@article{FelisattiRanziniBlinietal.2022, author = {Felisatti, Arianna and Ranzini, Mariagrazia and Blini, Elvio and Lisi, Matteo and Zorzi, Marco}, title = {Effects of attentional shifts along the vertical axis on number processing}, series = {Cognition : international journal of cognitive science}, volume = {221}, journal = {Cognition : international journal of cognitive science}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0010-0277}, doi = {10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104991}, pages = {11}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Previous studies suggest that associations between numbers and space are mediated by shifts of visuospatial attention along the horizontal axis. In this study, we investigated the effect of vertical shifts of overt attention, induced by optokinetic stimulation (OKS) and monitored through eye-tracking, in two tasks requiring explicit (number comparison) or implicit (parity judgment) processing of number magnitude. Participants were exposed to black-and-white stripes (OKS) that moved vertically (upward or downward) or remained static (control condition). During the OKS, participants were asked to verbally classify auditory one-digit numbers as larger/smaller than 5 (comparison task; Exp. 1) or as odd/even (parity task; Exp. 2). OKS modulated response times in both experiments. In Exp.1, upward attentional displacement decreased the Magnitude effect (slower responses for large numbers) and increased the Distance effect (slower responses for numbers close to the reference). In Exp.2, we observed a complex interaction between parity, magnitude, and OKS, indicating that downward attentional displacement slowed down responses for large odd numbers. Moreover, eye tracking analyses revealed an influence of number processing on eye movements both in Exp. 1, with eye gaze shifting downwards during the processing of small numbers as compared to large ones; and in Exp. 2, with leftward shifts after large even numbers (6,8) and rightward shifts after large odd numbers (7,9). These results provide evidence of bidirectional links between number and space and extend them to the vertical dimension. Moreover, they document the influence of visuo-spatial attention on processing of numerical magnitude, numerical distance, and parity. Together, our findings are in line with grounded and embodied accounts of numerical cognition.}, language = {en} } @article{VanonciniBollAvetisyanElsneretal.2022, author = {Vanoncini, Monica and Boll-Avetisyan, Natalie and Elsner, Birgit and Hoehl, Stefanie and Kayhan, Ezgi}, title = {The role of mother-infant emotional synchrony in speech processing in 9-month-old infants}, series = {Infant behavior and development : an international \& interdisciplinary journal}, volume = {69}, journal = {Infant behavior and development : an international \& interdisciplinary journal}, publisher = {Elsevier Science}, address = {Amsterdam [u.a.]}, issn = {0163-6383}, doi = {10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101772}, pages = {13}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Rhythmicity characterizes both interpersonal synchrony and spoken language. Emotions and language are forms of interpersonal communication, which interact with each other throughout development. We investigated whether and how emotional synchrony between mothers and their 9-month-old infants relates to infants' word segmentation as an early marker of language development. Twenty-six 9-month-old infants and their German-speaking mothers took part in the study. To measure emotional synchrony, we coded positive, neutral and negative emotional expressions of the mothers and their infants during a free play session. We then calculated the degree to which the mothers' and their infants' matching emotional expressions followed a predictable pattern. To measure word segmentation, we familiarized infants with auditory text passages and tested how long they looked at the screen while listening to familiar versus novel words. We found that higher levels of predictability (i.e. low entropy) during mother-infant interaction is associated with infants' word segmentation performance. These findings suggest that individual differences in word segmentation relate to the complexity and predictability of emotional expressions during mother-infant interactions.}, language = {en} } @article{MalayeriNaterKraheetal.2022, author = {Malayeri, Shera and Nater, Christa and Krah{\´e}, Barbara and Sczesny, Sabine}, title = {Sexual aggression among women and men in an Iranian sample}, series = {Sex roles : a journal of research}, volume = {87}, journal = {Sex roles : a journal of research}, number = {3-4}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {0360-0025}, doi = {10.1007/s11199-022-01312-2}, pages = {139 -- 153}, year = {2022}, abstract = {This pre-registered study examined the prevalence and correlates of sexual aggression in a sample of 530 Iranians (322 women, 208 men) with a behaviorally specific questionnaire distinguishing between different coercive strategies, victim-perpetrator relationships, and sexual acts. Significantly more women (63.0\%) than men (51.0\%) experienced at least one incident of sexual aggression victimization since the age of 15 years, and significantly more men (37.0\%) than women (13.4\%) reported