of personalization operate (largely) independently of personality, the effect of personality on trust seems to depend on the condition of signal presentation. Taken together, the present work makes a contribution to understanding the effect of personality-adapted signaling environments on the emergence of trust and decision making in the specific context of B2C e-commerce.}, subject = {Pers{\"o}nlichkeit}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Glaser2024, author = {Glaser, Julia}, title = {Nachhaltiges Lernen an der Hochschule: Untersuchungen zu Randbedingungen und Transfereffekten von digitalen {\"U}bungstests auf das Behalten von Lehrinhalten}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-35866}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-358665}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Learning accompanies us throughout our lives, from early childhood education through school, training and university to learning at work. However, much of what we learn is quickly forgotten. The use of practice tests is a learning strategy that contributes to the acquisition of sustainable knowledge, i.e. knowledge that is permanently available and can be retrieved when it is needed. This dissertation first presents findings from previous research on testing in real educational contexts and discusses theoretically why certain learner or situational characteristics might influence the effectiveness of the testing effect. Furthermore, a cycle of three experiments is presented, which were used to investigate whether the positive effect of practice tests on retention (testing effect) depends on personal or situational characteristics and also promotes the retention of lecture content that was not directly tested (transfer) in the context of regular psychology lectures in teacher training courses. In an additional chapter, feedback from students on the implementation of the study in the classroom context is examined in more detail. Finally, the results of the three studies are discussed and placed in relation to the theories presented. The central conclusion from the studies presented is that the testing effect appears to be a very effective learning strategy that can be used effectively in university teaching and leads to better learning outcomes regardless of learner characteristics. However, the practice tests should cover the entire range of relevant content, as transfer effects to non-tested content are not to be expected.}, subject = {Transfer}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{HuttererneeHerzog2024, author = {Hutterer, n{\´e}e Herzog, Katharina}, title = {Treatment-like use of discrimination training to reduce generalization of conditioned fear}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-31728}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-317286}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Anxiety patients overgeneralize fear, also because of an inability to perceptually discriminate threat and safety signals. Therefore, some studies have developed discrimination training that successfully reduced the occurrence of fear generalization. The present work is the first to take a treatment-like approach by using discrimination training after generalization has occurred. Therefore, two studies were conducted with healthy participants using the same fear conditioning and generalization paradigm, with two faces as conditioned stimuli (CSs), and four facial morphs between CSs as generalization stimuli (GSs). Only one face (CS+) was followed by a loud scream (unconditioned stimulus, US). In Study 1, participants underwent either fear-relevant (discriminating faces) or fear-irrelevant discrimination training (discriminating width of lines) or a non-discriminative control training between the two generalization tests, each with or without feedback (n = 20 each). Generalization of US expectancy was reduced more effectively by fear-relevant compared to fear-irrelevant discrimination training. However, neither discrimination training was more effective than non-discriminative control training. Moreover, feedback reduced generalization of US expectancy only in discrimination training. Study 2 was designed to replicate the effects of the discrimination-training conditions in a large sample (N = 244) and examine their benefits in individuals at risk for anxiety disorders. Again, feedback reduced fear generalization particularly well for US expectancy. Fear relevance was not confirmed to be particularly fear-reducing in healthy participants, but may enhance training effects in individuals at risk of anxiety disorder. In summary, this work provides evidence that existing fear generalization can be reduced by discrimination training, likely involving several (higher-level) processes besides perceptual discrimination (e.g., motivational mechanisms in feedback conditions). Its use may be promising as part of individualized therapy for patients with difficulty discriminating similar stimuli.}, subject = {Furcht}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Cronje2024, author = {Cronj{\´e}, Johrine}, title = {Trust towards Virtual Humans in Immersive Virtual Reality and Influencing Factors}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-34814}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-348143}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Virtual humans (VHs) hold immense potential for collaboration in social virtual reality (VR). As VR technology advances, it's vital to assess the psychological effects on VH trust and user privacy to build meaningful social interactions in VR. In social VR, users must be able to trust the VHs they interact with as they navigate through socio-cultural activities. The evaluation of trustworthiness in VHs profoundly impacts interaction quality and user willingness to engage. Conversely, untrustworthy VHs can harm user experiences, privacy, and VR engagement. To address this, we conducted immersive VR studies, exploring how psychological factors influence user's VH trust evaluation under various psychological conditions. This research is pivotal for developing strategies to enhance user privacy, establish secure VR environments, and create a foundation of trust that supports immersive socio-cultural experiences in VR. To date, there are no established interpersonal trust measurement tools specifically for VHs in VR. In study 1 (the familiarity study) of the current thesis the VR-adjusted version of the social conditioned place preference paradigm (SCPP) by Kiser et al., (2022) was identified as a potential trust measurement tool. We tested whether the familiarity of a VH influenced trust as measured with the SCPP paradigm and other self-defined outcome measures, in a Computer Augmented Virtual Environment (CAVE). The CAVE is a VR system that combines immersive VR with real-world elements. It consists of a room-sized space where the walls are used as projection screens to display virtual scenes and objects. In this within - subject design (n = 20), half of the participants were familiarized with one VH and tasked to explore and interact in a realistic looking virtual art museum environment. The participant's evaluation of the VH's trustworthiness was measured as well as their subsequent trust behaviours. Results revealed no significant differences in the evaluation of the VH's trustworthiness nor any behavioural differences between conditions. The findings of the impact of a VH's familiarity on trust is inconclusive due to the major limitations of the paradigm. We concluded that the SCPP paradigm needs further validation and the proposed proxies of trust need to be re-evaluated. The findings were considered in the following study. The virtual maze paradigm design of Hale, (2018) was identified as a potential trust measurement tool, however several limitations are associated with its use to measure trust in VR. In study 2 (a validation study), improvements were made to the virtual maze paradigm of Hale, (2018) and a variant of this paradigm was implemented. We conducted a validation study with 70 participants in a between-subject design with VH trustworthiness