150 Psychologie
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Virtual Possibilities: Exploring the Role of Emerging Technologies in Work and Learning Environments
(2024)
The present work aims to investigate whether virtual reality can support learning as well as vocational work environments. To this end, four studies were conducted, with the first set investigating the demands for vocational workers and the impact of input methods on participant performance. These studies laid the foundation needed to create studies incorporating virtual reality research. The second set of studies was concerned with the impact of virtual reality on learning performance as well as the influence of binaural stimuli presentation on task performance. Results of each study are discussed individually and in conjunction with one another. The four studies are further supplemented with further research conducted by the author as well as an analysis of the growing field of virtual reality-based research. The thesis closes by embedding the discussed work into the scientific landscape and tries to give an outlook for virtual reality-based use cases in the future.
Monitoring of patient-reported outcomes and providing therapists with progress feedback has been shown to be beneficial for treatment outcomes (e.g., by preventing therapy failures). Despite recent advances in monitoring and feedback research, little is known about why some therapists benefit from feedback more than others. Addressing this issue, the present article uses the basic science literature on belief updating to propose a theoretical model for these between-therapist differences. In doing so, we provide a novel framework that allows testable hypotheses about when and how feedback on therapy progress is likely to improve treatment outcomes. In particular, we argue that the integration of feedback and its effect on therapists’ behavior depends on the weight therapists assign to their prior beliefs regarding treatment progress relative to the weight of the feedback received. We conclude by outlining some directions for future research on the underpinnings of this model, and point to some implications for the training of therapists and provision of feedback.
The impact of cognitive and motivational resources on engangement with automated formative feedback
(2024)
The effectiveness of automated formative feedback highly depends on student feedback engagement that is largely determined by learners’ cognitive and motivational resources. Yet, most studies have only investigated either cognitive resources (e.g., mental effort), or motivational resources (e.g., expectancy-value-cost variables). The purpose of this study is to examine the development (indicated by time) and relationship of 1) cognitive, 2) affective, and 3) behavioral feedback engagement as a function of cognitive and motivational resources in a computer-based learning environment with automated formative feedback. Data was collected from N = 330 German B.Ed. Elementary Education students who worked four consecutive sessions on summarizing texts. Previously invested mental effort (t-1) affected situational expectancy and cost but not situational value. 1) Cognitive feedback engagement was positively associated with previous performance but neither associated with cognitive nor motivational resources. 2) Affective feedback engagement was positively associated with intrinsic value and negatively associated with situational expectancies, invested mental effort and previous performance. 3) Behavioral feedback engagement was positively associated with situational expectancies and invested mental effort. This study contributes to the understanding of student’s cognitive and motivational structures when engaging with automated formative feedback.
In der heutigen Arbeitswelt stehen Organisationen vor der Herausforderung, sich kontinuierlich an Veränderungen anzupassen. Der demographische Wandel und steigende Zahlen von Arbeitsausfällen durch psychische Belastungen rücken das Wohlergehen und die Zufriedenheit von Mitarbeitenden am Arbeitsplatz in den Fokus. Die Mitarbeiterbefragung als Instrument der Organisationsentwicklung ist eine Möglichkeit Veränderungsprozesse so zu gestalten, dass betriebswirtschaftliche und gleichzeitig humanistische Ziele erreicht werden können. Bei der Umsetzung von Mitarbeiterbefragungen kommt es vor allem auf deren Folgeprozesse an, da hier aus den Ergebnissen einer Befragung Schlussfolgerungen gezogen und diese in Aktionen überführt werden. Der Blick in die Praxis zeigt jedoch, dass Erwartungen an Folgeprozesse und somit Mitarbeiterbefragungen, sowohl auf Seite von Unternehmen, als auch auf Seite von Mitarbeitenden, oft enttäuscht werden.