at least one incident of sexual aggression perpetration. In women and men, the experience of child sexual abuse predicted sexual victimization and sexual aggression perpetration after the age of 15 years, both directly and indirectly through higher engagement in risky sexual behavior. Greater endorsement of hostile masculinity among men explained additional variance in the prediction of sexual aggression perpetration. This research is a first step towards documenting and explaining high rates of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration among Iranian women and men, providing important information for sex education as well for the prevention of sexual aggression. However, to achieve these goals, we highlight the need for systematic actions in all educational, social, and legal sectors of Iranian society.}, language = {en} } @article{LachmairFischerGerjets2022, author = {Lachmair, Martin and Fischer, Martin H. and Gerjets, Peter}, title = {Action-control mappings of interfaces in virtual reality: a study of embodied interaction}, series = {Frontiers in virtual reality}, volume = {3}, journal = {Frontiers in virtual reality}, publisher = {Frontiers Media}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {2673-4192}, doi = {10.3389/frvir.2022.976849}, pages = {11}, year = {2022}, abstract = {The development of interface technologies is driven by the goal of making interaction more positive through natural action-control mappings. In Virtual Reality (VR), the entire body is potentially involved for interaction, using such mappings with a maximum of degrees of freedom. The downside is the increase in interaction complexity, which can dramatically influence interface design. A cognitive perspective on detailed aspects of interaction patterns is lacking in common interface design guidelines, although it can be helpful to make this complexity controllable and, thus, make interaction behavior predictable. In the present study, the distinction between grounding, embodiment, and situatedness (the GES framework) is applied to organize aspects of interactions and to compare them with each other. In two experiments, zooming into or out of emotional pictures through changes of arm span was examined in VR. There are qualitatively different aspects during such an interaction: i) perceptual aspects caused by zooming are fundamental for human behavior (Grounding: closer objects appear bigger) and ii) aspects of gestures correspond to the physical characteristics of the agents (Embodiment: little distance of hands signals little or, in contrast, "creating more detail"). The GES-framework sets aspects of Grounding against aspects of Embodiment, thus allowing to predict human behavior regarding these qualitatively different aspects. For the zooming procedure, the study shows that Grounding can overrule Embodiment in interaction design. Thus, we propose GES as a cognitive framework that can help to inform interaction guidelines for user interface design in VR.}, language = {en} } @article{MuschallaBaronKlevers2022, author = {Muschalla, Beate and Baron, Stefanie and Klevers, Theresa}, title = {Students or medical professionals: whose knowledge improved after social-medicine training?}, series = {Social Psychiatry \& Psychiatric Epidemiology}, volume = {57}, journal = {Social Psychiatry \& Psychiatric Epidemiology}, number = {7}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {0933-7954}, doi = {10.1007/s00127-021-02197-4}, pages = {1505 -- 1514}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Purpose Rehabilitation professionals are faced with judging and describing the social-medicine status of their patients. Rehabilitation professionals must know the core concepts of acute unfitness for work, psychological capacities, and long-term work capacity. Acquiring and applying this knowledge, requires training. The research question is if and to what extent medical professionals and students' knowledge changes after social medicine training. Methods This quasi-experimental study was carried out in the real-life context of social medicine training. Psychology students (n = 42), physicians/psychotherapists (i.e. state-licensed health professionals) (n = 44) and medical assistant professionals (n = 29) were trained. Their social medicine knowledge was measured before and after training by a 10-min expert-approved and content valid knowledge questionnaire. Three free-text questions had to be answered on the essential aspects of present and prognostic work ability and psychological capacities. Answers were rated for correctness by two experts. Paired t tests and variance analysis have been calculated for group comparisons. Results All groups improved their social medicine knowledge from the pre- to the post-test. The students started with the lowest level of knowledge in the pre-test. After training, 69\% of the physicians/psychotherapists and 56.8\% of the medical assistant professionals, but only 7\% of the students, obtained maximum scores for naming psychological capacities. Conclusions Social medicine knowledge increased after a training course consisting of eight lessons. The increase was greater for medical assistant professionals and physicians/psychotherapists than for students. Social medicine training must be adjusted to the trainee groups' knowledge levels.