as the between-subject factor. Participants wore a head-mounted display (HMD), to deliver an immersive VR experience. In our version of the virtual maze, it was the task of the users (the trustors) to navigate through a maze in VR, where they could interact with a VH (the trustee). They could choose to ask for advice and follow the advice from the VH if they wanted to. The number of times participants asked and followed advice and the time it took to respond to the given advice served as behavioural proxies/measures of trust. The two conditions (trustworthy vs. untrustworthy) did not differ in the content of the advice but in the appearance, tone of voice and engagement of the trustees (allegedly an avatar controlled by other participants). Results indicated that the experimental manipulation was successful, as participants rated the VH as more trustworthy in the trustworthy condition compared with the VH in the untrustworthy condition. Importantly, this manipulation affected the trust behaviour of participants, who, in the trustworthy condition, asked for advice and followed advice more often, indicating that the paradigm is sensitive to differences in VH's trustworthiness. Thus, our paradigm can be used to measure differences in interpersonal trust towards VHs and may serve as a valuable research tool for researchers who study trust in VR. Therefore, study 2 fills the gap in the literature, for an interpersonal trust measurement tool specifically for VHs in VR. Two experimental studies, with a sample size of 50 participants each, utilized the virtual maze paradigm where participants entered 12 rooms under different conditions. We examined the influence of cognitive load (CL) on trust towards VH in VR in study 3 (Cognitive load study), and the influence of emotional affect (Emotional affect study) on trust towards VH in VR in study 4 (EA study). In both studies, we assessed participant's evaluation of a VH's trustworthiness, along with three behavioural indicators of trust in the maze task: 1) frequency of advice asked, 2) frequency of advice followed, and 3) the time taken by participants to execute the received advice. In study 3, the CL was manipulated with the auditory 1-back task in the high cognitive load condition (HCL). In study 4, the Autobiographical Emotional Memory Task (AEMT) was used to manipulate the EA of participants in the negative emotional affect (NEA) condition. As an additional manipulation, while participants were immersed in VR, they were exposed to 12 negative pictures and sounds that was presented simultaneously to strengthen the initial manipulation. The manipulation of the within-subject factors (CL and EA) was successful in both studies, as significant differences between conditions were observed in both studies (higher CL in the HCL condition and a more negative EA in the NEA condition). However, only CL influenced participant's evaluation of the VH's trustworthiness. The VH were evaluated as significantly more trustworthy after the HCL condition. Despite the difference in trust evaluation, there was no difference in advice asking or following. Participants in study 4 asked and followed advice due to their trust in the VH and asked and followed advice equally often in both conditions. Importantly, significant differences were observed in the participants response times in both studies. In study 3 during the HCL condition participants followed advice quicker. The order in which the conditions were presented influenced the experience of CL. Participants experienced higher levels of CL and responded to advice significantly faster when low cognitive load (LCL) was presented as the first condition compared with LCL as the second condition. In study 4 participants in the NEA condition followed advice slower similar to the findings of study 3. The order in which the conditions were presented had a significant effect on the EA. Participants asked and followed advice less when the NEA condition was presented first compared with when it is presented second. Possible explanations for the findings are discussed in the thesis. Overall, this thesis offers a novel tool for trust measurement (the virtual maze paradigm) and contributes to understanding the role of psychological factors in trust towards virtual humans in virtual reality.}, subject = {Virtuelle Realit{\"a}t}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Gralke2023, author = {Gralke, Verena Maria}, title = {The Impact of Media Literacy in Adolescence and Young Adulthood. - Correlative and Experimental Investigations on the Influence of Media Literacy on Cognitive and Political Variables, and on Knowledge Acquisition from Media -}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-34601}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-346018}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {This thesis consists of three studies investigating the influence media literacy has on political variables, cognitive variables, and learning. Adolescents from 13 years of age and young adults are included in the studies. This thesis is divided into three chapters. Study I and II are one comprehensive study, but will be presented separately for better readability. Chapter I provides the reader with background knowledge for the original studies presented in chapter II includes information about media use, different conceptualizations of media literacy and its development over the lifetime, as well as media literacy's impact on cognitive and political variables. Additionally, current literature on the comparison of the learning outcomes of different kinds of texts (written, auditory, and audiovisual) is presented, with a differentiation between text-based information and inferences. In chapter II, the original studies are placed in the current state of research and presented in detail. In chapter III, a critical discussion of the studies is conducted, and a general model of the influence media literacy has on the investigated cognitive and political factors is presented, followed by a conclusion of the research. The theoretical foundation of this thesis is three models of media literacy proposed by Groeben (2002, 2004), Hobbs (1997), and Potter (1998, 2016). These three models are similar in that they define media literacy as a multifactorial construct with skills that develop further in the course of life. Their ideas are integrated and developed further, leading to our own model of media literacy. It encompasses five scales: media sign literacy, distinction between reality and fiction, knowledge of media law, knowledge of media effects, and production skills. Thereupon, the assessment tool W{\"u}rzburg Media Literacy Test (WMK; W{\"u}rzburger Medienkompetenztest) is designed. There is evidence that media use and media literacy influence socio-political factors. Young adults name the internet as the main source of information on political topics (see Pasek et al., 2006), and knowledge demonstrably fosters political participation (Delli Carpini \& Keeter, 1996). However, the kind of participation activity regarded is important (Quintelier \& Vissers, 2008), as sometimes real-life participation is supplemented by online activities (Quan-Haase \& Wellman, 2002). Media literacy is the key to evaluating the quality of information from media. Whether or not a direct link between media literacy and political interest exists has, as far as I know, not yet been investigated. Several studies have shown that precursors and subcomponents of media literacy have the capacity to influence cognitive variables. For instance, children with higher media sign literacy possess better reading proficiency (Nieding et al., 2017) and are better at collecting information and drawing inferences from hypermedia and films (Diergarten et al., 2017) as compared to children with low literacy. These precursors and subcomponents are more efficient in processing medial sign systems, reducing cognitive load, and consequently, liberating cognitive capacity for other mental tasks (Sweller, 1988). Paino and Renzulli (2012) showed that highly computer-proficient adolescents exhibit better mathematics and reading abilities. Different