Die bisherige Forschung zeigt zwar allgemein den positiven Effekt von Mitarbeiterbefragungen und Folgeprozessen auf, jedoch bleibt unklar, wie einzelne Bestandteile eines Folgeprozesses und vor allem deren qualitative Durchführung wirken. Hierin liegt der erste Ansatzpunkt der vorliegenden Arbeit. Darüber hinaus soll die Rolle von Führungskräften in Folgeprozessen beleuchtet werden. Denn aus den vielen Überlegungen und Untersuchungen dazu, welche Aspekte Change-Prozesse beeinflussen, sticht oft die besondere Rolle von Führungskräften hervor. Dabei wird von den Führungskräften Verhalten gefordert, welches über ein klassisch rational-funktionales Verständnis von Führung hinausgeht und Mitarbeitende dazu anregt, sich offen und engagiert in Veränderungsprozessen zu verhalten. Einen Ansatz dies zu erreichen, stellt Positive Leadership dar. Hierbei werden Führungsverhaltensweisen an den Tag gelegt, die die Sinnhaftigkeit der Arbeit betonen, positive Beziehungen zu Mitarbeitenden fördern, Anerkennung und Wertschätzung zeigen, Stärkenorientierung praktizieren, für positives Arbeitsklima sorgen, positive Kommunikation beinhalten, die Mitarbeitenden in ihrer Entwicklung unterstützen und insbesondere Partizipation und Befähigung ermöglichen. Auch wenn sich das Konzept Positive Leadership immer größerer Beliebtheit erfreut, existiert noch keine klare Konzeption des Konstrukts und noch kein etabliertes Messinstrument. Darüber hinaus findet sich noch keine Anwendung des Konzepts im Kontext von Change-Prozessen allgemein und von Folgeprozessen von Mitarbeiterbefragungen im Speziellen.
Das Hauptziel der vorliegenden Arbeit besteht darin, Positive Leadership im Kontext von Folgeprozessen einer Mitarbeiterbefragung zu untersuchen. Dazu wurden vier Studien durchgeführt. In Studie 1 wurde durch teilstrukturierte Experten-Interviews (N = 22) exploriert, welche Schritte ein Folgeprozess einer Mitarbeiterbefragung beinhaltet und woran sich eine hohe Qualität in der Durchführung dieser Schritte festmachen lässt. In Studie 2 wurde in drei Teiluntersuchungen (N1 = 194, N2 = 201, N3 = 124) ein Messinstrument für Positive Leadership entwickelt und validiert.
In Studie 3 wurden in einer Fragebogenstudie an einer Stichprobe von Mitarbeitenden (N = 1302) und Führungskräften (N = 266) der Stellenwert einzelner Schritte des Folgeprozesses und der Qualität in der Durchführung aufgezeigt. Des Weiteren wurde der Einfluss von Positive Leadership auf die Qualität des Folgeprozesses und auch Arbeitsengagement und Arbeitszufriedenheit belegt. Dies galt sowohl für Mitarbeitende als auch für Führungskräfte selbst. Sowohl die Einhaltung und Qualität des Folgeprozesses als auch Positive Leadership wirkten sich zudem (zum Teil indirekt über die Zufriedenheit mit dem Folgeprozess vermittelt) auf die Veränderung in Arbeitsengagement und Arbeitszufriedenheit zwischen zwei Mitarbeiterbefragungen aus. Außerdem konnten an einer Stichprobe von 242 Dyaden aus Führungskraft und Mitarbeitendem die Auswirkungen von Diskrepanz und Kongruenz der Einschätzungen zu Positive Leadership oder dem Folgeprozess aufgezeigt werden. Zuletzt wurde untersucht, inwiefern die Attribution von Erfolgen und Misserfolgen im Folgeprozess durch Positive Leadership beeinflusst wird.
