@phdthesis{Felisatti2024,
  author    = {Felisatti, Arianna},
  title     = {Spatial-numerical associations: From biological foundations to embodied learning to contextual flexibility},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-64179},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-641791},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {x, 195},
  year      = {2024},
  abstract  = {Among the different meanings carried by numerical information, cardinality is fundamental for survival and for the development of basic as well as of higher numerical skills. Importantly, the human brain inherits from evolution a predisposition to map cardinality onto space, as revealed by the presence of spatial-numerical associations (SNAs) in humans and animals. Here, the mapping of cardinal information onto physical space is addressed as a hallmark signature characterizing numerical cognition. According to traditional approaches, cognition is defined as complex forms of internal information processing, taking place in the brain (cognitive processor). On the contrary, embodied cognition approaches define cognition as functionally linked to perception and action, in the continuous interaction between a biological body and its physical and sociocultural environment. Embracing the principles of the embodied cognition perspective, I conducted four novel studies designed to unveil how SNAs originate, develop, and adapt, depending on characteristics of the organism, the context, and their interaction. I structured my doctoral thesis in three levels. At the grounded level (Study 1), I unfold the biological foundations underlying the tendency to map cardinal information across space; at the embodied level (Study 2), I reveal the impact of atypical motor development on the construction of SNAs; at the situated level (Study 3), I document the joint influence of visuospatial attention and task properties on SNAs. Furthermore, I experimentally investigate the presence of associations between physical and numerical distance, another numerical property fundamental for the development of efficient mathematical minds (Study 4). In Study 1, I present the Brain's Asymmetric Frequency Tuning hypothesis that relies on hemispheric asymmetries for processing spatial frequencies, a low-level visual feature that the (in)vertebrate brain extracts from any visual scene to create a coherent percept of the world. Computational analyses of the power spectra of the original stimuli used to document the presence of SNAs in human newborns and animals, support the brain's asymmetric frequency tuning as a theoretical account and as an evolutionarily inherited mechanism scaffolding the universal and innate tendency to represent cardinality across horizontal space. In Study 2, I explore SNAs in children with rare genetic neuromuscular diseases: spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). SMA children never accomplish independent motoric exploration of their environment; in contrast, DMD children do explore but later lose this ability. The different SNAs reported by the two groups support the critical role of early sensorimotor experiences in the spatial representation of cardinality. In Study 3, I directly compare the effects of overt attentional orientation during explicit and implicit processing of numerical magnitude. First, the different effects of attentional orienting based on the type of assessment support different mechanisms underlying SNAs during explicit and implicit assessment of numerical magnitude. Secondly, the impact of vertical shifts of attention on the processing of numerical distance sheds light on the correspondence between numerical distance and peri-personal distance. In Study 4, I document the presence of different SNAs, driven by numerical magnitude and numerical distance, by employing different response mappings (left vs. right and near vs. distant). In the field of numerical cognition, the four studies included in the present thesis contribute to unveiling how the characteristics of the organism and the environment influence the emergence, the development, and the flexibility of our attitude to represent cardinal information across space, thus supporting the predictions of the embodied cognition approach. Furthermore, they inform a taxonomy of body-centred factors (biological properties of the brain and sensorimotor system) modulating the spatial representation of cardinality throughout the course of life, at the grounded, embodied, and situated levels. If the awareness for different variables influencing SNAs over the course of life is important, it is equally important to consider the organism as a whole in its sensorimotor interaction with the world. Inspired by my doctoral research, here I propose a holistic perspective that considers the role of evolution, embodiment, and environment in the association of cardinal information with directional space. The new perspective advances the current approaches to SNAs, both at the conceptual and at the methodological levels. Unveiling how the mental representation of cardinality emerges, develops, and adapts is necessary to shape efficient mathematical minds and achieve economic productivity, technological progress, and a higher quality of life.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KuehneHerboldBendeletal.2024,
