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Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly gaining importance as a valuable methodical tool for psychological research. The greatest benefit of using VR is generating rich, complex and vivid, but still highly controllable settings. As VR has been found to elicit lifelike psychophysiological and emotional responses, we examined by means of a height exposure whether VR resembles physical reality to the necessary degree to constitute a suitable framework for investigating real-life behavior in a controlled experimental context. As hypothesized, participants behaved in VR exactly as would be appropriate in a real environment: Being exposed to great height, participants walked significantly slower across a virtual steel girder construction protruding from a high-rise building as compared to participants who traversed the very same construction on the ground level. In the height condition, this realistic behavior could be predicted on basis of the participants' trait anxiety. Aligned with the behavioral responses, they showed realistic psychophysiological responses, i.e., an elevated heart rate when exposed to height. Interestingly, participants of the height condition reported a greater sense of presence, which indicates that emotions have an elevating effect on presence. As a conclusion, our findings provide further evidence that VR evokes lifelike responses at both behavioral and psychophysiological level and therefore increases ecological validity of psychological experiments.

This paper describes the development and validation of an instrument to assess how students deal with emotionally challenging classroom situations (the DECCS Questionnaire). The questionnaire is based on a vignette with one learning and one performance situation in a classroom, and is intended for students in grades 4 to 7. On a sample of N = 639 students (M ag e = 10.6 years; SD = 1.25, 52.4% girls) in northwest Germany, factor analytic procedures for the subdimensions of students dealing with emotionally challenging classroom situations show that two factors can be distinguished each for students' appraisals, for students' adaptive behavior, for students' maladaptive behavior, and for students' desired teacher behavior. The questionnaire and subscales demonstrate good reliability and validity values. Thus, the DECCS questionnaire shows good psychometric properties and is well suited for determining how students deal with emotionally challenging classroom situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the current state of research on the involvement of young people in hate speech. Thus, this systematic review presents findings on a) the prevalence of hate speech among children and adolescents and on hate speech definitions that guide prevalence assessments for this population; and b) the theoretical and empirical overlap of hate speech with related concepts. This review was guided by the Cochrane approach. To be included, publications were required to deal with real-life experiences of hate speech, to provide empirical data on prevalence for samples aged 5 to 21 years and they had to be published in academic formats. Included publications were full-text coded using two raters (κ =.80) and their quality was assessed. The string-guided electronic search (ERIC, SocInfo, Psycinfo, Psyndex) yielded 1,850 publications. Eighteen publications based on 10 studies met the inclusion criteria and their findings were systematized. Twelve publications were of medium quality due to minor deficiencies in their theoretical or methodological foundations. All studies used samples of adolescents and none of younger children. Nine out of 10 studies applied quantitative methodologies. Eighteen publications based on 10 studies were included. Results showed that frequencies for hate speech exposure were higher than those related to victimization and perpetration. Definitions of hate speech and assessment instruments were heterogeneous. Empirical evidence for an often theorized overlap between hate speech and bullying was found. The paper concludes by presenting a definition of hate speech, including implications for practice, policy, and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The literature to-date has focused on dimensions of emotions based on emotions' affective state (captured by valence, arousal and dominance, PAD). However, it has ignored that emotional reactions also depend on emotions' functionality in serving to solve recurrent adaptive problems related to survival and reproduction. Evolutionary psychology suggests that relationships with others are the key that helps individuals reach both goals. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize, measure and validate the temperature dimension of emotions that underlies such human relationships, as suggested by frequent verbalization of emotional states via temperature-related terms ("cold fear" and "warm love"). Design/methodology/approach: Across three studies (nStudy1a = 71; nStudy1b = 33; and nStudy2 = 317) based on samples from two countries (Germany and the USA) and using two different methods (semantic and visual), the temperature dimension of emotions is conceptualized and measured. Across a wide spectrum of emotions, factor analyses uncover temperature as an emotional dimension distinct from PAD and assess the dimension's face, discriminant, convergent, nomological and criterion validity. Findings: Emotional temperature is a bipolar dimension of an affective state that underlies human relationships, ranging from cold to warm, such that social closeness is linked to emotional warmth and social distance to emotional coldness. Emotional temperature is uncovered as a dimension distinct from PAD, that is, it is correlated with but separate from PAD. Research limitations/implications: In this research, a portfolio of 17 basic emotions relevant in everyday consumption contexts was examined. Future research could further refine the emotional temperature dimension by analyzing more complex emotions and their position on the temperature map. In general, this paper sets the stage for additional work examining emotional temperature and its effects on consumer behavior. Practical implications: The results have strategic implications for marketers on which emotions to select for campaigns, depending on factors like the climate or season. Social implications: This research provides a better foundation upon which to understand the effect of emotions that invoke warmth or coldness. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this research is the first to conceptualize, measure and comprehensively validate the temperature dimension of emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has indicated how diverse books contribute to a more culturally responsive pedagogy, allowing children to identify themselves in the stories they read and gain an appreciation for others whose lives are different from theirs. Moreover, a sensitive discussion of and critical responses to diverse picturebooks is found to positively influence a child's social and emotional learning competecies, apart from increasing a child's cultural knowledge and serving as a catalyst for social justice. This paper is meant to broaden early childhood educators' repertoire of picturebooks that can be used in the classroom to also include international titles (translated into English from their original languages) and multicultural titles to facilitate affective engagement with these narratives and introduce social and emotional learning skills (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management and responsible decision-making). This paper provides a list of diverse books (from the Netherlands, Japan, Lithuania, Spain, Germany, France, Argentina – among others) for students in early childhood (from preschool to third grade) thematically organized across the five social and emotional learning competencies. Strategies such as book-bonding and literacy bags for family engagement will be shared while using the framework of culturally responsive teaching in an early childhood setting. Recommendations for how family members can be more involved are included, along with critical literacy strategies that include conversations, multiple perspectives and the sharing of authentic experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While antiracist protest has gained increasing prominence in Europe in recent years, the lack of representative data has so far prevented an assessment of the scope and drivers of antiracist protest outside of the United States. This paper addresses this gap drawing from a unique survey (N = 5003) on racism in Germany. Building upon sociological and social psychological theories of protest, the article explores the scope and role of key demographic, cognitive, and emotional factors for protest practice and protest potential. Our data suggests that antiracist protest is supported by considerable parts of German society and finds that mediated experiences of racism and emotional reactions matter as drivers of mobilization: those with and without a personal experience of racism are more likely to protest if they were told of racist experiences by others. This effect is even more pronounced if participants are emotionally affected by personal and mediated experiences of racism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Languages for Specific Purposes is the property of University of Oradea, Faculty of Economic Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Conspiracy beliefs have become widespread throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies have shown that endorsing conspiracy beliefs leads to lower protective guideline adherence (i.e., wearing face masks), posing a threat to public health measures. The current study expands this research across the lifespan, i.e., in a sample of adolescents with mental health problems. Here, we investigated the association between conspiracy beliefs and guideline adherence while also exploring the predictors of conspiracy beliefs. Methods: N = 93 adolescent psychiatric outpatients (57% female, mean age: 15.8) were assessed using anonymous paper–pencil questionnaires. Endorsement of generic and COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs was assessed, in addition to items measuring adherence to protective guidelines and mental health (stress, depressive symptoms, emotional/behavioral problems, and adverse childhood experiences). Multiple regressions and supervised machine learning (conditional random forests) were used for analyses. Results: Fourteen percent of our sample fully endorsed at least one COVID-19 conspiracy theory, while protective guidelines adherence was relatively high (M = 4.92, on a scale from 1 to 7). The endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs—but not of generic conspiracy beliefs—was associated with lower guideline adherence (β = − 0.32, 95% CI − 0.53 to − 0.11, p <.001). Conditional random forests suggested that adverse childhood experiences and peer and conduct problems were relevant predictors of both conspiracy belief categories. Conclusion: While a significant proportion of our sample of adolescents in psychiatric treatment endorsed conspiracy beliefs, the majority did not. Furthermore, and to some degree, contrary to public perception, we found that adolescents show relatively good adherence to public health measures—even while experiencing a high degree of mental distress. The predictive value of adverse childhood experiences and peer/conduct problems for conspiracy beliefs might be explained by compensatory mechanisms to ensure the safety, structure, and inclusion that conspiracies provide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study is based on an in-depth thematic analysis of 20 interviews with German and Israeli adult survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) by religious authority figures (RAF). This paper aims to explore survivors' experiences within the Jewish ultra-Orthodox and Christian communities, as well as to draw comparisons between the abusive structures and disclosure in these two contexts. The results point to the complexity of CSA by RAF, which is embedded in the survivors' perceptions of themselves as emotionally and cognitively captured by the perpetrators who are a symbol of a parent or God and faith. The participants expressed great concern regarding disclosing the abuse against the backdrop of familial, cultural, and community inhibitors, such as fear of social stigmatization, inability to recognize the abuse, and the taboo of sexuality discourse. The survivors' traumatic experiences were intensified in light of negative social responses to disclosure and encounters with insensitive officials. A comparison of the cultures revealed differences regarding the nature of community life and educational institutions, which may have shaped the disclosure and recognition of the abuse. The study highlights the importance of comparative follow-up studies related to this phenomenon in order to examine its universal and unique cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crises like the COVID-19 pandemic bring along challenges for individuals and society. In the case of Germany, vaccination against COVID-19 was identified as the primary measure to overcome the pandemic. This put those individuals in the spotlight who did not decide for it. This paper aims to analyze how vaccinated people perceived the group of unvaccinated individuals and whether they wished to punish those who did not contribute to ending the pandemic by vaccination. For this purpose, an online survey was conducted in the spring of 2022. Two hundred eighty-five answered the questionnaire. As a result, many respondents tried to make the best of the pandemic, although many reported negative emotions. Stereotypes of unvaccinated individuals revealed prejudices. Data also demonstrate an attempt to reduce contact with unvaccinated individuals as far as possible and an openness to discrimination or a desire for punishment. Although data result from a relatively small study, they can provide an illustrative example that can stimulate considerations of possible consequences and to further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deutschland verfügt über eine Vielzahl von Wissen und Erfahrungen über Russland und den Umgang mit Russland. Dennoch haben sich die politischen Entscheidungsträger in Deutschland über viele Jahre schwer damit getan, zu begreifen, dass Moskaus Versuche, die Mächtebalance in Europa neu zu strukturieren, einen frontalen Angriff auf Deutschlands Interessen darstellen, die auf Integration in die EU und NATO basieren. Für Deutsche sind Konflikte mit Russland etwas zutiefst Unbehagliches; allein der Gedanke weckt Emotionen, die klares Denken und konsistentes Handeln behindern. Dieser Artikel beleuchtet die Herausforderung, die diese Einstellungsmuster für Deutschland bei der Entwicklung politischer Strategien im Umgang mit Russland darstellt. Er analysiert, wie mehrere aufeinanderfolgende Bundesregierungen zwischen 1991 und 2014 die russischen Absichten missverstanden und unbeabsichtigt die Herausbildung eines russischen Systems gefördert haben, das deutschen Interessen gegenüber feindlich gesonnen ist. Despite Germany's unparalleled knowledge and experience of Russia, German policy makers have so far struggled to accept that Moscow's efforts to rebalance Europe are an attack on Germany's interests based on its integration into the EU and NATO. For Germans, conflict in relations with Russia is deeply discomforting, and arouses emotions that impede clear thinking and consistent action. This paper explains the scale of the challenge facing Germany in designing policies to manage relations with a changing Russia. It analyses how successive German governments from 1991 to 2014 misread Russian intentions and inadvertently supported the emergence of a Russian system hostile to German interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotions are present in all learning processes, including those in entrepreneurship education. In this paper, we investigate which kinds of emotions exist in entrepreneurship education at university and in which contexts they occur, and show how the concept of liminal spaces – spaces of transformation in which students encounter high degrees of uncertainty, while their potential for learning is maximised – can be used in order to understand the role of negative emotions for entrepreneurship education. Providing examples from courses on entrepreneurship for Engineering and Business Administration students at a German university, we are able to confirm findings of existing literature on the type and sources of emotions. Moreover, our findings suggest that reflection of students on emotional processes that involve the endurance of uncertainty contribute significantly to the achievement of learning outcomes and that – within the limits of existing learning cultures and guidelines for assessment – teachers can facilitate such processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Sponsorships involving foreign brands are ubiquitous, but those involving a company from an animosity-evoking country can adversely affect rather than enhance domestic consumers' attitude towards the brand. This paper explains the mechanisms by which brand denigration occurs, introducing and validating a model of the animosity transfer process as well as considering if various framing and timing strategies attenuate or lead to adverse consumer responses. Design/methodology/approach: Study 1 tests the animosity transfer model, utilizing a scenario in which English consumers respond to a German brand sponsoring the England soccer team. Study 2 assesses the generalizability of the model in the context of Indian consumers' responses to sponsorship of their cricket team by a Chinese company, and the extent to which an honest framing of the sponsorship choice through the announcement affects outcomes. Study 3 returns to an England–Germany country dyad, testing whether priming consumers with information about the sponsorship prior to a full announcement, attenuates or intensifies the impact of animosity on the studied outcomes. Findings: The three studies demonstrate that when consumers learn of a sponsorship, it triggers an evaluation process in which the agonistic emotion (anger) they feel plays a pivotal role. More intense emotional appraisals weaken perceptions of sponsor-sponsee congruence, which together act as consecutive process variables mediating the relationship between animosity and sponsorship outcomes. Framing the sponsorship announcement with an honest justification for the partnership can improve outcomes but not amongst those with the highest animosity. Providing consumers with an advanced warning (preannouncement) of the sponsorship also amplifies consumers' unfavorable evaluations showcasing how difficult animosity is to manage in this context. Originality/value: The animosity transfer model aids understanding of the mechanisms by which animosity affects brand attitude for foreign (out-group) sponsors. It identifies how animosity generates agonistic emotions and in turn