Alexithymia and autism are variably characterized by social cognitive and perceptual deficits, which can lead to profound social interaction difficulties. Such difficulties are also the hallmark of personality disorders (PDs), but the potential link between alexithymia, autism, and PDs remains unclear. Here, we investigated whether autistic and/or…

Background: Mid-adolescence is a critical developmental stage during which peer relationships become increasingly important, while academic motivation tends to reach its nadir. Although positive peer relationships are known to promote students' motivation and that high motivation can benefit more positive social behaviours, no studies have…

In today's world, lifelong learning (LLL) is a key element of individual and societal success. However, despite knowing potential determinants of LLL, we do not yet understand how they interact to facilitate LLL. Therefore, the present study aims to verify the usefulness of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in predicting LLL. We applied a…

The implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for autistic youth is a critical concern worldwide. Research examining factors facilitating the implementation of EBPs found that providers' attitudes are an important factor. In this study, we evaluated cross-cultural differences in attitudes toward and use of EBPs. We tested socio-demographic…

Previous research focused on individuals' background, contexts and cognitive performance in education, work, and life. Given the increasing number of people living alone temporarily, the question arises whether the frequent use of skills, including social skills, relates to individuals' later positively self-evaluated skills and social lives.…

Autistic adults frequently show increased physical or mental health conditions and impairments in social, occupational, and other life domains. Accordingly, they often report reduced health-related quality of life. Yet, numerous barriers prevent effective healthcare for autistic adults. To date, the impact of healthcare barriers on health-related…

Whether high quantities of center-based care cause behavior problems is a controversial question. Studies using covariate adjustment for selection factors have detected relations between center care and behavior problems, but studies with stronger internal validity less often find such evidence. We examined whether within-child changes in hours in…

Mentoring traditionally is described as a relationship in which the protégé learns through mentoring functions provided by the mentor. However, researchers continue to question how mentors profit from this relationship. Drawing from social exchange theory, the current study aims to examine the mutually beneficial nature of the mentoring…

Based on investment theories and guided by Mussel's (2013) intellect model, the present study investigated reciprocal relations over 1 year (2021-2022) between investment traits (need for cognition, achievement motives, epistemic curiosity) and fluid and crystallized cognitive abilities in 565 German elementary school children (298 girls;…

Family characteristics such as socioeconomic status (SES) and migration background (MiBa) predict children's early mathematical skills. This study investigated the associations between SES and MiBa and children's mathematical precursor skills, mediated by different facets of the home numeracy environment (HNE) in a German sample (N = 500). In…

Teacher appreciation has been promoted as a strategy to combat teacher shortages, under the assumption that public recognition boosts job satisfaction and retention. However, empirical support for this claim has been sparse, particularly regarding how sources of appreciation influence teachers. This study adopted an ecological framework to…

Not every student who enrolls in a teacher training program completes it and obtains a degree. Students dropping out of vocational teacher training is a particularly concerning trend in Germany, where there is a significant shortage of vocational education and training (VET) teachers. Against this backdrop, it is crucial to understand why students…

This study investigates the predictive influences of expectancies and values that may sustain students' dropout intentions in physics as well as gender differences in students' motivation and intention. Eccles's expectancy-value model was used to frame the study. The academic self-concept (expectancy component) and value components focusing on…

The present study aims to investigate the effects of music-related beliefs on musical leisure activities of elementary school students. To this end, the relationship between music-related beliefs and musical leisure activities was examined while controlling for sex, socio-economic status, and migration background. Data analyses are based on a…

There are contradictory findings in the literature about prosodic sensitivity's contribution to reading. In this study, we examined whether prosodic sensitivity makes a unique contribution to different reading outcomes in German after controlling for the effects of phonological awareness. Word reading, nonword reading and sentence reading as well…