TY - JOUR A1 - Rodrigues, Johannes A1 - Weiß, Martin A1 - Mussel, Patrick A1 - Hewig, Johannes T1 - On second thought … the influence of a second stage in the ultimatum game on decision behavior, electro-cortical correlates and their trait interrelation JF - Psychophysiology N2 - Previous EEG research only investigated one stage ultimatum games (UGs). We investigated the influence of a second bargaining stage in an UG concerning behavioral responses, electro-cortical correlates and their moderations by the traits altruism, anger, anxiety, and greed in 92 participants. We found that an additional stage led to more rejection in the 2-stage UG (2SUG) and that increasing offers in the second stage compared to the first stage led to more acceptance. The FRN during a trial was linked to expectance evaluation concerning the fairness of the offers, while midfrontal theta was a marker for the needed cognitive control to overcome the respective default behavioral pattern. The FRN responses to unfair offers were more negative for either low or high altruism in the UG, while high trait anxiety led to more negative FRN responses in the first stage of 2SUG, indicating higher sensitivity to unfairness. Accordingly, the mean FRN response, representing the trait-like general electrocortical reactivity to unfairness, predicted rejection in the first stage of 2SUG. Additionally, we found that high trait anger led to more rejections for unfair offer in 2SUG in general, while trait altruism led to more rejection of unimproving unfair offers in the second stage of 2SUG. In contrast, trait anxiety led to more acceptance in the second stage of 2SUG, while trait greed even led to more acceptance if the offer was worse than in the stage before. These findings suggest, that 2SUG creates a trait activation situation compared to the UG. KW - bargaining behavior KW - two-stage ultimatum game KW - reward positivity/FRN/MFN/N2 KW - trait activation in two-stage ultimatum game, KW - midfrontal theta KW - fairness evaluation vs. cognitive effort KW - EEG Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-318983 VL - 59 IS - 7 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Haberstumpf, Sophia A1 - Forster, André A1 - Leinweber, Jonas A1 - Rauskolb, Stefanie A1 - Hewig, Johannes A1 - Sendtner, Michael A1 - Lauer, Martin A1 - Polak, Thomas A1 - Deckert, Jürgen A1 - Herrmann, Martin J. T1 - Measurement invariance testing of longitudinal neuropsychiatric test scores distinguishes pathological from normative cognitive decline and highlights its potential in early detection research JF - Journal of Neuropsychology N2 - Objective Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a growing challenge worldwide, which is why the search for early-onset predictors must be focused as soon as possible. Longitudinal studies that investigate courses of neuropsychological and other variables screen for such predictors correlated to mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, one often neglected issue in analyses of such studies is measurement invariance (MI), which is often assumed but not tested for. This study uses the absence of MI (non-MI) and latent factor scores instead of composite variables to assess properties of cognitive domains, compensation mechanisms, and their predictability to establish a method for a more comprehensive understanding of pathological cognitive decline. Methods An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a set of increasingly restricted confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted to find latent factors, compared them with the composite approach, and to test for longitudinal (partial-)MI in a neuropsychiatric test battery, consisting of 14 test variables. A total of 330 elderly (mean age: 73.78 ± 1.52 years at baseline) were analyzed two times (3 years apart). Results EFA revealed a four-factor model representing declarative memory, attention, working memory, and visual–spatial processing. Based on CFA, an accurate model was estimated across both measurement timepoints. Partial non-MI was found for parameters such as loadings, test- and latent factor intercepts as well as latent factor variances. The latent factor approach was preferable to the composite approach. Conclusion The overall assessment of non-MI latent factors may pose a possible target for this field of research. Hence, the non-MI of variances indicated variables that are especially suited for the prediction of pathological cognitive decline, while non-MI of intercepts indicated general aging-related decline. As a result, the sole assessment of MI may help distinguish pathological from normative aging processes and additionally may reveal compensatory neuropsychological mechanisms. KW - Alzheimer’s disease KW - early-onset predictors KW - mild cognitive impairment Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-318932 VL - 16 IS - 2 SP - 324 EP - 352 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gary, Sebastian A1 - Lenhard, Wolfgang A1 - Lenhard, Alexandra T1 - Modelling norm scores with the cNORM package in R JF - Psych N2 - In this article, we explain and demonstrate how to model norm scores with the cNORM package in R. This package is designed specifically to determine norm scores when the latent ability to be measured covaries with age or other