Studie 4 bestätigte in einem experimentellen Design (N = 420) unter Anwendung von Video-Vignetten die positiven Effekte einer hohen Qualität des Folgeprozesses und von Positive Leadership auf das Arbeitsengagement und die Arbeitszufriedenheit. Darüber hinaus konnten die vorigen Erkenntnisse um Aussagen über Interaktionen der untersuchten Faktoren erweitert werden. So zeigte sich, dass positives Führungsverhalten die Effekte mangelhafter Qualität im Folgeprozess oder geringer Einhaltung der Schritte des Folgeprozesses abfedern kann. Eine hohe Einhaltung der Schritte im Folgeprozess wirkte sich zudem nur positiv auf die Zufriedenheit mit dem Folgeprozess aus, wenn die Qualität der durchgeführten Schritte hoch war. Außerdem wurde in Studie 4 der Effekt von angenommenen Unterschieden in der Zufriedenheit mit dem Folgeprozess zwischen Mitarbeitenden und Führungskräften auf die Teilnahmeintention an einer nächsten Mitarbeiterbefragung, sowie der Arbeitszufriedenheit und dem Arbeitsengagement aufgezeigt. Abschließend wurden erneut die Auswirkungen von Positive Leadership auf die Attribution von Erfolgen und Misserfolgen im Folgeprozess analysiert. Zusätzlich wurden auch weiterführende Effekte der Attribution auf die Teilnahmeintention an nächsten Mitarbeiterbefragungen untersucht.
Die vorgestellten Studien der Dissertation werden theoretisch und methodisch diskutiert. Auf Basis der Ergebnisse werden praktische Empfehlungen zum verbesserten Umgang mit Folgeprozessen von Mitarbeiterbefragungen und Positive Leadership abgeleitet.
Recent research suggests that the common core of all aversive traits can be understood through the Dark Factor of Personality (D). Previously, the overlap among aversive traits has also been described as the low pole of HEXACO Honesty-Humility. Relying on longitudinal data and a range of theoretically derived outcome criteria, we test in four studies (total N > 2,500) whether and how D and low Honesty-Humility differ. Although the constructs shared around 66% of variance (meta-analytically aggregated across all studies), they longitudinally differently accounted for diverse aversive traits and showed theoretically meaningful and distinct associations to pretentiousness, distrust-related beliefs, and empathy. These results suggest that D and low Honesty-Humility are best understood as strongly overlapping, yet functionally different and nomologically distinct constructs.
Since the turn of the millennium, character research has been on the rise among psychological researchers. In 2004, the field of positive psychology introduced the Values in Action (VIA) framework encompassing 24 theoretically justified and empirically supported character strengths intended for the measurement of good character. Their assignment to six "core virtues" according to Linnaean principles links the 24 character strengths to philosophical and religious theories of virtue. However, the originally developed proprietary VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) for the measurement of the 24 character strengths and its public domain counterpart, the IPIP-VIA, are based on a relatively crude scale development approach. Yet, the VIA-IS and the IPIP-VIA dominated (applied) character research for a long time. While researchers recently refined the proprietary VIA instruments, no character strength scales developed according to the state of the art are available in the public domain, thwarting progress in character research. Furthermore, most factor-analytic studies on the hierarchical structure of the 24 VIA character strengths yielded inconsistent results regarding the number and nature of global VIA constructs due to differing methodological standards and strategies. Only recently, a growing body of research consonantly has suggested that three global constructs span the VIA trait space. Consequently, there is only one proprietary inventory for measuring global VIA constructs and none that is available in the public domain. Against this backdrop, this dissertation addressed three methodological challenges in character assessment, taking an open-science approach, a (cross-country) replicability approach, and an integrative approach (i.e., integrating the results into the larger picture of personality science, particularly linking the VIA character traits to the Big Five and value traits).