  author    = {K{\"u}hne, Katharina and Herbold, Erika and Bendel, Oliver and Zhou, Yuefang and Fischer, Martin H.},
  title     = {"Ick bin een Berlina"},
  series = {Frontiers in robotics and AI},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {Frontiers in robotics and AI},
  publisher = {Frontiers Media S.A.},
  address   = {Lausanne},
  issn      = {2296-9144},
  doi       = {10.3389/frobt.2023.1241519},
  pages     = {15},
  year      = {2024},
  abstract  = {Background: Robots are increasingly used as interaction partners with humans. Social robots are designed to follow expected behavioral norms when engaging with humans and are available with different voices and even accents. Some studies suggest that people prefer robots to speak in the user's dialect, while others indicate a preference for different dialects. Methods: Our study examined the impact of the Berlin dialect on perceived trustworthiness and competence of a robot. One hundred and twenty German native speakers (Mage = 32 years, SD = 12 years) watched an online video featuring a NAO robot speaking either in the Berlin dialect or standard German and assessed its trustworthiness and competence. Results: We found a positive relationship between participants' self-reported Berlin dialect proficiency and trustworthiness in the dialect-speaking robot. Only when controlled for demographic factors, there was a positive association between participants' dialect proficiency, dialect performance and their assessment of robot's competence for the standard German-speaking robot. Participants' age, gender, length of residency in Berlin, and device used to respond also influenced assessments. Finally, the robot's competence positively predicted its trustworthiness. Discussion: Our results inform the design of social robots and emphasize the importance of device control in online experiments.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MazzoneWachsFoodyetal.2022,
  author    = {Mazzone, Angela and Wachs, Sebastian and Foody, Mairead and Blaya, Catherine},
  title     = {Editorial: A connected or isolated generation?},
  series = {Frontiers in education},
  volume    = {7},
  journal   = {Frontiers in education},
  publisher = {Frontiers Media},
  address   = {Lausanne},
  issn      = {2504-284X},
  doi       = {10.3389/feduc.2022.999028},
  pages     = {3},
  year      = {2022},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{JafarnezhadgeroNorooziFakhrietal.2022,
  author    = {Jafarnezhadgero, Amir Ali and Noroozi, Raha and Fakhri, Ehsan and Granacher, Urs and Oliveira, Anderson Souza},
  title     = {The Impact of COVID-19 and muscle fatigue on cardiorespiratory fitness and running kinetics in female recreational runners},
  series = {Frontiers in physiology},
  volume    = {13},
  journal   = {Frontiers in physiology},
  publisher = {Frontiers Media},
  address   = {Lausanne},
  issn      = {1664-042X},
  doi       = {10.3389/fphys.2022.942589},
  pages     = {10},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Background: There is evidence that fully recovered COVID-19 patients usually resume physical exercise, but do not perform at the same intensity level performed prior to infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 infection and recovery as well as muscle fatigue on cardiorespiratory fitness and running biomechanics in female recreational runners. Methods: Twenty-eight females were divided into a group of hospitalized and recovered COVID-19 patients (COV, n = 14, at least 14 days following recovery) and a group of healthy age-matched controls (CTR, n = 14). Ground reaction forces from stepping on a force plate while barefoot overground running at 3.3 m/s was measured before and after a fatiguing protocol. The fatigue protocol consisted of incrementally increasing running speed until reaching a score of 13 on the 6-20 Borg scale, followed by steady-state running until exhaustion. The effects of group and fatigue were assessed for steady-state running duration, steady-state running speed, ground contact time, vertical instantaneous loading rate and peak propulsion force. Results: COV runners completed only 56\% of the running time achieved by the CTR (p < 0.0001), and at a 26\% slower steady-state running speed (p < 0.0001). There were fatigue-related reductions in loading rate (p = 0.004) without group differences. Increased ground contact time (p = 0.002) and reduced peak propulsion force (p = 0.005) were found for COV when compared to CTR. Conclusion: Our results suggest that female runners who recovered from COVID-19 showed compromised running endurance and altered running kinetics in the form of longer stance periods and weaker propulsion forces. More research is needed in this area using larger sample sizes to confirm our study findings.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Rabe2024,
  author    = {Rabe, Maximilian Michael},
  title     = {Modeling the interaction of sentence processing and eye-movement control in reading},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-62279},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-622792},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {xiii, 171},
