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Severine Koch

Bio: Severine Koch is an academic researcher from Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. The author has contributed to research in topics: Medicine & Population. The author has an hindex of 9, co-authored 18 publications receiving 569 citations. Previous affiliations of Severine Koch include Curtin University & Hebei University.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Meta-analytic path analyses supported a process model that included direct effects of illness representations on outcomes and indirect effects mediated by coping, which includes effects of moderators, individual differences, and beliefs about coping and treatment.
Abstract: According to the common-sense model of self-regulation, individuals form lay representations of illnesses that guide coping procedures to manage illness threat. We meta-analyzed studies adopting the model to (a) examine the intercorrelations among illness representation dimensions, coping strategies, and illness outcomes; (b) test the sufficiency of a process model in which relations between illness representations and outcomes were mediated by coping strategies; and (c) test effects of moderators on model relations. Studies adopting the common-sense model in chronic illness (k = 254) were subjected to random-effects meta-analysis. The pattern of zero-order corrected correlations among illness representation dimensions (identity, consequences, timeline, perceived control, illness coherence, emotional representations), coping strategies (avoidance, cognitive reappraisal, emotion venting, problem-focused generic, problem-focused specific, seeking social support), and illness outcomes (disease state, distress, well-being, physical, role, and social functioning) was consistent with previous analyses. Meta-analytic path analyses supported a process model that included direct effects of illness representations on outcomes and indirect effects mediated by coping. Emotional representations and perceived control were consistently related to illness-related and functional outcomes via, respectively, lower and greater employment of coping strategies to deal with symptoms or manage treatment. Representations signaling threat (consequences, identity) had specific positive and negative indirect effects on outcomes through problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies. There was little evidence of moderation of model effects by study design, illness type and context, and study quality. A revised process model is proposed to guide future research which includes effects of moderators, individual differences, and beliefs about coping and treatment.

335 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The hypothesis that avoidance cues, relative to approach cues, lead to improved performance on cognitive control tasks, is supported.

85 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated whether individual differences in autonomy or control causality orientation and positive competence-enhancing feedback have additive or interactive effects on intrinsic motivation and found that autonomy-oriented individuals spent significantly longer on the puzzle than control-oriented participants regardless of feedback condition.

48 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This study captures the German public's perception of pesticide residues in foods and finds that both organic and conventional consumers viewed pesticides, chemicals, and toxins as the greatest threats to food quality and safety.

36 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
21 Jul 1979-BMJ
TL;DR: It is suggested that if assessment of overdoses were left to house doctors there would be an increase in admissions to psychiatric units, outpatients, and referrals to social services, but for house doctors to assess overdoses would provide no economy for the psychiatric or social services.
Abstract: admission. This proportion could already be greater in some parts of the country and may increase if referrals of cases of self-poisoning increase faster than the facilities for their assessment and management. The provision of social work and psychiatric expertise in casualty departments may be one means of preventing unnecessary medical admissions without risk to the patients. Dr Blake's and Dr Bramble's figures do not demonstrate, however, that any advantage would attach to medical teams taking over assessment from psychiatrists except that, by implication, assessments would be completed sooner by staff working on the ward full time. What the figures actually suggest is that if assessment of overdoses were left to house doctors there would be an increase in admissions to psychiatric units (by 19°U), outpatients (by 5O°'), and referrals to social services (by 140o). So for house doctors to assess overdoses would provide no economy for the psychiatric or social services. The study does not tell us what the consequences would have been for the six patients who the psychiatrists would have admitted but to whom the house doctors would have offered outpatient appointments. E J SALTER

4,497 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The dual pathway to creativity model argues that creativity is a function of cognitive flexibility and cognitive persistence, and that dispositional or situational variables may influence creativity either through their effects on flexibility, on persistence, or both as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The dual pathway to creativity model argues that creativity—the generation of original and appropriate ideas—is a function of cognitive flexibility and cognitive persistence, and that dispositional or situational variables may influence creativity either through their effects on flexibility, on persistence, or both. This model is tested in a number of studies in which participants performed creative ideation tasks. We review work showing that cognitive flexibility, operationalised as the number of content categories surveyed, directly relates to idea originality, but that originality can also be achieved by exploring a few content categories in great depth (i.e., persistence). We also show that a global processing mode is associated with cognitive flexibility, but only leads to high originality in tasks that capitalise on cognitive flexibility. We finally show that activating positive mood states enhance creativity because they stimulate flexibility, while activating negative mood states can enhance creativity because they stimulate persistence. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