explanatory variables such as grade level. The mathematical method used in this package draws on polynomial regression to model a three-dimensional hyperplane that smoothly and continuously captures the relation between raw scores, norm scores and the explanatory variable. By doing so, it overcomes the typical problems of classical norming methods, such as overly large age intervals, missing norm scores, large amounts of sampling error in the subsamples or huge requirements with regard to the sample size. After a brief introduction to the mathematics of the model, we describe the individual methods of the package. We close the article with a practical example using data from a real reading comprehension test. KW - regression-based norming KW - continuous norming KW - inferential norming KW - data smoothing KW - curve fitting KW - percentile estimation Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-284143 SN - 2624-8611 VL - 3 IS - 3 SP - 501 EP - 521 ER - TY - THES A1 - Breil, Christina T1 - Look at me and I will feel you: eye contact and social understandig T1 - Schau mich an und ich sehe dich: Blickkontakt und Sozialverstehen N2 - 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. N2 - Die herausragend soziale Natur des Menschen zeigt sich insbesondere in der sensiblen Reaktion auf die Blicke anderer. Ziel der in dieser Dissertation berichteten Forschung ist ein umfassendes Verständnis der Rolle von Blickreizen auf kognitive Prozesse niederer und höherer Verarbeitungsstufen. Im Einzelnen wurden Blickeffekte im Hinblick auf drei Aspekte menschlicher Kognition untersucht: (1) Soziale Aufmerksamkeit, (2) soziale Interaktion und (3) Sozialverstehen. In Kapitel 1 werden drei Studien beschrieben, die sich mit den Grenzbedingungen von Aufmerksamkeitsanziehung durch direkten Blickkontakt beschäftigen und die untersuchen, wie Effekte der Blickrichtung mit anderen Reizen interagieren. Manuskript 1 und 2 deuten auf zwei notwendige Voraussetzungen für den direkten Blickeffekt hin: ein holistisch bedeutsamer Gesichtskontext sowie scharfe, foveale Wahrnehmung. Manuskript 3 findet aufmerksamkeitsbezogene Annäherungs-/Vermeidungskongruenzeffekte zwischen Blickrichtung und emotionalem Gesichtsausdruck. Kapitel 2 dieser Dissertation untersucht die Rolle von Blicken in naturalistischeren sozialen Situationen. Manuskript 4 demonstriert, dass Blickverhalten in Gesprächen unsere Wahrnehmung anderer Personen beeinflusst. Manuskript 5 erweitert diesen Befund, indem es verdeutlicht, dass diese Eindrücke unsere Bereitschaft zu prosozialem Verhalten gegenüber unseren Interaktionspartner*innen bestimmen. Schließlich wird im 3. Kapitel eine breitere Sicht auf sozialkognitive Forschung eingenommen. Ein besonderer Fokus liegt dabei auf methodischen Aspekten. Manuskript 6 ist ein Review, das die Tragweite methodischer Aspekte in sozialkognitiven Untersuchungen herausarbeitet und auf die Bedeutung gut informierter und durchdachter Entscheidungen bezüglich der verwendeten Versuchsmaterialien hinweist. In Manuskript 7 wird ein neues Instrument zur Erfassung sozialen Verstehens in jugendlichen Stichproben beschrieben. Eine erste Anwendung dieser neuen Methode deutet darauf hin, dass sich das Verständnis der mentalen Zustände anderer Menschen im Jugendalter noch in der Entwicklung befindet. Beide Manuskripte dieses letzten Kapitels enthalten Eye-Trackingdaten, die auf einen Zusammenhang zwischen Blickbewegungen und Sozialverstehen hindeuten. Dieser Befund verdeutlicht, dass soziale Kognition ein komplexes und breitgefächertes Konstrukt ist. Ich schließe aus den Ergebnissen dieser Dissertation, dass die Wissenschaft sowohl im Hinblick auf methodische als auch auf zeitliche Aspekte von einer umfassenden Sichtweise auf soziale Kognition profitieren könnte, da nur diese es ermöglicht, das Konstrukt in Gänze zu erfassen. KW - eye contact KW - social understanding KW - Blick KW - Kognition KW - Einfühlung KW - Theory of Mind KW - Aufmerksamkeit KW - Interaktion Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-278021 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stegmann, Yannik A1 - Andreatta, Marta A1 - Pauli, Paul A1 - Keil, Andreas A1 - Wieser, Matthias J. T1 - Investigating sustained attention in contextual threat using steady‐state VEPs evoked by flickering video stimuli JF - Psychophysiology N2 - Anxiety is characterized by anxious anticipation and heightened vigilance to uncertain threat. However, if threat is not reliably indicated by a specific cue, the context in which threat was previously experienced becomes its best predictor, leading to anxiety. A suitable means to induce anxiety experimentally is context conditioning: In one context (CTX+), an unpredictable aversive stimulus (US) is repeatedly presented, in contrast to a second context (CTX−), in which no US is ever presented. In this EEG study, we investigated attentional mechanisms during acquisition and extinction learning in 38 participants, who underwent a context conditioning protocol. Flickering video stimuli (32 s clips depicting virtual offices representing CTX+/−) were used to evoke steady‐state visual evoked potentials (ssVEPs) as an index of visuocortical engagement with the contexts. Analyses of the electrocortical responses suggest a successful induction of the ssVEP signal by video presentation in flicker