Proceedings of the MEi:CogSci Conference
type: channel
description: The "Proceedings of the MEi:CogSci Conference" is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal, providing a quality platform for original work by students/participants from all partner universities of the international Middle European interdisciplinary master's programme in Cognitive Science (https://www.meicogsci.eu/). All submissions to this journal are extended abstracts, submitted alongside either a poster or oral presentation for the MEi:CogSci Conference. Articles range across the entire scope of cognitive science, touching on aspects of anthropology, artificial intelligence, economics, education science, linguistics, neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology. The journal provides a platform for interaction between young cognitive scientists with backgrounds in these fields, as well as others ranging from fine arts, economy, to engineering and maths. As a result, the journal publishes in all areas of cognitive science, covering a wide range of phenomena and offering a heterogeneous set of methodologies.
publisher: University of Vienna
language: en
publication name: Proceedings of the MEi:CogSci Conference
issn: 2960-5911
items: Welcome, Acknowledgements & Editors’ Note
items: Becoming an Academic Writer
items: Mastering the Master Thesis: Planning and Writing Tips
items: Swing Out! A Lindy Hop Taster on Musicality and Embodied Connection
items: Love: A Journey of Emotion and Biology
items: Many Phenomenologies of Mind-Wandering
items: Is There Even Another Way Besides Open Science?
items: Behavioural Assessment of Coding Strategies in Spatial Working Memory
items: The Influence of Different Breathing Frequencies on the Autonomic Nervous System
items: EEG and fNIRS Measurement of Brain Activity in Response to Affective Images
items: The Role of Music in Pediatric Settings
items: Toward an Ontology of the Self: A Theoretical Framework
items: Cognition Under Siege: Narrative Strategies and Cognitive Biases in Contemporary Disinformation
items: Ion Channel Degeneracy: Understanding Function-Energy Trade-Offs in CA1 Pyramidal Cells
items: Foundation Model for Intracranial Recordings: Training & Representation Analysis
items: The Role of Informal Interaction in Enhancing Interactive Team Cognition
items: 2-Phased RMET for Identification of Socially High-Functioning Asperger Syndrome
items: Enhancing Cognitive and Attentional Skills Through Coordinated Bilateral Activities
items: Breaking the Grid: The Use of Verbal Strategies in a Working Memory Task
items: The Influence of Private Christian Prayer Types on Mental and Physical Health
items: Visual Training in High Myopia Patients
items: Modeling of Early Development of Cooperation in a Robotic Simulator
items: Competing Loyalties: How Beliefs Shape Voting When Identities Clash
items: Designing for Cognition: A Framework for Accessible Communication Technology
items: Predicting the Effectiveness of Music Therapy in Autism Using Resting-State fMRI
items: Neural Correlates of Cross‑Linguistic Syntactic Variation in Multilinguals
items: Exploring the Role of Gen-AI Tools and Smart Toys in Early Childhood Education
items: The Impact of Hungarian Barn Dance Intervention on Executive Functions in Children
items: Obsessive-Compulsive Experience and Phenomenological Verticality: A Mad Studies Approach
items: Disentangling Linguistic and Cultural Biases in Large Language Models: A Comparative Study

Welcome, Acknowledgements & Editors’ Note
type: item
description: Dear Coxies, dear MEi:CogSci partners and friends, dear guests, and everyone engaging with our online proceedings, Welcome to the 19th MEi:CogSci Conference, this year proudly hosted by the University of Ljubljana! As cognitive science continues to explore the intricacies of natural and artificial intelligence, the questions we pose and the tools we use to answer them are evolving rapidly. We find ourselves at a pivotal moment. Large language models are not only transforming communication but also becoming collaborators in creative and cognitive tasks. This shift has sparked conversations about meaning, trust, and identity which are indispensable in the age of intelligent systems. How can we adapt such technologies responsibly for education, therapy, and society? What do they reveal about the underlying principles of cognition, and where do they fall short? The diversity of this year’s student contributions reflects the broad and evolving scope of cognitive science. Topics range from identity in decision-making, social cognition, and predictive modeling of misinformation, to music and dance in early development, cognitive bias in virtual environments, and human-AI interaction. Several projects explore large language models, their role in language acquisition, common-sense reasoning, and grammar correction. Others investigate neural mechanisms through brain imaging, neurofeedback, and brain stimulation, or examine assistive technologies for aging, dementia, and aphasia. The program also includes studies on robotic learning, tool use in animals, epistemic translation through AI, and the cognitive framing of science communication. Together, these contributions highlight how MEi:CogSci students are engaging with cognition across levels, e.g., biological, psychological, technological, and social, and developing insights that speak to real-world challenges and opportunities. What unites these investigations is a shared commitment to integrating knowledge across discipline…
subject: Editorial
  topic: section
creator: Elisabeth Zimmermann
creator: Evelyn Fischer
creator: Peter Hochenauer
creator: Udo Schimanofsky
creator: Tiziana Srdoc
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Elisabeth Zimmermann, Evelyn Fischer, Peter Hochenauer, Udo Schimanofsky, Tiziana Srdoc https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Becoming an Academic Writer
type: item
description: Academic writing is a form of professional writing. Becoming an academic writer does not only mean to master the genre, it involves the development of authorship and personal epistemology. Tools like ChatGPT will certainly influence individual writing strategies. The theories and models introduced to understand academic writing development provide a framework for tackling the open question if and how they may influence writing development.
