Due to its prominent role in online social networks, avatar creation has become an important research topic in the field of computer-mediated communication. One main motive for creating avatars is the representation of one’s own identity. Previous research indicates that avatar creation depends on the activity context for which the avatar is created. Though, studies comparing avatar creation for a wide variety of activity contexts are still missing. The present study addresses this empirical gap by examining (1) the self-representation of physical, demographical, and personality characteristics through avatars, (2) differences in self-representation between various online activity contexts, and (3) between-participant variance in ascribed personality traits. Participants attributed physical, demographical, and personality characteristics to their avatar for one of six online activity contexts and indicated the same characteristics for their actual and ideal selves. We analysed the data of 568 participants and found a high level of congruence between demographical/physical characteristics of the avatar, the actual self, and the ideal self. Furthermore, we found an idealised representation of the avatar’s personality traits, which was affected by the specific activity context. Last, the between-participant variance in the avatar’s personality traits was mainly larger than the variance in the ideal self but smaller than the variance in the actual self, indicating a link between avatar creation and social norms. These results deliver new insights into the strategies behind avatar creation in different contexts and build a basis for future research and practical implications for developers and designers of virtual worlds.

Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic is showing negative effects on human health as well as on social and economic life. It is a critical and challenging task to revive public life while minimizing the risk of infection. Reducing interactions between people by social distancing is an effective and prevalent measure to reduce the risk of infection and spread of the virus within a community. Current developments in several countries show that this measure can be technologically accompanied by mobile apps; meanwhile, privacy concerns are being intensively discussed. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine central cognitive variables that may constitute people’s motivations for social distancing, using an app, and providing health-related data requested by two apps that differ in their direct utility for the individual user. The results may increase our understanding of people’s concerns and convictions, which can then be specifically addressed by public-oriented communication strategies and appropriate political decisions. Methods: This study refers to the protection motivation theory, which is adaptable to both health-related and technology-related motivations. The concept of social trust was added. The quantitative survey included answers from 406 German-speaking participants who provided assessments of data security issues, trust components, and the processes of threat and coping appraisal related to the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection by social distancing. With respect to apps, one central focus was on the difference between a contact tracing app and a data donation app. Results: Multiple regression analyses showed that the present model could explain 55% of the interindividual variance in the participants’ motivation for social distancing, 46% for using a contact tracing app, 42% for providing their own infection status to a contact tracing app, and 34% for using a data donation app. Several cognitive components of threat and coping appraisal were related to motivation measurements. Trust in other people’s social distancing behavior and general trust in official app providers also played important roles; however, the participants’ age and gender did not. Motivations for using and accepting a contact tracing app were higher than those for using and accepting a data donation app. Conclusions: This study revealed some important cognitive factors that constitute people’s motivation for social distancing and using apps to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Concrete implications for future research, public-oriented communication strategies, and appropriate political decisions were identified and are discussed.

Embedded in the paradigm of embodied cognition, the theory of sensorimotor contingencies (SMCs) proposes that motor actions and associated sensory stimulations are tied together by lawful relations termed SMCs. We aimed to investigate whether SMCs can be learned by means of sensory augmentation. Therefore we focused on related perceptual changes. Subjects trained for 7 weeks with the feelSpace belt mapping information of the magnetic north to vibrotactile stimulation around the waist. They experienced substantial changes in their space perception. The belt facilitated navigation and stimulated the usage of new navigation strategies. The belt's vibrating signal changed to a kind of spatial information over time while the belt's appeal and perceived usability increased. The belt also induced certain emotional states. Overall, the results show that learning new SMCs with this relatively small and usable device leads to profound perceptual and emotional changes, which are fully compatible with embodied theories of cognition.

