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Abstract
Extensive research has been conducted to understand how accurately students monitor their studying and performance via metacognitive judgments. Moreover, the bases of students’ metacognitive judgments are of interest. While previous results are quite consistent regarding the importance of performance for the accuracy of metacognitive judgments, results regarding motivational and personality variables are rather heterogeneous. This paper reports on two studies that simultaneously examined the predictive power of several performance, motivational, and personality variables on metacognitive judgments. The studies investigated a set of judgments (local and global postdictions in Study 1 and global pre- and postdictions in Study 2) and accuracy scores (bias, sensitivity, and specificity) in two different settings. Individual differences in judgments and judgment accuracy were studied via hierarchical regression analyses. Study 1 with N = 245 undergraduate students identified performance and domain-specific self-concept as relevant predictors for judgments after test taking. This was consistently found for local and global judgments. Study 2 with N = 138 undergraduate students hence focused on domain-specific self-concept and extended results to predictions. Study 2 replicated results for global postdictions but not predictions. Specifically, before task processing, students’ judgments relied mostly on domain-specific self-concept but not on test performance itself. The studies indicate that different judgments and measures of judgment accuracy are needed to obtain comprehensive insights into individual differences in metacognitive monitoring.
Zusammenfassung
Karrierecoaching ist ein Coachingformat, das sich steigender Nachfrage erfreut. Trotz ihrer praktischen Bedeutsamkeit ist diese Dienstleistung aber inhaltlich unscharf definiert und ihre Wirkung empirisch schwach belegt. Der Beitrag begegnet diesem Mangel, indem Karriereoptimismus als Arbeitsziel im Karrierecoaching eingeführt wird. Karriereoptimismus wird als Sonderform situativen Optimismus vorgestellt und in der empirischen Befundlage zum Karrierecoaching verortet. Die positive Wirkung von Karriereoptimismus für die Laufbahn wird erörtert, und praktische Hinweise zur Förderung von Karriereoptimismus im Karrierecoaching werden gegeben.
Abstract
We examine whether the experience of personal growth at work changes over the course of one’s career. Interviews with 29 childcare providers revealed that personal growth was felt after mastering challenges. The nature and content of these challenges seemed to vary according to career phase. Early-career individuals considered their daily work challenging. Professionals in the middle of their careers focused more on social conflicts and their resolutions, while professionals at the end of their careers were more likely to see unique, non-routine tasks as challenges. This study suggests that personal growth cannot be fully understood independently of career phase. Implications are discussed.
Entwicklungspfade der Straftäterbehandlung: skizzierte Wege und Evaluation der Zielerreichung
(2020)
Zusammenfassung
Der Aufsatz gibt einen Überblick über die Konzepte und empirischen Evaluationsergebnisse zur Straftäterbehandlung seit den 1960er-Jahren. Zahlreiche Metaanalysen zeigen im Durchschnitt positive Ergebnisse. Kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutische Programme und das RNR-Modell haben die solideste Evidenzbasis, aber auch einige andere Ansätze sind erfolgversprechend. Bei Sexualtätern sind die Ergebnisse noch weniger einheitlich, insbesondere hinsichtlich der Behandlung in Gefängnissen. Bei der Umsetzung in die Praxis zeigen sich zahlreiche Einflüsse auf die Wirksamkeit, die den Programminhalt, den Kontext, die Probanden und die Methodik der Evaluation betreffen. Das „good lives model“ und das „desistance model“ erfordern kein anderes Paradigma, sondern sind gut mit dem „What-works-Ansatz“ und erweiterten RNR-Modell vereinbar. In diesem Rahmen werden 12 Vorschläge zur empirisch fundierten Weiterentwicklung der Straftäterbehandlung gemacht.
Abstract
Objectives
We propose a novel marker of pubertal organizing hormone effects on the brain, long bone length, and assess its relationships to implicit motives, especially the implicit need for power (nPower).