types of media influence the learning process differently, and the learning process can be enhanced by combining these different types of media, if the material is prepared according to the research findings and Mayer's (2002) cognitive theory of multimedia learning. Similarly, a reduction in cognitive load takes place and more resources can be invested in the learning process itself (Mayer \& Moreno, 2003; Sweller, 1988). It is not easy to answer the question of whether one medium is superior for learning to another. Generally, adults learn best from written texts (e.g., Byrne \& Curtis, 2000), and audiovisual and auditory texts are comparable (e.g., Hayes et al., 1986); however, there is little research regarding the comparison of the latter two. Study I examined whether media literacy has a positive impact on interest in politics and the political self-concept. A sample of 101 13-to 20-year-olds was drawn. The control variables were intelligence, socio-economic status (SES), openness to experiences, perspective-taking, age, and sex. Additionally, an evaluation of the WMK was conducted, which indicated good construct validity and excellent overall reliability. Media literacy was positively associated with interest in politics, political self-concept, and perspective-taking but not with openness. In hierarchical regressions and path analysis, a direct influence of media literacy and openness on interest in politics could be found. Political self-concept was solely influenced by interest in politics. Although media literacy had no direct influence on political self-concept, it influenced its precursor interest in politics and was thus expected to have distal influence. The results of the first study confirm previous findings (e.g., Vecchione \& Caprara, 2009), where political self-concept is regarded as a precursor of political participation. In conclusion, the findings of study I suggested that by stimulating political interest, media literacy could, mediated through political self-concept, foster political participation. Study II (which was conducted on the same sample as study I) was concerned with the question of whether highly media-literate adolescent and young adult participants exhibit better academic skills (mathematics; reading) and academic achievement (grades) compared to less media-literate participants. Additionally, to obtain information about potential development during adolescence, a group of 50 13-year-olds was compared with a group of 51 19-year-olds in terms of their media literacy. The control variables were intelligence, SES, sex, and age. The results showed that a significant development of media literacy took place during adolescence (∆M = .17), agreeing with Potter's (1998, 2013) development theory of media literacy. Media literacy was significantly correlated with reading skills and school grades. Regarding adults, media literacy was also significantly correlated with mathematical skills; the association was greater than that with reading skills. However, no connection with mathematical skills was found for adolescents. To control for the influence of age and intelligence, which were both associated with media literacy, hierarchical regressions and path analyses were conducted. The results revealed that media literacy had a greater impact on grades and academic abilities than intelligence. These results are in line with those obtained by Paino and Renzulli (2012). Study III investigated whether media literacy helps young adults to better learn from three kinds of media, a written, an auditory, and an audio-visual text, and which medium achieves the best learning results. Three groups of 91 young adults were compared (written, auditory, and audio-visual text) in terms of their learning outcomes. These outcomes were conceptualized as directly stated information in the text (assessed by text-based questions) and inferential learning (inference questions). A computer-based short version of the WMK was applied to assess media literacy, which should be optimized in the future. The control variables were intelligence, verbal ability, media usage, prior knowledge, and SES. In hierarchical regression, media literacy turned out to be a significant predictor of text inferences, even when other relevant variables, such as intelligence, were controlled for. Inferences foster the building of the situation model, which is believed by many authors to be true comprehension of a text (Zwaan \& Radvansky, 1998). The outcomes of study III support Ohler's (1994) assumption that media literacy fosters the creation of a more elaborated situational model. Text-based questions were only influenced by prior knowledge. As assumed by Potter (1998, 2016), the media literacy of young adults in the Western world suffices to extract relevant facts from educational learning material. Both subjects were best in the written text condition for text-based and inference question results. Audiovisual and auditory texts showed no significant differences. The written text condition did not excel in the auditory text condition for inferences. The results accord with those obtained by, for instance, Byrne and Curtis (2000). Taken together, these studies show that media literacy can influence several cognitive and political variables. It stimulates political interest, reading comprehension, school grades, and mathematical abilities in young adults, as well as drawing inferences from different kinds of texts. Additionally, media literacy develops further during adolescence.}, subject = {Media Literacy}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Muth2023, author = {Muth, Felicitas Vanessa}, title = {Step by step: Sense of agency for complex action-event sequences}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-30756}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-307569}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {From simply ringing a bell to preparing a five-course menu, human behavior commonly causes changes in the environment. Such episodes where an agent acts, thereby causing changes in their environment constitute the sense of agency. In this thesis four series of experi-ments elucidate how the sense of agency is represented in complex action-event sequences, thereby bridging a gap between basic cognitive research and real-life practice. It builds upon extensive research on the sense of agency in unequivocal sequences consisting of single ac-tions and distinct, predominantly auditory, outcomes. Employing implicit as well as explicit measures, the scope is opened up to multi-step sequences. The experiments show that it is worthwhile devoting more research to complex action-event sequences. With a newly introduced auditory measure (Chapter II), common phenomena such as temporal binding and a decrease in agency ratings following distorted feedback were replicated in multi-step sequences. However, diverging results between traditional implicit and explicit measures call for further inspection. Multisensory integration appears to gain more weight when multiple actions have to be performed to attain a goal leading to more accurate representations of the own actions (Chapter III). Additionally, freedom of choice (Chapter III) as well as early spatial ambiguity altered the perceived timing of outcomes, while late spatial ambi-guity (Chapter IV) and the outcome's self-relevance did not (Chapter V). The data suggests that the cognitive system is capable of representing multi-step action-event sequences implicitly and explicitly. Actions and sensory events show a temporal attraction stemming from a bias in the perception of outcomes. Explicit knowledge about causing an event-sequence facilitates neither feelings of control nor taking authorship. The results corroborate current theorizing on the un-derpinnings of temporal binding and the divergence between traditional implicit and explicit measures of the sense of agency. Promising avenues for further research include structured analyses of how much inferred causality contributes to implicit and explicit measures of agency as well as finding alternative measures to capture conceptual as well as non-conceptual facets of the agency experience with one method.