subject: Plenary Talks
  topic: section
creator: Brigitte Römmer-Nossek
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Brigitte Römmer-Nossek https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Mastering the Master Thesis: Planning and Writing Tips
type: item
description: There are as many writing processes as there are writers. However, academic writing projects eventually pass through similar stages. Process oriented writing didactics have been developed to support writers in mastering the challenges involved in a large writing project. In the workshop, you will widen your repertoire of writing strategies by working on your project and reflecting together. Target group: Students currently working on their master thesis.
subject: Workshops
  topic: section
creator: Brigitte Römmer-Nossek
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Brigitte Römmer-Nossek https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Swing Out! A Lindy Hop Taster on Musicality and Embodied Connection
type: item
description: Improvised dancing with a partner offers a unique insight into embodied cognition, joint interaction and musicality. In this workshop we want to practically explore this through a beginner’s class in Lindy Hop. Music and dancing have been an integral part of human culture since ancient times and they are intertwined with many different cognitive faculties [1]. Dancing with a partner requires the anticipation of the partner’s intentions based on bodily cues, musical timing, and shared social context [2]. In dance, leaders must plan actions before execution, while followers must attend closely to both physical and musical signals and understand broader patterns. The required cognitive processing can either be facilitated or impeded by the clarity of the music. Lindy Hop is a swing dance that developed in the 1930s in the African American working class and experienced a revival in the 1990s as a dance for the predominantly white middle class. It is marked by high kinetic energy, involving use of the entire body in the dance. It also heavily relies on improvisation [3] and is a social dance in which everyone dances with rotating dance partners rather than having one assigned partner. In this workshop we will experience this dance and its cultural roots first-hand with a beginner’s dance class. Whether you are curious about the history of Lindy Hop, or just want to try out a new dance, this workshop is for you. Rather than learning a fixed choreography we want to focus on feeling the music and following it through movement. You will be equipped with the basic step pattern, some turns, and a few kicks and tricks to set you on a path to free improvisation. You’ll also experience what it means to change dance partners frequently, and how this shapes the perception of the dance and interpersonal communication. Last, but not least, you’ll swing, groove, mess up sometimes and laugh about it. So, grab your dance shoes and get ready to Swing Out! [1] M. Pearce and M. Rohrmeier, …
subject: Workshops
  topic: section
creator: Sarah Marie Wingert
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Sarah Marie Wingert https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Love: A Journey of Emotion and Biology
type: item
description: Love accompanies us from the cradle to the grave. The first and perhaps most powerful form of love we experience is a mother’s love—an intense emotional bond triggered at birth that ensures care and, ultimately, the survival of the newborn. As we grow, motherly love often gives way to romantic love between partners—a connection that may last a lifetime or be repeatedly kindled with new partners throughout our lives. But what exactly is love? Is it something we cannot fully comprehend? A biochemical illusion? A kind of intoxication? Neuroscience seeks to understand what happens in our brains when we fall in love. Although we are far from fully grasping the neural mechanics behind love, we are beginning to decipher the changes that occur when we enter a romantic relationship and when we remain in a long-term bond. Monogamy, for instance, is widespread in birds—over 90% of bird species involve both parents in raising offspring. In contrast, it is relatively rare in mammals, with only about 5% forming lasting monogamous bonds. Much of what we know about the neurobiology of monogamy in mammals comes from the study of voles—small, furry rodents. Interestingly, some vole species are promiscuous, while others mate for life. Research on monogamous prairie voles has revealed that two neurotransmitters—oxytocin and vasopressin—play key roles in forming long-term pair bonds. During initial mating, these chemicals modulate dopamine activity in the brain’s reward system, reinforcing a desire to remain together. Similar mechanisms may be at work in humans. Studies suggest that oxytocin, and likely also vasopressin, contribute to human bonding, trust, and emotional connection. Serotonin levels also fluctuate when we're in love, although its precise role remains unclear. Brain imaging studies have shown activity changes across several brain regions during romantic love, but the relationship between these neural patterns and the subjective experience of love is still not fully unders…
subject: Plenary Talks
  topic: section
creator: Gregor Majdič
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Gregor Majdič https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Many Phenomenologies of Mind-Wandering
type: item