Methods
In a partly exploratory approach, we tested 126 participants (after exclusions; 53 men, 73 women), in a cross-sectional design using the Picture-Story Exercise (nPower, activity inhibition), standard anthropometric measurements (BMI, height), and calipers to assess bone length of the ulna and fibula.
Results
Results indicated that a sex-dimorphic (d = 0.55) Ulna-to-Fibula Ratio (UFR), which is independent of body height, best captures the variance in our data. While we did not find bivariate relationships between long bone length and nPower, a sex-dimorphic interaction of nPower and activity inhibition on UFR-asymmetry (UFRr-l; right versus left UFR) emerged. High UFRr-l scores were related to the inhibited power motive (high nPower, high activity inhibition) in men, while for women the pattern was (non-significantly) reversed. In addition, UFR was predicted by a sex-dimorphic effect of nPower, with low UFR scores being associated with a higher nPower in men and a tendency for high UFR scores being related to lower nPower in women.
Conclusions
We discuss our results regarding UFR’s potential as a sex-dimorphic marker of the organizing effects of pubertal steroid hormones on the motivational brain beyond hand and face parameters routinely used in current research. Finally, we examine how our findings fit recent results obtained for the relationship between 2D:4D digit ratio or facial width-to-height ratio and nPower.
Abstract
Purpose
Developmental and life course criminology (DLCC) engages not only in correlational longitudinal research but also in programs of developmental prevention. Within this context, child training on social skills plays an important role. The present article contains a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of this type of intervention.
Method
We updated a meta-analysis on this topic Lösel & Beelman (Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 587:84–109, 2003) to cover more recent studies while focusing specifically on aggression, delinquency, and related antisocial outcomes. From a systematic search of 1133 reports, we found 113 studies with 130 eligible RCT comparisons between a program and control group. Overall, 31,114 children and youths were included in these evaluations. Most interventions were based on a cognitive-behavioral approach.
Results
Overall, the mean effect was positive, but rather small (d = 0.25 using the random effect model). There were similar effects on aggression, delinquency, and other outcomes, but a tendency to somewhat stronger effects in behavior observations and official records than in rating scales. Most outcome measurements were assessed within 3 months or up to 1 year after training. Only a minority (k = 14) had follow-up assessments after more than 1 year. In the latter studies, mean effects were no longer significant. Indicated prevention for youngsters who already showed some antisocial behavior had better effects than universal approaches and (partially related to this) older youngsters benefited more than preschool children. There was much heterogeneity in the findings. Evaluations performed since our previous meta-analysis in 2003 did not reveal larger effects, but training format, intensity, and other moderators were relevant.
Conclusions
Mean results are promising, but more long-term evaluations, replications, booster approaches, and combinations with other types of interventions are necessary to ensure a substantial impact on antisocial development in the life course.
Research into the effects of social media on well-being often distinguishes “active” and “passive” use, with passive use supposedly more harmful to well-being (i.e., the passive use hypothesis). Recently, several studies and reviews have begun to question this hypothesis and its conceptual basis, the active/passive dichotomy. As this dichotomy has become a staple of social media research but evidence challenging its validity is mounting, a comprehensive debate on its pros, cons, and potential future is needed. This adversarial review brings together two voices – one more supportive, and the other more critical – toward the active/passive model. In constructive dialogue, we summarize and contrast our two opposing positions: The first position argues that the active/passive dichotomy is a useful framework because it adequately describes how and why passive use is (more) harmful for well-being. The second position challenges the validity of the dichotomy and the passive use hypothesis specifically. Arguments are presented alongside (a) the empirical basis, (b) conceptualization, and (c) operationalization of active and passive use, with particular focus on the passive use hypothesis. Rather than offering a conciliatory summary of the status quo, the goal of this review is to carve out key points of friction in the literature on the effects of social media through fruitful debate. We summarize our main agreements and unresolved disagreements on the merits and shortcomings of the active/passive dichotomy. In doing so, this review paves the way for researchers to decide whether and how they want to continue applying this lens in their future work.
