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Rhythm is essential in early music education. To acquire rhythm abilities, the synchronisation between body and rhythm patterns is fundamental. Extensive research has shown the link between the auditory-motor system and rhythm acquisition; however, other sensorimotor systems also improve rhythm skills. Rhythm acquisition can be trained using new technologies, such as video games; however, most of these use mainly auditory stimuli to improve it. Therefore, in this work, we explore tactile stimuli to improve rhythm skills using a video game and how visual elements affect rhythm perception using different stimuli. We evaluate and compare the synchronisation of 27 participants following either vibrotactile or auditory stimuli emitted through a rhythm video game in two difficulty levels and we evaluated the user experience. Consistent with the literature, our results indicate that participants synchronised slightly better using auditory than vibrotactile stimuli and players' performance was better when they had visual guides. A fatigue effect persisted and increased over playtime in both conditions. In the current study, usability measures indicate no significant differences. These findings suggest that vibrotactile stimuli are also suitable to train rhythm skills in a video game environment and the game-elements play an important role in players' performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even in academic fields dominated by women students (e.g., educational research), academic careers are characterized by vertical gender segregation in favor of men. This clashes with the public understanding of educational research as a women's domain that is more strongly associated with warmth (a stereotypically feminine trait) than competence (a stereotypically masculine trait), as revealed in our first study. We thus conducted an experimental vignette study of 189 adults from the general public to explore how women versus men researchers working in educational research versus physics (as a contrasting domain clearly dominated by men) were perceived on several dimensions of competence and warmth. Whereas the female researcher in physics was rated as more competent than the female researcher in educational research, the woman in physics was penalized for her gender stereotype-incongruent domain choice by being perceived as less warm. However, the male researcher in educational research was perceived as both warmer and more competent than his man counterpart in physics, and as smarter than the female researcher in educational research. These findings suggest rewards instead of penalties for men pursuing academic careers in initially women-dominated domains, likely contributing to the increasing gender gap in academic careers in these domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We sought to explore the processes of methodologic and data-analysis triangulation in case studies using the example of research on nurse practitioners in primary health care. Design and methods: We conducted a scoping review within Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework, considering studies that defined a case study design and used 2 or more data sources, published in English or German before August 2023. Data sources: The databases searched were MEDLINE and CINAHL, supplemented with hand searching of relevant nursing journals. We also examined the reference list of all the included studies. Results: In total, 63 reports were assessed for eligibility. Ultimately, we included 8 articles. Five studies described within-method triangulation, whereas 3 provided information on between/across-method triangulation. No study reported within-method triangulation of 2 or more quantitative data-collection procedures. The data-collection procedures were interviews, observation, documentation/documents, service records, and questionnaires/assessments. The data-analysis triangulation involved various qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis. Details about comparing or contrasting results from different qualitative and mixed-methods data were lacking. Conclusions: Various processes for methodologic and data-analysis triangulation are described in this scoping review but lack detail, thus hampering standardization in case study research, potentially affecting research traceability. Triangulation is complicated by terminological confusion. To advance case study research in nursing, authors should reflect critically on the processes of triangulation and employ existing tools, like a protocol or mixed-methods matrix, for transparent reporting. The only existing reporting guideline should be complemented with directions on methodologic and data-analysis triangulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although almost every study evaluating psychological interventions includes the two components of acceptability and effectivity, their relationship is rarely examined. The current study closes this gap by performing secondary analyses of the intervention program 'empCARE'. The goal was to analyze the relationship between these two evaluation components. The sample consists of 309 nurses (intervention group n = 172; control group n = 137). Data were collected before the training and longitudinally three times after the training. Psychological distress was assessed using the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R), and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Personality traits were assessed using the HEXACO-60 and the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire. Acceptability was assessed using statements concerning participants' subjective evaluation of the training. The results show that the intervention program was effective. Acceptability, measured only in the intervention group, was quite high. However, no connection was found between effectivity and acceptability. On the contrary, the results show that acceptability assessments depend more on personality factors than on intervention success. Researchers should examine the relationship between acceptability and effectivity in their data. It does not seem appropriate to rely on acceptability measurements as the sole evaluation criterion capturing the success of an intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conversational technologies such as chatbots have shown to be promising in eliciting self-disclosure in several contexts. Implementing such a technology that fosters self-disclosure can help to assess sensitive topics such as behaviours that are perceived as unaccepted by others, i.e. the exposure to unaccepted (alternative) news sources. This study tests whether a conversational (chatbot) format, compared to a traditional web-based survey, can enhance self-disclosure in the political news context by implementing a two-week longitudinal, experimental research design (n = 193). Results show that users disclose unaccepted news exposure significantly more often to a chatbot, compared to a traditional web-based survey, providing evidence for a chatbots' ability to foster the disclosure of sensitive behaviours. Unlike our hypotheses, our study also shows that social presence, intimacy, and enjoyment cannot explain self-disclosure in this context, and that self-disclosure generally decreases over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voice assistants (VAs), such as Alexa, Siri, or Google Now, are becoming increasingly ubiquitous. Consequently, the potential societal impacts of such systems are gaining relevance in public and academic discourses. Investigating the effects of VA voice features on user perception of VAs is one central aspect of research. Here, the potential effects of VAs on the perception of gender roles and the attribution of gender stereotypes stand out. Following the Computers as Social Actors paradigm, it is assumed that gendered voices have the potential to reproduce existing gender stereotypes. Yet, recently, the implementation of gender-ambiguous voices has been suggested to mitigate such effects and promote more diverse technology design. In this study, we set out to inquire about the relationship between gendered VA voice (male, female, gender-ambiguous) and gender stereotype activation. In two online surveys with an experimental manipulation (Study 1: N = 140, Study 2: N = 397), we test stereotype activation as a function of VA voice, user gender, and conversation topic. Empirical findings are mixed, with no effects for conversation topic but indications of small effects of VA voice. Implications for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many people, COVID‐19 vaccination now informs social identity, triggering prejudice and discrimination toward those with a different vaccination status. As this may jeopardize social cohesion, we investigated the effects of three brief, theory‐informed interventions for reducing ingroup bias in a preregistered experimental intervention study in Germany, assigning vaccinated