weakens perceived fit between the sponsor and sponsee, leading to adverse consumer responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reflects on place attachment in times of digitalisation in rural regions. Our qualitative study explores the extent to which and with which characteristics place attachment 'translates' into the digital format. The paper analyses 193 digital projects presented in the internet. These cases cover several European countries with a particular focus on Germany. The analysis is based on a three-dimensional framework involving attachment concepts, space/place and digitalisation. From a systematic categorisation of the case studies, six result patterns emerge: Some of them confirm place attachment patterns, which are well known from the debate on 'non-digital' place attachment (e.g., the importance of emotions). Other findings show that digitalisation does make a difference, in particular concerning abstract, non-localised spatial references to the rural area. Finally, we deduce some implications from our findings for practical implementation in regional development. • Facets of place attachment to rural regions are examined in digital tools. • Digital formats enable references to generic and abstract spatial contexts. • To attract new residents the focus is on locational information. • In digital tools, place-related emotions are uttered differently across scales. • Web 3.0 applications potentially secure rural services of general interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine self-reported pica substances, situational triggers for, and associated psychosocial burden of pica eating in adolescents and adults in a Western European population., Methods: A total of 78 individuals aged 16 years and over, who indicated consuming a substance that in their opinion is not considered as food, participated in an online survey. Two questionnaires assessed eating disorder and general psychopathology, and a third asked about the substances consumed, duration and frequency of consumption, triggers for consumption, emotions thereafter, and interest in treatment., Results: The most frequently reported substances included foods in an uncooked or non-edible form, body parts/fluids, grass, leaves, paper, and earth-like substances, with 54 (69.23%) participants reporting a substance that would qualify as pica substance according to DSM-5. The main triggers for consumption were taste of the substance/indulgence, boredom, curiosity, and release of internal tension. The most common emotion after consumption was relief. Pica eating frequency was not significantly related to eating disorder and general psychopathology (both p > 0.05). A total of 24 individuals considered their pica eating as disruptive, of whom only eight declared an interest in treatment., Conclusions: The kind of substances consumed is in line with the previous reports in other populations. Pica eating does not seem to be associated with significant psychosocial burden; only a subgroup indicated that they experience it as disruptive and expressed interest in treatment. Nevertheless, for these individuals, triggers for pica eating and emotions thereafter might provide first hints for the development of interventions., Level of Evidence: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

Accessible summary: What is known on the subject?: Coercive interventions (CI) in emergency psychiatry face increasing criticism, as they can be an emotional, even traumatic event for all persons involved. They are thus considered the last resort.The use of coercive interventions differs widely with regard to type and frequency of measures across different countries and institutions.Individual staff characteristics, such as attitudes towards coercion, may play a vital role in the management of aggression.Little is known about the influence of emotions of staff members on CI, but they are likely to play an important role. What the paper adds to existing knowledge?: Most staff members surveyed had a rather critical view of coercion and considered it a "necessary evil."Staff members with the most work experience had a more critical view of coercion in comparison with less experienced staff. Nurses rated coercion more positively than did psychiatrists or psychologists.Emotions play an important role in decision‐making processes. The current study systematically asked for accompanying emotions during the application of CI and looked for individual differences. A majority of the participants experienced compassion; about half felt helplessness, grief or anxiety. Almost 20% stated that they felt a sense of power. Older staff members more often felt anger or guilt; women felt less power than men did. Nurses felt more desperation than other occupational groups.Staff members consider reflective interventions, such as team supervisions or post‐seclusion/restraint debriefings with the patient, as important. Nevertheless, only half reported that these interventions are carried out routinely.Staff members believe that certain risk factors (including stress, low staffing, a fully occupied ward and the presence of particular staff members) enhance the probability of CI. What are the implications for practice?: To reduce the use of coercive interventions, we recommend that psychiatric teams include highly experienced staff members as work experience has a positive effect on the attitudes towards coercive interventions.Structured post‐seclusion/restraint debriefings and team supervisions are considered helpful by staff members and are relatively easy to implement on acute wards. Enhancing staff members' ability to reflect on their own attitudes, emotions and actions is likely to reduce coercive interventions. Introduction: Little is known about staff attitudes towards coercive interventions (CI) and emotions accompanying these measures. Aim: The current study assessed attitudes, views on reflective interventions and accompanying emotions of different occupational groups towards CI, as well as factors, that increase the probability of CI. Method: Staff members (N = 138) of a large psychiatric hospital in Germany were assessed using the Staff Attitude to Coercion Scale (SACS) and newly developed items assessing staff members' emotions and views on coercion. Results: Experienced staff members were most critical of coercion. Nurses rated coercion significantly more positively than other staff. A majority experienced compassion; about half felt helplessness, grief or anxiety. Almost 20% felt a sense of power. Nurses felt the most desperation. Participants strongly desired reflective measures such as post‐seclusion/restraint debriefings with patients. According to staff members, stress on the wards and low staffing increases the probability of CI. Discussion: The study assessed accompanying emotions during the application of CI. Attitudes towards coercion and emotions are associated with individual staff characteristics (e.g. profession, work experience). Implications: The presence of experienced staff members may help prevent CI. Staff consider reflective interventions helpful in reducing CI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on the father-child-relationship in a family systems perspective, this paper investigates longitudinal links of parenting, interparental conflict, and positive regard by both parents, to their emotional insecurity with father and mother. Furthermore, to clarify fathers' contribution to children's social development, aspects of the relationship to both parents are jointly considered. The sample was drawn from the German family panel pairfam and included 372 family triads with parents' and children's self-reports. Findings revealed consistent associations between interparental conflict and lack of positive regard and emotional insecurity, while parenting had no independent links with children's emotional insecurity or social adjustment. Controlling for the stability of child outcomes, interparental conflict predicted children's lower prosocial behavior and higher peer rejection. In addition, peer rejection was predicted by children's emotional insecurity with father. The findings are in line with the emotional security hypothesis and highlight the importance of the father-child-relationship for developing positive peer relationships.