Sexual offender treatment in prison: Challenges and differentiated approaches in evaluation research
(2023)
Although sexual offenses account for only a small percentage of total crime, they receive extraordinary media and public attention due to their often serious and long-lasting physical and psychological consequences for the victims. There is a great fear of sexual assaults, and consequently, public interest in preventing sex offender recidivism is particularly high. One measure to achieve this goal is the intramural treatment of convicted, especially high-risk, sex offenders, which has during the last decades become established in Germany and internationally. By now, numerous empirical studies investigated the effectiveness of treatment programs for sex offenders.
Overall trends regarding treatment effectiveness tend to be positive, but findings are mixed, particularly with regard to prison-based interventions and the reduction of sexual recidivism. At this point in time, no definite conclusions can be drawn regarding the effectiveness of such treatments. Possible reasons for the inconsistency of findings are manifold, as correctional evaluation research, and thus the integration of findings, faces numerous challenges. These concern, among other things, issues regarding the study design, the operationalization of treatment success, or the heterogeneity of those being treated. These aspects are addressed in the studies included in this dissertation, which were conducted as part of a large-scale evaluation project on sex offender treatment in the German state of Bavaria.
Consistent with previous findings, recidivism analyses of treated and untreated offenders showed overall positive trends but mainly no significant treatment effects. Moreover, the comparison of two different matching approaches underlined the importance of taking methodological influences into account when interpreting the results. An examination of the severity of sexual recidivism in addition to recidivism rates, as well as comparative analyses of characteristics of different offender types, underscored the need for and value of more differentiated approaches in forensic evaluation research. Limitations of the present work and implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Abstract: Metacognitive monitoring is conceptualized as a situation-specific
and context-dependent process that helps learners to regulate their learning. The current
study builds on the idea that metacognitive monitoring can fulfil monitoring functions in
different phases (when to monitor: during learning or during testing), and that it refers
to several objects (what to monitor: processing or retrieval). The cross-sectional study
with 184 higher-education students used a situation-specific approach and referred to
students’ monitoring via monitoring strategies and monitoring judgments during test
preparation and test processing. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that monitoring
via strategies and judgments can be directed at different objects. In addition, monitoring
different objects was more strongly correlated within the same phase than across different
phases. The study results emphasize the need for an object-specific and comprehensive
consideration of metacognitive monitoring via monitoring strategies and monitoring
judgments.
Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is non-invasive and painless, many patients experience stress when undergoing an MRI examination. Patients have been shown to respond negatively to MRI on a psychological, physiological, and behavioral level, which also seems to be associated with disturbances of the clinical workflow. However, there are still open questions around the topic of MRI as a stressor. Much research on the topic is rather outdated and mostly focused on singular aspects of the patients’ response, thereby failing to provide a holistic picture. A broad range of influencing factors impacts the extent to which patients experience MRI as stressful; yet, findings on the role of the factors are partially contradictory. Therefore, we are still unable to identify patients at risk for an adverse response in advance. Further, it is unclear to what extent advancements of MRI technology have contributed to improving the patients’ experience. Apart from modernizing scanner design, different psychologic-medical interventions have been developed to reduce stress in MRI patients. Findings on the effects of the interventions are, however, partially inconsistent. Considering the patients’ habitual style of coping may help tap into the underlying reasons of ambiguous findings. The aim of this dissertation is to shed more light onto the field of MRI being a potential stressor for patients and to close the research gaps displayed. Two empirical studies and one systematic review were conducted to this end; the studies resulted in four publications. Findings revealed that still around a third of all patients responds adversely to MRI; in that context, anticipation effects could be more relevant than the examination itself. Adverse responses in patients, in turn, indeed seem to hamper clinical workflows. Improving the patients’ experience thus may have the potential to improve outcomes relevant to the healthcare providers, as well. Results also revealed that technological advancements do not seem to have mitigated the situation until now, but preparing patients with contents that match their individual needs emerged as a promising approach. In sum, this dissertation enhances our understanding of the field around MRI as a stressor and ways to mitigate the situation.