participants (N = 2016) to one of four conditions: crossed categorization (emphasizing commonalities between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals), recategorization (framing vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals as members of a superordinate ingroup), counter‐stereotypic categorization (encouraging participants to think about mismatched stereotypes), or a control condition (no intervention). As compared to the control condition, crossed categorization and counter‐stereotypic categorization were found to reduce (evaluative) ingroup bias but the observed effects were weak and mostly diminished when controlling for demographic characteristics and vaccination status identification. Overall, the results indicate that none of the three interventions substantially reduced prejudice and discrimination toward the unvaccinated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Touch sensitivity generally declines with age, contributing to loss of manual dexterity and tactile function. We investigated how touch changes over the lifespan, using different tests and on three body sites. We used a classical test of force detection sensitivity, where calibrated monofilaments were applied passively to the right index finger pad, forearm, and cheek. In addition, at the index, we used an active touch spatial discrimination task, developed by our group. Spatial discrimination was estimated through participants' ability to evaluate the distance between parallel bands printed on acrylic plates. Data were collected from 96 healthy women, aged 20-75 years. Force detection and tactile spatial discrimination on the index deteriorated significantly with age; however, no change was found for tactile detection on the forearm or cheek. Tactile detection on the cheek remained remarkably highly sensitive throughout life. There was a significant positive relationship between force detection and spatial discrimination on the index. Further, force detection on the forearm was significantly associated with detection on the index and cheek. Our results suggest a decrease in touch perception with age on the index finger pad, yet a preservation of tactile sensitivity in hairy skin. This opens discussion about the impact of daily activities upon the glabrous hand skin and on the function of hairs in tactile sensitivity. We highlight the need for new methods in evaluating tactile sensitivity on hairy skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social comparison has a significant impact on individuals' motivation, affect, and behavior. However, we lack a scale that captures individual differences in attitudes toward social comparison. To address this gap, we developed the Attitudes Toward Social Comparison Inventory (ASCI) drawing on existing scales that tap into metacognitive beliefs about worrying, self-motives, beliefs about emotions, and the general comparative-processing model. We examined the psychometric properties of the ASCI in a longitudinal study (N = 1,084), and a second (N = 550) and third cross-sectional study (N = 306). Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, we identified a 12-item two-factor solution capturing positive and negative attitudes toward social comparison. The ASCI demonstrated measurement invariance across gender and time. The two factors were differentially and longitudinally associated with relevant constructs, including social comparison, metacognitive beliefs about worrying, depression, self-concept clarity, envy, and self-esteem. The ASCI facilitates comprehensive investigations of social comparison processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study is part of the ODIN‐migraine (Optimization of Diagnostic Instruments in migraine) project. It is a secondary, a priori analysis of previously collected data, and aimed to assess the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Cogniphobia Scale for Headache Disorders (CS‐HD). We aimed to construct a German‐language version and a short version. Background: Cogniphobia is the fear and avoidance of cognitive exertion, which the patient believes triggers or exacerbates headache. High cogniphobia may worsen the course of a headache disorder. Methods: The 15‐item CS‐HD was translated into German and back translated in a masked form by a professional translator. Modifications were discussed and carried out in an expert panel. A cross‐sectional online survey including the CS‐HD and further self‐report questionnaires was conducted in a sample of N = 387 persons with migraine (364/387 [94.1%] female, M = 41.0 [SD = 13.0] years, migraine without aura: 152/387 [39.3%], migraine with aura: 85/387 [22.0%], and chronic migraine: 150/387 [38.8%]). Results: Exploratory factor analysis resulted in two clearly interpretable factors (interictal and ictal cogniphobia). Confirmatory factor analysis yielded an acceptable to good model fit (χ2(89) = 117.87, p = 0.022, χ2/df = 1.32, RMSEA = 0.029, SRMR = 0.055, CFI = 0.996, TLI = 0.995). Item response theory‐based analysis resulted in the selection of six items for the short form (CS‐HD‐6). Reliability was acceptable to excellent (interictal cogniphobia subscale: ω = 0.92 [CS‐HD] or ω = 0.77 [CS‐HD‐6]; ictal cogniphobia subscale: ω = 0.77 [CS‐HD] or ω = 0.73 [CS‐HD‐6]). The pattern of correlations with established questionnaires confirmed convergent validity of both the CS‐HD and the CS‐HD‐6. Conclusion: Both the CS‐HD and the CS‐HD‐6 have good psychometric properties and are suitable for the assessment of cogniphobia in migraine. Plain Language Summary: Cogniphobia is the fear of cognitive exertion, in which the patient believes effortful thinking triggers or exacerbates headache. The Cogniphobia Scale for Headache Disorders (CS‐HD) provides an assessment of this headache specific‐fear. A German version and a six‐item short form of the CS‐HD were developed from an online sample of 387 persons with migraine, and our results showed that this version was suitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research paper is to compare and analyse how crypto-assets are regulated in the UK and Germany. The aim is to understand and highlight the approaches taken by these two countries in terms of regulating crypto-assets and to explore the potential impact that their regulatory frameworks could have on the market for these crypto-assets. The research employs a doctrinal research design to examine the crypto-asset regulatory regimes in the UK and Germany. A comprehensive review of existing literature, official regulatory documents and relevant legal frameworks is conducted to understand the core components of each country's crypto-asset regulations. The findings of this study reveal divergences in the regulatory approaches of the UK and Germany towards crypto-assets. While the UK has embraced a principles-based regulatory framework, fostering innovation and industry growth, Germany has adopted a more prescriptive and cautious approach, focusing on investor protection and market stability. The research identifies that the UK's flexible approach has attracted a flourishing crypto-asset ecosystem, while Germany's conservative stance has offered greater investor confidence. However, certain regulatory gaps and challenges persist in both jurisdictions, such as ambiguities in classification and tax treatment, requiring further attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the interpretation of object-initial sentences in German-speaking children. We addressed the following questions: (1) Which morphosyntactic cues do children deploy to process object-initial sentences? (2) Which executive function (EF) abilities support them during this task? This study examined the effect of case and number agreement morphology in 4;6-year-old German-speaking children (N = 27) on their interpretation of unambiguous S(ubject)-V(erb)-O(bject) and OVS sentences by combining an offline (sentence-picture matching) and an online (looking-while-listening) paradigm. Participants' working memory and cognitive control abilities were assessed by means of a (forward) digit-span test and a flanker task. Case-marked OVS sentences were processed more accurately than number-marked ones, although both conditions were less accurate than SVO sentences. We found a comprehension facilitation driven by higher cognitive control skills that enhances, specifically the interpretation of the more demanding number cue in OVS structures already in 4;6-year-olds. Higher working memory skills are generally associated with children's processing skills as they support the correct parsing of all online conditions and of both SVO and OVS in the offline case condition. We conclude that while case-marking appears to be processed more reliably than number by preschoolers, also number information alone can be processed, especially by children with higher cognitive control skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abdominal pain is a common and often debilitating issue for children and adolescents. In many