Modern teaching formats have not been considered necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic with uncertain acceptance by students. The study’s aim was to describe and evaluate all measures undertaken for theoretical and practical knowledge/skill transfer, which included objective structured practical examinations (OSPEs) covering a communication skills training. The students’ performance in the OSPE as well as the theoretical knowledge level were assessed, of which the latter was compared with previous terms. In conservative dentistry and periodontology (4th and 5th year courses), theoretical teaching formats were provided online and completed by a multiple-choice test. Practical education continued without patients in small groups using the phantom-head, 3D printed teeth, and objective structured practical examinations (OSPEs) including communication skills training. Formats were evaluated by a questionnaire. The organization was rated as very good/good (88.6%), besides poor Internet connection (22.8%) and Zoom® (14.2%) causing problems. Lectures with audio were best approved (1.48), followed by practical videos (1.54), live stream lectures (1.81), treatment checklists (1.81), and virtual problem-based learning (2.1). Lectures such as .pdf files without audio, articles, or scripts were rated worse (2.15–2.30). Phantom-heads were considered the best substitute for patient treatment (59.5%), while additional methodical efforts for more realistic settings led to increased appraisal. However, students performed significantly worse in the multiple-choice test compared to the previous terms (p < 0.0001) and the OSPEs revealed deficits in the students’ communication skills. In the future, permanent available lectures with audio and efforts toward realistic treatment settings in the case of suspended patient treatment will be pursued.

The present study examined how personality traits manifest in daily life of older adults and distinguished between the manifestations of experiences and behaviors. We used data from an ambulatory assessment study over 10 days with assessments of trait-related experiences and behaviors obtained from 136 older adults aged between 60 and 91 years (41.2% male; M = 70.45 years). Multilevel models revealed that on average, 61.2% of variance in trait-related experiences and 39.6% of variance in behaviors were due to consistent differences between persons. Older adults were rather variable and diverse in their trait manifestations, while they also showed relative stability in trait manifestations. Across older age, some age effects for trait manifestations were found. Moreover, within-person variation of experiences and behaviors showed, with one exception, joint fluctuations in daily life. The findings portray a nuanced picture of trait manifestations in older adulthood. The findings complement the literature on within-person variability in older adulthood and might encourage further studies from a within-person perspective to better understand how older adults navigate through daily life.

People differ in the way they live their daily lives. For some people, daily life is characterized by multiple and diverse experiences, while others have more stability and routine in their lives. However, little is known about how variety in daily life relates to the expression of personality states. The present study examined within-person associations between variety in social partners, places, and activities with state expression. Data came from an ambulatory assessment study ( N = 962, Mage = 25.49) with four assessments per day over a period of six consecutive days. The results of the multilevel modeling analyses suggest that variety in daily life is associated with some, but not all, state expressions. For instance, on days when participants experienced a greater variety in activities, they reported being less neurotic and conscientious, but also more agreeable. In addition, the links between all social partners, places, and activities with the expression of the state were examined simultaneously to obtain more detailed information on the multifaceted nature of situation-state expression links. We conclude that variety in daily life has both theoretical and empirical relevance for the expression of personality states.

Need satisfaction has been linked to a variety of important healthy aging outcomes. One open question is whether and how the expression of personality traits predicts need satisfaction in daily life. To address this question, we examined associations between momentary satisfaction of the needs for relatedness, competence, and autonomy and expressions of the Big Five personality traits. Older adults (aged 60 to 91 years, M = 70.45) participated in an ambulatory assessment study. Across 10 days, they reported twice per day on their need satisfaction and trait expressions. Multilevel models revealed that older adults showed a considerable amount of within-person variability in momentary need satisfaction. Trait expressions predicted need satisfaction in daily life at the within-person level. Implications are discussed with respect to how these findings advance our understanding of the role of trait expressions for healthy aging processes.

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