Research
at the Professorship of Developmental and Educational Psychology
Tablet-based working memory assessment
Based on Baddeley's working memory model (1986), the "Eichstätt Messung des Arbeitsgedächtnisses" (working memory measurement) (EI-MAG; Oesterlen, Gade & Seitz-Stein, 2016) is a tablet-based application for assessing basic working memory functions in individuals aged 5 and older. This is the first German working memory procedure that can also be used in a group setting. As part of the validation of the application, the subtests (including monosyllabic word span, Corsi block, word span backwards) are currently being tested for their test-theoretical quality. In addition to reliability and validity tests, experimental studies are investigating the developmental effects of the visual response format used.
Game-based assessment and promotion of mathematical pre-skills
Due to the prognostic relevance of so-called mathematical pre-skills for later mathematical performance in school, it appears necessary to develop methods for validly assessing the level of development and, if necessary, for early intervention already in preschool. The number board game "Haus der Zahlen" (House of Numbers) develops and tests a game-based approach that can be integrated into everyday life. Training studies have already shown that repeated play leads to an improvement in mathematical skills in preschool children (e.g., Skillen, Berner, & Seitz-Stein, 2017). Against the background of current developmental models of preschool mathematical skills, the game material developed is also being tested to determine whether it allows for a valid assessment of mathematical pre-skills in the form of a screening.
Self-concept development
The study examines how the (pre-)school self-concept is formed and develops during the (pre-)school years. Other individual factors (e.g., learning motivation and preschool skills) and factors from the primary socialization contexts (e.g., teachers, parents) are taken into account to explain the development of (pre-)school self-concepts. In connection with our research on play-based promotion of mathematical skills, we are particularly interested in the development of mathematical self-concepts in preschool children.