TY - JOUR A1 - Adam, Maurits A1 - Elsner, Birgit T1 - The impact of salient action effects on 6-, 7-, and 11-month-olds’ goal-predictive gaze shifts for a human grasping action JF - PLOS ONE N2 - When infants observe a human grasping action, experience-based accounts predict that all infants familiar with grasping actions should be able to predict the goal regardless of additional agency cues such as an action effect. Cue-based accounts, however, suggest that infants use agency cues to identify and predict action goals when the action or the agent is not familiar. From these accounts, we hypothesized that younger infants would need additional agency cues such as a salient action effect to predict the goal of a human grasping action, whereas older infants should be able to predict the goal regardless of agency cues. In three experiments, we presented 6-, 7-, and 11-month-olds with videos of a manual grasping action presented either with or without an additional salient action effect (Exp. 1 and 2), or we presented 7-month-olds with videos of a mechanical claw performing a grasping action presented with a salient action effect (Exp. 3). The 6-month-olds showed tracking gaze behavior, and the 11-month-olds showed predictive gaze behavior, regardless of the action effect. However, the 7-month-olds showed predictive gaze behavior in the action-effect condition, but tracking gaze behavior in the no-action-effect condition and in the action-effect condition with a mechanical claw. The results therefore support the idea that salient action effects are especially important for infants' goal predictions from 7 months on, and that this facilitating influence of action effects is selective for the observation of human hands. KW - attention KW - eye movements KW - infants perception KW - mechanisms KW - origins Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240165 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 15 IS - 10 PB - Public Library of Science CY - San Fransisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Adam, Maurits A1 - Elsner, Birgit T1 - Action effects foster 11-month-olds’ prediction of action goals for a non-human agent JF - Infant behavior & development : an international and interdisciplinary journal N2 - Action effects have been stated to be important for infants’ processing of goal-directed actions. In this study, 11-month-olds showed equally fast predictive gaze shifts to a claw’s action goal when the grasping action was presented either with three agency cues (self-propelled movement, equifinality of goal achievement and a salient action effect) or with only a salient action effect, but infants showed tracking gaze when the claw showed only self-propelled movement and equifinality of goal achievement. The results suggest that action effects, compared to purely kinematic cues, seem to be especially important for infants' online processing of goal-directed actions. KW - Infancy KW - Eye tracking KW - Goal anticipation KW - Action effects KW - Agency cues Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2018.09.002 SN - 0163-6383 SN - 1879-0453 VL - 53 SP - 49 EP - 55 PB - Elsevier CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Adam, Maurits A1 - Gumbsch, Christian A1 - Butz, Martin V. A1 - Elsner, Birgit T1 - The impact of action effects on infants’ predictive gaze shifts for a non-human grasping action at 7, 11, and 18 months JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - During the observation of goal-directed actions, infants usually predict the goal at an earlier age when the agent is familiar (e.g., human hand) compared to unfamiliar (e.g., mechanical claw). These findings implicate a crucial role of the developing agentive self for infants' processing of others' action goals. Recent theoretical accounts suggest that predictive gaze behavior relies on an interplay between infants' agentive experience (top-down processes) and perceptual information about the agent and the action-event (bottom-up information; e.g., agency cues). The present study examined 7-, 11-, and 18-month-old infants' predictive gaze behavior for a grasping action performed by an unfamiliar tool, depending on infants' age-related action knowledge about tool-use and the display of the agency cue of producing a salient action effect. The results are in line with the notion of a systematic interplay between experience-based top-down processes and cue-based bottom-up information: Regardless of the salient action effect, predictive gaze shifts did not occur in the 7-month-olds (least experienced age group), but did occur in the 18-month-olds (most experienced age group). In the 11-month-olds, however, predictive gaze shifts occurred only when a salient action effect was presented. This sheds new light on how the developing agentive self, in interplay with available agency cues, supports infants' action-goal prediction also for observed tool-use actions. KW - infancy KW - predictive gaze behavior KW - eye tracking KW - tool-use actions KW - agency cues KW - developing agentive self KW - non-human grasping Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.695550 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 12 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Adam, Maurits A1 - Reitenbach, Ivanina A1 - Elsner, Birgit T1 - Agency cues and 11-month-olds’ and adults’ anticipation of action goals JF - Cognitive Development N2 - For the processing of goal-directed actions, some accounts emphasize the importance of experience with the action or the agent. Other accounts stress the importance of agency cues. We investigated the impact of agency cues on 11-month-olds’ and adults’ goal anticipation for a grasping-action performed by a mechanical claw. With