Papers by Florian Kiessling
In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die Entwicklung der Theory of Mind (ToM) im Rahmen einer kurzlän... more In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die Entwicklung der Theory of Mind (ToM) im Rahmen einer kurzlängsschnittlichen Untersuchung im Alter von vier und viereinhalb Jahren in drei verschiedenen kulturellen Kontexten untersucht, in Deutschland, Costa Rica und Kamerun. Vor dem Hintergrund einer sich verdichtenden Befundlage, die auf die Bedeutung der sozialen Umwelt für die Entwicklung der ToM hinweist, wie auch erster kulturvergleichender Untersuchungen, in denen sich zum Teil erhebliche Unterschiede im Entwicklungstempo zeigen, lag der Fokus der vorliegenden Arbeit auf der Analyse kindlicher Entwicklungskontexte für die Entwicklung der ToM. Neben dem Alter und sprachlichem Entwicklungsstand wurden verschiedene familiäre Variablen (z.B. Haushaltszusammensetzung) erfasst, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf der Analyse von Mutter-Kind Gesprächen und hier auf der Bedeutung mütterlicher mentalistischer (z.B. Gedanken, Gefühle, Bedürfnisse) und nicht-mentalistischer Bezüge (z.B. Kausalitäten, Wiederhol...
We investigated the developmental trajectory of beliefs about plants, animals, humans, and supern... more We investigated the developmental trajectory of beliefs about plants, animals, humans, and supernatural agents among 108 participants (age 4 – adult). Participants viewed a cartoon story wherein an alien (humanoid) interacts with an alien plant, an alien dog, and a supernatural agent. Afterwards, participants were asked a series of questions about each entity’s physicality, physiological ability to move around, and ability to think and sense. Next, verbal ability was assessed (using BPVS-2). Finally, the participant had an “invisibility test” to investigate their understanding of invisibility. In our results, we found that people are most certain about things they can see (plants, animals, humans) and uncertain otherwise. Hence, children learned fairly quickly about plants, animals, and humans (although they tended to anthropomorphise the animals and at younger ages regarded the plant more like an inanimate object). Regarding supernatural agents, there was considerable confusion tha...
Journal of Personality, 2010
Research has shown that capacity for accessing implicit motives promotes congruence between the i... more Research has shown that capacity for accessing implicit motives promotes congruence between the implicit and the explicit motivational system: Individuals able to test a conscious goal for its fit with their implicit motivation commit themselves more fully to self-congruent goals. However, it has not yet been shown whether this is a universal phenomenon or limited to Euro-American cultures in which individual needs are less strictly constrained by the social environment than in other cultural contexts. Thus, the present study examined whether self-determination interacts with the implicit achievement motive to predict how much importance individuals from Cameroon, Germany, and Hong Kong ascribe to achievement goals. Moreover, the importance ascribed to goals should indirectly predict life satisfaction via success in goal realization. Results showed that the associations described above are valid in all three cultural groups and are discussed in terms of their implications for the universal processes characterizing motivation.
Journal of Happiness Studies, 2008
This article examines the relationship between life satisfaction and specific facets of psycholog... more This article examines the relationship between life satisfaction and specific facets of psychological well-being (positive relations with others and environmental mastery) by considering the moderating effect of significant components of personality, i.e., traits, values, and implicit motives. Constructs were assessed by the Satisfaction With Life Scale, the Scales of Psychological Well-Being (two subscales), the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, the Schwartz Value Survey (two value types), and a picture-story test (implicit motives for achievement and affiliation-intimacy). Analyses revealed that values, implicit motives, and personality traits moderated the relationship between both types of well-being measures. Findings indicate that personality components reflecting significant strivings and needs play a crucial role in seeking well-being by assigning meaning to given life domains.
Narr Francke Attempto Verlag, 2011
Z Exp Psychol, 2004
Page 1. Mentalistische und selbstregulatorische Kompetenz im Erwachsenenalter 105 Bleibt die Spez... more Page 1. Mentalistische und selbstregulatorische Kompetenz im Erwachsenenalter 105 Bleibt die Spezifität der Beziehung zwischen Theory of mind und inhibitorischer Kontrolle über die Lebensspanne bestehen? Zum Zusammenhang mentalistischer ...
Child Development, 2013
This study tested one hundred and nine 3- to 6-year-old children on a knowledge-ignorance task ab... more This study tested one hundred and nine 3- to 6-year-old children on a knowledge-ignorance task about knowledge in humans (mother, baby) and God. In their responses, participants not reliably grasping that seeing leads to knowing in humans (pre-representational) were significantly influenced by own knowledge and marginally by question format. Moreover, knowledge was attributed significantly more often to mother than baby and explained by agent-based characteristics. Of participants mastering the task for humans (representational), God was largely conceived as ignorant "man in the sky" by younger and increasingly as "supernatural agent in the sky" by older children. Evidence for egocentrism and for anthropomorphizing God lends support to an anthropomorphism hypothesis. First-time evidence for an agent-based conception of others' knowledge in pre-representational children is presented.