description: Mind-wandering (MW) refers to spontaneous shifts of attention away from external tasks or stimuli toward internally generated thoughts, memories, or imaginings. The phenomenon gained scientific prominence with the discovery of the Default Mode Network—a brain network that becomes active during rest or when thought is decoupled from the immediate environment. Prior to this discovery, cognitive science had largely overlooked MW, despite its ubiquity: studies suggest that such experiences occupy more than half of our waking mental life, with estimates ranging from 55% to 80%. While research on MW is now thriving, it tends to focus on behavioral and physiological aspects. The first-person perspective—what it actually feels like to mind-wander—remains underexplored. Yet the few systematic studies of the experiential dimension of MW have yielded strikingly rich, colorful, and often surprising results. In the talk, I will highlight two phenomenological dimensions of thought: so called "illustration" and the felt sense of content. We will explore the kinds of social encounters that unfold in our inner wandering worlds, and consider what these imagined or remembered interactions might reveal about the nature of the self. Most importantly, I will share a series of concrete examples of mind-wanderings as they were actually experienced—offering glimpses into the many faces of a phenomenon that shapes more than half of our mental lives.
subject: Plenary Talks
  topic: section
creator: Urban Kordeš
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Urban Kordeš https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Is There Even Another Way Besides Open Science?
type: item
description: Over the last decade, the open science movement has become increasingly important due to concerns about research transparency, reproducibility, and integrity. Scientists and scholarly journals are adopting practices such as publicly sharing hypotheses and data to improve the quality and trustworthiness of research. As students and aspiring scientists, we are the future of this movement. Contributing to the improvement of global scientific practices will be essential for both our careers and the future of science. However, good intentions alone are not enough. Engaging with open science requires that we learn new skills and new methodological and conceptual content, which can feel overwhelming. This workshop aims to ease us into the open science framework by introducing its core principles and practices that we can already engage with as students. After the introduction, we will play an interactive open science board game and hopefully have fun learning about and discussing open science concepts.
subject: Workshops
  topic: section
creator: Tiziana Srdoc
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Tiziana Srdoc https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Behavioural Assessment of Coding Strategies in Spatial Working Memory
type: item
description: Introduction Spatial working memory (sWM) allows temporary retention of spatial information. To support this function, the brain uses different coding strategies. Sensory coding preserves the target as a perceptual representation, whereas motor coding encodes it as a planned movement [1]. Likewise, allocentric (object‑centered) frames reference external landmarks, while egocentric (self‑centered) frames use the observer’s body and gaze [2]. This study investigates how distinct spatial coding strategies support the encoding and maintenance of locations in working memory. To address this, we developed a behavioural paradigm that systematically promotes each strategy, combined with a self-report questionnaire to assess participants’ encoding approaches. The aim was to determine whether these strategies yield measurable differences in recall precision and variability. Methods Thirty-eight participants (31 women, 7 men; mean age 20 ± 1 year) completed five tasks: simple, sensory, motor, allocentric and egocentric. In the simple task, participants viewed a stimulus at various screen locations and, after a 10‑second delay, moved their eyes to its remembered position. In the sensory condition, they first shifted gaze to a new point before responding, which disrupted motor planning and relied on sensory memory. In the motor condition, participants first looked at the remembered location, enabling direct motor execution. Allocentric and egocentric tasks required recalling the target based on either absolute screen coordinates or relative to a shifted fixation point, respectively. Eye movements were recorded via EyeLink 1000. Results Participants' spatial recall precision differed across task conditions, as measured by the Euclidean distance between target and response locations. Smaller distances indicated more accurate spatial recall. The motor condition yielded the smallest median error and lowest variability, indicating the most precise responses. The simple condition show…
subject: Poster Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Blažka Bojnec
creator: Žan Koprivec Perjet
creator: Nina Purg Suljič
creator: Anka Slana Ozimič
creator: Grega Repovš
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Blažka Bojnec, Žan Koprivec Perjet, Nina Purg Suljič, Anka Slana Ozimič, Grega Repovš https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

The Influence of Different Breathing Frequencies on the Autonomic Nervous System
type: item