an eyetracker, we measured anticipations in two conditions, where the claw was displayed either with or without agency cues. In two experiments, 11-month-olds were predictive when agency cues were present, but reactive when no agency cues were presented. Adults were predictive in both conditions. Furthermore, 11-month-olds rapidly learned to predict the goal in the agency condition, but not in the mechanical condition. Adults’ predictions did not change across trials in the agency condition, but decelerated in the mechanical condition. Thus, agency cues and own action experience are important for infants’ and adults’ online processing of goal-directed actions by non-human agents. KW - Infants KW - Eyetracking KW - Action processing KW - Anticipatory gaze shifts KW - Agency Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2017.02.008 SN - 0885-2014 SN - 1879-226X VL - 43 SP - 37 EP - 48 PB - Elsevier CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Adam, Maurits A1 - Reitenbach, Ivanina A1 - Papenmeier, Frank A1 - Gredebäck, Gustaf A1 - Elsner, Claudia A1 - Elsner, Birgit T1 - actions, but not for mechanical claws JF - Meteoritics & planetary science : journal of the Meteoritical Society N2 - Previous research indicates that infants’ prediction of the goals of observed actions is influenced by own experience with the type of agent performing the action (i.e., human hand vs. non-human agent) as well as by action-relevant features of goal objects (e.g., object size). The present study investigated the combined effects of these factors on 12-month-olds’ action prediction. Infants’ (N = 49) goal-directed gaze shifts were recorded as they observed 14 trials in which either a human hand or a mechanical claw reached for a small goal area (low-saliency goal) or a large goal area (high-saliency goal). Only infants who had observed the human hand reaching for a high-saliency goal fixated the goal object ahead of time, and they rapidly learned to predict the action goal across trials. By contrast, infants in all other conditions did not track the observed action in a predictive manner, and their gaze shifts to the action goal did not change systematically across trials. Thus, high-saliency goals seem to boost infants’ predictive gaze shifts during the observation of human manual actions, but not of actions performed by a mechanical device. This supports the assumption that infants’ action predictions are based on interactive effects of action-relevant object features (e.g., size) and own action experience. KW - Infancy KW - Goal saliency KW - Anticipatory gaze shifts KW - Eye tracking KW - Action processing Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2016.05.001 SN - 0163-6383 SN - 1879-0453 VL - 44 SP - 29 EP - 37 PB - Elsevier CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Austin, Gina A1 - Bondü, Rebecca A1 - Elsner, Birgit T1 - Executive function, theory of mind, and conduct-problem symptoms in middle childhood JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - Studies show relations between executive function (EF), Theory of Mind (ToM), and conduct-problem (CP) symptoms. However, many studies have involved cross-sectional data, small clinical samples, pre-school children, and/or did not consider potential mediation effects. The present study examined the longitudinal relations between EF, ToM abilities, and CP symptoms in a population-based sample of 1,657 children between 6 and 11 years (T1: M = 8.3 years, T2: M = 9.1 years; 51.9% girls). We assessed EF skills and ToM abilities via computerized tasks at first measurement (T1), CP symptoms were rated via parent questionnaires at T1 and approximately 1 year later (T2). Structural-equation models showed a negative relation between T1 EF and T2 CP symptoms even when controlling for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and other variables. This relation was fully mediated by T1 ToM abilities. The study shows how children's abilities to control their thoughts and behaviors and to understand others' mental states interact in the development of CP symptoms. KW - executive functions KW - theory of mind KW - conduct-problem symptoms KW - middle KW - childhood KW - longitudinal Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00539 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 11 PB - Frontiers Media CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Austin, Gina A1 - Groppe, Karoline A1 - Elsner, Birgit T1 - The reciprocal relationship between executive function and theory of mind in middle childhood: a 1-year longitudinal perspective JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - There is robust evidence showing a link between executive function (EF) and theory of mind (ToM) in 3-to 5-year-olds. However, it is unclear whether this relationship extends to middle childhood. In addition, there has been much discussion about the nature of this relationship. Whereas some authors claim that ToM is needed for EF, others argue that ToM requires EF. To date, however, studies examining the longitudinal relationship between distinct sub components of EF [i.e., attention shifting, working memory (WM) updating, inhibition] and ToM in middle childhood are rare. The present study examined (1) the relationship between three EF subcomponents (attention shifting, WM updating, inhibition) and ToM in middle childhood, and (2) the longitudinal reciprocal relationships between the EF subcomponents and ToM across a 1-year period. EF and ToM measures were assessed experimentally in a sample of 1,657 children (aged 6-11 years) at time point one (t1) and 1 year later at time point two (t2). Results showed that the concurrent relationships between all three EF subcomponents and ToM pertained in middle