mode. Furthermore, we found clear indices of context conditioning and extinction learning on a subjective level, while cortical processing of the CTX+ was unexpectedly reduced during video presentation. The differences between CTX+ and CTX− diminished during extinction learning. Together, these results indicate that the dynamic sensory input of the video presentation leads to disruptions in the ssVEP signal, which is greater for motivationally significant, threatening contexts. KW - anxiety KW - EEG KW - oscillation KW - threat KW - time frequency analyses KW - visual processes Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-312430 VL - 60 IS - 5 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stegmann, Yannik A1 - Andreatta, Marta A1 - Wieser, Matthias J. T1 - The effect of inherently threatening contexts on visuocortical engagement to conditioned threat JF - Psychophysiology N2 - Fear and anxiety are crucial for adaptive responding in life‐threatening situations. Whereas fear is a phasic response to an acute threat accompanied by selective attention, anxiety is characterized by a sustained feeling of apprehension and hypervigilance during situations of potential threat. In the current literature, fear and anxiety are usually considered mutually exclusive, with partially separated neural underpinnings. However, there is accumulating evidence that challenges this distinction between fear and anxiety, and simultaneous activation of fear and anxiety networks has been reported. Therefore, the current study experimentally tested potential interactions between fear and anxiety. Fifty‐two healthy participants completed a differential fear conditioning paradigm followed by a test phase in which the conditioned stimuli were presented in front of threatening or neutral contextual images. To capture defense system activation, we recorded subjective (threat, US‐expectancy), physiological (skin conductance, heart rate) and visuocortical (steady‐state visual evoked potentials) responses to the conditioned stimuli as a function of contextual threat. Results demonstrated successful fear conditioning in all measures. In addition, threat and US‐expectancy ratings, cardiac deceleration, and visuocortical activity were enhanced for fear cues presented in threatening compared with neutral contexts. These results are in line with an additive or interactive rather than an exclusive model of fear and anxiety, indicating facilitated defensive behavior to imminent danger in situations of potential threat. KW - anxiety KW - EEG KW - emotion KW - fear KW - heart rate KW - ssVEP Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-312465 VL - 60 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - klein Selle, Nathalie A1 - Suchotzki, Kristina A1 - Pertzov, Yoni A1 - Gamer, Matthias T1 - Orienting versus inhibition: The theory behind the ocular‐based Concealed Information Test JF - Psychophysiology N2 - When trying to conceal one's knowledge, various ocular changes occur. However, which cognitive mechanisms drive these changes? Do orienting or inhibition—two processes previously associated with autonomic changes—play a role? To answer this question, we used a Concealed Information Test (CIT) in which participants were either motivated to conceal (orienting + inhibition) or reveal (orienting only) their knowledge. While pupil size increased in both motivational conditions, the fixation and blink CIT effects were confined to the conceal condition. These results were mirrored in autonomic changes, with skin conductance increasing in both conditions while heart rate decreased solely under motivation to conceal. Thus, different cognitive mechanisms seem to drive ocular responses. Pupil size appears to be linked to the orienting of attention (akin to skin conductance changes), while fixations and blinks rather seem to reflect arousal inhibition (comparable to heart rate changes). This knowledge strengthens CIT theory and illuminates the relationship between ocular and autonomic activity. KW - arousal inhibition KW - autonomic KW - Concealed Information Test (CIT) KW - oculomotor KW - orienting response KW - response fractionation Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-312626 VL - 60 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ludwig, Jonas A1 - Strack, Fritz T1 - Asymmetrical friendships? People are willing to risk COVID‐19 infection from friends but are reluctant to pass it on to them JF - Journal of Applied Social Psychology N2 - Although most protective behaviors related to the COVID‐19 pandemic come with personal costs, they will produce the largest benefit if everybody cooperates. This study explores two interacting factors that drive cooperation in this tension between private and collective interests. A preregistered experiment (N = 299) examined (a) how the quality of the relation among interacting partners (social proximity), and (b) how focusing on the risk of self‐infection versus onward transmission affected intentions to engage in protective behaviors. The results suggested that risk focus was an important moderator of the relation between social proximity and protection intentions. Specifically, participants were more willing to accept the risk of self‐infection from close others than from strangers, resulting in less caution toward a friend