Nicolas Becker

Eating problems in young children -- a population-based study.

To analyse the prevalence of atypical eating problems and their associations with anxious or oppositional behaviours in young children.

Central nervous system processing of emotions in children with faecal incontinence

Aim:  Faecal incontinence (FI) is a common disorder involving both the enteric (ENS) and central nervous systems (CNS). The aim of the study is to analyze neurophysiologically the central processing of emotions in children with FI, healthy controls and children with Attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The complex route to success: complex problem-solving skills in the prediction of university success

ABSTRACT Successful completion of a university degree is a complex matter. Based on considerations regarding the demands of acquiring a university degree, the aim of this paper was to investigate the utility of complex problem-solving (CPS) skills in the prediction of objective and subjective university success (SUS). The key finding of this study was that CPS was not only strongly correlated to objective university success but also explained university grade point averages (GPA) of N = 78 German business students even after intelligence and high-school GPA were controlled for. In addition, priority setting while working on a complex problem explained self-rated SUS. Given this incremental validity over the most established predictors of objective university success and its versatility, we argue that CPS may be a valuable addition to existing predictors in university applicant selection.

Central nervous system processing of emotions in children with nocturnal enuresis and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Nocturnal enuresis (NE) and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are common in childhood. We analysed the central processing of emotions in children with NE, ADHD, NE + ADHD and controls.

Psychometric properties of the “parental questionnaire: Enuresis/urinary incontinence” (PQ-EnU)

The “Parental Questionnaire: Enuresis/Urinary Incontinence” (PQ‐EnU) is widely‐used in clinical assessment of nocturnal enuresis (NE) and daytime urinary incontinence (DUI). It includes 18 items regarding daytime (DW) and nighttime wetting (NW), 24 items concerning toilet habits (TH), and 14 items regarding behavioral problems (BP). The aim of the study was to evaluate reliability and validity of the PQ‐EnU.

Is the Correlation between Storage Capacity and Matrix Reasoning Driven by the Storage of Partial Solutions? A Pilot Study of an Experimental Approach

Working memory capacity (WMC) and reasoning abilities—as assessed by figural matrices tests—are substantially correlated. It is controversially discussed whether this correlation is only caused by controlled attention or also by storage capacity. This study aims at investigating storage of partial solutions as a possible mechanism by which storage capacity may contribute to solving figural matrices tests. For this purpose, we analyzed how an experimental manipulation of storage demands changes the pattern of correlations between WMC and performance in a matrix task. We manipulated the storage demands by applying two test formats: one providing the externalization of partial solutions and one without the possibility of externalization. Storage capacity was assessed by different types of change detection tasks. We found substantial correlations between storage capacity and matrices test performance, but they were of comparable size for both test formats. We take this as evidence that the necessity to store partial solutions is not the limiting factor which causes the association between storage capacity and matrices test. It is discussed how this approach can be used to investigate alternative mechanisms by that storage may influence performance in matrices tests.

Construct Your Own Response

The cube construction task represents a novel format in the assessment of spatial ability through mental cube rotation tasks. Instead of selecting the correct answer from several response options, testees construct their own response in a computerized test environment. The format has several advantages: It is no longer possible to guess the correct response or to compare the reference cube to the response options, resulting in a higher demand for spatial ability. Moreover, it is possible to create items with a particularly high difficulty which are needed for the assessment of intellectual giftedness. In the present study, we developed 28 items and presented them to a sample of 130 university students. Test results showed that the items possess a very high statistical difficulty. Furthermore, the item set yielded a very high internal consistency. The results of an exploratory factor analysis as well as of a multidimensional IRT analysis indicated that a two-factor solution (“spatial relations” vs. “spatial visualization”) is plausible. Response time had a negligible influence on accuracy. Perspectives on further research concerning the cube construction task and possibilities for practical applications are being discussed.