cases, it is not caused by a specific somatic condition but rather emerges from a complex interplay of bio-psycho-social factors, leading to functional abdominal pain (FAP). Given the complex nature of FAP, understanding its origins and how to effectively manage this condition is crucial. Until now, however, no questionnaire exists that targets knowledge in this specific domain. To address this, the Abdominal Pain Knowledge Questionnaire (A-PKQ) was developed. Methods: Two versions were created (one for children and one for parents) and tested in four gastroenterology clinics and one specialized pain clinic in Germany between November 2021 and February 2024. Children between 8 and 17 years of age (N = 128) and their accompanying parents (N = 131) participated in the study. Rasch analysis was used to test the performance of both versions of the questionnaire. Results: The original questionnaires exhibited good model and item fit. Subsequently, both questionnaires were refined to improve usability, resulting in final versions containing 10 items each. These final versions also demonstrated good model and item fit, with items assessing a variety of relevant domains. Conclusion: The A-PKQ is an important contribution to improving assessment in clinical trials focused on pediatric functional abdominal pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established that infants use various cues to find words within fluent speech from about 7 to 8 months of age. Research suggests that two main mechanisms support infants' speech segmentation: prosodic cues like the word stress patterns, and distributional cues like transitional probabilities (TPs). We tested 6‐month‐old German‐learning infants' use of prosodic and statistical cues for speech segmentation in three experiments. In Experiment 1, infants were familiarized with an artificial language string where TPs signaled either word boundaries or iambic words—a stress pattern that is disfavored in German. Experiment 2 was a control and only the test phase was presented. In Experiment 3, prosodic cues were absent in the string and only TPs signaled word boundaries. All experiments included the same conditions at test: disyllabic words with high TPs in the string, words with low TPs and words with non‐co‐occurring syllables. Results showed that infants relied more strongly on prosodic cues than on TPs for word segmentation. Notably, no segmentation evidence emerged when prosodic cues were absent in the string. This finding underlines early impacts of language‐specific structural properties on segmentation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the investigation and analysis of speech accommodation effects in data obtained from Spanish learners of German with varying proficiency levels. The production data were recorded during a collaborative map task of the Spanish learners of German among each other and with a native speaker of German. The map task was designed to target words and phrases with specific segmental and suprasegmental characteristics. These characteristics were derived from contrastive analyses of Spanish and German. The main objectives of the paper were to investigate whether segmental and suprasegmental characteristics of the target language German are affected by phonetic accommodation to varying degrees and whether these differences depend on the proficiency level of the speaker or the interlocutor. The statistical analysis, using regression analyses, revealed inconsistent accommodation effects across learners of different proficiency levels as well as different linguistic phenomena. In line with previous findings the results can best be accounted for by an adaptation of a dynamic system approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We aimed to develop a risk score to calculate a person's individual risk for a severe COVID-19 course (POINTED score) to support prioritization of especially vulnerable patients for a (booster) vaccination. Subject and methods: This cohort study was based on German claims data and included 623,363 individuals with a COVID-19 diagnosis in 2020. The outcome was COVID-19 related treatment in an intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation, or death after a COVID-19 infection. Data were split into a training and a test sample. Poisson regression models with robust standard errors including 35 predefined risk factors were calculated. Coefficients were rescaled with a min–max normalization to derive numeric score values between 0 and 20 for each risk factor. The scores' discriminatory ability was evaluated by calculating the area under the curve (AUC). Results: Besides age, down syndrome and hematologic cancer with therapy, immunosuppressive therapy, and other neurological conditions were the risk factors with the highest risk for a severe COVID-19 course. The AUC of the POINTED score was 0.889, indicating very good predictive validity. Conclusion: The POINTED score is a valid tool to calculate a person's risk for a severe COVID-19 course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Searching for information on the web has become an essential task in our society. This article presents a preregistered experimental study that investigates how the knowledge dimension (conceptual, procedural) and relevance of displaying spatiotemporal changes (high, low) for a given search task affect searchers' preference for different resource modalities (websites, videos). Additionally, effects of source reputation (high, low) were examined. Participants were confronted with 16 learning tasks and respective mock‐up video or website search results and had to indicate the likelihood of selecting the respective search results. The learning tasks varied regarding their knowledge dimension and their degree of spatiotemporal changes. Search results varied regarding source reputation and resource modality. Study results showed that search results with low source reputation were more likely to be selected when they were video results as compared to website results. Furthermore, for learning tasks with a high degree of spatiotemporal changes, a preference for videos over website results was found, while a low degree of spatiotemporal changes did not lead to modality preferences. To conclude, both knowledge dimension and degree of visuospatial changes of learning tasks seem to be promising classifications to consider for understanding users' source and modality selection during web‐based learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supporting families experiencing critical illness through family interventions is essential to ease illness burden, enable family management, and reduce their risk for adverse health. Thus far, there is no validated German instrument to measure the perceived support families receive from nurses. We translated the 14-item Iceland–Family Perceived Support Questionnaire (ICE-FPSQ) and tested its psychometric properties with 77 family members of intensive care patients. Compared with the original instrument, the construct validity of the German ICE-FPSQ (FPSQ-G) showed unstable results with a partially divergent structure, most likely caused by the limited sample size. The first two principal components explained 61% of the overall variance and a good internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of.92. The FPSQ-G is a promising instrument to measure family members' perceptions of the support they received from nurses in the acute critical care setting but requires further validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Quality improvement collaboratives (QICs) have facilitated cross-organizational knowledge exchange in health care. However, the local implementation of many quality improvement (QI) initiatives continues to fail, signaling a need to better understand the contributing factors. Organizational context, particularly the role of social networks in facilitating or hindering implementation within organizations, remains a potentially critical yet underexplored area to addressing this gap. Purpose: We took a dynamic process perspective to understand how QI project managers' social networks influence the local implementation of QI initiatives developed through QICs. Methodology: We explored the case of a QIC by triangulating data from an online survey, semistructured interviews, and archival documents from 10 organizations. We divided implementation into four stages and employed qualitative text analysis to examine the relationship between three characteristics of network structure (degree centrality, network density, and betweenness centrality) and the progress of each QI initiative. Results: The progress of QI initiatives varied considerably among organizations. The transition between stages was influenced by all three network characteristics to varying degrees, depending on the stage. Project managers whose QI initiatives progressed to advanced stages of implementation had formed ad hoc clusters of colleagues passionate about the initiatives. Conclusion: Implementing QI initiatives appears to be facilitated by the formation of clusters of supportive individuals within organizations; this formation requires high betweenness centrality and high network density. Practice Implications: Flexibly modifying specific network characteristics depending on the stage of implementation may help project managers advance their QI initiatives, achieving more uniform results from QICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Advance Care Planning interventions should be evaluated as broadly as possible to gain a holistic understanding of the Advance Care Planning process. However, validated early stage outcome instruments are lacking. Therefore, the Treatment-Preference-Measure-Advance Care Planning (Treat-Me-ACP) instrument was developed and validated as part of the cluster-randomized controlled trial STADPLAN (Study on Advance Care Planning in care-dependent community-dwelling older persons) to assess the effects of Advance Care Planning interventions on patients' medical treatment preferences. Methods: The design of Treat-Me-ACP is based on the Emanuel Medical Directive and the Life Support Preferences Questionnaires. Using a multi-stage team approach a preliminary version of the Treat-Me-ACP was developed and pre-tested. The pre-tested instrument consists of one global medical care goal-item, five hypothetical scenarios with five hypothetical treatments, and one how would you feel-item within each scenario. A total of five scenario preference scores and five treatment preference scores can be formed. This version was subsequently applied to a subsample of the STADPLAN project (n = 80) to assess patient's preferences at baseline (T0) and at 12-month follow-up (T2). The further validation steps were based on this subsample and included: (1) acceptance by using completion rate and frequencies of missing data, (2) internal consistency by using Cronbach's α to test whether it was possible to create preference scores by scenario and treatment, (3) concurrent validation examining the association between the global medical care goal-item and the preference scores and the association between the how would you feel-items and the scenario preference scores, and (4) responsiveness of the instrument to changes in preferences for life-sustaining treatments by comparing preference scores from T0 to T2 between study groups. Results: Acceptance of the instrument was high. Results of concurrent validation indicate that the five scenarios represent the global medical care goal well. The preference scores showed an average tendency for decreasing preferences for life-sustaining treatments across all scales for the intervention group during study follow-up. Conclusions: The Treat-Me-ACP can be used to evaluate the dynamics of patients' medical treatment preferences in Advance Care Planning. It has been validated for care-dependent community-dwelling older persons and can be used as an additional outcome measure in evaluating the effectiveness of ACP interventions. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00016886 on 04/06/2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EA-QOL questionnaire measures quality-of-life specifically for children born with esophageal atresia (EA) aged 8–18 and was completed in Sweden and Germany. This study aimed to describe an international collaborative initiative to establish a semantically equivalent linguistic version of the EA-QOL questionnaires in 12 new countries. The 24-item EA-QOL questionnaire was translated into the target languages and the translated questionnaire was evaluated through cognitive debriefing interviews with children with EA aged 8–18 and their parents in each new country. Participants rated an item as to whether an item was easy to understand and sensitive/uncomfortable to answer. They could choose not to reply to a non-applicable/problematic item and provide open comments. Data were analyzed using predefined psychometric criteria; item clarity ≥80%, item sensitive/uncomfortable to answer ≤20%, item feasibility(missing item responses ≤5%). Decision to improve any translation was made by native experts–patient stakeholders and the instrument developer. Like in Sweden and Germany, all items in the cross-cultural analysis of child self-report (ntot = 82, 4–10 children/country) met the criteria for item clarity in all 12 new countries, and in parent-report (ntot = 86, 5–10 parents/country) in 8/12 countries. All items fulfilled the criteria for sensitive/uncomfortable to answer (child-report 1.2–9.9%; parent-report 0–11.6%) and item feasibility. Poor translations were resolved. Hence, this study has established semantically equivalent linguistic versions of the EA-QOL questionnaire for use in children aged 8–18 with repair of EA in and across 14 countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Purpose: According to most models of spoken word recognition, listeners probabilistically activate a set of lexical candidates, which is incrementally updated as the speech signal unfolds. Speech carries segmental (speech sound) as well as suprasegmental (prosodic) information. The role of the latter in spoken word recognition is less clear. We investigated how suprasegments (tone and voice quality) in three North Germanic language varieties affected lexical access by scrutinizing temporally fine-grained neurophysiological effects of lexical uncertainty and information gain. Method: Three event-related potential (ERP) studies were reanalyzed. In all varieties investigated, suprasegments are associated with specific word endings. Swedish has two lexical “word accents” realized as pitch falls with different timings across dialects. In Danish, the distinction is in voice quality. We combined pronunciation lexica and frequency lists to calculate estimates of lexical uncertainty about an unfolding word and information gain upon hearing a suprasegmental cue and the segment upon which it manifests. We used single-trial mixed-effects regression models run every 4 ms. Results: Only lexical uncertainty showed solid results: a frontal effect at 150-400 ms after suprasegmental cue onset and a later posterior effect after 200 ms. While a model including only segmental information mostly performed better, it was outperformed by the suprasegmental model at 200-330 ms at frontal sites. Conclusions: The study points to suprasegmental cues contributing to lexical access over and beyond segments after around 200 ms in the North Germanic varieties investigated. Furthermore, the findings indicate that a previously reported “pre-activation negativity” predominantly reflects forward-looking processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negation is often used to contradict or correct (e.g. There is no dog here.). While rejecting some state of affairs that is presumed to hold for the recipient (e.g. There is a dog here.), the speaker might implicitly suggest a set of plausible alternatives (e.g. There is a wolf instead.). Prior work indicates that alternatives are highly relevant to the comprehension of sentences involving focus: in priming studies, listeners infer plausible alternatives to focused items even when they are not contextually available. So far it is unclear whether negation similarly activates an automatic search for plausible alternatives. The current study was designed to investigate this question, by looking at the activation levels of nouns after negative and affirmative sentences. In a series of priming experiments, subjects were presented with negative and affirmative sentences (e.g. There is an/no apple.), followed by a lexical decision task with targets including plausible alternatives (e.g. pear), as well as semantically related but implausible alternatives (e.g. seed). An interaction of Sentence Polarity and Prime-Target Relation was expected, with negation facilitating responses to plausible alternatives. Results of the first experiment were numerically in line with the hypothesis but the interaction just missed significance level. A post hoc analysis revealed the expected significant interaction. Possible roles of sentential context and goodness of alternatives are discussed. A further experiment confirms that the goodness of alternatives is in fact critical in modulating the effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated the effectiveness of the stuttering modification intervention Kinder Dürfen Stottern (KIDS) in school-age children who stutter. Method: Seventy-three children who stutter were included in this multicenter, two-group parallel, randomized, wait-list controlled trial with a follow-up of 12 months. Children aged 7–11 years were recruited from 34 centers for speech therapy and randomized to either the immediate-treatment group or the 3 months delayed-treatment group. KIDS was provided by 26 clinicians who followed a treatment manual. Although the primary outcome measure was the impact of stuttering (Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering–School-Age [OASES-S]), the secondary outcomes included objective and subjective data on stuttering severity. Results: At 3 months postrandomization, the mean score changes of the OASESS differed significantly between the experimental (n = 33) and control group (n = 29; p = .026). Furthermore, treatment outcomes up to 12 months were analyzed (n = 59), indicating large effects of time on the OASES-S score (p < .001, partial η² = .324). This was paralleled by significant improvements in parental ratings and objective ratings (stuttering severity, frequency, and physical concomitants). Conclusions: The significant short-term treatment effects in the OASES-S are in line with the (initial) focus of KIDS on cognitive and affective aspects of stuttering. Over 12 months, these changes were maintained and accompanied by behavioral improvements. The results suggest that individual treatment with KIDS is an adequate treatment option for this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely assumed that autobiographical memory relies on an integration of episodic memory with the self-model. We hypothesise that self-memory integration depends critically on self-congruence. More specifically, self-incongruent experiences such as those that elicit shame or guilt may be more difficult to integrate. Self-incongruence may affect both the semantic reports of memories and their phenomenological characteristics, in particular their visual perspective (1PP or 3PP, i.e., field or observer perspective), their affective valence, and their perceived centrality. Diary based memories were assigned to 4 categories (shame, guilt, negative, neutral) and were rated for the different phenomenological dimensions. We used a deep neural network, univariate and multilevel models to assess differences and relationships between different variables. We found that memories that elicited shame (but not guilt) showed more pronounced 3PP as compared to other experiences. Shameful episodes also elicited the most pronounced negative affect. A multilevel analysis revealed that the amount of shame that an episode elicited, and its semantic similarity with shame episodes, predicted higher 3PP, while affective valence did not. Our results show that self-incongruence affects memories both at the level of their semantic reports and their phenomenology, and thus contributes to a mechanistic understanding of self-memory integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a symptom with major impact on health-related quality of life is fatigue. To assess fatigue and conduct research regarding fatigue in IBD patients, a validated disease specific assessment tool is required. The aim of this study was to translate the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Fatigue patient self-assessment scale (IBD-F) into Dutch and to validate this translated scale in a Dutch IBD population. Methods: The study comprised three phases. In phase 1, the original IBD-F was translated into Dutch. Phase 2 comprised a pilot-test of the pre-final Dutch IBD-F to assess content validity by applying a semi-structured interview design. In phase 3, construct validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability were assessed using a cross-sectional design. Results: Phase 1 resulted in the pre-final version of the Dutch IBD-F. After five semi-structured interviews with IBD patients in phase 2, minor adjustments were made which resulted in the final version of the Dutch IBD-F. Evaluation of this final version in 133 IBD patients showed adequate psychometric properties: good convergent validity with the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory subscales (Spearman's r 0.57–0.86) and excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.94 for Section I and 0.97 for Section II). Test-retest reliability in 102 patients was shown to be good (Section I ICC 0.85 (95% CI 0.79–0.90) and Section II ICC 0.88 (95% CI 0.83–0.92)). Conclusions: The thorough translation process resulted in a comprehensible, valid and reliable version of the Dutch IBD-F. Convergent validity with the MFI-20 appeared to be good. This study found excellent internal consistency and good test-retest reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visiting wine tourism events is an attractive part of a trip for holidaymakers and day visitors. Thus, wine tourism is an important niche market for Germany with its 13 wine regions. Experiences play an increasingly important role in the consumption of tourism services. Therefore, it is also important to organize wine tourism events in an experience-oriented way. The present research design uses the KANO model to determine the requirements for experience staging at wine events from the customer's point of view. The aim of the study is to provide wineries and other wine tourism providers with recommendations for experience staging in order to increase the attractiveness of the events and to improve the economic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autobiographical reasoning is a process by which an individual creates a coherent life account. The degree of coherence in autobiographical reasoning has been related to psychological health correlates such as depression and self-esteem in previous studies, but with inconsistent findings. Similarly, the basic psychological processes required to achieve coherence have been previously studied with regard to intelligence, but infrequently, and also with mixed findings. In the present study, we first developed and evaluated a German version of the Awareness of Narrative Identity Questionnaire (ANIQ) as an established measure of self-reported coherence. Second, we tested for cognitive dependencies on intelligence and memory indices. Third, we analysed its associations with psychological health correlates. We assessed a sample of 272 participants and thereof 189 participants again two-weeks later. Results supported the assumptions of the German ANIQ's psychometric qualities (factor structure, test-retest reliability, invariance) and validity (with regard to self-consciousness, self-concept clarity, and written accounts of personal turning points). We found coherence to be independent of intelligence and verbal memory, but partially dependent on figural memory. Coherence was related to depression, positivity, self-esteem, and self-esteem stability, but not to anxiety, substantiating its salutogenic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research tested the impact of score line, spectator presence and game location on athletes' non‐verbal behaviour (NVB). Two studies (N = 240; N = 160) tested whether the NVB of soccer players differed as a function of score line, spectator‐presence and game location by asking participants to guess the current score, the dominance, pride and confidence of soccer players in videos. Results demonstrated that NVB ratings were more negative when the athletes were trailing (less dominant, less proud, and less confident) compared to leading. Study 1 showed more non‐verbal expressiveness (social facilitation) of pleasant feelings (being in a high lead) and lower expressiveness (social inhibition) of negative feelings (trailing) in the presence of spectators. Study 2 indicated that leading at away games led to higher non‐verbal expressiveness, whereas leading at home games led to less non‐verbal expressiveness in the presence of a supportive audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to link the access to finance with governance structure and the mediation of financial literacy has been investigated in this regard. The access to finance is crucial in maintaining equilibrium among investment opportunities. The governance structure is also of equal importance. Financial literacy plays a part in efficient use of financial resources as well. When management is financially literate it makes efficient financial strategic decisions and effectively use the financial resources for innovation and important activities efficiently. To conduct the research, the quantitative-based research design has been used. The formulated hypothesis was tested through the SPSS. Results declared a significant association between the impact of access to finance and governance structure on the financial performance of biotechnology firms of Germany. The moderation of financial literacy has been declared as insignificant. The research holds greater theoretical and practical significance. To enhance generalizability of the research both have been elaborated as it increases growing body of literature regarding effective financial decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following calls for research to increase gender equality, we investigated women's intentions to pursue career opportunities, in the form of career development programs. We built on lack of fit and signaling theory to argue that women's but not men's pursuit of career opportunities would be influenced by recruiter gender and gender‐stereotypical wording in recruitment advertisements. We conducted two studies