Study 1 revised the English-language IPIP-VIA and concurrently translated/adapted it to German to yield character strength scales especially suitable for cross-cultural large-scale assessment: The 96-item IPIP-VIA-R measures each character strength with four balanced-keyed, content-valid, and cross-culturally adaptable items building scales that showed satisfactory reliability, (partial) scalar measurement invariance across Germany and the UK, and evidence of construct and criterion validity. Study 2 applied the IPIP-VIA-R and a rigorous factor-analytic approach to revisit the hierarchical structure of the 24 VIA character strengths, revealing three well-interpretable global “core strengths” that were replicable across Germany and the UK: positivity, dependability, and mastery. Study 3 applied an Ant Colony Optimization algorithm to select an optimal 18-item subset of the IPIP-VIA-R to measure each core strength with a balanced-keyed, content-valid six-item scale that again showed satisfactory reliability, scalar measurement invariance across Germany and the UK, and evidence of construct and criterion validity.
Taken as a whole, the dissertation advanced the measurement of VIA character traits in the public domain, the understanding of the VIA character trait space (especially its intersection with Big Five personality and basic human values), and the establishment of the VIA trait hierarchy. To address its research questions framed as methodological challenges, the dissertation introduced and elaborated methodological approaches that researchers might adapt to other individual differences constructs. Even though there remain challenges to be taken up in future work (e.g., adapting the IPIP-VIA-R character and core strength scales for use in a more diverse set of cultures; multi-informant assessment), researchers and survey programs can readily apply the character scales developed as part of this dissertation.
Previous research has shown the importance of early science, technology, engineering, and math education for children’s knowledge, as it establishes a groundwork for their later learning and academic achievement. However, the engagement of preschool teachers especially in science learning activities is infrequent, and some teachers still pronounce the belief that science education is inappropriate for the early childhood years. Furthermore, there is a lack of clarity regarding the connections between teachers' attitudes (including their knowledge, beliefs, and willingness) towards teaching early science and their actual teaching practice, as well as the subsequent effects of teacher practice on children's learning outcomes. This dissertation primarily aims to clarify these associations. Block play offers the possibility to link scientific concepts (e.g., stability) to children’s everyday activities and thus represents an age-appropriate way to examine young children’s STEM-learning. The present dissertation encompasses three research articles, focusing specifically on the interplay between preschool teachers’ dispositions and practice in block play and 4- to 6-year old children’s knowledge. The first article focused on the validation of a self-developed instrument to assess preschool teachers’ willingness to engage in science teaching and examined the predictive power of teachers’ willingness for teachers’ practice. Results suggested that the instrument measured teachers’ willingness reliably and validly, however, teachers’ willingness did not predict their practice in block play. The second article examined the relationship between the preschool teachers’ instructional quality during block play and various aspects of children's knowledge. Specifically, the study explored how instructional quality in block play influenced children's knowledge in stability, math, and spatial language. Additionally, children’s academic self-concept and cognitive aspects (i.e., intelligence, working memory) were considered. Results implied that preschool teachers’ scaffolding activities were related to children’s stability knowledge in block play. Moreover, teachers’ instructional quality was positively correlated with children’s academic self-concept in block play. The primary focus of the third article was on implementing a block play curriculum. Therefore, study 3 employed a longitudinal design to assess the effectiveness of a teacher training on teachers’ practice with the curriculum, which included both, guided and free play. Teachers were randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group. The experimental groups received training with the block play curriculum, while the control group did not receive any training. Results showed no change in teachers’ knowledge before and after training. Nonetheless, teachers in the experimental group applied more scaffolding after the training. Furthermore, preschool teachers applied more scaffolding during guided than during free play. Children’s math score in the experimental group, but not in the control group, significantly improved from pre- to post-test. In the general discussion, the findings of the three articles are reflected in the light of the interplay between teachers’ dispositions and their teaching practice as well as the impact of teacher practice on children’s knowledge. Besides, the discussion reflects on methodological difficulties of empirical studies in early childcare settings, providing a prospective view on multimethod approaches for future research. Taken together, the present dissertation contributes to a more profound understanding of how teacher practices and children's knowledge interact. Further, the research holds great relevance for practical application as it illustrates the differential effects of teacher training on preschool teachers’ knowledge and their teaching practice.