}, subject = {Psychologie}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Rudloff2023, author = {Rudloff, Jan Philipp}, title = {Post-Truth Epistemic Beliefs Rooted in the Dark Factor of Personality Predict Irrational Cognition and Behavior}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-34478}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-344782}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Conspiracy theories and fake news are receiving wide media coverage and their proliferation has motivated academic research on the driving factors irrational cognition and behavior. This dissertation focuses on individuals' beliefs about knowledge and knowing, which are commonly referred to as epistemic beliefs. The term post-truth epistemic beliefs is proposed and defined as a strong trust in one's intuition, a low need to align opinions with evidence, and the strong conviction that truth is a matter of power. Across six online studies, a mediation model is proposed and tested. It includes the core of all dark traits, the Dark Factor of Personality (D), as an antecedent of post-truth epistemic beliefs, and irrational cognition and behavior as consequences. Manuscript \#1 comprises four studies showing that post-truth epistemic beliefs are rooted in D and predict increased endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories as well as less engagement in health-protective behavior against COVID-19. Manuscript \#2 includes a US nationally representative study suggesting that post-truth epistemic beliefs and D predict a lower probability of having been vaccinated against COVID-19. Manuscript \#3 presents a repeated measures experiment indicating that the nexus of D and post-truth epistemic beliefs also predicts less discernment between fake and accurate news. These findings highlight a major insight and a serious challenge for rational communication: Some individuals deliberately disregard (scientific) evidence and rational decision-making. Against this background, the need to foster the epistemological development of students and educators is emphasized.}, subject = {Verschw{\"o}rungstheorie}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Rinn2023, author = {Rinn, Robin}, title = {The Subjective Construction of Wealth and the Perception of Wealthy People. The Role of the Social Sample, Social Comparisons, and Mental Representations}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-32789}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-327894}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Although the concept of wealth is a topic that ancient philosophers have dealt with, relatively little attention is paid to it in psychology. This work sheds light on cognitive processes on how individuals derive a judgment about whether someone is rich and whether certain cues serve as subjective indicators of wealth. Based on three chapters that describe K = 11 observational and experimental studies (N = 2,315), three research questions shall be answered: First, to what extent do individuals differ when defining wealth? Secondly, are there universal cues of wealth that individuals use to identify rich people? And if yes, in what sense do these cues depend on the situation or context? Furthermore, it will be asked whether there are situational boundaries under which those cues do not apply. The present research shows that individuals differ in defining wealth and that they take their personal life circumstances and situational cues into account to define wealth. Moreover, evidence for a coherent wealth cue model was found that describes cues that are used by individuals to identify the rich (i.e., particularly wealthy people), whereby the validity of these cues depends on several contextual (e.g., cultural) factors. Lastly, it was found that by isolating individual wealth cues and looking at core mental representations of these cues, they may not be perceived as indicative for rich people anymore. The conclusions reported here set a foundation for further research on the perceptions of wealth which may be particularly relevant for the political discourse}, subject = {Milieu}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Murali2023, author = {Murali, Supriya}, title = {Understanding the function of spontaneous blinks by investigating internally and externally directed processes}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-28747}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-287473}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Humans spontaneously blink several times a minute. These blinks are strongly modulated during various cognitive task. However, the precise function of blinking and the reason for their modulation has not been fully understood. In the present work, I investigated the function of spontaneous blinks through various perceptual and cognitive tasks. Previous research has revealed that blinks rates decrease during some tasks but increase during others. When trying to understand these seemingly contradictory results, I observed that blink reduction occurs when one engages with an external input. For instance, a decrease has been observed due to the onset of a stimulus, sensory input processing and attention towards sensory input. However, for activities that do not involve such an engagement, e.g. imagination, daydreaming or creativity, the blink rate has been shown to increase. To follow up on the proposed hypothesis, I distinguished tasks that involve the processing of an external stimulus and tasks that involve disengagement. In the first part of the project, I explored blinking during stimulus engagement. If the probability of blinking is low when engaging with the stimulus, then one should find a reduction in blinks specifically during the time period of processing but not during sensory input per se. To this end, in study 1, I tested the influence of task-relevant information duration on blink timing and additionally manipulated the overall sensory input using a visual and an auditory temporal simultaneity judgement task. The results showed that blinks were suppressed longer for longer periods of relevant information or in other words, blinks occurred at the end of relevant information processing for both the visual and the auditory modality. Since relevance is mediated through top-down processes, I argue that the reduction in blinks is a top-down driven suppression. In studies 2 and 3, I again investigated stimulus processing, but in this case, processing was triggered internally and not based on specific changes in the external input. To this end, I used bistable stimuli, in which the actual physical stimulus remains constant but their perception switches between different interpretations. Studies on the involvement of attention in such bistable perceptual changes indicate that the sensory input is reprocessed before the perceptual switch. The results revealed a reduction in eye blink rates before the report of perceptual switches. Importantly, I was able to decipher that the decrease was not caused by the perceptual switch or the behavioral response but likely started before the internal switch. Additionally, periods between a blink and a switch were longer than interblink intervals, indicating that blinks were followed by a period of stable percept. To conclude, the first part of the project revealed that there is a top-down driven blink suppression during the processing of an external stimulus. In the second part of the project, I extended the idea of blinks marking the disengagement from external processing and tested if blinking is associated with better performance during internally directed processes. Specifically, I investigated divergent thinking, an aspect of creativity, and the link between performance and blink rates as well as the effect of motor restriction. While I could show that motor restriction was the main factor influencing divergent thinking, the relationship between eye blink rates and creative output also depended on restriction. Results showed that higher blink rates were associated with better performance during