Are mental disorders on the rise, or rather the willingness to disclose them and ask for help? Is humanity becoming increasingly ill or is illness becoming more and more human? Which perspective on mental disorders, especially psychosis, helps the patient to integrate their own experience, and others to avoid social distance? Can psychiatry learn and eventually teach to view these distinct human characteristics not only as pathologic foreignness and abnormality, but also from an anthropological perspective, as a profoundly human expression that exists on a continuum? What value can categories such as purpose and happiness have in this context? The paper introduces the example of Hamburg as city of contradictions with high levels of sickness absence, but simultaneously top scores in the happiness index. Then follows an attempt to outline which perspective on mental illness and which therapeutic stance might be helpful, so that illness and happiness are no longer seen as mutually exclusive. The final case history asks the provocative question if there can be a "successful psychosis"., Competing Interests: Der Autor gibt an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Copyright of Journal of Computer Assisted Learning is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Self‐generated learning (SGL) activities are characterized as an active learning strategy that functions as a support for deeper comprehension. However, the question arises which factors could be essential to fully exploit the effectiveness of SGL activities. One possible factor may be the emotional state of learners during learning. Because different emotional states are associated with different styles of information processing, in turn, they may support learning with SGL activities. Consequently, this study addresses learning with a type of SGL activities, answering elaborative interrogations, and the impact of learners' emotional states. German students (N = 123) were assigned to one of four conditions, resulting from a 2 × 2 design with instructional material (elaborative interrogations vs. no elaborative interrogations) and emotional state (positive vs. negative) as independent variables. Results showed that learners learning with elaborative interrogations experienced the instructional material as more difficult than without elaborative interrogations. Learning with them led to a better transfer learning outcome of concepts that had to be generated by interrogations (not for concepts that were already readable in the text) and had no effect for retention. Unexpectedly, neither an influence of the learners' emotional state nor an interaction of both independent variables could be shown. Lay Description: What is currently known about this topic: So‐called SGL activities force the learner to deal with instructional material more actively, which in turn should result in better comprehension of the content.Answering elaborative interrogations, one type of SGL activity, prompt learners to elaborate on information that are essential to understand the learning issue.Different emotional states are associated with varied information processing: positive enhances flexible thinking and motivation to learn; negative supports rather rigid learning strategies with just enough effort to learn the issue. What this paper adds: The combination of this both possibly influencing factors: the effectiveness of answering elaborative interrogations might be affected by learners' emotional state.Learners with a positive emotional state should profit from learning with the additional challenging task (assessed by knowledge tests).Learners with a negative emotional state should not profit from this learning strategy to the same extent than the learners with the positive but would rather benefit through the use of text‐only.Motivation of learners could play a mediating role. Implications for practice and/or policy: It is important to know under which conditions the effectiveness of SGL activities is enhanced or even not.Accordingly, other SGL activities have to be investigated, too.In school context, teachers could get a better idea under which conditions which learning strategy is effectiveLearners can profit from knowing which learning strategy best suits according to the learning issue [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Germany, the use of life story work as an approach to care in nursing homes has not been implemented successfully. Using Grounded Theory, we explored care staff's understandings of life story work when caring for persons with dementia. Thirty-six staff from seven nursing homes participated in semi-structured interviews or group discussions. In this paper we discuss new aspects and theoretical connections between understandings and practices of life story work. For some participants, obtaining 'true facts' about a resident's course of life was considered the most important topic. Others highlighted the importance of narratives as well as embodied stories told by persons with dementia, as aspects that generated emotionally meaningful situations. Delivering sound life story work can be challenging for care staff working with persons with dementia. To enhance care in nursing homes, the importance of life story work needs to be further developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Germany, general practitioners play a pivotal role in palliative care provision. Caring for patients with palliative care needs can be a burden for general practitioners, highlighting the importance of self-care and mental health support. This study aimed to explore the role of palliative care in general practitioners' daily work, the stressors they experience, their coping mechanisms, and the potential benefits of Advance Care Planning in this context. Methods: An exploratory approach was employed, combining a short quantitative survey with qualitative interviews. The analysis was based on a structuring qualitative content analysis, following a deductive-inductive procedure and integrating the Stress-Strain Model and Lazarus' Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. We recruited eleven general practitioners to take part in the study. Results: General practitioners viewed palliative care as integral to their practice but faced challenges such as time constraints and perceived expertise gaps. Societal taboos often hindered conversations on the topic of death. Most general practitioners waited for their patients to initiate the topic. Some general practitioners viewed aspects of palliative care as potentially distressing. They used problem-focused (avoiding negative stressors, structuring their daily schedules) and emotion-focused (discussions with colleagues) coping strategies. Still, general practitioners indicated a desire for specific psychological support options. Advance Care Planning, though relatively unfamiliar, was acknowledged as valuable for end-of-life conversations. Conclusions: Palliative care can be associated with negative psychological stress for general practitioners, often coming from external factors. Despite individual coping strategies in place, it is advisable to explore concepts for professional psychological relief. Trial registration: Not registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students experience both positive and negative emotions during lessons. However, little research has been conducted into students' perspectives on how they deal with these emotions. For this reason, the current study aimed to investigate how students perceive, deal with, and interact in emotional classroom situations, using a mixed-methods approach. In Study 1, 28 primary school children in the fourth grade drew pictures of achievement-emotion situations and were subsequently interviewed. In a three-step analysis process, students' drawings and interviews were analysed using open coding and content analysis. In Study 2, 635 students from 38 primary and secondary schools in northern Germany reported (via the DECCS questionnaire) their appraisals, achievement emotions, emotion regulation behaviour, and desired teacher support regarding two case vignettes: one involving a learning situation and the other a performance situation. The results of Study 1 reveal that peers play a crucial role in how students deal with positive emotions in class. The structural equation model of Study 2 shows that almost all pathways between emotion regulation behaviour (maladaptive as well as adaptive) and students' desired teacher behaviour in the form of praise and support are significant. The results of both studies indicate that social support (i.e., peer interactions and teacher support) is crucial in how students deal with both positive and negative achievement emotions in class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cognitive-Affective Theory of Learning with Media postulates that affective factors as well as individual learner characteristics impact multimedia learning. The present study investigated how experimentally induced positive and negative emotions influence multimedia learning and how learner characteristics moderated this impact. Results showed that the group with the negative emotion induction outperformed the group with the positive emotion induction with regard to learning outcome. Cognitive resources (working memory capacity, prior knowledge) and openness to experience were significant predictors for learning. In addition, learners with highest prior knowledge or working memory capacity could compensate the emotional impact on learning. Neuroticism enhanced the emotional impact on learning outcome as a moderator. Lay description What is already known about this topic: Emotions and learner characteristics are assumed to influence multimedia learning., There are inconsistent results on emotional impact on multimedia learning., Cognitive resources were shown to be predictors of learning outcomes., There are inconsistent results on how much learners' personality predicts learning., What this paper adds: Negative emotions can lead to higher learning outcomes than positive emotions., Cognitive resources are significant predictors for learning outcomes., Openness to experience predicts learning outcomes., Neuroticism enhances the emotional impact on multimedia learning., Implications for practice and/or policy: Learner characteristics and emotions influence multimedia learning., A very positive emotional state can be harmful to learning., Learners' personality can enhance emotional impact on multimedia learning., Learning environments should be designed to attract learners' curiosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Regarding how the public regulation of human services is perceived within welfare organizations and how the latter cope with it, the role of emotions (as mediators between structure and agency) proves highly relevant while often being hidden beneath the surface. This article shows how a