}, language = {en} } @article{ContierWeymarWartenburgeretal.2022, author = {Contier, Friederike and Weymar, Mathias and Wartenburger, Isabell and Rabovsky, Milena}, title = {Sustained attention as measured by reaction time variability is a strong modulator for the P600, but not the N400}, series = {Journal of cognitive neuroscience}, volume = {34}, journal = {Journal of cognitive neuroscience}, number = {12}, publisher = {MIT Press}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {0898-929X}, doi = {10.1162/jocn_a_01918}, pages = {2297 -- 2310}, year = {2022}, abstract = {The functional significance of the two prominent language-related ERP components N400 and P600 is still under debate. It has recently been suggested that one important dimension along which the two vary is in terms of automaticity versus attentional control, with N400 amplitudes reflecting more automatic and P600 amplitudes reflecting more controlled aspects of sentence comprehension. The availability of executive resources necessary for controlled processes depends on sustained attention, which fluctuates over time. Here, we thus tested whether P600 and N400 amplitudes depend on the level of sustained attention. We reanalyzed EEG and behavioral data from a sentence processing task by Sassenhagen and Bornkessel-Schlesewsky [The P600 as a correlate of ventral attention network reorientation. Cortex, 66, A3-A20, 2015], which included sentences with morphosyntactic and semantic violations. Participants read sentences phrase by phrase and indicated whether a sentence contained any type of anomaly as soon as they had the relevant information. To quantify the varying degrees of sustained attention, we extracted a moving reaction time coefficient of variation over the entire course of the task. We found that the P600 amplitude was significantly larger during periods of low reaction time variability (high sustained attention) than in periods of high reaction time variability (low sustained attention). In contrast, the amplitude of the N400 was not affected by reaction time variability. These results thus suggest that the P600 component is sensitive to sustained attention whereas the N400 component is not, which provides independent evidence for accounts suggesting that P600 amplitudes reflect more controlled and N400 amplitudes reflect more automatic aspects of sentence comprehension.}, language = {en} } @article{vonSteinkellerGrosse2022, author = {von Steinkeller, Annika and Grosse, Gerlind}, title = {Children are more social when playing analog games together than digital games}, series = {Computers in Human Behavior Reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Computers in Human Behavior Reports}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {2451-9588}, doi = {10.1016/j.chbr.2022.100195}, pages = {10}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Digital media are being used more and more frequently by children and for a wide variety of functions. However, there are no studies to date that examine the effect of such use on peer interactions and the occurrence of prosocial behavior in peers. For parents, it has been found that when using digital media only few parents respond responsively to their children's attempts at interaction and also very rarely, they communicate with them verbally and nonverbally. In the present study, we investigated how playing a game in a digital versus analog form influences in-teractions (especially prosocial behavior) of peers. We used an experimental situation, where 24 dyads of 4-10-year-old children were examined. Each of the dyads was randomly assigned to a condition where they played either a digital or analog game together. Various interaction parameters and prosocial behavior during and after the game were analyzed. Results show that children in the analog condition communicated verbally with each other more often, responded more often to interaction attempts of their partners and showed less often negative forms of inter-action and more often positive forms of interaction than children in the digital condition. However, the type of medium had no influence on prosocial behavior after the game situation. These results suggest that the format of a game (digital vs. analog) has a decisive influence on peer interactions concerning their communication during but not their prosocial behavior after the game situation.}, language = {en} } @article{WagnerHofmannMaass2022, author = {Wagner, Birgit and Hofmann, Laura and Maaß, Ulrike}, title = {A therapist-supported internet-based intervention for bereaved siblings: a randomized controlled trial}, series = {Palliative medicine}, volume = {36}, journal = {Palliative medicine}, number = {10}, publisher = {Sage Publications}, address = {London}, issn = {0269-2163}, doi = {10.1177/02692163221122344}, pages = {1532 -- 1543}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background: The loss of a sibling can have a long-term impact on the mental and physical health of the surviving sibling throughout adolescence and later adulthood. Even though bereaved siblings can be identified as a high-risk group, evidence-based interventions for this bereavement group are still missing. Aim: To evaluate the treatment effects of an internet-based writing intervention for bereaved siblings aged 16-65 years. Design: A two-armed