description: Heart rate variability (HRV) is a marker of autonomic nervous system flexibility and stress adaptability. It reflects the natural fluctuations in the time between heartbeats and is considered an indicator of the body's capacity to regulate physiological and psychological stress. Lower HRV is generally associated with reduced adaptability and increased vulnerability to stress [1]. At the Institute of Pathophysiology, University of Ljubljana, we explored whether slow-paced breathing could induce parasympathetic activation by testing the effects of six different breathing frequencies on HRV. The main objective of the preliminary study was to find the natural resonance frequency of each subject based on the measured data and reported experiences of comfort and relaxation across different breathing rates. Additionally, we wanted to assess the level of correlation between subjects’ perceived level of comfort and the calculated natural resonance frequency. We tested six breathing frequencies: 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, and 6.5 breaths per minute. For each frequency, the exhalation was set to be 20% longer than the inhalation to encourage parasympathetic activation [2]. Subjects were instructed to follow the auditory cues of a paced breathing application. Each breathing trial lasted two minutes, followed by one minute of spontaneous breathing. After each trial, participants described their experience and rated the level of breathing comfort from 0 to 7 (0 least comfortable, 7 the most). Throughout the experiment, we tracked respiratory patterns using a breathing belt while continuously measuring ECG signals to monitor heart activity and electrodermal activity (EDA) to assess skin conductance to indicate the arousal of the sympathetic nervous system. We analyzed the data with Kubios HRV software and calculated the natural resonance frequency of each participant using the resonance frequency assessment protocol [3]. Our analysis raises questions about its authority to define a …
subject: Poster Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Tina Geč
creator: Jakob Radmilovič
creator: Maja Derlink
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Tina Geč, Jakob Radmilovič, Maja Derlink https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

EEG and fNIRS Measurement of Brain Activity in Response to Affective Images
type: item
description: This pilot study utilizes a multimodal neuroimaging approach, combining electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to explore neural responses to images which elicit basic emotions: disgust, fear, happiness, and neutrality. Combining techniques that measure brain activity based on different physiological mechanisms, such as in this case neural electrical activity and hemodynamic activity, enables a more comprehensive insight into brain function [1]. Pioneering research in emotional processing indicates that both pleasant and unpleasant stimuli elicit stronger neural responses than neutral stimuli, reflected in amplitude changes across early, middle, and late ERP components [2]. Unlike many previous studies that focus primarily on the valence dimension (positive vs. negative emotions), this study emphasizes basic emotions as distinct categories. Participants passively viewed a sequence of 75 images, drawn from three verified and standardized datasets, designed to elicit basic emotions. The sample included 10 participants (9 females, 1 male; mean age 22), with one outlier in her late 50s. A 32-channel EEG system, arranged according to the international 10/5 system, was used to measure electrical brain activity, particularly event-related potentials (ERPs) such as P3 and late positive potential (LPP), while an 8-channel fNIRS array was used to measure hemodynamic changes in the prefrontal cortex. Based on our measurements and prior research, we anticipate that emotional images will evoke stronger ERP components (particularly in the prefrontal and centro-parietal regions) than neutral images [3]. We also expect to observe increased blood oxygenation in the left prefrontal cortex, as seen in prior studies regardless of emotion type [1]. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the EEG and fNIRS data will correlate, reflecting complementary aspects of brain activity during emotional stimulus processing. If the hypothesis is confirmed, this meth…
subject: Poster Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Veronika Čuš
creator: Eva Frešer
creator: Ted Stamsnijder
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Veronika Čuš, Eva Frešer, Ted Stamsnijder https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

The Role of Music in Pediatric Settings
type: item
description: Introduction Music can be introduced into the hospital setting in various ways, and it has been proven to have a positive effect on patients` well-being. It can also serve as a way of pain management [1]. Music therapy is provided by professionally trained therapists who engage with patients and their parents in musical improvisation through the use of instruments, singing, body movement, and speech, with the aim of enhancing well-being and alleviating pain. In this study we evaluate experiences and observations of students who accompany the therapist and actively participate in the therapeutic process. The findings aim to provide insight into the nature of interactions and relational processes established between the implementers and recipients of music therapy. Methods The study included eight female musical art students who participated in a total of thirty music therapy sessions conducted at the pediatric clinic. Each student completed a questionnaire designed to capture their observations and subjective experiences. Six of them were invited to take part in a phenomenological interview, aiming to obtain richer, first-person insights into their experiences. Through qualitative data analysis, we aim to identify recurring themes and categories that can enhance our understanding of the various aspects and nuances involved in introducing music into a sensitive and vulnerable clinical environment. In addition to their observational reports, the study also explores the students’ own experience of participating in the therapeutic process. Discussion According to existing studies [2], interactive music therapy with hospitalized pediatric patients has a calming and enjoyable effect on both the children and their parents. Our study is still ongoing, however, preliminary reports indicate that some children respond very positively to the therapy. They become engaged, and their mood improves. We have observed that parental involvement plays a significant role in shaping how c…