in Germany. In Study 1 (video‐based experiment with 329 university students), we found that when a male recruiter used stereotypically masculine compared to feminine wording, female students anticipated lower belongingness, expected lower success of an application, and indicated lower application intentions for career opportunities. These differences in female students' evaluations disappeared when the recruiter was female. While Study 2 (experimental vignette study with 545 employees) replicates the negative effects of masculine wording for female employees; the buffering effect of female recruiters was only replicated for younger, but not for older female employees. Women's anticipated belongingness mediated the relationship between advertisement wording and application intentions when the recruiter was male. Recruiter gender and wording had no effects on men. Our work contributes to a better understanding of when and why contextual characteristics in the recruitment process influence women's pursuit of career opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study compared the effect of various grafting materials on the area and volume of minerals attached to dental implants. Materials and Methods: In this animal study, 13 dogs were divided into three groups according to the time of sacrificing (2 months, 4 months, or 6 months). The implants were placed in oversized osteotomies, and the residual defects were filled with autograft, bovine bone graft (Cerabone), or a synthetic substitute (Osteon II). At the designated intervals, the dogs were sacrificed and the segmented implants underwent micro-computed tomography analysis. The bone-implant area (BIA) and bone-implant volume (BIV) of bone and graft material were calculated in the region of interest around the implant. The data were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at P < 0.05. Results: There was no significant difference in BIA and BIV between the healing intervals for any of the grafting materials (P > 0.05). ANOVA exhibited comparable BIA and BIV between the grafting materials at 2 and 4 months after surgery (P > 0.05), although a significant difference was observed after 6 months (P < 0.05). Pairwise comparisons revealed that BIA was significantly greater in the autograft-stabilized than the synthetic-grafted sites (P = 0.035). The samples augmented with autograft also showed significantly higher BIV than those treated by the xenogenic (P = 0.017) or synthetic (P = 0.002) particles. Conclusion: All graft materials showed comparable performance in providing mineral support for implants up to 4 months after surgery. At the long-term (6-month) interval, autogenous bone demonstrated significant superiority over xenogenic and synthetic substitutes concerning the bone area and volume around the implant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Burden of care and negative health consequences are evident in informal caregiving. Intervention studies, if any, are largely limited to the field of adult or elderly care although there are specific needs for parents of chronically ill and disabled children, for example, lack of acceptance, special life course problems, and supply deficits. Aim: The effect of a legally funded, one-week health program offered by the Social Insurance for Agriculture, Forestry, and Horticulture (SVLFG) on the well-being of the participating parents of children with a high level of care is determined. Secondary outcome measures are stress and behavior theory-based characteristics. Subject and methods: In a controlled panel study (intervention group n = 23, comparison group n = 33, allocation not randomized) well-being (WHO-5 index) and other measures (subjective burden, acceptance of the care situation, institutional and social support, recreational and care-related behavior) were collected at several measurement points. Statistical methods are fixed effects panel regressions under control of time-varying characteristics (external conditions, period effects). Results: At the start of the intervention, 70% of the intervention group (83% mothers, 73% at least 51 years old) are at the threshold of clinically relevant depressiveness. After a very clear initial effect, the level remains above the baseline level for up to 15 weeks after the intervention (under stable conditions). A sinking below the initial level is prevented until at least 26 weeks even with significantly increasing external conditions. The main drivers appear to be sustained increases in acceptance of the care situation, institutional support, and recreational behavior. Conclusion: Given the high initial burden of the participants, the sustainability of the prevention-oriented intervention is considerable. Nevertheless low-threshold interventions such as telephone or online counselling could be useful after approximately 25 weeks. The intervention is unique for the social insurance system in Germany. The design allows a causal interpretation of the treatment effects despite the small number of cases. Further studies should particularly address effect heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Many organizations are undertaking efforts to reduce the stress of (oftentimes overworked) employees. Information Technology (IT) (e.g., smartphones) has the potential to be a key instrument for reducing stress. One design-relevant factor considered to reduce stress is the concept of autonomy. Unfortunately, little research exists using autonomy as a characteristic of technology design. OBJECTIVE: Against this background, this study aimed to investigate specific autonomy-related design options with the potential to prevent stress. METHODS: In a factorial survey, this experimental study tested three design options in an overwork scenario: 1) autonomy (no intervention by design), 2) nudge ("nudging" by design), and 3) enforcement (hard stop by design). 51 participants (mean age 38 years, 50% women, mean work experience 18 years) from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Germany participated in the experiment for 330 seconds on average. To test our hypothesis, we used a two-step approach. First, a multiple linear regression was applied. Second, we carried out a one-way ANCOVA comparing the effects of our design options. RESULTS: Our results indicate that autonomy can be manipulated through technology design and is negatively correlated with stress. Additionally, the design options autonomy and nudge were associated with lower levels of perceived stress than was enforcement. CONCLUSION: The study proposes a careful use of IT and policies that limit the perceived autonomy of employees. Overall, this study offers a set of design recommendations arguing that organizations should implement technology that helps employees prevent overwork and maintain their autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refugees and asylum seekers are highly vulnerable to the development of mental health problems, yet oftentimes their need is underestimated. We aimed to develop a culturally sensitive screening tool for primary care settings assessing the urgency and need for mental health treatment to close this gap. Items for the screening tool were selected out of an item pool generated by a group of clinical experts based on the data obtained from n = 307 asylum seekers in a refugee state registration and reception center in Germany. Out of these, n = 111 attended a psychosocial walk-in clinic, and clinicians' ratings of urgency and need for mental health treatment were added. The resulting questionnaire comprised 8 items assessing urgency and 13 items assessing need for mental health treatment. Sensitivity was =0.74 and specificity =0.70. Participants of clinical and non-clinical samples differ highly significantly (p <.001). Cross-cultural validity was shown by comparing measurement invariance for different countries of origin. The RAS-MT-Screener is a clinically and cross-culturally valid screening tool in primary care settings for the urgency and need for mental health treatment with acceptable psychometric properties. Future research on its external and construct validity is warranted. • The RAS-MT-Screener is a screening tool for mental health burdens among refugees. • Psychological and Somatic Stress are key scales for need for mental health care. • The RAS-MT-Screener is feasible, clinically and cross-culturally valid. • It provides a previously missing tool in primary care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated vehicles (AVs) enable driver-passengers to perform non-driving related tasks (NDRTs). However, it remains unclear if and how they would engage with NDRTs. Therefore, we developed a questionnaire on NDRTs, the QNDRT, for SAE Level 3 (L3) and 5 (L5) driving automation. It comprises 24 items with a general NDRT Work subscale querying general aspects of working while driving in an AV (8 items; L3: 4 items, L5: 4) and a specific NDRT Communication subscale assessing different communication modalities (16 items; L3: 8, L5: 