Prosociality comprises the desire to benefit others (prosocial motivation), actions that benefit others (helping behavior), and perceptions of actions that benefit others (perceived prosocial impact). Being prosocial and helping others at work and in private life have beneficial consequences for individuals, organizations, and society. Given that increasing numbers of people are reporting enhanced stress levels both at work and in their private lives, investigating whether and how prosociality is affected by stress experiences is an important and timely question. Prior field-based research indicates a negative relation between work stress and helping one’s co-workers, while research conducted under controlled laboratory conditions has obtained contradictory results. Thus, I seek to extend this existing but rather ambiguous body of evidence by investigating cognitive (psychological, thought control) and affective processes (empathy) that underlie the relationship between stress and prosociality in both a field and a laboratory study. Additionally, I aim to broaden research on thought control, which can be considered a positive and functional process within individuals’ reactions to stress. Thought control leads to better affective states and this emotion regulation prevents high levels of stress. Therefore, I meta-analytically investigate the correlation between task-based and self-report measures of thought control.
The first study examined the relevance of work stress spillover to prosociality in private life. Based on COR theory, it was proposed that work stress negatively predicts prosociality (prosocial motivation, helping behavior) in private life due to individuals’ limited resources. Study 1 further elucidated whether moderating factors (psychological detachment, empathy [empathic concern, perspective taking]) attenuate this potential negative association. Multilevel modeling using daily diary data from N = 166 employees revealed a negative association between work stress and prosocial motivation in private life. Low and moderate levels of empathic concern intensified this negative association. Psychological detachment did not moderate the proposed relationships. Instead, mediation analyses revealed a significant negative association between work stress and prosocial motivation through psychological detachment. Study 1 found no significant relationships with helping behavior. Thus, the findings indicate a negative spillover of work stress to prosociality in private life. However, this seems to apply to motivational aspects of prosociality only.
Study 2 aimed at replicating the findings of Study 1 using a combined field and laboratory approach with 55 participants. Specifically, Study 2 investigated the impact of acute affective and biopsychological stress responses on prosociality under controlled laboratory conditions. It was further examined whether this relationship is shaped by individuals’ current life stress, instructions to control one’s thoughts, and the cognitive ability to keep stress-related thoughts at bay (using a task-based paradigm and a self-report measure). Additionally, Study 2 investigated whether instructions to control one’s thoughts and the general ability to do so reduce individuals’ stress responses. Findings suggest that prosociality increases after acute stress and that this effect depends on the level of current life stress, but not on an individual’s general thought control ability. Additionally, instructions to engage in thought control, but not participants’ general ability to do so, reduced stress responses.
Thought control can be seen as a positive and functional buffering process in individuals’ reactions to stress, as it leads to better affective states and thus prevents high levels of stress through emotion regulation. Two basic ways to measure thought control have emerged: Self-report questionnaires and task-based paradigms. There is evidence for a common underlying inhibitory control mechanism that should be reflected in both self-report and task-based measures, even though differences in psychometric properties cannot be dismissed. Study 3 reports the results of a frequentist and a robust Bayesian meta-analysis (k = 17 samples) investigating the correlation between self-report questionnaires and task-based paradigms, finding that the overall correlation is positive, very small in size, and statistically insignificant. Although tending towards a null effect, there is insufficient evidence to definitely conclude that the effect is null. Additionally, neither age, gender, publication status, presentation order, nor type of self-report measure were found to moderate the size of the relationship. Hence, these findings imply that task-based and self-report thought control measures might capture different psychological processes.
Overall, my research shows that stress is not necessarily negatively related to prosociality. Although the daily diary study’s findings point toward a negative relationship between stress and prosociality, the controlled laboratory study implies the opposite. Moderators of the relationship were identified and further elucidated. Specifically, using a meta-analytical approach, I found that task-based and self-report measures of thought control do not substantially correlate with each other, which suggests that the two measures might capture different psychological processes.