childhood at t1 and t2, respectively, even when age, gender, and fluid intelligence were partialle dout. Moreover, cross-lagged structural equation modeling (again, controlling for age, gender, and fluid intelligence, as well as for the earlier levels of the target variables), revealed partial support for the view that early ToM predictslater EF, but stronger evidence for the assumption that early EF predictslater ToM. The latter was found for attention shifting and WM updating, but not for inhibition. This reveals the importance of studying the exact interplay of ToM and EF across childhood development, especially with regard to different EF subcomponents. Most likely, understanding others' mental states at different levels of perspective-taking requires specific EF subcomponents, suggesting developmental change in the relations between EF and ToM across childhood. KW - executive function KW - theory of mind KW - longitudinal KW - middle childhood KW - attention shifting KW - inhibition KW - working memory updating Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00655 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 5 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bondü, Rebecca A1 - Elsner, Birgit T1 - Justice Sensitivity in Childhood and Adolescence JF - Social development N2 - Individuals differ in their sensitivity toward injustice. Justice-sensitive persons perceive injustice more frequently and show stronger responses to it. Justice sensitivity has been studied predominantly in adults; little is known about its development in childhood and adolescence and its connection to prosocial behavior and emotional and behavioral problems. This study evaluates a version of the justice sensitivity inventory for children and adolescents (JSI-CA5) in 1472 9- to 17-year olds. Items and scales showed good psychometric properties and correlations with prosocial behavior and conduct problems similar to findings in adults, supporting the reliability and validity of the scale. We found individual differences in justice sensitivity as a function of age and gender. Furthermore, justice sensitivity predicted emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents over a 1- to 2-year period. Justice sensitivity perspectives can therefore be considered as risk and/or protective factors for mental health in childhood and adolescence. KW - justice sensitivity KW - development KW - conduct problems KW - prosocial behavior Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/sode.12098 SN - 0961-205X SN - 1467-9507 VL - 24 IS - 2 SP - 420 EP - 441 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bondü, Rebecca A1 - Hannuschke, Marianne A1 - Elsner, Birgit A1 - Gollwitzer, Mario T1 - Inter-individual stabilization of justice sensitivity in childhood and adolescence JF - Journal of research in personality KW - Justice sensitivity KW - Stabilization KW - Latent-state-trait modeling KW - Childhood KW - Adolescence Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2016.06.021 SN - 0092-6566 SN - 1095-7251 VL - 64 SP - 11 EP - 20 PB - Elsevier CY - San Diego ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Eiteljoerge, Sarah F. V. A1 - Adam, Maurits A1 - Elsner, Birgit A1 - Mani, Nivedita T1 - Word-object and action-object association learning across early development JF - PLoS one N2 - Successful communication often involves comprehension of both spoken language and observed actions with and without objects. Even very young infants can learn associations between actions and objects as well as between words and objects. However, in daily life, children are usually confronted with both kinds of input simultaneously. Choosing the critical information to attend to in such situations might help children structure the input, and thereby, allow for successful learning. In the current study, we therefore, investigated the developmental time course of children’s and adults’ word and action learning when given the opportunity to learn both word-object and action-object associations for the same object. All participants went through a learning phase and a test phase. In the learning phase, they were presented with two novel objects which were associated with a distinct novel name (e.g., “Look, a Tanu”) and a distinct novel action (e.g., moving up and down while tilting sideways). In the test phase, participants were presented with both objects on screen in a baseline phase, then either heard one of the two labels or saw one of the two actions in a prime phase, and then saw the two objects again on screen in a recognition phase. Throughout the trial, participants’ target looking was recorded to investigate whether participants looked at the target object upon hearing its label or seeing its action, and thus, would show learning of the word-object and action-object associations. Growth curve analyses revealed that 12-month-olds showed modest learning of action-object associations, 36-month-olds learned word-object associations, and adults learned word-object and action-object associations. These results highlight how children attend to the different information types from the two modalities through which communication is addressed to them. Over time, with increased exposure to systematic word-object mappings, children attend less to action-object mappings, with the latter potentially being mediated by word-object learning even in adulthood. Thus, choosing between different kinds of input that may be more relevant in their rich environment encompassing different modalities might help learning at different points in development. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220317 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 14 IS - 8 PB - PLoS CY - San Fransisco ER -