subject: Poster Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Uroš Kosič
creator: Tjaša Srotič
creator: Katarina Habe
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Uroš Kosič, Tjaša Srotič, Katarina Habe https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Toward an Ontology of the Self: A Theoretical Framework
type: item
description: Introduction In typical circumstances, the Self is experienced as a complex, multi-aspect entity [1]. Disciplines such as psychology and neuroscience identify a variety of these aspects, emphasizing how they relate to, e.g., mental-health-related constructs. Our work is part of a larger project that seeks to develop a computational system to identify Self-aspects in text. This could be used by professionals across disciplines to detect those Self-aspects most relevant to their specific objectives, based on textual data such as clinical interviews or personal narratives. However, pursuing this goal requires the construction of a comprehensive overview of Self-aspects, which is currently lacking. Methodology Our study, theoretical in nature, addresses this issue. Specifically, we aim to build a Self ontology in which Self-aspects (i.e., the core dimensions constituting the Self), elements (i.e., the specific components making up each aspect), and modes (i.e., the characteristic ways in which aspects or elements manifest in experience) are defined. Each will be accompanied by examples of text instances showing either its presence or absence. To achieve this, we first reviewed core literature on the Self, identifying key terms and establishing a foundational understanding from which to develop our ontology. We prioritised Self-aspects that are both relevant to potential applied contexts and plausibly detectable in textual data. Drawing on these definitions, we identified relevant instances across, e.g., academic texts, articles, Reddit posts, phenomenological interview transcripts [1]. Findings So far, we have focused on two Self-aspects: Sense of Agency (SoA) and Bodily Self (BS). SoA refers to the sense of having control, the capacity to act intentionally, make decisions, influence outcomes, and attribute those outcomes to oneself [2]. One of the many ways agency has been categorized is by its State of activation [3]. This includes three modes: active (full control), …
subject: Poster Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Tia Križan
creator: Luka Oprešnik
creator: Jaya Caporusso
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Tia Križan, Luka Oprešnik, Jaya Caporusso https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Cognition Under Siege: Narrative Strategies and Cognitive Biases in Contemporary Disinformation
type: item
description: In recent years, misinformation campaigns have evolved significantly in both scale and sophistication. With enhanced modern technologies, malicious actors are equipped with a broader repertoire of tools to leverage our cognitive vulnerabilities, risking manipulation of perception [1]. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, false information about evacuees from Wuhan circulating on social media incited riots in Eastern Ukraine [2]. In another case, Russian outlets disseminated narratives portraying Europe as a dictatorship, claiming that terrified citizens were experiencing severe restrictions on freedom of expression [3]. In such examples, misinformation is not merely an instrument or tool of deception but a strategic weapon in cognitive warfare, used to undermine trust in public authorities or to elicit emotional responses, and ultimately to destabilize collective understanding of a situation. Through the propagation of such false information, one can systematically influence an individual’s thought processes and alter their situational perception. This form of cognitive infiltration can lead to dramatic shifts of worldviews, values, knowledge, and personal or collective consciousness, often in service of a political or ideological agenda. This thesis aims to investigate I) which cognitive vulnerabilities or biases are most frequently exploited in a selected range of case studies, and II) the rhetorical and visual narrative framing strategies used to target these vulnerabilities. The primary dataset will be derived from “EUvsDisinfo”, a flagship initiative of the European Union that monitors and debunks disinformation. The research methodology will follow a four-phase process: First, a literature review will establish clear definitions of cognitive vulnerabilities, as well as criteria for identifying them in disinformation contexts. Next, a large sample of misinformation cases from the selected database will be labeled according to the narrative strategies emp…
subject: Talk Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Caglaguel Karaca
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Caglaguel Karaca https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Ion Channel Degeneracy: Understanding Function-Energy Trade-Offs in CA1 Pyramidal Cells
type: item