Abstract
There is an ongoing debate whether police officers should be allowed to wear tattoos or piercings on visible parts of the body or not. One argument often brought forward against it is that such body modifications would cue negative evaluations of officers by citizens that would impede officers’ fulfillment of their duties. Yet, empirical evidence for this claim is missing. The present research aims to close this gap by examining how citizens perceive police officers with tattoos and piercings. In an experiment, participants saw edited photographs of police officers with and without tattoos (study 1) or piercings (study 2). They rated each officer regarding communion, agency, likability, respect, and threat. We found that, as expected, police officers with tattoos and piercings were perceived as less trustworthy and less competent, were liked somewhat less, and triggered higher perceptions of threat. In addition, police officers with tattoos (but not with piercings) were perceived as less friendly and more assertive. Regarding respect, we found no differences between officers with and without body modifications. While our empirical results cannot answer the societal and political question whether police officers should be allowed to wear tattoos and piercings or not, experimental psychological research can contribute to the respective discussions by providing an empirical basis. Our findings further have important theoretical implications, as the opposing effects on competence and assertiveness underline the importance of distinguishing between these two facets of agency in research on social perception and judgment.
Objectives
We explored associations between the needs for power, achievement, and affiliation and functional cerebral asymmetries (FCAs), guided by three established hypotheses about the nature of these associations.
Methods
One-hundred-and-seven participants completed picture-story measures of dispositional motives and activity inhibition (AI), a frequent moderator of motive-behavior associations, tasks measuring FCAs (line bisection, chimeric emotional face judgments, turning bias, perceptual and response asymmetries on the Poffenberger task), self-reported laterality preferences (handedness, footedness, ear and eye preference), and interhemispheric interaction (crossed-uncrossed difference). They also completed an experiment manipulating hand contractions (left, right, both, neither) while they worked on a second picture-story motive measure.
Results
Dispositional power motivation was associated with stronger rightward asymmetry and less interhemispheric transfer in high-AI and stronger leftward asymmetry and more interhemispheric transfer in low-AI individuals. For the affiliation motive, findings were fewer and in the opposite direction of those for the power motive. These findings emerged for men, but not for women. Left- or right-hand contractions led to increases in power and achievement motivation, but not affiliation motivation. Only left-hand contractions led to decreased AI.
Conclusions
We discuss these findings in the context of sex-dimorphic organizing and activating effects of steroids on motives and laterality.
Influential meta-analyses have concluded that only a small to medium proportion of variance in performance can be explained by deliberate practice. We argue that the authors have neglected the most important characteristic of deliberate practice: individualization of practice. Many of the analyzed effect sizes derived from measures that did not assess individualized practice and, therefore, should not have been included in meta-analyses of deliberate practice. We present empirical evidence which suggests that the level of individualization and quality of practice (indicated by didactic educational capital) substantially influences the predictive strength of practice measures. In our study of 178 chess players, we found that at a high level of individualization and quality of practice, the effect size of structured practice was more than three times higher than that found at the average level. Our theoretical analysis, along with empirical results, support the claim that the explanatory power of deliberate practice has been considerably underestimated in the meta-analyses. The question of how important deliberate practice is for individual differences in performance remains an open question.