free movement, but only between subjects. In other words, subjects who had overall higher blink rates scored better in the task, but when they were allowed to sit or walk freely. Within a single subject, trial with higher blink rates were not associated with better performance. Therefore, possibly, people who are able to disengage easily, as indicated by an overall high blink rate, perform better in divergent thinking tasks. However, the link between blink rate and internal tasks is not clear at this point. Indeed, a more complex measurement of blink behavior might be necessary to understand the relationship. In the final part of the project, I aimed to further understand the function of blinks through their neural correlates. I extracted the blink-related neural activity in the primary visual cortex (V1) of existing recordings of three rhesus monkeys during different sensory processing states. I analyzed spike related multi-unit responses, frequency dependent power changes, local field potentials and laminar distribution of activity while the animal watched a movie compared to when it was shown a blank screen. The results showed a difference in blink-related neural activity dependent on the processing state. This difference suggests a state dependent function of blinks. Taken altogether, the work presented in this thesis suggests that eye blinks have an important function during cognitive and perceptual processes. Blinks seem to facilitate a disengagement from the external world and are therefore suppressed during intended processing of external stimuli.}, subject = {Lidschlag}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Breil2023, author = {Breil, Christina}, title = {Look at me and I will feel you: eye contact and social understandig}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-27802}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-278021}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {One of the features that defines humans as extraordinarily social beings is their striking susceptibility to the gaze of others. The research reported in this dissertation was undertaken to advance our understanding of the role of gaze cues in low-level attentional and higher-order cognitive processes. In particular, effects of gaze were examined with regard to three aspects of human cognition: (1) social attention, (2) social interaction and (3) social understanding. Chapter 1 consists of three manuscripts that investigate the boundary conditions of attention capture by direct gaze and how gaze direction is integrated with facial context information. Manuscript 1 and 2 suggest two necessary requirements for attention capture by direct gaze: a meaningful holistic facial context and sharp foveal vision, respectively. Manuscript 3 shows approach/avoidance-congruency effects between gaze direction and emotion expression on attention. Chapter 2 of this dissertation explores the role of gaze in more naturalistic social scenarios. Manuscript 4 demonstrates that gaze behavior during a conversation shapes our perception of another person. Manuscript 5 builds on these findings by showing that these perceptions define our willingness to act in a prosocial way towards our interaction partner. Finally, chapter 3 adopts a broader perspective on social cognition research with a special focus on methodological aspects. Manuscript 6 is a review highlighting the significance of methodological aspects in social cognition research and stressing the importance of sophisticated decisions on task and stimulus materials. Manuscript 7 introduces a new instrument for the assessment of social understanding in adolescents. Initial application in a young sample group indicates that an understanding of another person's mental states is a capacity that is still developing throughout adolescence. Both manuscripts of this final chapter include eye tracking data that suggest a relationship between gaze behavior and social understanding, a finding that further emphasizes the complex and multifaceted nature of social cognition. I conclude from the findings of this dissertation that research can benefit from adopting a broad view in terms of methodological as well as temporal aspects in order to capture human social cognition in its entirety.}, subject = {Blick}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Forster2023, author = {Forster, Andr{\´e}}, title = {Targeting Temporally Stable Vulnerability Factors in the Prediction of Long-Term Courses of Depression: Diagnostic Considerations and Therapeutic Protocols Based on Transcranial Ultrasonic Neuromodulation of Endophenotypes}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-27906}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-279065}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Depressive disorders represent one of the main sources for the loss of healthy years of life. One of the reasons for this circumstance is the recurrent course of these disorders, which can be interrupted by current therapeutic approaches, especially in the shortterm, but seem to be maintained at least in part in the long-term. Subsequently, on one hand, this thesis deals with methodological measurement issues in the longitudinal prediction of depressive courses. On the other hand, it addresses two currently discussed neuroscience-based treatment approaches, which are investigated experimentally in a basic-psychological manner and reviewed in the light of their potential to translate results to the application in patient care. These two approaches each address potential mechanisms that may negatively impact long-term disease trajectories: First, stable endophenotypes for vulnerability factors that could regain control over the organism and reactivate maladaptive experiences, or behaviors with increasing temporal distance from therapeutic methods are focused on. In the studies presented, these were influenced by a recently rediscovered method of neuromodulation (transcranial low-intensity focused ultrasound) which is discussed in light of its unique capability to address even deepest, subcortical regions at a high spatial resolution. Lastly, as a second approach, an experimental design for the use of reconsolidation interference is presented, which could provide a first insight into the applicability of corresponding protocols in the field of depressive disorders and thus contribute to the modification, instead of inhibition, of already mentioned endophenotypes. In sum, methodological considerations for monitoring and predicting long-term courses of depression are deducted before two approaches are discussed that could potentially exert positive influences on the recurrent nature of depressive symptoms on their own, in combination with each other, or as augmentation for existing therapeutic procedures.}, subject = {Depression}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Fleischmann2023, author = {Fleischmann, Lorena}, title = {Talent Development in Academic Domains: A Follow-Up of Former Junior Students at Julius-Maximilians-Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-30281}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-302814}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The field of giftedness and gifted education has long been characterized by internal fragmentation and inconsistent definitions of core concepts (e.g., Ambrose et al., 2010; Coleman, 2006; McBee et al., 2012). It was only in recent years that increased efforts have been made to organize available research findings and thereby bring back greater uniformity to the field of giftedness and gifted education. For example, Preckel et al.'s (2020) Talent Development in Achievement Domains (TAD) framework integrates theoretical perspectives and empirical knowledge from different parts of the field. It is general in concept and can be applied to a wide range of achievement domains. By specifically focusing on measurable psychological constructs as well as their relevance at different stages of the talent development process, Preckel et al.'s (2020) TAD framework is well suited as a starting point for generating more domain-specific talent development