653 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
27 Feb 2009-Science
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that red (versus blue) color induces primarily an avoidance (versUS approach) motivation and that red enhances performance on a detail-oriented task, whereas blue enhances performanceon a creative task.
Abstract: Existing research reports inconsistent findings with regard to the effect of color on cognitive task performances. Some research suggests that blue or green leads to better performances than red; other studies record the opposite. Current work reconciles this discrepancy. We demonstrate that red (versus blue) color induces primarily an avoidance (versus approach) motivation (study 1, n = 69) and that red enhances performance on a detail-oriented task, whereas blue enhances performance on a creative task (studies 2 and 3, n = 208 and 118). Further, we replicate these results in the domains of product design (study 4, n = 42) and persuasive message evaluation (study 5, n = 161) and show that these effects occur outside of individuals' consciousness (study 6, n = 68). We also provide process evidence suggesting that the activation of alternative motivations mediates the effect of color on cognitive task performances.

616 citations

19 Oct 2012
TL;DR: The published literature lacks strong evidence that organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventional foods, and consumption of organic foods may reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Abstract: BACKGROUND The health benefits of organic foods are unclear. PURPOSE To review evidence comparing the health effects of organic and conventional foods. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE (January 1966 to May 2011), EMBASE, CAB Direct, Agricola, TOXNET, Cochrane Library (January 1966 to May 2009), and bibliographies of retrieved articles. STUDY SELECTION English-language reports of comparisons of organically and conventionally grown food or of populations consuming these foods. DATA EXTRACTION 2 independent investigators extracted data on methods, health outcomes, and nutrient and contaminant levels. DATA SYNTHESIS 17 studies in humans and 223 studies of nutrient and contaminant levels in foods met inclusion criteria. Only 3 of the human studies examined clinical outcomes, finding no significant differences between populations by food type for allergic outcomes (eczema, wheeze, atopic sensitization) or symptomatic Campylobacter infection. Two studies reported significantly lower urinary pesticide levels among children consuming organic versus conventional diets, but studies of biomarker and nutrient levels in serum, urine, breast milk, and semen in adults did not identify clinically meaningful differences. All estimates of differences in nutrient and contaminant levels in foods were highly heterogeneous except for the estimate for phosphorus; phosphorus levels were significantly higher than in conventional produce, although this difference is not clinically significant. The risk for contamination with detectable pesticide residues was lower among organic than conventional produce (risk difference, 30% [CI, -37% to -23%]), but differences in risk for exceeding maximum allowed limits were small. Escherichia coli contamination risk did not differ between organic and conventional produce. Bacterial contamination of retail chicken and pork was common but unrelated to farming method. However, the risk for isolating bacteria resistant to 3 or more antibiotics was higher in conventional than in organic chicken and pork (risk difference, 33% [CI, 21% to 45%]). LIMITATION Studies were heterogeneous and limited in number, and publication bias may be present. CONCLUSION The published literature lacks strong evidence that organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventional foods. Consumption of organic foods may reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE None.

475 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The hypothesis that whether prevention-focused states boost creativity depends on regulatory closure (whether a goal is fulfilled or not) was proposed and tested and it was predicted that prevention- focused states that activate the individual would lead to similar levels of creativity as promotion-focusedStates but that Prevention-ocused states that deactivate would Lead to lower levels of Creativity.
Abstract: Promotion-focused states generally boost creativity because they associate with enhanced activation and cognitive flexibility. With regard to prevention-focused states, research evidence is less consistent, with some findings suggesting prevention-focused states promote creativity and other findings pointing to no or even negative effects. We proposed and tested the hypothesis that whether prevention-focused states boost creativity depends on regulatory closure (whether a goal is fulfilled or not). We predicted that prevention-focused states that activate the individual (unfulfilled prevention goals, fear) would lead to similar levels of creativity as promotion-focused states but that prevention-focused states that deactivate (closed prevention goals, relief) would lead to lower levels of creativity. Moreover, we predicted that this effect would be mediated by feelings of activation. Predictions were tested in 3 studies on creative insights and 1 on original ideation. Results supported predictions. Implications for self-regulation, motivation, mood, and creativity are discussed.

245 citations