Comparisons of native and foreign language poetry readings: Fluency,expressiveness, and their evaluation

Summary American college and German Gymnasium students read an English and German poem in their respective native (L1) and foreign (L2) languages. In L2, articulation rate (syl/s) was slower and phrase length (syl/pause) shorter than in L1. Only the German women read expressively: Mean pause duration was higher than all other groups in L1 and lower in L2. Evaluations of fluency and expressiveness by American teachers of German and German teachers of English paralleled these results. Two cut-off points (0.27 and 0.13 sec) for measurements of minimum pause duration were examined, and cautions regarding use of a high cut-off point given.     

The DRC model of visual word recognition and reading aloud: An extension to German

The dual-route cascaded (DRC) model of word recognition and reading aloud was implemented in German. In this paper, we describe crosslinguistic differences and similarities between the German and the English DRC. The German DRC was evaluated with respect to its ability to correctly pronounce all German monosyllabic words and to simulate the loan word (regularity) effect. Furthermore, we obtained DRC predictions concerning a number of benchmark effects previously investigated in English, namely effects of word frequency, word length, and neighbourhood size.     

The influence of an external symbol system on number parity representation, or What’s odd about 6?

The aim of this study was to investigate whether language-specific properties influence mental number processing. German Sign Language (DGS) numbers differ from those in spoken German not only in terms of modality but also in their basic language structure. A group of 20 congenitally deaf German signers participated in a number parity (odd/even) judgment task with DGS and printed German number words. The results indicated that two-handed DGS number signs are processed in a decomposed way. This language-specific effect also generalized to another linguistic number notation, German number words, but not to Arabic digit notation. These differences are discussed with respect to two possible routes to number parity.     

Learning new vocabulary in German: the effects of inferring word meanings,type of feedback,and time of test

In the present study, introductory-level German students read a simplified story and learned the meanings of new German words by reading English translations in marginal glosses versus trying to infer (i.e., guess) their translations. Students who inferred translations were given feedback in English or in German, or no feedback at all. Although immediate retention of new vocabulary was better for students who used marginal glosses, students who inferred word meanings and then received English feedback forgot fewer translations over time. Plausible but inaccurate inferences (i.e., those that made sense in the context) were more likely to be corrected by students who received English feedback as compared with German feedback, providing support for the beneficial effects of mediating information. Implausible inaccurate inferences, however, were more likely to be corrected on the delayed vocabulary test by students who received German feedback as compared with English feedback, possibly because of the additional contextual support provided by German feedback.     

Cross-language activation in children's speech production: evidence from second language learners, bilinguals, and trilinguals

In five experiments, we examined cross-language activation during speech production in various groups of bilinguals and trilinguals who differed in nonnative language proficiency, language learning background, and age. In Experiments 1, 2, 3, and 5, German 5- to 8-year-old second language learners of English, German-English bilinguals, German-English-Language X trilinguals, and adult German-English bilinguals, respectively, named pictures in German and in English; in Experiment 4, 6- to 8-year-old German monolinguals named pictures in German. In both language conditions, cognate status was manipulated. We found that the bidirectional cognate facilitation effect was significant in all groups except the German monolinguals (Experiment 4) and, critically, the child second language learners (Experiment 1) in whom only native language (L1) German had an effect on second language (L2) English. The findings demonstrate how the integration of languages into a child's system follows a developmental path that, at lower levels of proficiency, allows only limited cross-language activation. The results are interpreted against the backdrop of the developing language systems of the children both for early second language learners and for early bi- and trilinguals.     

From Kant to Post-Kantian Idealism: German Idealism: Sebastian Gardner

German idealism has been pictured as an unwarranted deviation from the central epistemological orientation of modern philosophy, and its close historical association with German romanticism is adduced in support of this verdict. This paper proposes an interpretation of German idealism which seeks to grant key importance to its connection with romanticism without thereby undermining its philosophical rationality. I suggest that the fundamental motivation of German idealism is axiological, and that its augmentation of Kant's idealism is intelligible in terms of its combined aim of consolidating the transcendental turn and legitimating the kind of (objectual) relation to value articulated in German romanticism.     