description: Introduction In recent years, there has been an advent of interest in the phenomenon of ion channel degeneracy and the explanations for its emergence [1], [2], [3]. Ion channel degeneracy is defined as a functional many-to-one relationship in which distinct combinations of ion channels elicit similar functional or electrophysiological features. Despite the recent progress in the illumination of this phenomenon, there is still a multitude of open questions, i.e., what are the constraints on ion channel degeneracy; is there a guiding principle; are there functional trade-offs? In this thesis, we ask how far ion channel degeneracy is moderated by function-energy trade-offs and show Pareto-optimal behavior. Precisely, we hypothesized that CA1 pyramidal cells express trade-offs between spatial coding (function) and energy efficiency and obey Pareto-optimal principles. Pareto optimality is defined as a trade-off in which it is not possible to improve in one objective without worsening in another. Methodology We applied a stochastic-search strategy on a full-morphological conductance-based CA1 pyramidal cell model [3], which provided us with valid models that fulfill biophysical constraints of intrinsic somatodendritic measurements, spatial coding, and ATP consumption in a biologically plausible parameter range. Thereafter, we investigated ion-channel co-expression as correlation plots between our 22 active and passive model parameters to see if we could observe degeneracy. We used graphical analysis tools to inquire if Pareto fronts guide the trade-off between our valid models, i.e., fit functions for the respective objectives. Furthermore, we checked for spike moderations. Results We found no specific correlations in ion-channel co-expression, indicating degeneracy. Moreover, we observed weak correlations between ATP consumption and spatial coding (MI) in our model population (r=-0.1), which was non-significant (p=0.26). Post-hoc tests revealed no significant correlation…
subject: Talk Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Marvin Marz
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Marvin Marz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Foundation Model for Intracranial Recordings: Training & Representation Analysis
type: item
description: Intracranial recordings—principally electrocorticography (ECoG) and stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG)—deliver millisecond-resolved, high-SNR measurements of population-level neural activity directly from the cortical surface. Despite this richness, deep-learning (DL) methods remain under-used because openly licensed datasets are scarce, electrode layouts vary across patients, and brain signals drift over time. These factors hinder cross-study aggregation and make it difficult to train high-capacity networks without overfitting. Still, DL models have been shown to outperform pipelines based on hand-crafted spectral features and shallow classifiers when applied to sufficiently rich biomedical signals, revealing non-linear relationships that conventional approaches often miss [1]. This thesis aims to address this gap by pre-training a foundation model—a task-agnostic network exposed to diverse, unlabeled ECoG and SEEG data so it can be fine-tuned for downstream applications. The dataset used is a closed-source collection from UMC Utrecht, comprising recordings from over 152 participants implanted with research or clinical grids. These include patients with ALS, other forms of paralysis, or those undergoing surgery with research grids. While the full dataset includes potential for 24/7 monitoring, this project will use only task-related segments ranging from a few minutes to several hours for now. Both classic and high-density grids are available; for now, we focus on classic grids only. After preprocessing (notch filtering, re-referencing, and windowing), signals will be fed into a network in an unsupervised manner. The main architecture is based on U-Net, which preserves local detail while integrating broader context through its encoder–decoder structure with skip connections. The model will be trained using a contrastive self-supervised objective to encourage the discovery of stable structure across time windows. Generalisation will be tested by fine-tuning on held…
subject: Talk Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Sebastjan Kramar
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Sebastjan Kramar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

The Role of Informal Interaction in Enhancing Interactive Team Cognition
type: item
description: Effective teamwork may be closely linked to informal (i.e. not work-related) exchanges between colleagues. Traditionally, professional interactions were limited to formal communication; and informal interaction was considered unnecessary. However, more recently, it has become clear that informal interaction might be crucial to forming effective professional teams [1]. Team members need to be aware of each other’s implicit assumptions, goals, and course of action. When they interact informally with their colleagues, they learn about their colleagues’ interaction and communication style. That might enable them to cooperate more effectively in a formal setting [2]. This might be due to ‘interactive team cognition’, which means that an individual merges with a team, i.e. they see more agenthood in the team than the individual itself [3]. Surprisingly, the effect of informal exchanges between co-workers has rarely been studied. Most research has focussed on formal exchanges between colleagues, while some report a positive effect of informal exchanges [1]. Focussing on a specific case, this research examines whether there is a positive correlation between informal interaction and interactive team cognition. Furthermore, this is an exploratory study intended to generate hypotheses for further research. A convergent mixed-methods design is employed to correlate the type of informal exchanges with the quality of interactive team cognition. During the merger of three research groups into one research centre at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (Austria), the respective employees were surveyed using a questionnaire containing quantitative and qualitative items. By surveying the employees (N = 34) with the questionnaire before the research groups merge and then twice more at three-week intervals, possible changes can be recorded. By indicating in all questionnaires with whom they have had how much informal interaction, it is possible to trace which informal interacti…
subject: Poster Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Thore Schönfeldt