models. The present thesis represents one of the first attempts to empirically test the validity of Preckel et al.'s (2020) TAD framework in academic domains using longitudinal data. The longitudinal data came from a sample of former junior students at Julius-Maximilians-Universit{\"a}t (JMU) W{\"u}rzburg who showed high academic achievement potential. There were two related research issues: Research Issue 1 first aimed to document in detail how the educational trajectories of former junior students unfold in the years following their Abitur. To this end, a follow-up was conducted among 208 young adults who had participated in the junior study program at JMU W{\"u}rzburg between the winter semester of 2004/2005 and the summer semester of 2011. The design of the follow-up questionnaire was based on a series of research questions that had emerged from the relevant literature on junior study programs in Germany. The follow-up ran from October 2019 to February 2020. The data were analyzed descriptively and documented as a detailed report. The results of Research Issue 1 revealed that the former junior students continued to be academically (and later professionally) successful long after their school years. For example, at the time of the follow-up, almost all former junior students had earned a bachelor's and a master's degree, most often with notable academic successes (e.g., scholarships, awards/prizes). In addition, more than half of those who responded had begun or already completed a doctoral degree, also recording special academic accomplishments (e.g., scientific publications, scholarships). A significant proportion of the former junior students had already entered the workforce at the time of their response. A look at their current professional situation revealed an above-average expression of success indicators (e.g., income, professional status). The clear majority of the former junior students reported that, even in retrospect, they would choose to take part in the junior study program at JMU W{\"u}rzburg again. Research Issue 2 aimed to determine the extent to which the structure of Preckel et al.'s (2020) TAD framework could be empirically validated in academic domains. The educational trajectories of 84 former junior students at JMU W{\"u}rzburg who had chosen a subject from the same subject field in their regular studies as in their junior studies served as the data basis. The educational trajectories were compiled from the former junior students' follow-up data and from their data on the selection process for the junior study program at JMU W{\"u}rzburg. Combining the structural assumptions of Preckel et al.'s (2020) TAD framework with relevant insights from individual academic disciplines made it possible to derive hypotheses regarding potential predictors and indicators of the talent development stages aptitude, competence, and expertise in academic domains. Structural equation models were used for data analysis. The results of Research Issue 2 suggested that the talent development stages aptitude, competence, and expertise, while being predictive of each other in their chronological order, could be satisfactorily modeled using framework-compliant indicators in academic domains. In comparison, the talent development stage transformational achievement could not (yet) be modeled based on the longitudinal data. Among the hypothesized predictors, former junior students' investigative interests and their metacognitive abilities reliably determined the talent development stages competence and expertise, whereas the remaining predictors did not make significant contributions. Taken together, the results of the present thesis suggest that the validity of Preckel et al.'s (2020) TAD framework can only be partially confirmed in academic domains. Unlike the postulated indicators, the predictors in Preckel et al.'s (2020) TAD framework do not seem to be easily generalizable to academic domains but to be highly specific with regard to the talent domain under consideration. Therefore, a natural progression of the present thesis would be to examine the structure of Preckel et al.'s (2020) TAD framework at the subordinate level of subject fields or even at the level of individual academic disciplines, for example.}, subject = {Hochbegabung}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Mitschke2023, author = {Mitschke, Vanessa}, title = {Facing Enemies. Modulation of Revenge Interactions based on Opponent State Indicators of Suffering}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-29938}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-299389}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Research on revenge often treats vengeful acts as singular one-way experiences, an approach which fails to account for the social nature and functions of revenge. This dissertation aims to integrate emotional punishment reactions into dynamic revenge sequences to investigate the affective and cognitive consequences of revenge within a social interaction. Exacting revenge can evoke intense affective consequences, from feelings of guilt to the genuine enjoyment of the suffering of others. In Chapter 2, affective responses towards suffering opponents and the regulation of aggression based on the appraisal of distinct suffering indicators were investigated. Results indicate that the observation of opponent pain evokes positive affect (measured via facial muscle contractions during the observation), which is followed by a downregulation of subsequent punishment. Both, positive affective reactions and the downregulation of punishment, were only observed following pain and not sadness expressions. Empathic distress, indexed by negative affective reactions, was only present following the observation of pain in non-provoking opponents. Showcasing the modulation of empathy related processes due to provocation and competition. In Chapter 3, a significant escalation of punishment, when being confronted with Schadenfreude, was observed. Results are interpreted as supporting the assumption that opponent monitoring processes inform subsequent action selection. The observation of opponent smiles led to imitation behavior (facial mimicry), which was partially attenuated due to previous provocation. The different functions of smile mimicry in the context of the aggressive competitive setting are discussed as containing simulation aspects (to aid in opponent understanding) and as a potential mirroring of dominance gestures, to avoid submission. In an additional series of studies, which are presented in Chapter 4, changes in memory of opponent faces following vengeful encounters were measured. Based on provocation, and punishment outcomes (pain \& anger), face memory was distorted, resulting in more positive representations of opponents that expressed pain. These results are discussed as evidence of the impact of outcome appraisals in the formation of opponent representations and are theorized to aid empathy avoidance in future interactions. The comparison of desired and observed opponent states, is theorized to result in appraisals of the punishment outcomes, which evoke affective states, inform the action selection of subsequent punishments, and are integrated into the representation of the opponent in memory. Overall, the results indicate that suffering cues that are congruent with the chosen punishment action are appraised as positive, evoking an increase in positive affect. The emergence of positive affect during the observation of successful aggressive actions supports recent theories about the chronification of aggressive behavior based on reinforcement learning. To allow positive affect to emerge, affective empathic responses, such as distress, are theorized to be suppressed to facilitate the goal attainment process. The suffering of the opponent constitutes the proximate goal during revenge taking, which highlights the importance of a theoretical differentiation of proximate and ultimate goals in revenge to allow for a deeper understanding of the underlying motives of complex revenge behavior.