The German Adaptation and Standardization of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI)

We developed the German Adaptation of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991) under careful consideration of current adaptation literature and guidelines. The adaptation process included the translation of the 344 items into German, a back translation into English as well as the testing of the language equivalence using a bilingual sample. We then standardized the final German version of the PAI for the German population. We compared the American and German norm and reliability data. The observed differences in PAI scale means did not exceed 5 T scores. Internal consistency reliability showed a similar pattern in both language versions, although the German alpha coefficients were on average slightly lower than the American ones. Factor structure was similar in both versions. We discuss expectations about the German PAI and possible problems for its practical usefulness for the German-speaking population.     

Predicting stuttering from phonetic complexity in German

This study investigated how phonetic complexity affects stuttering rate in German and how this changes developmentally. Phonetic difficulty was assessed using Jakielski's index [Motor Organization in the Acquisition of Consonant Clusters, Dissertation/Ph.D. Thesis, University of Texas Austin, 1998] of phonetic complexity (IPC) in which words are scored on eight different characteristics. Stuttering rate was not related to IPC score for German function words, as previously shown for Spanish and English. Significant correlations between stuttering rate and IPC score were found for content words for children over the age of six and adults. It was also found that German content words have a higher mean IPC sum compared to their English counterparts. There was a bigger difference in IPC score between fluent and stuttered words in German than in English. Factor 5 (word shape) influenced stuttering rates in both German age groups. This has also been found for Spanish but does not apply to English. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: The reader will be able to: (1) describe a method to measure phonetic complexity and how this affects stuttering rates for words of different grammatical classes; (2) explain why this method is suitable for different languages and age groups; (3) detect which phonetic characteristics have most impact on different age groups in English and German; (4) assess possible theoretical reasons for these findings.     

The Illness/Injury Sensitivity Index: Validation of a German Version of the ISI-R

Three fundamental fears—anxiety sensitivity, fear of negative evaluation, and illness/injury sensitivity—are considered integral components of anxiety-related psychopathology and also bear connections with chronic pain. Scales measuring the first two fears, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index and the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, have been translated into German; however, the nine-item Illness/Injury Sensitivity Index-Revised (ISI-R) that measures fears of injury and illness has not been available in German language yet. The aim of this study therefore was a translation of the ISI-R into German language and an initial validation of the translated scale in two different samples. The German ISI-R was translated by both professionals and laypersons, and a final version was decided on by consensus. In Study 1, participants included 96 undergraduate students (85% women) who completed the German version of the ISI as part of a larger study. An exploratory factor analysis with oblique rotation was conducted and suggested a two-factor-solution with one factor representing fears of illness and the other fears of injury. This factor structure was confirmed via a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in Study 2. Participants included 117 community members (79% women). Convergent validity was supported using a visual analogue scale for fear of illness in both samples and the German translation of the Whiteley Index in Study. Overall, the results supported the German translation of the ISI-R. Comprehensive results, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.     

German lexical personality factors: relations with the HEXACO model

We correlated the scales of the HEXACO Personality Inventory (HEXACO‐PI) with adjective scale markers of factors previously obtained in indigenous lexical studies of personality structure in the German language. Self‐ratings obtained from a sample of 323 German participants showed a pattern of strong convergent and weak discriminant correlations, supporting the content‐based interpretation of the German lexical factors in terms of the HEXACO dimensions. Notably, convergent correlations were strong for both the broader and the narrower variants of the Honesty‐Humility factor as observed in German lexical studies. Also, convergent correlations for HEXACO Openness to Experience were, as expected, stronger for German adjectives describing a creative and intellectual orientation than for German adjectives describing intellectual ability. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multicultural education: Israeli and German adolescents' knowledge and views regarding the Holocaust

This study probes a unique case of multicultural education of Israeli and German students regarding the Holocaust. Their knowledge level of German history leading to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party to power, knowledge about the Holocaust, the relation between their knowledge of attitudes toward the "other" (German/Israeli) group, and their reaction to a racist-dictatorial regime are explored. The findings were that German adolescents (high school students) knowledge regarding the events leading to the rise of the Nazi party was greater than that of the Israeli adolescents. However, the knowledge of Israelis was greater regarding the Holocaust. A positive correlation was found between the knowledge levels and their attitudes toward the other groups (German/Israeli) and toward resistance to the possible rise of a dictatorial regime. The findings point to the fact that multicultural education, which combines attitudinal, cognitive, and instrumental goals, can succeed in promoting nonracist views.     