than toward a distant other. However, when onward transmission was the primary concern, participants were more reluctant to effect transmission to close others, resulting in more caution toward friends than strangers. These findings inform the debate about effective nonclinical measures against the pandemic. Practical implications for risk communication are discussed. KW - Covid-19 KW - protective behavior KW - cooperation Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-312411 VL - 53 IS - 1 SP - 69 EP - 79 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rinn, Robin A1 - Krishna, Anand A1 - Deutsch, Roland T1 - The psychology of income wealth threshold estimations: A registered report JF - British Journal of Social Psychology N2 - How do people estimate the income that is needed to be rich? Two correlative survey studies (Study 1 and 2, N = 568) and one registered experimental study (Study 3, N = 500) examined the cognitive mechanisms that are used to derive an answer to this question. We tested whether individuals use their personal income (PI) as a self‐generated anchor to derive an estimate of the income needed to be rich (= income wealth threshold estimation, IWTE). On a bivariate level, we found the expected positive relationship between one's PI and IWTE and, in line with previous findings, we found that people do not consider themselves rich. Furthermore, we predicted that individuals additionally use information about their social status within their social circles to make an IWTE. The findings from study 2 support this notion and show that only self‐reported high‐income individuals show different IWTEs depending on relative social status: Individuals in this group who self‐reported a high status produced higher IWTEs than individuals who self‐reported low status. The registered experimental study could not replicate this pattern robustly, although the results trended non‐significantly in the same direction. Together, the findings revealed that the income of individuals as well as the social environment are used as sources of information to make IWTE judgements, although they are likely not the only important predictors. KW - affluence KW - anchoring KW - heuristics KW - income wealth threshold estimations KW - social comparisons KW - subjective perception of wealth KW - the rich KW - wealth estimation Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-311847 VL - 62 IS - 1 SP - 630 EP - 650 ER - TY - THES A1 - Forster, André T1 - 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 T1 - Untersuchung Zeitlich Stabiler Vulnerabilitätsfaktoren für die Vorhersage Langfristiger Depressionsverläufe: Diagnostische Erwägungen und Therapeutische Protokolle auf der Grundlage Transkranieller Ultraschall-Neuromodulation von Endophänotypen N2 - 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. N2 - Depressive Erkrankungen stellen eine der Hauptquellen für das Einbußen gesunder Lebensjahre dar. Einer der Gründe für diesen Umstand liegt im rezidivierenden Verlauf dieser Erkrankungen, der auch durch bisherige Therapieansätze vor allem kurzfristig unterbrochen werden kann, jedoch langfristig zumindest in Teilen erhalten zu bleiben scheint. Daran anschließend befasst sich die hier vorgelegte Thesis zum einen mit der Messproblematik longitudinaler Vorhersagen depressiver Verläufe und zum anderen mit zwei aktuell diskutierten neurowissenschaftlich begründeten Behandlungsansätzen, die experimentellgrundlagenpsychologisch aufgearbeitet und im Lichte eines translationalen Ansatz hin zur Anwendung in realen Patientensituationen erörtert werden. Die beiden genannten Ansätze adressieren dabei jeweils Mechanismen, die sich negativ auf langfristige Krankheitsverläufe auswirken können: Zunächst werden hier stabile Endophänotypen für Vulnerabilitätsfaktoren, die mit zunehmendem zeitlichem Abstand zu Therapiemethoden erneut Kontrolle über den Organismus gewinnen und maladaptives Erleben und Verhalten reaktivieren könnten, in den Fokus gestellt. Diese wurden in den hier vorgestellten Studien mit einer vor wenigen Jahren wiederentdeckten Methode der Neuromodulation (transkranieller, niedrigintensiver, fokussierter Ultraschall) beeinflusst und vor dem Hintergrund der einzigartigen Möglichkeit dieser Technik, auch tiefste, subkortikale Regionen bei hoher räumlicher Auflösungsfähigkeit adressieren zu können, diskutiert. Zuletzt wird ergänzend, als zweiter Ansatz, ein experimentelles Design zur Nutzung der Rekonsolidierungsbeeinflussung vorgestellt, das erste Informationen über die Anwendbarkeit entsprechender Protokolle im Bereich der depressiven Erkrankungen liefern und somit zur Veränderung, Anstelle von Inhibition bereits genannter Endophänotypen beitragen könnte. Zusammengenommen ergeben sich hieraus zunächst allgemeine methodische Überlegungen für das Überwachen und Vorhersagen langfristiger Verläufe der Depressionen, aber auch zwei Ansätze, die für sich genommen, in Kombination miteinander oder auch als Augmentation für bestehende Therapieverfahren, potentiell positive Einflüsse auf die rezidivierende Natur dieser Diagnosegruppe haben könnten. KW - Depression KW - Diagnostik KW - Nervenstimulation KW - Verwundbarkeit KW - Ultraschall KW - Neuromodulation KW - Endophänotypen KW - Rekonsolidierung Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-279065 ER -