specific approach to such regulation – here: managerialism – may impact on "emotional regimes" at the organizational and individual level, affecting the attainment of organizational goals and workers' health. Design/methodology/approach: The article primarily draws on multiple qualitative case studies across two welfare sectors (four organizations) in Germany (continuing education/active inclusion; long-term care). The study research was conducted between 2020 and 2022 and based on 36 interviews with caseworkers and managers, focus group interviews and expert dialogues at industry level. Findings: The results suggest that the managerialist regulation of welfare services breeds complex and ambiguous emotional regimes. Business-like management techniques elicit various emotions, affecting the motivational basis of human service work. While the experience of hard challenges may raise positive feelings, coping patterns often put strain on organizations and staff alike. In the short run, related emotional regimes tend to make service delivery proceed smoothly, yet in the long run they may have corrosive effects and problematic repercussions on macro-level developments. Originality/value: The study highlights the role of emotions in publicly regulated human service settings by intermingling macro- and micro-level processes and thereby broadens the perspective of welfare state research as it reveals the impact of (managerialist) regulation on the dynamic organizational chemistry of such settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Volunteers have always been integral to hospice and palliative care. However, their roles have been left relatively undefined and broad. Aim: This study aims to examine the role of hospice volunteers in German inpatient hospice and palliative care. The question we seek to answer is: What do hospice volunteers contribute to everyday life in inpatient hospice and palliative care units? Methods: We undertook a multicenter, on-site qualitative interview study, utilizing problem-centered interviews with 16 volunteers from five inpatient hospice units and one hospital palliative care unit. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory. Results: Analysis of the interviews revealed three typical characteristics of how hospice volunteers' describe their own role: (1) performing small acts of kindness, (2) creating a family-like atmosphere, (3) expecting emotional experiences. A common theme across all categories is the emphasis on spontaneous actions and personal experiences. The process of dying becomes an experience interpreted by volunteers as enriching, as a gift, as a "teacher". Conclusion: Granting hospice volunteers freedom to act spontaneously and intuitively benefits hospice and palliative care delivery. Organizations should leave sufficient room for spontaneity in order to involve volunteers effectively. Open and unstandardized roles facilitate dynamic work practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the COVID-19 pandemic further unfolds, it becomes a key theoretical and practical question to identify trajectories of child psychological well-being and to explore risk and resilience factors for developmental adjustment. The current study addressed this research gap by means of an ecological design: A (lockdown)–B (relaxation)–B (relaxation)–A (lockdown). We collected parental reports via online questionnaires over four measurement occasions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany (non-probabilistic sample): from the first lockdown (T1—spring 2020, N = 1769) to the following period of relaxation (T2—summer 2020, n = 873; T3—fall 2020, n = 729) on to the second lockdown (T4—winter 2020/21, n = 748). Key measures at T1–T4 were child emotional and behavioral problems as well as hyperactivity, child emotional and family-related well-being, parental strain, and parent–child relationship quality. We found evidence for quadratic growth models. While child problem behaviors (b = 0.32, p < 0.001) and emotional well-being (b = − 0.33, p < 0.001) improved after the first lockdown during subsequent periods of relaxation before worsening again in the second lockdown, child family-related well-being steadily decreased over all four measurement points (T1–T2: p < 0.001; T2–T3: p = 0.045; T3–T4: p = 0.030). Importantly, parental stress emerged as a strong risk factor (ps < 0.11) and the parent–child relationship quality constituted a resilience factor (p = 0.049) for child psychological well-being. These findings have major implications for policies aiming to further child health during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the relation between migrants' political subjectivity and the emotional dimension of protest. Although a vast literature analyses these dimensions, few studies have explored how social movements aim to trigger processes of political subjectivity formation and emotional transformations in contexts in which activists face marginalisation. I propose to analyse the effects of such a context through the focus on a movement mobilising against the exclusion of migrants in Germany. I show how activists strategically construct a political subjectivity based on the "forced migration" and "resistance" framework and aim to trigger feelings of emancipation among participants. At a more general level, I explore the transformative dimension of protest through the analysis of how activists strategically aim to transform negative and deactivating emotions (isolation, humiliation, and fear) into positive and activating emotions (loyalty, determination, and pride) in the course of collective action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies about Islamist‐inspired terror attacks in the Western world have identified a recently declining impact on public opinion. What explains this development? I argue that the wider audience of terrorist attacks has become desensitized. Cognitive desensitization occurs when citizens increasingly expect an attack, reducing the likelihood of attitudinal change. Emotional desensitization occurs when audiences lose sensitivity to attacks, tempering emotional arousal. To assess the implications of desensitization, I analyze a survey conducted around the Berlin Christmas market attack in 2016 and account for baseline information of the surveyed individuals, an approach not used before due to data limitations. I find that attitudes like trust in government, national identification, and views of Islam remain unchanged. Sadness and anger are heightened in the immediate aftermath of the attack. The wider German audience may thus have expected an attack but still be emotionally sensitive to it in the short term. These findings are relevant as political leaders have justified important policy changes in fields like migration and even war making with reference to supposed shifts in public opinion after attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focusses on coping strategies employed by children and adolescents with diagnosed short stature, assesses the impact of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics on coping, examines the relationship between coping and health related quality of life (QoL) and investigates the role of coping strategies in mediating the relationship between height and QoL. Coping with a disease (CODI) and quality of life in short stature youth (QoLISSY-QoL) questionnaires were completed by 137 short-statured children and adolescents between 8 and 18 years, participating in the crosssectional European QoLISSY study. Clinical and socio-demographic data were collected to examine differences in coping via variance and regression analyses, associations between CODI and QoLISSY were inspected using correlation and mediation analyses. Most frequently employed coping strategies in the CODI were 'Acceptance' and 'Wishful Thinking', with 'Emotional Reaction' used least. Significant effects of age, diagnosis and treatment status on coping strategies were detected. CODI scales 'Acceptance' and 'Distance' were associated with higher QoLISSY-QoL scores, 'Emotional Reaction' and 'Wishful Thinking' with lower scores. Coping strategies predicted 60 % of the QoLISSY-QoL variance. Relationships between height deviation and QoLISSY-QoL were mediated by the coping strategies of 'Wishful Thinking' and 'Distance'. Findings suggest that coping efforts vary with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, that protective coping strategies in terms of QoL can be identified and that coping mediates the relationship between short stature and QoL. Future longitudinal research should focus on the adaptive function of coping in relation to QoL over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents show a high vulnerability for addictive gaming patterns on the one hand and immature emotion regulation (ER) abilities as a risk factor for mental disorders on the other hand. We investigated the predictive value of ER difficulties on problematic gaming (PG) considering age groups (children vs. youths) and gender cross-sectionally and prospectively in a representative sample of German adolescents via online survey with two measurement points 14 months apart. General Poisson, logistic, and multinomial regression models were estimated to predict gaming patterns by ER difficulties controlling for age group and gender. Results revealed ER difficulties to be significantly associated with PG. Moreover, subgroup analyses indicated differing ER patterns for children vs. youths and boys vs. girls: for children, higher PG values were associated with emotional awareness and emotional clarity whereas for youths