}, subject = {Aggression}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Haspert2023, author = {Haspert, Valentina}, title = {Improving acute pain management with emotion regulation strategies: A comparison of acceptance, distraction, and reappraisal}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-29866}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-298666}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Pain conditions and chronic pain disorders are among the leading reasons for seeking medical help and immensely burden patients and the healthcare system. Therefore, research on the underlying mechanisms of pain processing and modulation is necessary and warranted. One crucial part of this pain research includes identifying resilience factors that protect from chronic pain development and enhance its treatment. The ability to use emotion regulation strategies has been suggested to serve as a resilience factor, facilitating pain regulation and management. Acceptance has been discussed as a promising pain regulation strategy, but results in this domain have been mixed so far. Moreover, the allocation of acceptance in Gross's (1998) process model of emotion regulation has been under debate. Thus, comparing acceptance with the already established strategies of distraction and reappraisal could provide insights into underlying mechanisms. This dissertation project consisted of three successive experimental studies which aimed to investigate these strategies by applying different modalities of individually adjusted pain stimuli of varying durations. In the first study (N = 29), we introduced a within-subjects design where participants were asked to either accept (acceptance condition) or react to the short heat pain stimuli (10 s) without using any pain regulation strategies (control condition). In the second study (N = 36), we extended the design of study 1 by additionally applying brief, electrical pain stimuli (20 ms) and including the new experimental condition distraction, where participants should distract themselves from the pain experience by imagining a neutral situation. In the third study (N = 121), all three strategies, acceptance, distraction, and reappraisal were compared with each other and additionally with a neutral control condition in a mixed design. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three strategy groups, including a control condition and a strategy condition. All participants received short heat pain stimuli of 10 s, alternating with tonic heat pain stimuli of 3 minutes. In the reappraisal condition, participants were instructed to imagine the pain having a positive outcome or valence. The self-reported pain intensity, unpleasantness, and regulation ratings were measured in all studies. We further recorded the autonomic measures heart rate and skin conductance continuously and assessed the habitual emotion regulation styles and pain-related trait factors via questionnaires. Results revealed that the strategies acceptance, distraction, and reappraisal significantly reduced the self-reported electrical and heat pain stimulation with both durations compared to a neutral control condition. Additionally, regulatory efforts with acceptance in study 2 and with all strategies in study 3 were reflected by a decreased skin conductance level compared to the control condition. However, there were no significant differences between the strategies for any of the assessed variables. These findings implicate similar mechanisms underlying all three strategies, which led to the proposition of an extended process model of emotion regulation. We identified another sequence in the emotion-generative process and suggest that acceptance can flexibly affect at least four sequences in the process. Correlation analyses further indicated that the emotion regulation style did not affect regulatory success, suggesting that pain regulation strategies can be learned effectively irrespective of habitual tendencies. Moreover, we found indications that trait factors such as optimism and resilience facilitated pain regulation, especially with acceptance. Conclusively, we propose that acceptance could be flexibly used by adapting to different circumstances. The habitual use of acceptance could therefore be considered a resilience factor. Thus, acceptance appears to be a promising and versatile strategy to prevent the development of and improve the treatment of various chronic pain disorders. Future studies should further examine factors and circumstances that support effective pain regulation with acceptance.}, subject = {Schmerzforschung}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Greving2022, author = {Greving, Carla Elisabeth}, title = {Improving Learning from Texts: Distributed Practice and Distributed Learning as Desirable Difficulty in Reading Single and Multiple Texts}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-29685}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-296859}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Distributed practice is a well-known learning strategy whose beneficial effects on long-term learning are well proven by various experiments. In learning from texts, the benefits of distribution might even go beyond distributed practice, i.e. distribution of repeated materials. In realistic learning scenarios as for example school or university learning, the reader might read multiple texts that not repeat but complement each other. Therefore, distribution might also be implemented between multiple texts and benefit long-term learning in analogy to distributed practice. The assumption of beneficial effects of this distributed learning can be deduced from theories about text comprehension as the landscape model of reading (van den Broek et al., 1996) in combination with theories of desirable difficulties in general (R. A. Bjork \& Bjork, 1992) and distributed practice in particular (Benjamin \& Tullis, 2010). This dissertation aims to investigate (1) whether distributed learning benefits learning; (2) whether the amount of domain-specific prior knowledge moderates the effects of distribution, (3) whether distributed learning affects the learner's meta-cognitive judgments in analogy to distributed practice and (4) whether distributed practice is beneficial for seventh graders in learning from single text. In Experiment 1, seventh graders read two complementary texts either massed or distributed by a lag of one week between the texts. Learning outcomes were measured immediately after reading the second text and one week later. Judgements of learning were assessed immediately after each text. Experiment 2 replicated the paradigm of Experiment 1 while shortening the lag between the texts in the distributed condition to 15 min. In both experiments, an interaction effect between learning condition (distributed vs. massed) and retention interval (immediate vs. delayed) was found. In the distributed condition, the participants showed no decrease in performance between the two tests, whereas participants in the massed condition did. However, no beneficial effects were found in the delayed test for the distributed condition but even detrimental effects for the distributed condition in the immediate test. In Experiment 1, participants in the distributed condition perceived learning as less difficult but predicted lower success than the participants in the massed condition. Experiment 3 replicated the paradigm of Experiment 1 with university students in the laboratory. In the preregistered Experiment 4, an additional retention interval of two weeks was realized. In both experiments, the same interaction between learning condition and retention interval was found. In Experiment 3, the participants in the distributed condition again showed no decrease in performance between the two tests, whereas participants in the massed condition did. However, even at the longer retention interval in Experiment 4, no beneficial effects were found for the distributed condition. Domain-specific prior knowledge was positively associated with test performance in both experiments. In Experiment 4, the participants with low prior knowledge seemed to be impaired by distributed learning, whereas no difference was found for participants with medium or high prior knowledge. In the preregistered Experiment 5, seventh graders read a single text twice. The rereading took place either massed or distributed with one week. Immediately after rereading, judgements of learning were assessed. Learning outcomes were assessed four min after second reading or one week later. Participants in the distributed condition predicted lower learning success than participants in the massed condition. An interaction effect between learning condition and retention interval was found, but no advantage for the distributed condition. Participants with low domain-specific prior knowledge showed lower performance in short-answer questions in the distributed condition than in the massed condition. Overall, the results seem less encouraging regarding the effectiveness of distribution on learning from single and multiple texts. However, the experiments reported here can be perceived as first step in the realistic investigation of distribution in learning from texts.