The Illness/Injury Sensitivity Index: Validation of a German Version of the ISI-R

Three fundamental fears-anxiety sensitivity, fear of negative evaluation, and illness/injury sensitivity-are considered integral components of anxiety-related psychopathology and also bear connections with chronic pain. Scales measuring the first two fears, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index and the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, have been translated into German; however, the nine-item Illness/Injury Sensitivity Index-Revised (ISI-R) that measures fears of injury and illness has not been available in German language yet. The aim of this study therefore was a translation of the ISI-R into German language and an initial validation of the translated scale in two different samples. The German ISI-R was translated by both professionals and laypersons, and a final version was decided on by consensus. In Study 1, participants included 96 undergraduate students (85% women) who completed the German version of the ISI as part of a larger study. An exploratory factor analysis with oblique rotation was conducted and suggested a two-factor-solution with one factor representing fears of illness and the other fears of injury. This factor structure was confirmed via a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in Study 2. Participants included 117 community members (79% women). Convergent validity was supported using a visual analogue scale for fear of illness in both samples and the German translation of the Whiteley Index in Study. Overall, the results supported the German translation of the ISI-R. Comprehensive results, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.     

Cultural and Bilingual Influences on Artistic Creativity Performances: Comparison of German and Chinese Students

Empirical research on the relationship between culture and creativity has thus far yielded no consistent results. Investigations of the differences are mostly post-hoc, and results are inconclusive. A creativity-value-oriented theory is proposed to explain cultural differences, as an alternative to ethnic and language effects. This study was conducted to compare the performances of artistic creativity of Germans and Chinese. Results revealed that the four groups of students examined (German students of Caucasian descent, German students of Asian descent, Chinese students studying abroad, and Chinese students studying in China) differed in their artistic creativity. German participants (Caucasian Germans and Asian Germans) produced more creative and aesthetically pleasing artwork than did their Chinese counterparts (Chinese studying abroad and domestic Chinese). This difference was observed by both German and Chinese judges. There no significant subgroup differences in creative performances—no difference between the two German groups, and no difference between the two Chinese groups. Finally, although there were significant differences between German judges, Chinese judges studying abroad, and domestic Chinese judges in judging the artworks, these were not due to a preference for artwork from students from their own cultural background. Chinese and German judges roughly agreed on what constitutes creativity. These results suggest that cultural differences affect creative performances.     

A social role for churches and cultural demarcation: how German MEPs represent religion in the European Parliament

This study deals with the question of how German members of the European Parliament (MEPs) represent the German model of religion–state relations at the European level. Based on a survey and interviews with German MEPs as well as a content-analysis of German MEPs’ speeches, motions and parliamentary questions during the seventh term of the European Parliament (EP), our study demonstrates that this model is represented in three dimensions. First, German MEPs reflect the close cooperation between the churches and the state in Germany, primarily on social issues, through largely church- and religion-friendly attitudes and relatively frequent contacts with religious interest-groups. Second, by referring to religious freedoms and minorities primarily outside the EU and by placing Islam in considerably more critical contexts than Christianity, German MEPs create a cultural demarcation line between Islam and Christianity through their parliamentary activities, which is similar to, though less politicised than, cultural boundaries often produced in public debates in Germany. Third, our study illustrates similar patterns of religious affiliation and subjective religiosity among German parliamentarians in both the EP and the national Parliament, which to some degree also reflect societal trends in Germany. Yet our data also suggest that European political elites are more religious than the average German population. If the presence of religion in terms of religious interest-groups and arguments is included, the EP appears to be more secularist than the German Parliament.     

