Communicators often tune their message about a target to the audience's attitude toward that target. This tuning can shape a communicator's own evaluation of the target, which reflects the creation of a shared reality with the audience. So far, evidence for shared‐reality creation has been confined to one specific target. In two experiments, we examined whether and when a shared reality would generalize to other targets. In Experiment 1, shared‐reality creation about an ambiguous sexist target generalized to the evaluation of a new ambiguous sexist target for which no audience attitude was provided. However, this happened only when there was high (vs. low) commonality with the audience regarding previous judgments. In Experiment 2, we investigated conditions for the temporal persistence of generalization. One week after message tuning to a high‐commonality audience, a shared reality generalized to a new ambiguous sexist target when participants recalled the shared‐reality creation about the initial target, but it did not generalize in conditions without such recall. Also, no generalization occurred for non‐ambiguous or non‐sexist targets. Results suggest that shared reality generalization depends on perceived commonality with the audience, recollection of shared reality at time of judgment, and similarity between new and initial targets.

Lecturers teaching statistics are faced with several challenges supporting students' learning in appropriate ways. A variety of methods and tools exist to facilitate students' learning on statistics courses. The online questionnaires presented in this report are a new, slightly different computer-based tool: the central aim was to support students to master the course content and to provide the lecturer with continuous feedback about the students' difficulties and deficits. The aims of online questionnaires supporting teaching and learning of statistics are compared to aims of other computer-based and non-computerized methods and tools. Additionally, data from a first evaluation of the questionnaires is presented. In a first year psychology student's statistics course (bachelor program), students were offered the possibility of filling in an online questionnaire every time a specific theme had been taught. Out of the 126 first year students there were 28 who answered the online questionnaires regularly and 12 answered them sometimes. Those who answered the online questionnaires assessed them as helpful for their understanding of the course's content. The lecturer judged the online questionnaires as particular helpful for improving teaching and assessing performance deficits.

Understanding characteristics that contribute to psychology students’ academic success is important to better support them during their studies. Referring to person–environment fit theory, we examined effects of study-relevant characteristics (self-efficacy beliefs, self-assessed level of information about the study program) on subjective criteria of success (persistence with the choice of study subject, later study satisfaction) and controlled for effects of grade point average (GPA) and mathematical skills. We present a longitudinal survey study including five cohorts of first-year students (total N = 854). Mediation models ( N = 254) revealed that self-efficacy and level of information at study entry predicted students’ persistence at the end of the first semester, which predicted satisfaction at the end of the second semester. In the presumed overall model we found total effects of self-efficacy and level of information, with direct and indirect effects (via persistence) on satisfaction, and no total or direct effects of GPA and mathematical skills, but an indirect effect of GPA on satisfaction. Thus, psychology students’ satisfaction substantially depends on study-relevant characteristics and less on skills. An enhancement of students’ self-efficacy beliefs and comprehensive information for those who are interested in the subject might help to increase satisfaction and thus success.

Heterogenität der Studienanfänger/innen und Nutzung von Unterstützungsmaßnahmen Zusammenfassung Unterstützungsmaßnahmen in der Studieneingangsphase müssen den Anforderungen einer (u. a. fachlich, soziodemographisch und motivational) heterogenen Studierendenschaft gerecht werden und neben fachspezifischen auch individuelle Bedürfnisse bedienen. Am Beispiel von Psychologiestudierenden wird gezeigt, wie einige Studierendenmerkmale mit der Maßnahmennutzung im ersten Semester zusammenhängen. Möglichkeiten zur Generalisierung der Ergebnisse für andere Studienfächer sowie Herausforderungen und Potenziale, die sich aus der vorliegenden Studie für die Maßnahmenentwicklung und -umsetzung an Hochschulen ergeben, werden diskutiert.

We outline the use and evaluation of a video presentation about variance and covariance developed to motivate students to process the topics and to enhance their skills. We outline the structure and the content of the video presentation and present data of an evaluation study. Students in different subjects who must pass statistics courses (N = 114) participated in an online survey with randomized controlled design and repeated measurement. Results indicate that students who watched the video presentation significantly improved on their skills, compared to a control group reading a textbook section about the same topics. The video presentation was judged as more satisfying and useful for learning than the text. We discuss application scenarios and further teaching implications. Ideally a longitudinal study should investigate effects of continuous learning with video presentations, changes in motivation, anxiety, and attitudes as well as effects for students of different subjects.