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Thore Schönfeldt https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

2-Phased RMET for Identification of Socially High-Functioning Asperger Syndrome
type: item
description: We introduce a novel cognitive assessment tool designed to improve identification of individuals with Asperger syndrome, focusing on socially high-functioning (SHF) individuals whose traits are subtle and often masked by compensatory mechanisms [1], [2]. Our method targets differences in cognitive processing that emerge under varying cognitive loads and time constraints. The proposed tool is a modified version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), used to assess theory of mind [3]. Our adaptation, the 2-Phased RMET, contrasts implicit and explicit processing by measuring reaction time under two conditions. RMET involves interpreting emotional and mental states from images showing only the eye region of human faces. The procedure includes five steps: Baseline cognitive load measurement using a simple reaction time task. PHASE 1: RMET under a 5-second time limit per item to induce implicit processing. Post-PHASE 1 load measurement. PHASE 2: RMET repeated without time constraints, allowing explicit reasoning. Final load measurement. We hypothesize that neurotypical individuals will show consistent performance and stable reaction times. SHF AS participants are expected to perform poorly in PHASE 1 due to limited time for compensatory strategies, but improve in PHASE 2, with reaction times reflecting higher cognitive effort. This procedure was implemented in C#-based software with integrated load tracking. A small proof-of-concept study (n = 5) supports our hypothesis: SHF AS participants showed lower accuracy in PHASE 1 and greater improvement in PHASE 2 compared to controls. Preliminary results suggest the 2-Phased RMET may reveal processing strategies not evident in conventional testing. While statistical inference is not possible with this sample size, findings support feasibility. Future work will increase sample size and match participants by age and interests to reduce confounds. Practical challenges such as standardizing load measures and ensuring acce…
subject: Talk Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Alexandra Dyalee
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Alexandra Dyalee https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Enhancing Cognitive and Attentional Skills Through Coordinated Bilateral Activities
type: item
description: Introduction Executive functions—including working memory, inhibitory control, planning, and visuospatial working memory—can be enhanced through targeted physical exercises known as Coordinated Bilateral Physical Activities (CBPA). These exercises were specifically designed to facilitate the exchange of information between the cerebellum and the prefrontal cortex [1]. CBPA routines involve sequences of physical movements that must be memorised and executed in a precise order. During these exercises, individuals must attend to the spatial positioning of their body parts while alternately activating the right and left limbs. As the training progresses, the movement sequences become increasingly complex, with selected steps intentionally omitted [2]. This rising difficulty level places substantial cognitive demands on inhibitory control, working memory, and attention, thereby actively engaging and strengthening these executive functions. Methodology A literature review was conducted on empirical studies examining the impact of performing Coordinated Bilateral Physical Activities (CBPA) on school-aged children and pupils with moderate intellectual disabilities. Information was also obtained from the Avare Centre, which specialises in counselling and prevention for children and adults, addressing learning and behavioural disorders, concentration issues, and personal development. Results Results show statistically significant improvements in cognitive functions in the areas of nonverbal visual-spatial processing (p = 0.0303), working memory (p = 0.0231), and verbal fluid reasoning (p = 0.0164) in a group of 27 pupils between 8-18 years with moderate intellectual disabilities [2]. Findings suggest that just six minutes of CBPA per day over four weeks can effectively enhance key aspects of attention and concentration in school-aged children at elementary school. Particularly significant increases were observed in processing speed (p = 0.01), focused attention (p = 0.002), a…
subject: Poster Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Miriam Surňáková
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Miriam Surňáková https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Breaking the Grid: The Use of Verbal Strategies in a Working Memory Task
type: item
description: Inner speech, the silent mental articulation of language, plays a critical role in cognition, from planning actions to regulating emotions. Current models [1] propose that inner speech exists on a continuum of complexity, ranging from abstract, wordless representations to fully articulated sentences. The LISP (Levels of Inner Speech) project at the Babelfisch Psycholinguistic Lab in Vienna aims to systematically compare the neural dynamics of three distinct levels —semantic, auditory-phonological, and motor articulatory [2]— by combining a working memory paradigm with electroencephalography (EEG) and using the same exact stimulus material for all three conditions and a visual control task. In each trial, four everyday objects are presented in a 6×6 grid. Participants are instructed to either remember the objects (to induce inner speech) or recall their positions (for the visual control task). However, debriefing data from the first study suggests that a significant number of participants relied on verbal strategies during the visual condition (e.g., by mentally