}, subject = {Textverstehen}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Karageorgos2022, author = {Karageorgos, Panagiotis}, title = {Investigating Reading Fluency in German Primary School Children: Interplay of Word Reading Accuracy, Speed, and Prosody}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-29261}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-292612}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Reading skills are among the most important basic skills in society. However, not all readers are able to adequately understand texts or decode individual words. Findings from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS; German: IGLU) show that about one fifth of fourth graders can only establish coherence at the local level, and in some cases they only have a rudimentary understanding of the text they read (Bremerich-Vos et al., 2017). In addition, these reading deficits persist and have a negative impact on academic and professional success (Jimerson, 1999). Therefore, identifying the causes of these deficits and creating opportunities for interventions at an early stage is an important research objective. The aim of this dissertation was to examine the relationship between the aspects of reading fluency and their influence on reading comprehension. Despite the increasing scientific interest in reading fluency in recent years, a research gap still exists in the relationship between word recognition accuracy and both speed and the relevance of prosodic patterns for reading comprehension. Study 1 investigated whether German fourth graders (N = 826) were required to reach a certain word-recognition accuracy threshold before their word-recognition speed improved. In addition, a sub-sample (n = 170) with a pre-/posttest design was examined to assess the extent that the existing word-recognition accuracy can influence the effects of a syllable-based reading intervention on word-recognition accuracy and word-recognition speed. Results showed that word-recognition speed improved after children achieved a word-recognition accuracy of 71\%. A positive intervention effect was also found on word-recognition accuracy for children who were below the 71\% threshold before the intervention, whereas the intervention effect on word-recognition speed was positive for all children. However, a positive effect on reading comprehension was only found for children who were above the 71\% threshold before the intervention. Study 2 investigated the relationship between word-recognition accuracy threshold and word-recognition speed shown in the first study in a longitudinal design with German students (N = 1,095). Word-recognition accuracy and speed were assessed from the end of Grade 1 to 4, whereas reading comprehension was assessed from the end of Grade 2 to 4. The results showed that the developmental trajectories of word recognition speed and reading comprehension were steeper in children who reached the word-recognition accuracy threshold by the end of the first grade than in children who later reached or had not reached this threshold. In Study 3, recurrence analysis (RQA) was used to extract prosodic patterns from reading recordings of struggling and skilled readers in the second (n = 67) and fourth grade (n = 69) and was used for the classification into struggling and skilled readers. In addition, the classification based on the prosodic patterns from the recurrence quantification analysis was compared with the classification of prosodic features from the manual transcription of the reading recordings. The results showed that second-grade struggling readers have lengthier pauses within or between words and take more time between pauses on average, whereas fourth-grade struggling readers spend more time between recurring stresses and have multiple diverse patterns in pitch and more recurring accents. Although the recurrence analysis had a good goodness of fit and provided additional information about the relationship of prosody with reading comprehension, the model using prosodic features from transcription had a better fit. In summary, the three studies in this dissertation provide four important insights into reading fluency in German. First, a threshold in word-recognition accuracy must be achieved before word-recognition speed improves. Second, the earlier this accuracy level is reached, the greater the gain in word-recognition speed and reading comprehension. Third, the intervention effects of a primary school reading intervention are influenced by the accuracy level. Fourth, although incorrect pauses within or between words play an important role in identifying and describing struggling readers in second grade, the importance of prosodic patterns increases in fourth grade.}, subject = {Worterkennung}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Greving2022, author = {Greving, Sven}, title = {Desirable Difficulties in Applied Learning Settings: Mechanisms and Effects}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-28884}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-288848}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Improving retention of learned content by means of a practice test is a learning strategy that has been researched since a century and has been consistently found to be more effective than comparable learning strategies such as restudy (i.e., the testing effect). Most importantly, practicing test questions has been found to outperform restudy even when no additional information about the correct answers was provided to practice test takers, rendering practice tests effective and efficient in fostering retention of learning content. Since 15 years, additional scientific attention is devoted to this memory phenomenon and additional research investigated to what extend practicing test questions is relevant in real-world educational settings. This dissertation first presents the evidence for testing effects in applied educational settings by presenting key publications and presenting findings from a methodological review conducted for this purpose. Within this dissertation, theories are presented why practicing test questions should benefit learning in real-world educational settings even without the provision of additional information and key variables for the effectiveness of practicing test questions are presented. Four studies presented in this dissertation aimed at exploring these assumptions in actual university classrooms while also trying to implement new methods of practicing learning content and thus augment course procedures. Findings from these studies—although not often consistent—will be incorporated and interpreted in the light of the theoretical accounts on the testing effect. The main conclusion that can be drawn from this dissertation is that, given the right circumstances, practicing test questions can elicit beneficial effects on the retention of learning content that are independent of additional information and thus taking a practice test per se, can foster retention of real-world learning content.}, subject = {Unterrichtspsychologie}, language = {en} }