  year      = {2024},
  abstract  = {The evaluation of process-oriented cognitive theories through time-ordered observations is crucial for the advancement of cognitive science. The findings presented herein integrate insights from research on eye-movement control and sentence comprehension during reading, addressing challenges in modeling time-ordered data, statistical inference, and interindividual variability. Using kernel density estimation and a pseudo-marginal likelihood for fixation durations and locations, a likelihood implementation of the SWIFT model of eye-movement control during reading (Engbert et al., Psychological Review, 112, 2005, pp. 777-813) is proposed. Within the broader framework of data assimilation, Bayesian parameter inference with adaptive Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques is facilitated for reliable model fitting. Across the different studies, this framework has shown to enable reliable parameter recovery from simulated data and prediction of experimental summary statistics. Despite its complexity, SWIFT can be fitted within a principled Bayesian workflow, capturing interindividual differences and modeling experimental effects on reading across different geometrical alterations of text. Based on these advancements, the integrated dynamical model SEAM is proposed, which combines eye-movement control, a traditionally psychological research area, and post-lexical language processing in the form of cue-based memory retrieval (Lewis \& Vasishth, Cognitive Science, 29, 2005, pp. 375-419), typically the purview of psycholinguistics. This proof-of-concept integration marks a significant step forward in natural language comprehension during reading and suggests that the presented methodology can be useful to develop complex cognitive dynamical models that integrate processes at levels of perception, higher cognition, and (oculo-)motor control. These findings collectively advance process-oriented cognitive modeling and highlight the importance of Bayesian inference, individual differences, and interdisciplinary integration for a holistic understanding of reading processes. Implications for theory and methodology, including proposals for model comparison and hierarchical parameter inference, are briefly discussed.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HortobagyiVetrovskyBalbimetal.2022,
  author    = {Hortob{\´a}gyi, Tibor and Vetrovsky, Tomas and Balbim, Guilherme Moraes and Sorte Silva, Narlon Cassio Boa and Manca, Andrea and Deriu, Franca and Kolmos, Mia and Kruuse, Christina and Liu-Ambrose, Teresa and Radak, Zsolt and Vaczi, Mark and Johansson, Hanna and Rocha dos Santos, Paulo Cezar and Franzen, Erika and Granacher, Urs},
  title     = {The impact of aerobic and resistance training intensity on markers of neuroplasticity in health and disease},
  series = {Ageing research reviews : ARR},
  volume    = {80},
  journal   = {Ageing research reviews : ARR},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Clare},
  issn      = {1568-1637},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.arr.2022.101698},
  pages     = {18},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Objective: To determine the effects of low- vs. high-intensity aerobic and resistance training on motor and cognitive function, brain activation, brain structure, and neurochemical markers of neuroplasticity and the association thereof in healthy young and older adults and in patients with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and stroke. Design: Systematic review and robust variance estimation meta-analysis with meta-regression. Data sources: Systematic search of MEDLINE, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases. Results: Fifty studies with 60 intervention arms and 2283 in-analyses participants were included. Due to the low number of studies, the three patient groups were combined and analyzed as a single group. Overall, low- (g=0.19, p = 0.024) and high-intensity exercise (g=0.40, p = 0.001) improved neuroplasticity. Exercise intensity scaled with neuroplasticity only in healthy young adults but not in healthy older adults or patient groups. Exercise-induced improvements in neuroplasticity were associated with changes in motor but not cognitive outcomes. Conclusion: Exercise intensity is an important variable to dose and individualize the exercise stimulus for healthy young individuals but not necessarily for healthy older adults and neurological patients. This conclusion warrants caution because studies are needed that directly compare the effects of low- vs. high-intensity exercise on neuroplasticity to determine if such changes are mechanistically and incrementally linked to improved cognition and motor function.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MatthiasRisslingPieperetal.2020,
  author    = {Matthias, Katja and Rissling, Olesja and Pieper, Dawid Aleksander and Morche, Johannes and Nocon, Marc and Jacobs, Anja and Wegewitz, Uta Elke and Schirm, Jaqueline and Lorenz, Robert C.},
  title     = {The methodological quality of systematic reviews on the treatment of adult major depression needs improvement according to AMSTAR 2},
  series = {Heliyon},
  volume    = {6},