Die Bewältigung der Herausforderungen eines Semesters stellt hohe Anforderungen an das selbstregulierte Lernen Studierender. Kognitive, metakognitive und ressourcenbezogene Lernstrategien sind leistungsrelevante Aspekte selbstregulierten Lernens, mit welchen die Studierenden ihre Lernhandlungen zielführend steuern und Schwierigkeiten im Lernprozess auflösen können. Aus der pädagogisch-psychologischen Lernstrategieforschung werden jedoch mehrere offene Fragen und Desiderate deutlich. Inhaltlich besteht die Forderung nach einer gemeinsamen Berücksichtigung der Komponenten und Prozesse selbstregulierten Lernens. Durch die Zusammenführung beider Perspektiven sollen im Rahmen der Synopse einerseits Einflussfaktoren und notwendige Kompetenzen sowie andererseits auch die Dynamik und Potenziale der Nutzung von Lernstrategien zur Bewältigung der Herausforderungen des Studiums identifiziert und analysiert werden. Daraus folgt das methodische Desiderat einer situationsspezifischen, handlungsnahen und längsschnittlichen Erfassung der Lernstrategienutzung in authentischen Lernsituationen. Das primäre Ziel der vorliegenden Synopse ist deshalb die Erfassung von Nutzung, Einflussfaktoren und Potenzialen kognitiver, metakognitiver und ressourcen-bezogener Lernstrategien im Studium unter Berücksichtigung der genannten Desiderate. Zur Erreichung dieses Ziels werden drei empirische Arbeiten her-angezogen, welche aktuelle Fragestellungen zu den einzelnen Lernstrategien aus den genannten Perspektiven heraus fokussieren. Der erste Fachartikel fokussierte die semesterübergreifende Nutzung kognitiver Lernstrategien und erweiterte die bestehende Forschung zu Nutzungsmustern kognitiver Lernstrategien um eine handlungsnahe Erfassung sowie eine längsschnittliche Betrachtung. Die Ergebnisse des ersten Fachartikels zeigten eine differenzierte Nutzung kognitiver Lernstrategien im Semester durch die Studierenden und ein leistungsrelevantes Nutzungsmuster dieser Lernstrategien. Der zweite Fachartikel adressierte metakognitive Lernstrategien und konnte Potenziale semesterbegleitender Abrufübungen in Form von nicht gewerteten Leistungstests hinsichtlich der metakognitiven Überwachung sowie der Prüfungsleistung Studierender in einer authentischen Lernsituation aufzeigen. Die Ergebnisse des zweiten Fachartikels zeigten entgegen der theoretischen Annahme allerdings keinen bedeutsamen Einfluss eines externen Feedbacks zu den Abrufübungen auf die metakognitive Überwachung der Studierenden. Der dritte Fachartikel untersuchte ressourcenbezogene Lernstrategien Studierender, die ihr Lernen ad-hoc an digitale Fernlehre im häuslichen Umfeld anpassen muss-ten. Die Ergebnisse des dritten Fachartikels zeigten eine Diskrepanz zwischen der intendierten und der tatsächlichen Nutzung ressourcenbezogener Lernstrategien, die auf eine nicht ausreichende Adaption des Lernens an die neue Lernsituation hindeutet. Zudem konnte eine Abhängigkeit der tatsächlichen Nutzung von der Bereitschaft der Studierenden für die ad-hoc digitale Fernlehre festgestellt werden. Zusammengenommen erweitern die empirischen Arbeiten im Rahmen der Synopse den Forschungsstand zur Lernstrategienutzung um die längsschnittliche Perspektive und die Betrachtung des selbstregulierten Lernens Studierender in wichtigen Situationen des Studiums, wie dem Studienbeginn und der Einführung einer neuen Lehrform. Dabei werden über-greifend prozessbasierte Dynamiken der Strategienutzung und leistungsrelevante, metakognitive und förderungsrelevante Potenziale der Lernstrategien deutlich. Vor allem diese Potenziale hinsichtlich der Nutzung und der Einflussfaktoren der Lernstrategien sowie damit einhergehende methodische Erweiterungen werden als zusammenführender Diskussionsanlass angeführt.
