Günter Krampen

On the validity of citation counting in science evaluation : Content analyses of references and citations in psychological publications

In reference to the increasing significance of citation counting in evaluations of scientists and science institutes as well as in science historiography, it is analyzed empirically what is cited in which frequency and what types of citations in scientific texts are used. Content analyses refer to numbers of references, self-references, publication language of references cited, publication types of references cited, and type of citation within the texts. Validity of citation counting is empirically analyzed with reference to random samples of English and German journal articles as well as German textbooks, encyclopedias, and test-manuals from psychology. Results show that 25% of all citations are perfunctory, more than 50% of references are journal articles and up to 40% are books and book-chapters, 10% are self-references. Differences between publications from various psychological sub-disciplines, publication languages, and types of publication are weak. Thus, validity of evaluative citation counting is limited because at least one quarter refers to perfunctory citations exhibiting a very low information utility level and by the fact that existing citation-databases refer to journal articles only.

Competence and control orientations as predictors of test anxiety in students: Longitudinal results

Abstract The hypothesis that domain-specific self-related cognitions (self-concept of own competence and control orientations) are predictors of text anxiety in students is tested by longitudinal data. At the beginning and at the end of a school year the following variables were measured twice in a sample of 346 secondary school students (grades six to ten): (1) self-concept of own competence in mathematics, (2) three aspects of locus of control for problem-solving behavior (internality, powerful others control, and chance control), (3) generalized locus of control of reinforcement, (4) test anxiety as well as manifest anxiety. The cross-sequential developmental gradients point toward symmetries in the development of self-related cognitions and test anxiety. The results of cross-lagged correlation analyses show that the null hypothesis (no causal relations exist between the self-related cognitions and test anxiety) can be rejected for the domain-specific aspects of (a low) self-concept of own competence a...

Psychologists' research activities and professional information-seeking behaviour: Empirical analyses with reference to the theory of the Intellectual and Social Organization of the Sciences

Five facets of professional information-seeking behaviour were analysed in a sample of 298 psychology researchers from the German-speaking countries. In an online survey data were gathered on (1) information-processing behaviour during research project development, research implementation, results publication, use of citation databases, and preferred publication language, (2) scientists’ functional dependence, strategic dependence, technical uncertainty, and strategic uncertainty with reference to the theory of the Intellectual and Social Organization of the Sciences, (3) scientists’ engagement in Big vs Little Science and (4) in psychological subdisciplines, and (5) scientists’ personal characteristics (age, job position, sex, information competence, cognitive style). Empirical results refer to (1) the construction of economical psychometric Scales on Perceived Mutual Dependence and Task Uncertainty in the Sciences (S-DUS) and (2) the prediction of information behaviour by the DUS-scales, research engagement in Big vs Little Sciences and in subdisciplines, as well as age in hierarchical regression analyses. The paper discusses the broad usability of the S-DUS and the result that different facets of scientists’ information behaviour require differential predictors.

Toward an action-theoretical model of personality

An action‐theoretical model of personality is presented, in which missing links between action‐theory and personality constructs are established. Background is the facts, (a) that current psychological theories of action are limited to situation‐ and action‐specific person variables, and (b) that in personality theory systematic relations between such variables and personality constructs are missing. The action‐theoretical model of personality is based on a differentiated expectancy‐value theory, whose situation‐specific constructs (various aspects of valences and expectancies) are logically connected with personality constructs of generalized self‐referential cognitions. The following action‐theoretical personality variables are proposed to be central for the study of person‐situation interactions: (a) self‐concept of own competence, (b) control orientations, (c) trust, (d) conceptualization level, and (e) value orientations. The model implies rules for the operationalization of its constructs and for prediction of behaviour. The structure of the action‐theoretical personality variables and their relations to other theories of personality are described.

Promotion of creativity (divergent productions) and convergent productions by systematic-relaxation exercises: empirical evidence from five experimental studies with children, young adults, and elderly

Presented are the results of five experimental studies on the effects of systematic‐relaxation exercises on divergent as well as convergent performance. Subjects were 40 elementary school children, 120 college students, and 52 elderly. In Experiments 1, 2, 4, and 5, subjects were assigned at random to either an experimental group (participating in a short systematic‐relaxation exercise without pre‐experience or exercising autogenic training which subjects had learned at least 6 months before) or to a control group (with unspecific relaxation instructions). In Experiment 3, subjects with against without experience of autogenic training were matched for age, gender, years of study, and creativity pretest scores. Before and after systematic against unsystematic relaxation, subjects were tested for divergent performances (word fluency, associational fluency, expressional fluency, and ideational fluency) and convergent performances (short‐term memory, concentration, and general intelligence). Results of all experiments consistently show significant improvements of divergent and—to a lesser extent—convergent performances in the experimental groups after systematic‐relaxation exercises. These short‐term effects of systematic‐relaxation exercises are discussed with respect to characteristics and problems of divergent problem solving processes in individuals and groups.