  journal   = {Heliyon},
  number    = {9},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {London [u.a.]},
  issn      = {2405-8440},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04776},
  pages     = {7},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Background: Several standards have been developed to assess methodological quality of systematic reviews (SR). One widely used tool is the AMSTAR. A recent update -AMSTAR 2 -is a 16 item evaluation tool that enables a detailed assessment of SR that include randomised (RCT) or non-randomised studies (NRS) of healthcare interventions. Methods: A cross-sectional study of SR on pharmacological or psychological interventions in major depression in adults was conducted. SR published during 2012-2017 were sampled from MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Database of SR. Methodological quality was assessed using AMSTAR 2. Potential predictive factors associated with quality were examined. Results: In rating overall confidence in the results of 60 SR four reviews were rated "high", two were "moderate", one was "low" and 53 were "critically low". The mean AMSTAR 2 percentage score was 45.3\% (standard deviation 22.6\%) in a wide range from 7.1\% to 93.8\%. Predictors of higher quality were: type of review (higher quality in Cochrane Reviews), SR including only randomized trials and higher journal impact factor. Limitations: AMSTAR 2 is not intended to be used for the generation of a percentage score. Conclusions: According to AMSTAR 2 the overall methodological quality of SR on the treatment of adult major depression needs improvement. Although there is a high need for summarized information in the field of mental health, this work demonstrates the need to critically assess SR before using their findings. Better adherence to established reporting guidelines for SR is needed.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Wick2023,
  author    = {Wick, Kristin},
  title     = {Motor and cognitive performance in kindergarten children},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-59253},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-592532},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {viii, 128},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Childhood compared to adolescence and adulthood is characterized by high neuroplasticity represented by accelerated cognitive maturation and rapid cognitive developmental trajectories. Natural growth, biological maturation and permanent interaction with the physical and social environment fosters motor and cognitive development in children. Of note, the promotion of physical activity, physical fitness, and motor skill learning at an early age is mandatory first, as these aspects are essential for a healthy development and an efficient functioning in everyday life across the life span and second, physical activity behaviors and lifestyle habits tend to track from childhood into adulthood. The main objective of the present thesis was to optimize and deepen the knowledge of motor and cognitive performance in young children and to develop an effective and age-appropriate exercise program feasible for the implementation in kindergarten and preschool settings. A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of fundamental movement skill and exercise interventions in healthy preschool-aged children. Further, the relation between measures of physical fitness (i.e., static balance, muscle strength, power, and coordination) and attention as one domain of cognitive performance in preschool-aged children was analyzed. Subsequently, effects of a strength-dominated kindergarten-based exercise program on physical fitness components (i.e., static balance, muscle strength, power, and coordination) and cognitive performance (i.e., attention) compared to a usual kindergarten curriculum was examined. The systematic review included trials focusing on healthy young children in kindergarten or preschool settings that applied fundamental movement skill-enhancing intervention programs of at least 4 weeks and further reported standardized motor skill outcome measures for the intervention and the control group. Children aged 4-6 years from three kindergartens participated in the cross-sectional and the longitudinal study. Product-orientated measures were conducted for the assessment of muscle strength (i.e., handgrip strength), muscle power (i.e., standing long jump), balance (i.e., timed single-leg stand), coordination (hopping on right/left leg), and attentional span (i.e., "Konzentrations-Handlungsverfahren f{\"u}r Vorschulkinder" [concentration-action procedure for preschoolers]). With regards to the scientific literature, exercise and fundamental movement skill interventions are an effective method to promote overall proficiency in motor skills (i.e., object control and locomotor skills) in preschool children particularly when conducted by external experts with a duration of 4 weeks to 5 months. Moreover, significant medium associations were found between the composite score of physical fitness and attention as well as between coordination separately and attention in children aged 4-6 years. A 10-weeks strength-dominated exercise program implemented in kindergarten and