Hintergrund und Ziele: Die Schwangerschaft gilt als sensibles Zeitfenster, in der die Vulnerabilität des sich entwickelnden Lebens besonders erhöht ist gegenüber ungünstigen Einflüssen von innen und außen. Zwei der meistbelegten Risikofaktoren sind hierbei Alkoholkonsum und depressive Symptome der Schwangeren, die trotz des Wissens um ihre schädliche Wirkung nach wie vor weit verbreitet sind. Beide Faktoren haben gemeinsam, dass ihr Vorliegen womöglich eine endokrine Programmierung – im Sinne einer veränderten Entwicklung der kindlichen Hypothalamus-Hypophysen-Nebennierenrindenachse (HHN-Achse) – nach sich zieht. Frühere Studien konnten einen Zusammenhang der beiden pränatalen Risiken mit einer veränderten Cortisolausschüttung bei betroffenen Kindern – gemessen in Speichel, Blut und Haar – aufzeigen. Die vorliegende Arbeit machte sich zum Ziel, Langzeitauswirkungen des Einflusses der beiden pränatalen Risikofaktoren Alkoholexposition (abgebildet über den Selbstbericht der Mutter und einen Biomarker, Ethylglucoronid, EtG, im Mekonium des Neugeborenen) und depressive Symptome der Schwangeren (gemessen über die Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, EPDS) auf das Cortisol-Stress-System (abgebildet über Haarcortisol-Konzentrationen, HCC) erstmals in einer prospektiven Längsschnittkohorte zu zwei verschiedenen Zeitpunkten der kindlichen Entwicklung im Grundschul- und frühen Jugendalter aufzuzeigen.
Methoden: Es wurden insgesamt N = 94 Teilnehmende in die Untersuchung eingeschlossen, für die gültige HCC-Daten im Kindes- und Jugendalter verfügbar waren. Hiervon waren für n = 81 (86.2 %) ein gültiger Mekonium-EtG-Wert, für alle Kinder und Jugendlichen ein Selbstbericht ihrer Mutter über den pränatalen Alkoholkonsum und für n = 93 (98.9 %) ein gültiger EPDS-Wert vorhanden. Die Teilnehmenden waren im Grundschulalter (T1) zwischen 6.2 und 10.0 (M = 7.7, SD = 0.81) Jahre und im frühen Jugendalter (T2) zwischen 12.8 und 14.4 (M = 13.3, SD = 0.30) Jahre alt. Es wurden zwei EtG-Cut-off-Werte (10 ng/g und 154 ng/g) angewandt. Nach Überprüfung möglicher konfundierender Variablen wurden einfaktorielle Varianzanalysen mit Messwiederholung (ANOVA) durchgeführt. Zuletzt wurde die klinische Relevanz (korrelative Zusammenhänge mit kindlichen Erlebens- und Verhaltensauffälligkeiten, abgebildet über den Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, SDQ) der Ergebnisse überprüft.
Ergebnisse: Bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit einem EtG-Wert ≥ 154 ng/g wurde – unter Berücksichtigung der geringen Gruppengröße von n = 9 innerhalb der EtG154-positiven Gruppe – eine signifikant veränderte Entwicklung der HCC über die Zeit beobachtet (F(1, 79) = 6.27, p = .014, Np2 = .07). Es zeigte sich ein bedeutsamer Anstieg der HCC vom Grundschul- zum Jugendalter nur in der EtG154-Risikogruppe, während die HCC der Vergleichsgruppe über die Zeit nahezu unverändert blieben, wodurch sich die HCC zwischen den Gruppen im Zeitverlauf anglichen. Unterschiede der HCC zwischen der EtG154+ und der EtG154- Gruppe waren nur zu T1 statistisch bedeutsam (p = .017, MDiff = .733, 95%-CI [-.324, .922]). Kinder und Jugendliche, deren Mütter pränatal depressive Symptome bei sich angaben (EPDS ≥ 10) zeigten insgesamt höhere HCC zu beiden Untersuchungszeitpunkten als die Kontrollgruppe (F(1, 91) = 4.04, p = .047, Np2 = .04). Hinsichtlich der klinisch-funktionalen Relevanz wurde zu T2 innerhalb der Risikogruppe (EPDS ≥ 10) ein signifikanter Zusammenhang zwischen HCC und dem SDQ-Gesamtproblemwert (r = .43, p = .043) beobachtet.
