Adding emotionality to seductive details—Consequences for learning?

According to the seductive detail effect, adding interesting but irrelevant information (i.e., seductive details) can be detrimental to learning success. In this study, it was explored within two experiments whether the valence of text‐based seductive details might affect learning outcomes differently. For Experiments 1 and 2, we pretested text‐based seductive details for their emotional valence (n = 32 or n = 25 students, respectively). For the main studies of Experiments 1 (n = 105) and 2 (n = 131), university students were randomly assigned to one of four conditions that varied with respect to the presence of seductive details and their emotional valence (no vs. positive vs. negative vs. neutral). Unexpectedly, results revealed in both experiments no seductive details effect and also no differences between the three seductive detail conditions for the used learning outcome measures retention and transfer. Possible reasons for these findings and their implications are discussed.     

The effects of colour and valence on news evaluation

Research across different fields of psychology has reported effects of colour cues on a variety of cognitive processes. Especially, the colour red has been shown to have striking influences. In the context of media reception, however, colour effects have been widely neglected so far. This study made a first step in this direction by investigating the effects of the colour red (compared with blue and grey) on the way news articles are evaluated. Two types of news were framed by a coloured border while the valence of the news content additionally varied. Based on 369 participants who read and evaluated the news articles online, we observed effects for colour cues and news valence in the absence of an interaction effect, indicating that the colour red induced approach motivation. However, only the contrast between red and grey reached statistical significance, indicating that chromatic and achromatic colours may differ in their perceived visual saliency. Overall, these results provide an important complement to previous studies and have practical implications for media researchers and producers.     

“Pushing the Button While Pushing the Argument”: Motor Priming of Abstract Action Language

In a behavioral study we analyzed the influence of visual action primes on abstract action sentence processing. We thereby aimed at investigating mental motor involvement during processes of meaning constitution of action verbs in abstract contexts. In the first experiment, participants executed either congruous or incongruous movements parallel to a video prime. In the second experiment, we added a no‐movement condition. After the execution of the movement, participants rendered a sensibility judgment on action sentence targets. It was expected that congruous movements would facilitate both concrete and abstract action sentence comprehension in comparison to the incongruous and the no‐movement condition. Results in Experiment 1 showed a concreteness effect but no effect of motor priming. Experiment 2 revealed a concreteness effect as well as an interaction effect of the sentence and the movement condition. The findings indicate an involvement of motor processes in abstract action language processing on a behavioral level.     

Skulking around the dinosaur: Eliciting cues to children's deception via strategic disclosure of evidence

Research has shown that cues to deception are more salient as an effect of strategic use of evidence (SUE) during interviews. This study examined the feasibility of the SUE‐technique for eliciting cues to children's deception. Experiment 1 investigated verbal cues to deception as a function of early vs. late disclosure of evidence. Eighty‐four children (12–14 years) either guilty or innocent of a mock crime were interviewed. As predicted, deceptive statements were significantly more inconsistent with the evidence than truthful statements, and this was more pronounced as a function of late compared to early disclosure of evidence. In Experiment 2, adult observers (N = 168) made veracity assessments of the videotaped statements. Observers in the late disclosure condition achieved an accuracy rate higher than chance (63.1%), whereas accuracy rates in the early disclosure condition were at chance level (56%). Accuracy rates were significantly higher for truthful (70.2%), than deceptive statements (48.8%). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Predicting academic success with the Big 5 rated from different points of view: Self‐rated,other rated and faked

Self‐ratings of personality predict academic success above general intelligence. The present study replicated these findings and investigated the increment of other‐ratings or intentionally distorted self‐ratings. Participants (N = 145) had to compile a personality questionnaire twice. First they were given neutral instructions. The second time they were asked to imagine a specific applicant setting. Furthermore, two peers rated each participant. Additionally, verbal, numerical and figural reasoning scores were obtained. Grades on a statistics exam obtained 2 months later served as the criterion. Results replicated prior findings and showed incremental validity for self‐ and other‐rated personality, which was stable after controlling for intelligence. Faking had no impact on the domain‐score level, but results on the facet‐score level were less encouraging. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tatcharakteristika, Rückfallrisiko und Rückfallprognose bei Sexualstraftätern vom Jugend- bis ins Seniorenalter