Perceived Childrearing Practices and the Development of Locus of Control in Early Adolescence

The development of three dimensions of locus of control orientation, namely, perceived internal, powerful others, and chance control, was analysed in a sample of 127 adolescents (11-13 years) as well as the relation between such orientations and childrearing practices of their mothers (practices of reinforcement and punishment). At two times (10 months apart) questionnaire data were obtained about (1) locus of control for problem-solving of the child, (2) childrearing practices of the mother, and (3) childrearing practices of the mother as perceived by the child. The cross-sequential results showed that perceived internality increases and chance control (fatalistic externality) decreases in early adolescence, whereas powerful others control orientations show no age-related change. Results of cross-lagged regression and correlation analyses point toward differential relations between childrearing practices and the three aspects of locus of control: (1) parental approval and attention to positive behaviour of the child predicts internality; (2) parental reinforcement which is based on social comparisons of the childs behaviour and achievements predicts powerful others control; (3) disparagement of the child-without attention to the specific behaviour of the child-predicts chance control orientations. The longitudinal results show that findings of cross-sectional and retrospective studies tend to overestimate the developmental significance of parental childrearing practices for locus of control in early adolescence.

Self-Efficacy and Externality in Adolescence: Theoretical Conceptions and Measurement in New Zealand and German Secondary School Students

It is argued that the development of self-efficacy represents a central aspect of development in adolescence for 3 reasons. First, self-efficacy is an important predictor for actual efficacy and, thus, is a major component of the individuals ability to act suc-cessfully. Second, self-efficacy is a major action-guiding aspect of the self-concept. Third, both aspects can be combined in an action model of personality, which provides the framework for the development of a standardized questionnaire for self-efficacy and externality from a personality psychology point of view. To validate this questionnaire, a study was conducted with 215 New Zealand and 221 German secondary school students ages 16 to 17 years using a German and an English version of the inventory. Item parameters as well as scale parameters of the English and the German versions of the inventory, were satisfactory and comparable. First validity analyses reveal no significant scale differences for girls versus boys; no significant scale differences between New Zealand and German adolescents; and some rather weak, but significant, positive correlations of self-efficacy to academic performance and perceived classroom climate.

Combining self-assessments and achievement tests in information literacy assessment: empirical results and recommendations for practice

This article examines the significance of information literacy self-assessments in higher education with a special focus on situational conditions increasing their explanatory power. First, it was hypothesised that self-assessments of information literacy correlate higher with factual information literacy if measured after the administration of information search tasks (and tests) due to the intrinsic feedback associated with their completion. Furthermore, it was assumed that self-assessments measured after the administration of information search tasks explain incremental variance over standardised information literacy tests in information search performance. A study with N = 82 German psychology students was carried out to verify these assumptions. Information literacy self-efficacy (as one form of self-assessment), as well as the PIKE-P information literacy test and several standardised information search tasks, was included in the test battery. As both assumptions were largely supported, we recommend that researchers complement their test batteries by self-assessments but warn them against relying primarily on this method. We further recommend that self-assessments should take place at the end of testing.

Long-term evaluation of the effectiveness of additional autogenic training in the psychotherapy of depressive disorders

This paper presents the results of a 3-year follow-up study on the effectiveness of additional autogenic training (AT; a psychophysiological self-control method using self-inductions of physical and mental relaxation) in the psychotherapy of outpatients with depressive disorders. Subjects were 55 patients (aged 22-69 years) with depressive disorders diagnosed according to ICD-10. Subjects were randomized to one of three groups: Group A participated in 40 single psychotherapy sessions over a period of 20 weeks; Group B learned AT in the first 10 weeks and had 20 single psychotherapy sessions as well as AT practice in the second 10 weeks; Group C was the waiting-list control group in the first 10 weeks and had 20 single psychotherapy sessions as well as AT learning in the second 10 weeks. Tests for depressive symptoms (BDI) and psychosomatic complaints (AT-SYM) were given before the start of treatment, after 10 weeks, after 20 weeks, as well as 8 months and 3 years after the end of treatment. In addition, a...

ZPID-Monitor 2004 zur Internationalität der Psychologie aus dem deutschsprachigen Bereich: Der ausführliche Bericht

Die fur das dokumentarisch abgeschlossene Publikationsjahr 2007 aktualisierten Befunde des in Abstimmung mit dem DGPs-Prasidium durchgefuhrten ZPID-Monitorings zur Internationalisierung der Psychologie im deutschsprachigen Bereich werden ausfuhrlich dargestellt (zur Methode siehe etwa Krampen, Montada, Muller & Schui, 2005).