Journal of Personality, 2006
This article examines the relationship between interpersonal ego identity formation and congruenc... more This article examines the relationship between interpersonal ego identity formation and congruence of self-attributed and implicit affiliation motives. A TAT-type picture-story test, the Personality Research Form, and the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status were administered to 177 participants to assess data on affiliation motivation and interpersonal identity formation. According to a scoring system developed by Winter, the picture stories were coded for need for Affiliation. Analyses revealed that motive congruence is significantly associated with participants' level of identity achievement and identity foreclosure in the interpersonal domain. Such a relationship could not be identified for identity diffusion and moratorium.
Journal of Happiness Studies, 2008
This article examines the relationship between life satisfaction and specific facets of psycholog... more This article examines the relationship between life satisfaction and specific facets of psychological well-being (positive relations with others and environmental mastery) by considering the moderating effect of significant components of personality, i.e., traits, values, and implicit motives. Constructs were assessed by the Satisfaction With Life Scale, the Scales of Psychological Well-Being (two subscales), the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, the Schwartz Value Survey (two value types), and a picture-story test (implicit motives for achievement and affiliation-intimacy). Analyses revealed that values, implicit motives, and personality traits moderated the relationship between both types of well-being measures. Findings indicate that personality components reflecting significant strivings and needs play a crucial role in seeking well-being by assigning meaning to given life domains.
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 2010
... Athanasios Chasiotis1, Michael Bender1, Florian Kiessling2, and Jan Hofer3 ... Fostering cont... more ... Athanasios Chasiotis1, Michael Bender1, Florian Kiessling2, and Jan Hofer3 ... Fostering continu-ity and promoting a stable sense of the self by knowing one's own past are aspects typically seen as representative of the self-function (Conway, 1996; Neisser, 1988; Pillemer, 1992 ...
International Journal of Behavioral Development, 2006
After distinguishing between neocortical abilities for executive control and subcortical sensory ... more After distinguishing between neocortical abilities for executive control and subcortical sensory motor skills for proprioceptive and vestibular integration, we compare a sample of 116 normal preschoolers with a sample of 31 preschoolers receiving occupational therapeutical treatment. This is done in an experimental design controlled for age (mean: 49 months), sex, SES, linguistic abilities, and intelligence. Inhibition and theory-of-mind are measured with test batteries. Results show that children having deficits in sensory motor inhibition are less competent in conflict inhibition and in theoryof-mind. Regression analyses reveal that in the clinical sample conflict inhibition is a significantly stronger predictor of theory-of-mind than in the control group. These results point at a basic sensory motor inhibitory ability as a prerequisite for the development of theory-of-mind.
International Journal of Behavioral Development, 2006
This study investigates the relationship of theory of mind and inhibitory control in three sample... more This study investigates the relationship of theory of mind and inhibitory control in three samples from Europe, Africa and Latin America differing in relevant socioeconomic and psychological background. The relationship between false belief understanding and inhibitory control was tested using samples of 3 to 5 year-old preschoolers from Germany (N = 116), Costa Rica (N = 82) and Cameroon (N
Identity, 2007
This article examines the relationship between ego identity formation (commitment statuses) and s... more This article examines the relationship between ego identity formation (commitment statuses) and subjective well-being among student samples from Cameroon and Germany. The Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status was administered to Cameroonian and ...
Identity, 2006
This article examines the relation between the retrospective evaluation of family relationships i... more This article examines the relation between the retrospective evaluation of family relationships in childhood, ego identity formation, and self-regulation (disposition of action control). The Relationship-Context-Scale, a short version of the Action Control Scale, and ...
Journal of Personality, 2010
Research has shown that capacity for accessing implicit motives promotes congruence between the i... more Research has shown that capacity for accessing implicit motives promotes congruence between the implicit and the explicit motivational system: Individuals able to test a conscious goal for its fit with their implicit motivation commit themselves more fully to self-congruent goals. However, it has not yet been shown whether this is a universal phenomenon or limited to Euro-American cultures in which individual needs are less strictly constrained by the social environment than in other cultural contexts. Thus, the present study examined whether self-determination interacts with the implicit achievement motive to predict how much importance individuals from Cameroon, Germany, and Hong Kong ascribe to achievement goals. Moreover, the importance ascribed to goals should indirectly predict life satisfaction via success in goal realization. Results showed that the associations described above are valid in all three cultural groups and are discussed in terms of their implications for the universal processes characterizing motivation.
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Papers by Florian Kiessling