The basis of this study was a census of all offenses of sexual assault and sexual abuse that were reported to the Berlin police between 1994 and 1999 (N?=?2,446). The purpose was to analyse the particularities of elderly offenders (60 years or older, n?=?68) compared to the 273 juvenile and the 2,105 younger adult offenders with regard to prior offenses, index offenses and recidivism rates. Furthermore, the analysis focused on the prediction of sexual and violent reoffence by means of the static-99 within the elderly age group. The analysis showed that the rate of former sexual offence committed by seniors was comparable to the younger adults; however, sexual and non-sexual violent pre-offences were much less frequent. On the other hand, the seniors were more frequently involved in sexual abuse, their modus operandi showed lesser degrees of intensity of the sexual acts and less use of force and violence (even among sexual abusers only) and group-offence was definitely uncommon. Furthermore the rate of sexual reoffence was similar to the juvenile offenders, but lower in comparison to adult offenders younger than 60 years. A more sophisticated analysis of the age-effects on recidivism-rates confirmed the anticipation of growing risks until middle adulthood and decreasing risks of reoffence afterwards. However, an explicit trajectory of first growing and than decreasing risks in the course of aging could only be found among offenders with sexual abuse, whereas the zenith was shifted in elderly stages of age. On the other hand, among offenders with sexual assaults, the risks of sexual reoffending seemed rather similar until the middle adulthood and increasingly lower in later stages. In spite of these aging-effects and the particularities of the elderly sexual offenders, the static-99 predicted sexual reoffence among the senior offenders quite well and there was no difference in comparison with the total sample.     

Psychotherapie für Straftäter

The legal and administrative framework for psychotherapy of offenders in prisons and secure forensic hospitals is outlined. Established treatment programs for offenders are presented including different variations of standardized cognitive behavioral approaches, e. g. relapse prevention programs (RP), dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT), transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP), and mentalization-based treatment (MBT). The foci of the individual programs as well as their integrative tendencies are described. In psychodynamic therapies cognitive processes are taken into consideration and, vice versa, cognitive-behavioral therapists discover the significance of the therapeutic relationship.     

Zwischen Klinik und Politik

Based on the current debate on the traumatisation of soldiers in Afghanistan, the article traces the historical development of trauma concepts from the 19th century to the present day. Thereby, it is shown that without reflecting on the socio-political context on the part of therapists and experts, medical and psychotherapeutic measures are at risk of being exploited by undetected political interests.     

Improving self‐regulated learning of preschool children: Evaluation of training for kindergarten teachers

Background In the context of lifelong learning, self‐regulated learning is an important competence. Children between 4 and 6 years of age are at a crucial step in their life to develop self‐regulatory competence. That is why their kindergarten teachers play an important role as instructors as well as role models. Aim This study tested the effects of self‐regulation training for kindergarten teachers concerning their own self‐regulation and methods to foster self‐regulation in children at preschool age whom they were teaching. Sample In this study, 35 German kindergarten teachers and 97 children participated. All adult participants were graduated kindergarten teachers. Method The kindergarten teachers were tested with a questionnaire 2 weeks before and after the training. At the same time, the preschoolers were interviewed. A waiting control group design was applied. Results and conclusions The results obtained by means of analyses of variance show that the self‐regulation of the kindergarten teachers as well as the self‐regulated learning of preschoolers whose kindergarten teachers took part in the training improved significantly. The results indicate that it is possible to improve self‐regulated learning of preschool children by a training programme for kindergarten teachers.     

Biografiekonstruktionen im Dienste der Abwehr

The material examined comprised videotaped group sessions in which the participating sexual offenders talked about their crimes and biographies. Out of the available texts four types of narrative formats of biography construction were elaborated: the medical case report, the coming-of-age novel, the vita sexualis and the family drama. Each format includes specific subjective theories about deviant behaviour and sheds light on the diverse defense dynamics. These dynamics could be extracted analyzing various narrative levels, such as the structure of the narration, the self-positioning in the story and the interactions of the group. It was shown how the participants either accepted or rejected responsibility and guilt, which is considered highly relevant for the prognosis. The presented study gives important insight into psychotherapy with sexual offenders.