it was the acceptance of emotional responses. Moreover, gender differences implicated that boys with PG had more deficits in goal-oriented behavior as well as emotional awareness while affected girls were lacking emotional clarity and had problems with the acceptance of their emotional responses. Interestingly, procrastination was a significant predictor for PG irrespective of subgroups. Furthermore, longitudinal analyses indicated that difficulties in ER promoted PG while stronger procrastination tendencies maintained it. With the inclusion of procrastination, which can be understood as a maladaptive ER strategy, a broader picture of ER difficulties as a risk factor for PG could be drawn. The findings support a better understanding of PG etiology and the development of targeted prevention and intervention measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many employees perform under increasingly digital conditions. Enabling home office environments became mandatory for companies wherever possible in consideration of the ongoing pandemic. Simultaneously, studies reported on digital stress. The current literature lacks rigorous research into digital stress on psychosomatic outcomes, emotions, and disease. Therefore, we endeavor to understand how digital stress developed over the course of the pandemic and if it predicts differences in negative emotions and physical complaints in the home office setting. To answer the research question, we conducted an online survey among 441 employees in 2020 and 398 employees in 2022 from three municipal administrations in Germany, who were working from home at least occasionally. We used a cluster analysis to detect digitally stressed employees. Regression analyses were performed on digital stress, negative emotions, and physical complaints. The analysis revealed an increase from 9 to 20% in digital stress, while negative emotions and physical complaints did not show evident differences. In the multivariate model, we observe a change in the proportion of digitally stressed employees between 4 and 17%, while the control variables explain around 9%. Digital stress did not significantly affect either negative emotions or physical complaints. However, digital stress appeared to exert a more substantial predictive influence on negative emotions. The study emphasizes rising digital stress, which contradicts a positive adaption to the digital working conditions within the observed period. The psychosomatic relations are low or lagged. Further research investigating digital stress and countermeasures, especially to understand how to prevent harmful long-term effects such as distress resulting from working from home conditions, is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present research we tested the differential effects of anger versus shame as emotional predictors of ingroup disidentification in one rather collectivistic (Japan) and two rather individualistic societies (Germany, Canada). We tested the idea that individuals cope with socially undesired emotions by disidentifying from their group. Specifically, we predicted that after a group conflict, anger, an undesired emotion in Japan, would elicit disidentification in Japan, whereas shame, an undesired emotion in Canada and Germany, would elicit disidentification in Germany and Canada. Study 1 (N = 378) found that anger, but not shame, was related to disidentification in Japan, whereas shame, but not anger, was related to disidentification in Canada and Germany. Study 2 (N = 171) shows that, after group conflict, Japanese disidentified more when imagining to feel angry, whereas Germans disidentified more when imagining to feel ashamed. Implications for these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The affective tone of autobiographical memories may be influenced by age in two ways—by the current age of the remembering individual and by the age of the remembered self at the time of the remembered event. While aging has been associated with more positive autobiographical memories, young adulthood is remembered more positively than other parts of life. We tested whether these effects also show in life story memories and how they act jointly on affective tone; also, we wanted to explore their effects on remembered lifetimes other than early adulthood. We tested effects of current age and age at event on affective tone with brief entire life narratives provided up to five times across 16 years by 172 Germans of both genders, ages 8 to 81 years. Multilevel analyses found an unexpected negativity effect of aging for current age and confirmed a "golden 20s" effect of remembered age. In addition, women told more negative life stories, and affective tone dipped in early adolescence for current age and was remembered as such up to mid-adulthood. Thus, the affective tone of life story memories is jointly influenced by current and remembered age. The absence of a positivity effect in aging is explained by the specific requirements of telling an entire life. We suggest the turmoil of puberty as a reason for the early adolescence dip. Gender differences are potentially explained by differences in narrative style, in depression rates, and in real-life challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strong link between emotions and eating behavior has been previously found, however there is a lack of research investigating how emotions influence food product choice in a retail setting. An online questionnaire including a choice-based conjoint analysis and self-reported consumer emotions was used to assess the importance of different product attributes to yogurt consumers in Germany in 2021. The analysis consisted of a Hierarchical Bayes approach and a cluster analysis. The results revealed that yogurt consumers placed most importance on ingredients, followed by price, Nutri-Score, flavour, and finally production method. Based on the self-reported consumer emotions, a positive, a rather positive and an indifferent emotion cluster was found. The positive cluster preferred the highest quality in terms of ecological and health values and was willing to pay more for such a yogurt. The rather positive cluster preferred these options as well, however was not always willing to pay more for them. The indifferent cluster was more driven by lower prices and was more willing to trade other qualities for the cheapest option. These findings are insightful for food marketing and health interventions as shopping experience, as well as product choice could be enhanced through emotion induction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dissecting animal organs is a method of biology teaching that offers a direct and authentic view into morphological structures and enables hands-on activity and multisensory experiences. However, the dissection process is often associated with certain (negative) emotions that might hinder successful learning. One such emotion that is particularly common during dissection is disgust. Experiencing disgust can negatively affect emotional experiences. Consequently, alternatives for dissection in biology lessons are being sought. Methods: In this study, the method of dissection is compared with two common methods of teaching the anatomy of the mammalian eye: watching a video and working with an anatomical model. The focus of the comparison is on the influence on the following emotional qualities of experience: perceived disgust, perceived interest, well-being and boredom. Two hundred and eighteen students (Mage = 14.19, SDage = 1.02 years, 52% female) from secondary schools in Germany participated in a two-hour lesson on the anatomy of the mammalian eye using one of the three aforementioned teaching methods. Findings: Our results show that perceived disgust was higher for the dissection group than in the ones that worked with a video or a model. We found that dissecting and watching a video led to a similar level of interest, well-being, and boredom. The anatomical model was perceived as less disgusting but more boring than the dissection. The detailed videos of a dissection seem to offer similar positive emotional experiences when compared to dissecting in class and may be an alternative approach when teachers have concerns about performing a real dissection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore nurses' and nurse assistants' experiences of providing end‐of‐life care during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Austria, Germany and Northern Italy. Design: A qualitative explorative interview study. Method: Data were collected between August and December 2020 and analysed using content analysis. Healthcare professionals (nurses (n = 30), nurse coordinators (n = 6) and nurse assistants (n = 5)) from hospitals (n = 32) and long‐term care facilities (n = 9) in Austria, Germany and Northern Italy were interviewed for this study. Results: Five main categories were identified as follows: (i) end‐of‐life care involves love and duty, (ii) last wishes and dignity of the patient, (iii) communication with the family, (iv) organizational and religious aspects and (v) personal emotions. Results indicate that more training and guidelines are needed to prepare nurses and nurse assistants for end‐of‐life care during pandemics. Public contribution: This research can help prepare nurses and nurse assistants for end‐of‐life care in pandemics and will be of value for improving the institutional and government health policies. Furthermore, it can be of value in preparing training for healthcare professionals patient–relatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous research results have already pointed towards the negative influence of increased mental stress on educational processes and motivational criteria. It has also been shown that the global public health crisis induced by COVID-19 was related to anxiety symptoms and elevated levels of distress. To holistically elucidate the dynamics of the pandemic-related mental stress of first-year medical students, the associated parameters of three different cohorts were measured at the beginning of the pandemic-related restrictions on university life in Germany (20/21), at the peak of the COVID-19-related restrictions (21/22) and during the easing of the restrictions in the winter term 22/23. In a repeated cross-sectional study design, the constructs of worries, tension, demands and joy were collected from first-year medical students (n = 578) using the Perceived Stress Questionnaire. The results demonstrate significantly increased values of the constructs worries (p < 0.001), tension (p < 0.001) and demands (p < 0.001) at the peak of the pandemic related restrictions compared to the previous and following year as well as significantly decreasing values of general joy of life during the observed period of 3 years (all p-values < 0.001). A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to verify the questionnaire's factor structure regarding the addressed target group during the pandemic (CFI: 0.908, RMSEA: 0.071, SRMR: 0.052). These data, collected over a period of three years, provide information regarding dynamically manifesting mental stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, and refer to new areas of responsibility for the faculties to adequately counteract future crisis situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression, generalized and cardiac anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder negatively affect disease severity, participation, and mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease. Psychological treatments within cardiac rehabilitation may improve the outcomes of these patients. We therefore developed a cognitive-behavioral rehabilitation program for patients with cardiovascular disease and mild or moderate mental illness or stress or exhaustion. In Germany, similar programs are well established in musculoskeletal rehabilitation and cancer rehabilitation. However, no randomized controlled trials have evaluated if such programs achieve better outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease compared with standard cardiac rehabilitation. Methods: Our randomized controlled trial compares cognitive-behavioral cardiac rehabilitation with standard cardiac rehabilitation. The cognitive-behavioral program complements standard cardiac rehabilitation with additional psychological and exercise interventions. Both rehabilitation programs last for four weeks. We enroll 410 patients with cardiovascular disease and mild or moderate mental illness or stress or exhaustion aged 18 to 65 years. Half of the individuals are randomly assigned to cognitive-behavioral rehabilitation and the other half to standard cardiac rehabilitation. Our primary outcome is cardiac anxiety 12 months after the end of rehabilitation. Cardiac anxiety is assessed with the German 17-item version of the Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes cover outcomes assessed by clinical examinations and medical assessments and a range of patient-reported outcome measures. Discussion: This randomized controlled trial is designed to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral rehabilitation at decreasing cardiac anxiety in patients with cardiovascular disease and mild or moderate mental illness or stress or exhaustion. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00029295, June 21, 2022). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is estimated around 1.9 million German women were raped in the post-World War II period. Unwanted pregnancies were common and many women went on to raise these children born of sexual violence (CBSV). Now more than 70 years later, we sought to explore the perceptions of past and present relationships of CBSV with their mothers. Using a combination of qualitative methodologies, we analyzed autobiographical interviews of participants born between 1945–1955 across Germany. Narratives were first coded for mother-child content (allowing a comparison between participants), and later examined as a holistic unit (to address within-participant data). Three categories of mother-child relationships were identified: conflictual relationships, an emotionally absent parent, and positive upbringings. By employing a collective case study, we were then able to place these along three axes of relationality that positioned the participants' perception of their relationships with their mothers and allowed interactions between the different perceived roles in those relationships to emerge: accountability and agency vs. exoneration and victimhood of the mother; accountability and agency vs. exoneration and victimhood of the child and longing vs. detachment. This study complements other research among those born during post-WWII occupation in Germany and Austria and highlights the diverse experiences CBSV have with their mothers. It serves as a reminder of the necessity for personal narratives to continue being documented, particularly given the frequency with which children are born of sexual violence in conflicts today. Appreciating the potential life-long impact for these individuals is key to initiating change. Highlights: The qualitative findings shed light on the complex and ambivalent feelings CBSV have retrospectively towards their mother-child relationship. Three categories of mother-child relationships were identified: conflictual relationships, an emotionally absent parent and positive upbringings. Narratives were described along three axes of relationality highlighting different perceived roles in the relationships: accountability and agency vs. exoneration and victimhood of the mother; accountability and agency vs. exoneration and victimhood of the child and longing vs. detachment. CBSV deal with some form of self-described victimhood and accountability of the mother and the child as well as both longing and detachment, when considering their mother-child relationship. This study is one of very few studies that captures the whole life span of individuals born in the post-WWII period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the study was to test the psychometric properties of the Facilitative Student–Patient Relationship (FSPR) Scale in clinical practicum in hospital settings within six European countries. Design: A multi‐country, cross‐sectional survey design was applied. Methods: A convenience sample of graduating nursing students (N = 1,796) completed the FSPR Scale. Psychometric testing was carried out through explorative factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Results: Both validity and reliability of the scale were confirmed. The explorative factor analysis yielded a two‐factor construct explaining 47.7% of the total variance, identifying two sub‐scales: caring relationship and learning relationship. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the two‐factor structure. The Cronbach alpha coefficients (0.8–0.9) indicated acceptable reliability of the scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political rhetoric has important effects on the quality of democracy, but we know very little about what causes variation in the tone of the political debate. We investigate how radical-right success affects the way the remaining politicians discuss political issues. Using an original dictionary, we measure different positive and negative emotions in a newly collected dataset of speeches in German state parliaments. Taking advantage of variation in the timing of elections when radical-right politicians enter these parliaments, we find that politicians of other parties respond to radical-right success by using more positive, instead of negative, emotions. The analyses suggest that this finding may be the result of a strategy by the remaining politicians to distance themselves from radical-right discourse. Our findings highlight how radical-right success can create incentives for other politicians to enforce democratic norms that radical-right politicians breach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine psychological responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted two large experience sampling (ESM) studies (Study 1: NESM participants = 327 and NESM reports = 29,512, Study 2: NESM participants = 2,272 and NESM reports = 64,810). Each study subsumed two 14-day ESM waves that took place before and during (Study 1) or during and after (Study 2) the first nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in Germany. We describe the assessed variables on the trait (e.g., personality) and state (e.g., momentary emotions) level. All data sets and codebooks are shared on osf.io/6kzx3/. The EMOTIONS data are open to collaboration and inclusion in reviews/meta-analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The effectiveness of virtual reality exposure (VRE) in the treatment of anxiety disorders is well established. Several psychological mechanisms of VRE have been identified, whereby both emotional processing and the sense of presence play a key role. However, there are only few studies that contribute to our knowledge of examples of implementation in the case of VRE for claustrophobia based on patients' experiences and the perspective of therapists. Objective: This study asks for key elements