ESPLAT 2025 conference: Scientific thinking in challenging times

Introduction: Teaching critical thinking is essential for improvement of students understanding of psychology. The present study explored cognitive reflection as a critical thinking skill among senior high school psychology students by means of a Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT). Cognitive reflection is the ability to override an initial, intuitive response (System 1 thinking) and engage in...

Neurodivergency (ND) is an umbrella term, encompassing a range of experiences, such as autism, attention deficit hyper-activity disorder and dyslexia. Due to the sub-categories of disability that neurodivergent individuals may identify with (including cognitive or learning difficulties, or mental health conditions), the exact number in HE is difficult to ascertain, although data showed...

In addition to psychology majors, psychological courses are an important part of the curriculum in teacher education. At the beginning of a new academic term, students of both study programs hold a variety of course-specific expectations (e.g., related to the course content, the workload, or their performance). A mismatch between expectations and the course reality may negatively influence...

Introduction
Students in applied psychology education often struggle with topics like motivation, learning mechanisms, or resilience and vulnerability. The suggested concept can be applied to various psychology courses and addresses this challenge by systematically integrating a dual-perspective approach into teaching. For instance, instead of focusing solely on effective learning...

Introduction: Studies on determining the underlying triggering mechanisms in the development of smartphone addiction may be important in guiding its prevention and early treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to draw attention to the moderating role of cognitive flexibility in the relationship between negative affect, agreeableness, and smartphone addiction risk.
Methods: The study was...

Introduction and Research Aims
Being successful in university depends on students’ academic and social integration in their studies (Kegel et al., 2021; Tinto, 1975; Zander & Höhne, 2021). However, empirical studies (e.g., Bäulke et al., 2021) often focus on only academic or social integration. With the present study, we aimed to investigate how academic self-concept (Marsh, 1990) and...

Critical thinking is considered an essential skill for students to be able to make important decisions for the future (Abrami et al., 2015). In the context of the construct “psychological literacy”, both critical thinking and need for cognition are addressed (e.g. Halpern & Butler, 2011; Hulme, 2014). By learning psychological content, it is assumed that psychology students have higher...

Students at the University of Applied Sciences for Police and Public Administration in North Rhine-Westphalia (HSPV NRW) participate in psychological courses within dual degree programs for police service and public administration. Internal surveys conducted in recent years indicate that an increasing number of students at HSPV are leaving their studies without graduating. In a broader study...

Critical evaluation of information is crucial in today’s largely ungated digital landscape, as misinformation can threaten public policies, health, and democracy. However, these critical skills do not develop naturally, even among highly educated individuals, necessitating structured interventions. Various approaches, including historical thinking, multiple document literacy, sourcing, and...