H. Harald Freudenthaler

Sensitivity of SEM Fit Indexes With Respect to Violations of Uncorrelated Errors

This simulation study investigated the sensitivity of commonly used cutoff values for global-model-fit indexes, with regard to different degrees of violations of the assumption of uncorrelated errors in confirmatory factor analysis. It is shown that the global-model-fit indexes fell short in identifying weak to strong model misspecifications under both different degrees of correlated error terms, and various simulation conditions. On the basis of an example misspecification search, it is argued that global model testing must be supplemented by this procedure. Implications for the use of structural equation modeling are discussed.

Frontal brain asymmetry and affective flexibility in an emotional contagion paradigm

This study was aimed at examining the relation of an individuals EEG asymmetry in the lateral frontal cortex, assessed in resting conditions, to affective flexibility. An auditory paradigm was used to induce negative (sad) and positive (cheerful) affective states, and state-dependent shifts of dorsolateral EEG asymmetry in response to and after the emotional provocations were observed. A Left>Right activation pattern at rest was associated with a shift to the right during negative and a shift to the left during positive stimulation, and efficient recovery after negative stimulation. Right>Left participants appeared unresponsive to both sounds. Distinct and differentiated responses to provocation with negative and positive affect and efficient recovery suggest that Left>Right prefrontal activity at rest is related to a flexible pattern of affective responding, which has been linked to adaptive emotional processing in the relevant literature.

Psychometric Evaluation and Experimental Validation of the Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale

The Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS) was adapted into German to examine its psychometric properties (n = 400). Two validation studies (n = 66, n = 96) were conducted to examine its criterion-related validity. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were very similar to those previously reported for the original English version in various countries and other language versions. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated 2 second-order factors: One was more closely related to anxiety and the other was more closely related to negative attitudes toward statistics. Predictive validity of the STARS was shown both in an experimental exam-like situation in the laboratory and during a real examination situation. Taken together, the findings indicate that statistics anxiety as assessed by the STARS is a useful construct that is more than just an expression of a more general disposition to anxiety.

Emotional intelligence: Instruction effects and sex differences in emotional management abilities.

Based on our previous research on intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional management abilities (EMA; Freudenthaler & Neubauer, 2005, 2007), the present study examined the effects of instruction (TP: typical performance vs. MP: maximum performance) on EMA scores, using a within-subjects design (n = 151). In addition, the relations of TP-EMA and MP-EMA to sex, cognitive intelligence, and personality traits, as well as indicators of well-being, were tested. Results showed not only lower means but also higher reliabilities in the TP condition than in the MP condition. While women outperformed men in interpersonal EMA in both instruction conditions, men scored higher than women on intrapersonal TP-EMA. As expected, only MP-EMA were significantly correlated with cognitive intelligence. In contrast, TP-EMA showed more overlap with personality and were also substantially related to life satisfaction and depression. Most of the correlations between TP-EMA and predicted outcome measures remained significant when sex, personality (Big Five), and cognitive intelligence were controlled for. In sum, the findings provide further evidence of the importance to distinguish between typical and maximum performance in research on emotional intelligence measures and their application.

Frontal brain asymmetry and transient cardiovascular responses to the perception of humor

The study examined the relationship of individual differences in prefrontal brain asymmetry, measured by the EEG in resting conditions, to the individuals responsivity in the context of humor (n=42). Several weeks after the EEG recording, immediate cardiovascular responses to the perception of humor and behavioral indicators of humor processing were obtained in an experimental paradigm involving non-verbal cartoons. Relatively greater resting activity in the left than right prefrontal cortex, particularly at the ventrolateral positions, was associated with faster detection of humor, a more pronounced cardiac response to the perception of humor (heart rate and cardiac output), and more accessible internal positive affective states (indicated by faster reports of amusement levels). The study confirms and extends findings of the relevance of prefrontal brain asymmetry to affective responsivity, contributing evidence in the domain of positive affect and humor, and demonstrating relationships to the immediate cardiovascular response pattern to an emotional event.

Experimentally observed responses to humor are related to individual differences in emotion perception and regulation in everyday life

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the relevance of an individuals typical emotion perception and emotion regulation behavior to his or her responsiveness to humor. This was studied behaviorally by examining responses to different types of humorous stimuli in an experimental paradigm, in a sample of n = 54 participants aged between 18 to 41 years (29 women, 25 men). Individual differences in emotion perception and regulation were assessed by relevant subscales of an established self-report instrument. Higher scores on emotion perception were related to higher amusement ratings in response to the humorous stimuli. Higher scores on emotion regulation were associated with shorter response latencies for the amusement ratings, particularly when it was important to mentalize with the characters in the cartoons in order to understand the humor. The cognitive understanding of the humor was unaffected. The findings suggest that good emotion perception and emotion regulation skills may contribute to greater humor responsiveness in everyday life, which may be an adaptive trait promoting successful functioning and resilience.

Phonological Awareness and Rapid Automatized Naming as Longitudinal Predictors of Reading in Five Alphabetic Orthographies with Varying Degrees of Consistency

ABSTRACT Although phonological awareness (PA) and rapid automatized naming (RAN) are confirmed as early predictors of reading in a large number of orthographies, it is as yet unclear whether the predictive patterns are universal or language specific. This was examined in a longitudinal study across Grades 1 and 2 with 1,120 children acquiring one of five alphabetic orthographies with different degrees of orthographic complexity (English, French, German, Dutch, and Greek). Path analyses revealed that a universal model could not be confirmed. When we specified the best-fitting model separately for each language, RAN was a consistent predictor of reading fluency in all orthographies, whereas the association between PA and reading was complex and mostly interactive. We conclude that RAN taps into a language-universal cognitive mechanism that is involved in reading alphabetic orthographies (independent of complexity), whereas the PA–reading relationship depends on many factors like task characteristics, developmental status, and orthographic complexity.