This dissertation project aims to examine the potential of network modelling, an increasingly popular methodology in emotion research (e.g., Fried et al., 2016), to better comprehend age-related differences in structural connections between cognitive processes such as fluid intelligence and executive control functions. Furthermore, it aims to identify the key variables that link self-regulation to executive control functions and age-related discrepancies. Lastly, it seeks to delve into the key variables and correlations between executive control functions, self-regulation, and affect utilizing a longitudinal design in combination with machine learning as a data-driven method.
In study 1, differences between the cognitive performance networks of younger (M = 38.0 years of age, SD = 9.9) and older (M = 64.1 years of age, SD = 7.7) adults were explored. Network modelling showed that while speeded attention is essential throughout the life-span, connections between fluid intelligence and working memory were stronger, and intelligence was more central in the older group. Additionally, confirmatory factor modelling demonstrated that latent correlations were highest between working memory and intelligence, particularly in older adults, whereas inhibition had the lowest correlations with other abilities. This research suggests that the relations of cognitive abilities may differ between younger and older adults, indicating process-specific changes in the cognitive performance network.
In study 2, we investigated the connections of self-regulation (SR) and executive control functions (EF), which are theoretical concepts encompassing various cognitive abilities supporting the regulation of behavior, thoughts, and emotions (Inzlicht et al., 2021; Wiebe & Karbach, 2017). Evidence, however, implies that correlations between self-report measures and performance-based tasks are often difficult to observe (e.g., Eisenberg et al., 2019). We investigated connections and overlap between different aspects of SR and EF in a life-span sample (14-82 years). Participants completed several self-report measures and behavioral tasks, such as sensation seeking, mindfulness, grit, or eating behavior questionnaires and working memory, inhibition, and shifting tasks. Network models for a youth, middle-aged, and older-aged group were estimated to identify key variables that are well connected in the SR and EF construct space. In general, stronger connections were observed within the clusters of SR and EF than between them, and older adults appeared to have more connections between SR and EF than younger individuals, probably because of declining cognitive resources.
In study 3, we analyzed the intricate links between EF, SR and affect, as well as individual differences in these relations. Bridgett et al. (2013) proposed that EF and self-regulation SR are psychological constructs to support the regulation of cognition and affect. A total of 315 participants, aged 14 to 80, answered questionnaires and took part in behavioral tasks which evaluated EF, SR, and both positive and negative affect two times (one-month apart). Combined X-means and deep learning algorithms aided in the separation of two distinct groups who featured different EF performances, SR tendencies, and affective experiences. Network model analysis was then utilized to confirm the connections between the EF, SR, and affect variables in each of the two groups. The two groups displayed a maximal centrality for variables linked to SR and positive affect. Group membership remained mostly consistent (85%) across both measurement occasions. Logistic regression indicated that age and personality (conscientiousness, neuroticism, and agreeableness) predicted group membership. This sheds light on stable individual differences in the complex relations of EF, SR, and affect.
This dissertation project utilized a combination of standard approaches (such as confirmatory factor analysis; CFA) and advanced approaches (such as network models, machine learning algorithms, and deep learning) to explore the connections between cognitive abilities, EF, SR, and affect. Our findings are in line with the theory of process specific changes in age-dedifferentiation. Findings suggested that connections between SR and EF were stronger within clusters, and positive affect was better connected to SR than EF measures. Lastly, age and personality traits were found to predict the clusters. These findings suggest that computational modelling is an effective exploratory tool in understanding how cognitive abilities and other psychological constructs may interact. Further research is necessary to gain further insights on the mechanisms behind differences in network structures.