of a VRE app that are necessary for effective exposure for people with claustrophobic symptoms. Methods: A mixed methods design was applied in which patients (n=15) and therapeutic experts (n=15) tested a VRE intervention of an elevator ride at 5 intensity levels. Intensity was varied by elevator size, duration of the elevator ride, and presence of virtual humans. Quantitative measures examined self-reported presence with the Igroup Presence Questionnaire (IPQ) ranging from 0 to 6 and 15 Likert-scaled evaluation items that had been developed for the purpose of this study, ranging from 1 to 5. In both measures, higher scores indicate higher levels of presence or agreement. Think-aloud protocols of the patients and semistructured interviews posttreatment of all participants were conducted to gain in-depth perspectives on emotional processes. Results: The intervention induced a feeling of presence in patients and experts, posttreatment scores showed a high IPQ presence score (mean 3.84, SD 0.88), with its subscores IPQ spatial presence (mean 4.53, SD 1.06), IPQ involvement (mean 3.83, SD 1.22), and IPQ experienced realism (mean 2.75, SD 1.02). Patients preferred a setting in the presence of a therapist (mean 4.13, SD 0.83) more than the experts did (mean 3.33, SD 1.54). Think-aloud protocols of the patients revealed that presence and anxiety both were achieved. Qualitative interviews of patients and experts uncovered 8 topics: feelings and emotions, personal story, telepresence, potential therapeutic effects, barriers, conditions and requirements, future prospects, and realization. The intensity levels were felt to appropriately increase in challenge, with ambivalent results regarding the final level. Virtual humans contributed to feelings of fear. Conclusions: Key elements of a VRE app for claustrophobic symptoms should include variation of intensity by adding challenging cues in order to evoke presence and anxiety. Virtual humans are a suitable possibility to make the intervention realistic and to provide a sense of closeness; however, some of the fears might then be related to symptoms of social phobia or agoraphobia. Patients may need the physical presence of a therapist, though not all of them share this view. A higher degree of sophistication in the intensity levels is needed to deliver targeted help for specific symptoms of anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social challenges in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can present as qualitative differences in interactions that make individuals on the autism spectrum appear less engaged with others. Limited interactional synchrony and other nonverbal movement patterns may contribute to these qualitative differences. This article uses the case of Hans, an adult on the autism spectrum, to describe patterns of synchrony and interaction quality during mirroring activities in dance/movement therapy. Raters scored videos of Hans and his partners on affective engagement, flow of the interaction, and interpersonal synchrony. They also qualitatively described his movements and interactions. Hans consistently participated in mirroring, but showed different patterns of attention and engagement when leading, following, interacting, or dancing in an open-ended dance. Hans was able to move in synchrony with partners, showed positive affect, and increased his movement repertoire by returning to others' movements in later sessions. He was the most engaged when following a playful movement theme with a dance/movement therapy student partner. His affective engagement increased, but only in the less structured open-ended dance and only across the five sessions with this same dance/movement therapy student partner, and not when the sessions with his other partners, including others on the autism spectrum, were included. This points to a potential need to have dance/movement therapists model developing a movement relationship using flexible and playful contexts to emotionally engage the individual and reflect the complexity of everyday social situations. We present clinical recommendations and suggestions for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotions influence processes of learning and thinking in all people. However, there is a lack of studies in the field of emotion research including people with intellectual disabilities (ID) addressing the existing diversity. The present study investigates the emotional competence of people with ID (N = 32). The first aim was to assess the emotional development using the Scale of Emotional Development (SEED). Based on these insights, the second objective was to replicate existing findings, validating the emotional reaction of people with ID to pictures of the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) based on self-reports. In an additional pilot-like analysis, the third aim was to investigate if these self-reported emotional reactions match the emotions expressed in their faces using the automated and video-based facial expression analysis software 'Affectiva (Affdex SDK)'. In the present study, the self-reported emotional reactions of participants with ID were in line with previous research. In addition, the present study shows the general potential of this innovative approach of using and applying commercially available automated emotion recognition software for the field of special needs and social science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Role expectations of physicians providing health care for hunger strikers have been discussed in the context of prisons and detention centres. Ethical guidance for physicians in these situations is codified in the Declaration of Malta. In the last years, new forms of collective, public hunger strikes of asylum seekers have occurred. We have aimed at reconstructing the experiences of health-care personnel involved in one of such cases. Semi-structured interviews with nine participants (physicians and paramedics) that had been involved in a public collective hunger strike of asylum seekers in Germany were conducted. We identified three health-care provider groups: voluntary physicians, emergency service providers and medical consultants for the authorities. Role conflicts arising from multiple loyalty situations with obligations towards different stakeholders (e.g., strikers, employers, authorities) were perceived as the greatest challenge especially for voluntary doctor and emergency service provider participants. Such conflicts culminated in feeling instrumentalized for political goals. The results illustrate that professional challenges in the health care during a public collective hunger strike differ in various aspects from those described in the literature on custodial settings. We recommend expanding and adapting the medico-ethical guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sentiment analysis techniques are increasingly used to grasp reactions from social media users to unexpected and potentially stressful social events. This paper argues that, alongside assessments of the affective valence of social media content as negative or positive, there is a need for a deeper understanding of the context in which reactions are expressed and the specific functions that users' emotional states may reflect. To demonstrate this, we present a qualitative analysis of affective expressions on Twitter collected in Germany during the 2011 EHEC food contamination incident based on a coding scheme developed from Skinner et al.'s (2003) coping classification framework. Affective expressions of coping were found to be diverse not only in terms of valence but also in the adaptive functions they served: beyond the positive or negative tone, some people perceived the outbreak as a threat while others as a challenge to cope with. We discuss how this qualitative sentiment analysis can allow a better understanding of the way the overall situation is perceived – threat or challenge – and the resources that individuals experience having to cope with emerging demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high level of uncertainty brought about by the COVID‐19 pandemic has affected the general population's well‐being and capacity for adaptive responding. Studies indicate that flexibility, defined as the ability to choose and employ a variety of emotional, cognitive and behavioural strategies in accordance with changing contextual demands, may significantly contribute to adaptive responding to long‐term stressors such as COVID‐19. In the current study, we aimed to investigate which facets of flexibility predict different latent profiles of adaptive responding to the COVID‐19 pandemic in Israel and Germany. A total of 2330 Israelis and 743 Germans completed online questionnaires measuring cognitive and coping regulatory flexibility and cognitive, emotional and behavioural responding to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Analyses revealed three distinct response profiles in each country (high, medium and low). These profiles differed in both anxiety and depression symptoms with the non‐adaptive response group experiencing clinically relevant symptoms both in Israel and Germany. Additionally, cognitive flexibility and coping flexibility emerged as significant predictors of response profiles in both countries. Training cognitive and coping flexibility may thus help individuals respond more adaptively to psychosocial stressors such as COVID‐19. Such training could be selectively administered to less flexible subpopulations as well as adapted to the specific population characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]