Assessment of Anxiety in Older Adults: Translation and Psychometric Evaluation of the German Version of the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS)

Anxiety occurs frequently among older adults, and can have deleterious impacts on the quality of daily life. Due to the dearth of well-validated elder-specific anxiety screening instruments available in the German language, this study aimed to translate the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS), a reliable and valid 30-item self-report screening instrument for assessing anxiety based on DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria (Segal et al. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 24(7), 709–714, 2010a), into German, and to validate the new measure. The German version of the GAS was developed through a translation and back translation process, with careful attention paid to culturally-sensitive expressions of anxiety in the German older adult population. The final version of the German GAS was tested in a sample of 242 community-dwelling older adults (M_age?=?72.0 years, SD?=?6.9 years; 59 % women) who completed either an online (26 %) or a paper-pencil (74 %) version of the questionnaire. The findings confirmed the successful translation of the GAS into German and provided psychometric support for the new measure. The validation of the factor structure based on confirmatory factor analyses was in support of a unidimensional structure of the GAS-G. Correlational analyses with inventories measuring anxiety related and non-anxiety related personality traits additionally confirmed the convergent and discriminant validity of the GAS for use as an assessment measure for anxiety among German older adults.     

Psychological abstracts and German-language psychology

The preparation of the present report was motivated by concern over the continuing reduction of the coverage of psychological materials published in German, and a complete cessation of the coverage in Psychological Abstracts (PA) in 1988. This report covers the following points: (1) The share of German Psychologists in the prehistory of PA; (2) Membership in the editorial board of PA; (3) Cessation of the coverage of books in PA; (4) German-language materials abstracted in PA; and (5) German-language materials in the database of the American Psychological Association in the years 1987-1989. Two addenda inform about citation of (6) German-language publications in early American journals and (7) the changing role of the German Journal of Psychology.     

The semantics of grammatical gender: A cross-cultural study

Although most present-day scholars claim that grammatical gender has no meaning correlates, anecdotal evidence dating back to the Greeks suggests that grammatical gender carries connotative meanings of femininity and masculinity. In the present study native German speakers (tested in Germany) and native Spanish speakers (tested in Mexico) judged 54 high-frequency translation equivalents on semantic differential scales chosen to reflect dimensions of evaluation, potency, and activity. Half the words were of feminine gender in German but of masculine gender in Spanish (Type I words), and half were of masculine gender in German and of feminine gender in Spanish (Type II words). As predicted, German speakers judged Type II words higher in potency than Type I words, whereas Spanish speakers judged Type I words higher in potency than Type II words. The conclusion was that grammatical gender does affect meaning.     

German version of the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale: psychometric parameters

A German translation of the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale, written originally in Arabic, was prepared. A sample of 207 men and women German college students was recruited. Coefficient alpha was .88, whereas the item-remainder correlations ranged from .21 to .63, denoting good internal consistency. The correlation of the scale with the German form of the Trait Anxiety Scale was .76, indicating high criterion-related validity. Three factors were identified: General, Somatic, and Cognitive/Affective Anxiety. German students scored lower (less anxious) than students from the U.S. and 18 Arab countries. The sex difference was not significant for the German sample.     

Eye movements of dyslexic children when reading in a regular orthography

Participants were German dyslexic readers (13-year-olds) who-compared to English dyslexic readers-suffer mainly from slow laborious reading and less from reading errors. The eye movements of eleven dyslexic boys and age-matched controls were recorded during reading of text passages and pseudoword lists. For both text and pseudoword reading, the dyslexic readers exhibited more and much longer fixations, but relatively few regressions. Increased length of words and pseudowords led to a greater increase in number of fixations for dyslexic than normal readers. Comparisons across studies suggest that the present German dyslexic eye movement findings differ from English-based findings by a lower frequency of regressions (presumably due to the higher regularity of German) and from Italian findings by longer fixation duration (presumably due to the greater syllabic complexity of German).     

Measuring Implicit British Perceptions of German Intentions in 1938–1939

Implicit British perceptions of German leaders during the period September 30, 1938–September 1, 1939 (from the Munich Agreements to the German invasion of Poland) are studied with a "ratio of threat accentuation" measure. This ratio is calculated by comparing the densities of power motive imagery in two kinds of archival material: full texts of major Hitler speeches versus summaries in The Times of London, and British versus German accounts of meetings between British diplomats and major Nazi leaders. In both cases, the British ratio of threat accentuation increases following the unexpected German occupation of Prague and the rest of Czechoslovakia on March 15, 1939. These changes in implicit perception are congruent with changes in British explicit perceptions and foreign policy after the German action.