This dissertation contributes to the emerging research field on men’s underrepresentation in communal domains such as health care, elementary education, and the domestic sphere (HEED). Since these areas are traditionally associated with women and therefore counter-stereotypic for men, various barriers can hinder men’s higher participation. We explored these relations using the example of how men’s interest in parental leave – as a form of communal engagement – is shaped across different stages of the transition to fatherhood. Specifically, we focused on how gendered beliefs regarding masculinity and fatherhood, the possible selves men can imagine for their future, and the social support men receive from their normative environment relate to their intentions to take parental leave and their engagement in care more broadly. In Chapter 2, using experimental designs, we examined how different representations of a prototypical man, varying in stereotypic agentic and counter-stereotypic communal content, affect men’s hypothetical intentions to take leave and their communal possible selves. Findings suggested that a combined description of a prototypical man as agentic and communal tended to increase men’s parental leave-taking intentions as compared to a control condition. In line with contrast effects, also an exclusively agentic male prototype tended to push men towards more communal outcomes. In Chapter 3, in a cross-sectional examination of the parental leave-taking intentions of expectant fathers, we found first evidence for a link between male prototypes and men’s behavioral preferences to take parental leave after birth. Yet, the support that expectant fathers received from their partners for taking parental leave emerged as the strongest predictor of men’s leave-taking desire, intention, and expected duration. In Chapter 4, using longitudinal data collected during men’s transition to fatherhood, we studied discrepancies between men’s prenatal caregiver and breadwinner possible selves and their actual postnatal engagement in each domain. Results suggested that fathers, on average, expected and desired to share childcare and breadwinning rather equally with their partners but had difficulties translating their intentions into behavior. The extent to which fathers experienced discrepancies was related to their attitudes towards the father role and the social support they received for taking parental leave and engaging in childcare. Moreover, experiencing a mismatch between their expected, desired, and actual division of labor had consequences for fathers’ intentions to take parental leave in the future. Across the empirical chapters, we found that men generally had high communal intentions and did not consider care engagement as nonnormative for their gender. However, men continue to face barriers that prevent them from translating their communal intentions into behavior. We outline strengths and limitations of the present research given the emerging nature of the research field. Moreover, we discuss implications for future research on men’s orientation towards care as well as implications for how to foster the realization of communal intentions into actual behavior.
Ambulatory assessment (AA) is becoming an increasingly popular research method in the fields of psychology and life science. Nevertheless, knowledge about the effects that design choices, such as questionnaire length (i.e., number of items per questionnaire), have on AA participants’ perceived burden, data quantity (i.e., compliance with the AA protocol), and data quality is still surprisingly restricted. The aims of this dissertation were to experimentally manipulate aspects of an AA study’s sampling strategy - sampling frequency (Study 1) and questionnaire length (Study 2) - and to investigate their impact on perceived burden, data quantity, and aspects of data quality in three papers. In Study 1, students (n = 313) received either 3 or 9 questionnaires per day for the first 7 days of the study. In Study 2, students (n = 282) received either a 33- or 82-item questionnaire 3 times a day for 14 days.
Paper 1 described that a higher sampling frequency (Study 1) led to a higher perceived participant burden, but did not affect other aspects of data quantity and quality. Furthermore, a longer questionnaire (Study 2) did not affect perceived participant burden or data quantity, but did lead to a lower within-person variability, and a lower within-person relationship between time-varying variables. Paper 2 investigated the effects of the sampling frequency (Study 1) on careless responding by identifying careless responding indices that could be applied to AA data and by extending the multilevel latent class analysis model to a multigroup multilevel latent class analysis model. Results indicated that a higher sampling frequency did not affect careless responding. Paper 3 investigated the effects of questionnaire length (Study 2) on (the relative impact of) response styles by extending the item response tree (IRTree) modeling approach to a multilevel data structure. Results indicated that a longer questionnaire led to a greater relative impact of RS.
Although further validation of the results is essential, I hope that future researchers will integrate the results of this dissertation when designing an AA study.