preschool settings by educated and trained kindergarten teachers revealed significant improvements for the standing long jump test and the Konzentrations-Handlungsverfahren of intervention children compared to children of the control group. The findings of the present thesis imply that fundamental movement skill and exercise interventions improve motor skills (i.e., locomotor and object control skills). Nonetheless, more high-quality research is needed. Additionally, physical fitness, particularly high performance in complex fitness components (i.e., coordination measured with the hopping on one leg test), tend to predict attention in preschool age. Furthermore, an exercise program including strength-dominated exercises, fundamental movement skills and elements of gymnastics has a beneficial effect on jumping performance with a concomitant trend toward improvements in attentional capacity in healthy preschool children. Finally, it is recommended to start early with the integration of muscular fitness (i.e., muscle strength, muscle power, muscular endurance) next to coordination, agility, balance, and fundamental movement skill exercises into regular physical activity curriculums in kindergarten settings.},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{WortmannGischBergmannetal.2023,
  author    = {Wortmann, Hanna Rosalie and Gisch, Ulrike Alexandra and Bergmann, Manuela M. and Warschburger, Petra},
  title     = {Exploring the longitudinal stability of food neophilia and dietary quality and their prospective relationship in older adults},
  number    = {839},
  issn      = {1866-8364},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-58913},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-589134},
  pages     = {16},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Poor dietary quality is a major cause of morbidity, making the promotion of healthy eating a societal priority. Older adults are a critical target group for promoting healthy eating to enable healthy aging. One factor suggested to promote healthy eating is the willingness to try unfamiliar foods, referred to as food neophilia. This two-wave longitudinal study explored the stability of food neophilia and dietary quality and their prospective relationship over three years, analyzing self-reported data from N = 960 older adults (MT1 = 63.4, range = 50-84) participating in the NutriAct Family Study (NFS) in a cross-lagged panel design. Dietary quality was rated using the NutriAct diet score, based on the current evidence for chronic disease prevention. Food neophilia was measured using the Variety Seeking Tendency Scale. The analyses revealed high a longitudinal stability of both constructs and a small positive cross-sectional correlation between them. Food neophilia had no prospective effect on dietary quality, whereas a very small positive prospective effect of dietary quality on food neophilia was found. Our findings give initial insights into the positive relation of food neophilia and a health-promoting diet in aging and underscore the need for more in-depth research, e.g., on the constructs' developmental trajectories and potential critical windows of opportunity for promoting food neophilia.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WortmannGischBergmannetal.2023,
  author    = {Wortmann, Hanna Rosalie and Gisch, Ulrike Alexandra and Bergmann, Manuela M. and Warschburger, Petra},
  title     = {Exploring the longitudinal stability of food neophilia and dietary quality and their prospective relationship in older adults},
  series = {Nutrients},
  volume    = {15},
  journal   = {Nutrients},
  number    = {5},
  publisher = {MDPI},
  address   = {Basel},
  issn      = {2072-6643},
  doi       = {10.3390/nu15051248},
  pages     = {16},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Poor dietary quality is a major cause of morbidity, making the promotion of healthy eating a societal priority. Older adults are a critical target group for promoting healthy eating to enable healthy aging. One factor suggested to promote healthy eating is the willingness to try unfamiliar foods, referred to as food neophilia. This two-wave longitudinal study explored the stability of food neophilia and dietary quality and their prospective relationship over three years, analyzing self-reported data from N = 960 older adults (MT1 = 63.4, range = 50-84) participating in the NutriAct Family Study (NFS) in a cross-lagged panel design. Dietary quality was rated using the NutriAct diet score, based on the current evidence for chronic disease prevention. Food neophilia was measured using the Variety Seeking Tendency Scale. The analyses revealed high a longitudinal stability of both constructs and a small positive cross-sectional correlation between them. Food neophilia had no prospective effect on dietary quality, whereas a very small positive prospective effect of dietary quality on food neophilia was found. Our findings give initial insights into the positive relation of food neophilia and a health-promoting diet in aging and underscore the need for more in-depth research, e.g., on the constructs' developmental trajectories and potential critical windows of opportunity for promoting food neophilia.},
  language  = {en}
}