Introduction: Information literacy has become indispensable in navigating today’s fast-paced media environment, with teachers playing a pivotal role in fostering reflective and critical digital citizenship. Positioned as future gatekeepers, pre-service teachers are the key to teaching media skills and especially information literacy to future generations of pupils. Given the particular challenges facing educators today compared to previous generations, it is important to determine whether the next generation of teachers feel adequately prepared and perceive themselves as competent to pass on these skills to their future pupils. However, previous research has highlighted deficiencies in formal learning opportunities at universities, underscoring the need for further investigation into pre-service teachers’ information acquisition, evaluation practices as well as their perceived relevance to teaching, and person-related factors associated with their perceived competence in teaching information literacy.Method: An online questionnaire was presented to participants, employing a mixed-method approach. We qualitatively examined the sources of information used by pre-service teachers and the evaluation strategies they employ, while quantitatively analyzing relationships between pre-service teachers’ person-related factors and their perceived teaching competence. Participants assessed their perceived teaching competence, perceived learning opportunities, self-efficacy (general and related to information assessment), perceived informedness, selective exposure, need for cognition, need for cognitive closure, and mistrust in media coverage.Results: Data from 371 participants revealed digital media dominance in information acquisition over traditional sources, albeit with a prevalence of surface-level evaluation strategies over reflective approaches. Two distinct dimensions of perceived competence in teaching information literacy emerged: one focusing on information assessment while the other centers on the understanding of news creation processes. Perceived competence in teaching information literacy was significantly associated with self-efficacy in information assessment, perceived informedness, selective exposure to information as well as perceived learning opportunities focusing on information evaluation. Moreover, pre-service teachers employing diverse information evaluation strategies demonstrated a heightened sense of perceived competence in teaching information assessment.Discussion: Our results provide valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of pre-service teachers’ perceived competence in teaching information literacy. Theoretical implications for future research as well as practical implications for teacher education and the structure of future curricula are discussed.

Despite many known educational benefits of digital game‐based learning, teaching with digital games is not yet a common practice in formal education. The role that digital game‐based learning might play in future school teaching can be explored by examining the behavioral intentions of pre‐service teachers as the ultimate gatekeepers. In this survey study, 402 pre‐service teachers from German‐speaking universities had participated. Multiple regression analyses were applied to examine the role of pre‐service teachers’ personal characteristics in their intention to integrate digital games into two educational contexts. For both educational contexts, we identified perceived usefulness and curriculum relatedness of digital games as key factors in pre‐service teachers' intention to teach with digital games. We also found differences in explained variance and relevant personal characteristics between educational contexts. Overall, we discuss how teaching with digital games could become a common practice if particular characteristics of pre‐service teachers are already addressed in teacher education. Practitioner notes: What is already known about this topic Several conceptual and empirical works have synthesized diverse educational benefits of teaching with digital games and digital game‐based learning. Teaching with digital games poses several infrastructural and technological challenges for teachers. Whether teaching with digital games becomes a common practice is related to the intention of teachers who act as gatekeepers for effective educational approaches. What this paper adds Insights into relations between intentions to teach with digital games and personal characteristics among pre‐service teachers as future gatekeepers. The intentions of pre‐service teachers to teach with digital games show particularly strong relations to a small set of personal characteristics. The relations between the intentions of pre‐service teachers and their personal characteristics may vary between educational contexts. Implications for practice and policy The usefulness and curriculum relatedness of digital games in different educational contexts should be made clear to pre‐service teachers. Teacher education could better prepare pre‐service teachers for their future role as gatekeepers by providing key experiences and competences regarding teaching and learning with digital games. Policy makers could support teaching with digital games by advancing digital game‐based learning in teacher education and by reducing known barriers related to teaching with digital games.

University students faced unexpected challenges in online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. Findings from early phases of the Covid-19 pandemic and before show that online learning experiences may vary from student to student and depend on several personal characteristics. However, the relative importance of different students’ personal characteristics for their online learning experiences at later phases of the Covid-19 pandemic is still unclear. This cross-sectional, correlational study investigates how personal characteristics of university students are related to five dimensions of online learning perception and to their engagement and performance in online courses. In an online survey, 413 students from German universities provided full information on their online learning experiences and personal characteristics in terms of demographic information, Big Five personality traits, self-regulation skills, three facets of self-efficacy, and two types of state anxiety. Results of multiple regression analyses show that students’ age was significantly positively related to all online learning perceptions and engagement in online courses. Our findings also confirm that self-regulation skills and academic and digital media self-efficacy are important factors in various online learning experiences. In contrast, students’ personality traits and state anxiety were less important for most online learning experiences. Noteworthy, several bivariate associations between personal characteristics and online learning experiences are not reflected in the multiple regression model. This underscores the need to consider relevant variables simultaneously to evaluate their relative importance and to identify key personal characteristics. Overall, our results show valuable starting points for theory development and educational interventions.