randomized controlled trial (DRKS00011514) compared the intervention to a waiting list control group. The 6-week intervention consisted of six structured writing assignments that were based on cognitive behavioral therapy, focusing on the specific situation of bereaved siblings. Setting/participants: Eighty-six bereaved siblings (loss >1 month ago, no severe psychiatric symptoms) were randomly allocated to the intervention group (n = 47) or the waiting list control group (n = 39). Primary outcomes were symptoms of prolonged grief disorder and depression; secondary outcomes were posttraumatic stress symptoms and survivor guilt. Results: Symptoms of depression and prolonged grief disorder improved significantly in the intention-to-treat analyses from pre-to post-measurement compared with the control group (g(Depression) = -0.62, g(Grief) = 0.33). In the intervention group, all primary and secondary outcomes decreased significantly from baseline to 12-month follow-up (gs = -0.38 to -1.04). A significant clinical change could be found for depression (34\%) compared to the waitlist control group (10\%). Conclusions: Bereaved siblings profited from this brief internet-based writing intervention in the short- and long-term. However, future research, such as dismantling studies, may help to further optimize the benefits of an intervention aimed at bereaved siblings.}, language = {en} } @article{NguyenGeorgieKayhanetal.2021, author = {Nguyen, Dong Hai Phuong and Georgie, Yasmin Kim and Kayhan, Ezgi and Eppe, Manfred and Hafner, Verena Vanessa and Wermter, Stefan}, title = {Sensorimotor representation learning for an "active self" in robots}, series = {K{\"u}nstliche Intelligenz : KI ; Forschung, Entwicklung, Erfahrungen ; Organ des Fachbereichs 1 K{\"u}nstliche Intelligenz der Gesellschaft f{\"u}r Informatik e.V., GI / Fachbereich 1 der Gesellschaft f{\"u}r Informatik e.V}, volume = {35}, journal = {K{\"u}nstliche Intelligenz : KI ; Forschung, Entwicklung, Erfahrungen ; Organ des Fachbereichs 1 K{\"u}nstliche Intelligenz der Gesellschaft f{\"u}r Informatik e.V., GI / Fachbereich 1 der Gesellschaft f{\"u}r Informatik e.V}, number = {1}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Berlin}, issn = {0933-1875}, doi = {10.1007/s13218-021-00703-z}, pages = {9 -- 35}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Safe human-robot interactions require robots to be able to learn how to behave appropriately in spaces populated by people and thus to cope with the challenges posed by our dynamic and unstructured environment, rather than being provided a rigid set of rules for operations. In humans, these capabilities are thought to be related to our ability to perceive our body in space, sensing the location of our limbs during movement, being aware of other objects and agents, and controlling our body parts to interact with them intentionally. Toward the next generation of robots with bio-inspired capacities, in this paper, we first review the developmental processes of underlying mechanisms of these abilities: The sensory representations of body schema, peripersonal space, and the active self in humans. Second, we provide a survey of robotics models of these sensory representations and robotics models of the self; and we compare these models with the human counterparts. Finally, we analyze what is missing from these robotics models and propose a theoretical computational framework, which aims to allow the emergence of the sense of self in artificial agents by developing sensory representations through self-exploration.}, language = {en} } @article{SchwetlickBackhausEngbert2023, author = {Schwetlick, Lisa and Backhaus, Daniel and Engbert, Ralf}, title = {A dynamical scan-path model for task-dependence during scene viewing}, series = {Psychological review}, volume = {130}, journal = {Psychological review}, number = {3}, publisher = {American Psychological Association}, address = {Washington}, issn = {0033-295X}, doi = {10.1037/rev0000379}, pages = {807 -- 840}, year = {2023}, abstract = {In real-world scene perception, human observers generate sequences of fixations to move image patches into the high-acuity center of the visual field. Models of visual attention developed over the last 25 years aim to predict two-dimensional probabilities of gaze positions for a given image via saliency maps. Recently, progress has been made on models for the generation of scan paths under the constraints of saliency as well as attentional and oculomotor restrictions. Experimental research demonstrated that task constraints can have a strong impact on viewing behavior. Here, we propose a scan-path model for both fixation positions and fixation durations, which include influences of task instructions and interindividual differences. Based on an eye-movement experiment with four different task conditions, we estimated model parameters for each individual observer and task condition using a fully Bayesian dynamical modeling framework using a joint spatial-temporal likelihood approach with sequential estimation. Resulting parameter values demonstrate that model properties such as the attentional span are adjusted to task requirements. Posterior predictive checks indicate that our dynamical model can reproduce task differences in scan-path statistics across individual observers.}, language = {en} }