8). Hence, we carried out a cross-sectional questionnaire study and queried 725 participants (351 female, 374 male) from 18 to 96 years. We applied factor analyses and extracted a stable unidimensional factor structure for both NDRT subscales with good psychometric properties (e.g. high and clear factor loadings; satisfactory communalities, item discrimination, and internal consistency). The initial findings revealed that significantly smaller values were assigned to both subscale factors by participants older than 55 years in contrast to younger ones and by women when compared to men. The QNDRT can be used in future (quasi-)experimental L3 and L5 studies and in population surveys to obtain more insight into working and communicating while driving in an AV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the fact that they face the same problems, prison legislation differs between England and Germany. So do concepts and language. Can prison quality research travel under these circumstances? Are research questions and methodologies transferable from one legal culture into another? By using the example of a joint research project designed to transfer prison climate research from England and establish it in Germany and Switzerland we respond to the challenges of transferability and translatability. After examining the divergent legal cultures in England and Germany we present a prison climate research methodology developed by the Cambridge Prisons Research Centre (PRC). We then delineate the preparation, implementation and outcome of a pretest designed to show whether this cross-cultural research project can work. The concept of moral performance, and the methodology, seem to travel well while things are more complicated when it comes to translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narcissism is a multifaceted construct commonly conceptualized as comprising grandiose and vulnerable aspects in a two-factor model. While the manifold correlates of these aspects imposed a challenge for research on the structure of narcissism, recent models converge in a three-factor structure of agentic-extraverted, antagonistic, and neurotic aspects, capturing variance in different conceptualizations and correlates of narcissism. We construct and validate a German adaptation of the Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory (FFNI), a measure assessing these aspects based on the Five-Factor Model. In eight samples (N = 2,921), we found the German FFNI to align with both, two- and three-factor models. The factors display good criterion validity with other narcissism measures, (non-)clinical personality dimensions, interpersonal styles, and (mal-)adaptive adjustment. Neurotic and antagonistic narcissism discriminated between individuals with/without mental disorder diagnoses, and displayed a characteristic profile in incarcerated offenders. Since the FFNI is comprehensive but long, we constructed a 30-item brief form (FFNI-BF) optimizing the internal structure and external validity using ant colony optimization. The FFNI-BF displayed good psychometric characteristics and similar, in certain aspects even advantageous criterion validity. We conclude that the German FFNI validly measures key aspects of narcissism, and the FFNI-BF captures these in a concise manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To develop a patient's attitude questionnaire regarding prevention in oral health for use internationally. Methods: Using a mixed methods approach, a questionnaire was developed and refined as part of ADVOCATE (Added Value for Oral Care) study, involving partners in six countries: Netherlands, Hungary, Denmark, Ireland, Germany, and the UK. A literature review explored the history of oral healthcare delivery systems to develop a template for each of the six ADVOCATE countries. A systematic review identified the perceived barriers and facilitators to preventive oral healthcare and underpinned a topic guide and established the patient questionnaire domains. Focus groups in each ADVOCATE country developed the first version of the questionnaire. Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) in each ADVOCATE country tested the questionnaire and led to further refinement. The questionnaire was produced in five languages. Content validity and reproducibility used principal component analysis (PCA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) refined the questionnaire. Results: The literature review aided an understanding of each country's oral healthcare system, and the findings from the 25 studies identified in the systematic review found the main barriers/facilitators to preventive oral healthcare were cost, knowledge (preventive treatments and advice), and a patient awareness and adherence to preventive advice/treatments. Interviews and focus groups with 148 participants in the ADVOCATE study identified receiving the appropriate level of care/feeling valued, cost, level of motivation/priority, not feeling informed, knowledge, and skill mix as the main barriers/facilitators. Fifty‐three PPIE members refined the questionnaire. The pilot questionnaire was tested with 160 participants. Non‐essential or highly correlated variables were then removed, leaving 38 items, covering 6 domains (cost, advice received, advice wanted, message delivery, motivation, knowledge, and responsibility) within the questionnaire. A second pilot test‐run was undertaken with 185 participants. The test‐re‐test reliability demonstrated strong consistency of responses between the two time points (kappa range 0.3–0.7, most p <.0011), which culminated with a final version of the Patient Attitudes to Prevention in Oral Health Questionnaire (PAPOH) questionnaire. Conclusions: This mixed‐methods approach enabled the development of a multi‐language attitudinal questionnaire for use with patients (PAPOH) to compare attitudes to oral disease prevention internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen a growing number of studies investigating the accuracy of nonprobability online panels; however, response quality in nonprobability online panels has not yet received much attention. To fill this gap, we investigate response quality in a comprehensive study of seven nonprobability online panels and three probability-based online panels with identical fieldwork periods and questionnaires in Germany. Three response quality indicators typically associated with survey satisficing are assessed: straight-lining in grid questions, item nonresponse, and midpoint selection in visual design experiments. Our results show that there is significantly more straight-lining in the nonprobability online panels than in the probability-based online panels. However, contrary to our expectations, there is no generalizable difference between nonprobability online panels and probability-based online panels with respect to item nonresponse. Finally, neither respondents in nonprobability online panels nor respondents in probability-based online panels are significantly affected by the visual design of the midpoint of the answer scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is considerable burden of illness in hereditary angioedema (HAE). However, instruments to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in HAE are limited. The Angioedema Quality of Life Questionnaire (AE-QoL) was developed to measure HRQoL in patients with recurrent angioedema; the validity of the AE-QoL in patients with HAE is described. Methods: To identify disease-related experiences with a focus on the impact of HAE on HRQoL, interviews were conducted with a group of clinician experts and patients with HAE from Canada, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with a targeted literature review. Concepts were mapped to the AE-QoL to assess item relevance, interpretation, and conceptual coverage. Cognitive interviews assessed item clarity and relevance. A psychometric validation was performed using data from a phase 3 trial. Results: Interviews were conducted with seven clinicians and 40 adult patients. Patients reported 35 unique impacts of HAE on their lives, the most frequent being on work/school, social relationships, physical activities, and emotions, particularly fear/worrying and anxiety. Saturation for these impacts was reached, and all concepts covered in the AE-QoL were reported during the interviews. Patients agreed that the questionnaire items and response options were clear and relevant, and the 4-week recall period was appropriate. The psychometric validation included data from 64 patients. For AE-QoL total scores, excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.90), test-retest reliability (intraclass coefficient > 0.80), convergent validity with the Sheehan Disability Scale (r = 0.663), divergent validity with the EQ-5D-5L index (r = 0.292) and EQ-VAS (r = 0.337), and known-groups validity (p < 0.0001; ɳ2 = 0.56) were demonstrated. Conclusions: Qualitative and psychometric analyses showed that the AE-QoL