Schlussfolgerungen: Die vorliegende Arbeit konnte langfristig wirksame Effekte auf die kindliche HHN-Achse im Zusammenhang mit den pränatalen Risiken Alkoholexposition und mütterlicher depressiver Symptome zu zwei verschiedenen Entwicklungszeitpunkten im Grundschul- und frühen Jugendalter aufzeigen. Das durch die HCC repräsentierte Stress-Hormonsystem der risikoexponierten Kinder und Jugendlichen zeigte sich grundlegend und nachhaltig verändert. Die Richtung der Dysregulation der HHN-Achse bleibt Gegenstand zukünftiger Forschungsarbeiten. Die Ergebnisse unterstreichen die Notwendigkeit einer frühzeitigen Aufklärung der werdenden Mütter über vermeidbare Risiken während der Schwangerschaft, wie den Konsum von Alkohol, sowie regelmäßige und zuverlässig durchgeführte Screenings hinsichtlich eines depressiven Erlebens der Schwangeren. In weiteren Studien sollten die vorliegenden Ergebnisse im Rahmen größerer Stichproben innerhalb der Risikokonstellationen – ebenfalls unter Einnahme einer längsschnittlichen Perspektive – überprüft werden.
Organizations trying to attract talents sometimes promise friendships or family-like workplace relations in their job advertisements. This research examined how jobseekers of different ages react to such promises of communal workplace relationships. In two experiments (N = 292 and N = 343), we found consistent evidence that, compared to conventional exchange-oriented job advertisements, communal job advertisements led jobseekers to assume lower organizational performance standards. However, no differences were apparent in their job-choice intentions. While the jobseekers’ age did not moderate these relationships, we found that older employees generally expected higher organizational performance standards. These experiments combine relationship and recruitment research and contribute to our understanding of how people react to the mingling of different relationship norms in the work context. Practically speaking, the findings suggest that the usage of communal job advertisements might not be in the best interest of organizational performance.
Marie Jahoda’s latent deprivation model proposes that unemployed people have a worse mental health compared to employed people. This is because they suffer not only from a lack of the manifest function of employment (earning money), but also from a lack of five so-called latent functions of employment: Time structure, social contact, collective purpose (i.e., the sense of being useful to other people), status, and activity. In order to test the basic assumptions of this theory, a study based on meta-analytic methods was conducted. Results showed that employed people reported higher levels on all five latent functions, as well as on the manifest function, compared to unemployed people. They also report more latent functions than people who are out of the labor force (OLF). Moreover, OLF-people reported more manifest and latent functions than unemployed people. Specific analyses for three OLF-subgroups found retired people to be almost as deprived of the latent functions (but not the manifest function) as unemployed people, while students were more similar to employed people but still experienced some manifest and latent deprivation. For homemakers, the effect sizes pointed in the expected direction, but they were not significant. Thus, the proposition that employment is the best provider of the latent functions was generally endorsed, although homemakers need further scrutiny in future studies. All latent functions, as well as the manifest function, emerged as significant independent predictors of mental health, when the influence of the other manifest and latent functions was controlled. Together, the dimensions in the model explained 19% of variation in mental health.
Individual responses to behavioral treatment of anxiety disorders vary considerably, which requires a better understanding of underlying processes. In this study, we examined the violation and change of threat beliefs during exposure. From 8,484 standardized exposure records of 605 patients with different anxiety disorders, learning indicators were derived: expectancy violation as mismatch between threat expectancy before exposure and threat occurrence, expectancy change as difference between original and adjusted expectancy after exposure, and prediction-error learning rate as extent to which expectancy violation transferred into change. Throughout sessions, high threat expectancy but low occurrence and adjusted expectancy indicated successful violation and change of threat beliefs by exposure. Expectancy violation, change, and learning rate substantially varied between patients. Not expectancy violation itself, but higher learning rate and expectancy change predicted better treatment outcome. Successful exposure thus requires expectancy violation to induce actual expectancy change, supporting learning from prediction error as transdiagnostic mechanism underlying successful exposure therapy.