is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring HRQoL in adult patients with HAE from six countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We argue that proactive work behavior's future orientation allows individuals to establish a connection with the future and thus to experience their work as meaningful. We further expect that this effect is enhanced when individuals are faced with an unpredictability of the future in their core job. We tested our hypotheses in three independent studies with employees. We first established the effect of proactive work behavior on work meaningfulness in a scenario‐based experiment (n = 140). A second experiment (n = 116) replicated this and also demonstrated that the effect was not driven by the benefits of proactive work behavior to others. A daily diary study (n = 107, k = 391) showed that day‐level proactive work behavior was positively associated with daily work meaningfulness and that this effect was again independent from having benefitted others. The results also confirmed that this relationship was stronger when an individual's job was characterized by unpredictability of the future. Our findings highlight the active role employees play for the experience of work as meaningful and suggests that encouraging proactive work behavior may be one avenue to promote work meaningfulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic debunking misinformation has been one of the most employed strategies used to address vaccine hesitancy. We investigated whether – and for whom – debunking is effective or even counterproductive in decreasing misinformation belief and vaccination hesitancy. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (N = 588) utilizing a real-world debunking campaign from the German Ministry of Health. We considered the condition (debunking vs. control) as between-subjects factor, assessed misinformation belief (pretest vs. posttest) as a repeated-measures factor and vaccination intention as a dependent variable. Preregistered subgroup analyses were conducted for different levels of a priori misinformation belief and general vaccination confidence. The analyses revealed differential effects on misinformation belief and vaccination intention in participants with low, medium, and high a priori belief: A debunking effect on misinformation belief (dRM = –0.80) was only found in participants with a medium a priori belief and did not extend to these participants' vaccination intentions. Among participants with a high a priori misinformation belief, explorative analysis revealed a small unintended backfiring effect on vaccination intentions (ηp2 = 0.03). Our findings suggest that debunking is an effective communication strategy to address moderate levels of misinformation beliefs, but it does not constitute a one-fits-all strategy to reduce vaccination hesitancy among the general public. Although countering misinformation should certainly be an integral part of public health communication, additional initiatives, which address individual concerns with targeted and authentic communication, should be taken to enhance the impact on hesitant populations and avoid backfiring effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of different adjustment criteria and sound scenes on self-adjusted hearing-aid gain settings. Self-adjusted settings were evaluated for speech recognition in noise, perceived listening effort, and preference. This study evaluated a semi-supervised self-adjustment fine-tuning procedure that presents realistic everyday sound scenes in a laboratory environment, using a two-dimensional user interface, and enabling simultaneous changes in amplitude and spectral slope. While exploring the two-dimensional space of parameter settings, the hearing-aid users were instructed to optimise either listening comfort or speech understanding. Twenty experienced hearing aid users (median age 69.5 years) were invited to participate in this study. Adjustment criterion and sound scenes had a significant effect on preferred gain settings. No differences in signal-to-noise ratios required for 50% speech intelligibility or in the perceived listening effort were observed between the adjusted settings of the two adjustment criteria. There was a preference for the self-adjusted settings over the prescriptive first fit. Listeners could reliably select their preferred gains to the two adjustment criteria and for different speech stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The COVID-19 pandemic led to psychological distress among children and adolescents. Due to multiple psychosocial burdens, the youth in residential care were especially exposed to an increased risk of mental health problems during the pandemic. In a multi-center, single-arm feasibility trial, N = 45 children and adolescents aged 7–14 years were allocated to a 6-week blended care intervention, conducted in six outpatient residential child welfare facilities. The intervention covered a once weekly face-to-face group session for guided creative (art therapy, drama therapy) and movement-oriented (children's yoga, nature therapy) activities. This was accompanied by a resilience-oriented mental-health app. Feasibility and acceptance analyses covered app usage data and qualitative data. Effectiveness was determined by pre-post comparisons in quantitative data on psychological symptoms and resources. Further, subgroups for poorer treatment outcome were explored. The intervention and app were considered to be feasible and were accepted by residential staff and the children. No significant pre-post changes were found across quantitative outcomes. However, being female, being in current psychosocial crisis, a migration background, or a mentally ill parent were correlated with change in score of outcomes from baseline. These preliminary findings pave the way for future research on blended care interventions among at-risk children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research contributes to the literature on victim blaming in cases of sexualized violence. Our findings show that even subtle cues, such as positioning in a picture, can influence blame attribution, particularly for people who are motivated to do so. In our experimental study we could show that with increasing rape myth acceptance as well as with increasing benevolent sexism, participants assigned more responsibility for later occurring sexualized violence to a woman displayed on the left-hand side compared to a woman displayed on the right-hand side of a picture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While recent laboratory studies suggest that the use of competing languages is a driving force in foreign language (FL) attrition (i.e. forgetting), research on "real" attriters has failed to demonstrate such a relationship. We addressed this issue in a large-scale longitudinal study, following German students throughout a study abroad in Spain and their first six months back in Germany. Monthly, percentage-based frequency of use measures enabled a fine-grained description of language use. L3 Spanish forgetting rates were indeed predicted by the quantity and quality of Spanish use, and correlated negatively with L1 German and positively with L2 English letter fluency. Attrition rates were furthermore influenced by prior Spanish proficiency, but not by motivation to maintain Spanish or non-verbal long-term memory capacity. Overall, this study highlights the importance of language use for FL retention and sheds light on the complex interplay between language use and other determinants of attrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forward testing effect (FTE) refers to the finding that retrieval practice of previously studied material can facilitate recall of newly studied (critical) material. Such interim retrieval practice can also lead to a differential FTE, i.e., a more pronounced FTE for items at early than later serial positions in the critical material. The present study examined whether this differential FTE also holds with interim semantic generation of extra-list items, and whether it is influenced by study material. Consistent with prior work, the results of two experiments showed that both interim retrieval practice and interim semantic generation induce the general (list-level) FTE when unrelated study lists are applied, whereas retrieval practice only creates the effect with categorised study lists. Critically, however, the differential FTE was present in response to retrieval practice but absent in response to semantic generation. This pattern held regardless of which material was studied, thus experimentally dissociating the general (list-level) from the differential (item-level) FTE. The findings may suggest that retrieval practice, but not semantic generation, induces a reset of the encoding process which promotes attentional encoding such that a more pronounced FTE arises for early than middle and late serial positions in the critical list. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]