labelling grid coordinates). The present study tests whether removing visible grid lines from the stimulus material suppresses verbal strategies for the visual task. Participants are shown the four objects either inside a grid (A) or without the grid (B) for four seconds followed by a seven-second maintenance phase. Then, four crosses are shown inside a grid (A) or without the grid (B) and participants judge via button press whether the positions are correct. Conditions A and B are presented within-subject in separate blocks of 40 trials each. After the experiment, participants are asked to report on their strategies for both versions of the task via an open text box as part of a short survey. The study will be conducted online, aiming to recruit 50 adult native speakers of German. The open-ended responses will be analyzed using a topic modeling algorithm to identify dominant strategy clusters. We hypothesize…
subject: Poster Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Nina Buchgraber
creator: Viktoria Groiß
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Nina Buchgraber, Viktoria Groiß https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

The Influence of Private Christian Prayer Types on Mental and Physical Health
type: item
description: The relationship of religiosity/spirituality to health is a well-established area. This theoretical paper explores how prayer types may influence physical health via mental health and summarizes relevant literature. In the Christian religion, private prayer refers to private, personal communication with the God that Christians believe in. It is often distinguished into five types: petitionary prayer (asking God to intervene), meditative prayer (reflection on being present with God), colloquial prayer (conversational dialogue with God), ritualistic prayer (reciting established prayers), and intercessory prayer (praying on behalf of others) [1]. Most studied literature spans multiple denominations. A literature review suggests that prayer is generally linked to improved psychological well-being [2]. However, the effects depend on the prayer type. Petitionary prayer often shows no benefit or negative associations with mental health, such as increased anxiety. In contrast, colloquial, meditative, and ritualistic prayers consistently correlate with positive mental health, happiness, positive affect, and decreased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression [1]. Lastly, a meta-analysis claims that results of studies on intercessory prayer are often inconsistent, suggesting no discernible effect on the health of the prayer-for [2]. Different prayer types appear to engage distinct processes. Colloquial and meditative prayer involve sharing personal struggles with God, which can function like therapeutic disclosure. Prayer can also induce relaxation and a “mindfulness” effect, with slower breathing, lower heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol reactivity to stress [3]. Belief in divine oversight can reframe adversity as purposeful, helping gain control over events. Further, prayer activates brain networks involved in social cognition, suggesting prayer can serve as a medium for a supportive attachment with God, which provides perceived companionship. Additionally, prayer can…
subject: Poster Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Matej Bělousov
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Matej Bělousov https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Visual Training in High Myopia Patients
type: item
description: Myopia is a refractive error of the eye in which light focuses in front of the retina, causing a blurry image when a patient is looking into the distance. It is a growing public health concern due to its rising global prevalence and potential to cause severe ocular complications. High myopia is defined as myopia greater than -5 diopters. It is accompanied by axial elongation and fundus changes. Patients are at high risk of developing legal blindness resulting from maculopathy or retinal detachment [1]. Myopia is primarily treated with corrective lenses and, possibly, with invasive techniques such as surgical correction with LASIK, which are expensive and may cause side effects. Another option for treatment is non-invasive vision training that aims to stop the progression of myopia and reduce its optical power. One example is a method of physiotherapy targeting different extraocular muscles [1]. Another example is three-dimensional visual training, which includes looking at stereoscopic and moving visual icons. There is evidence of this method improving connectivity of brain networks [2]. The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of visual training on patients with high myopia. We want to explore whether this method helps with myopia progression and reduction, and whether it can induce measurable brain changes. Since there are many visual training methods, the first step will be to determine the most suitable option. Participants will include highly myopic patients who have no other eye diseases. They will first undergo an eye assessment, including measurements of refractive error and axial length. They will also fill out a questionnaire about their habits related to eye health, and their brain networks will be imaged. Participants will then engage in several weeks of visual training. After this training period, the initial assessment will be repeated. The effect of visual training on the eyes will be determined by comparing the data collected before and …
subject: Talk Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Mimi Klinec
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Mimi Klinec https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Modeling of Early Development of Cooperation in a Robotic Simulator
type: item
description: The ability to cooperate is what put humans on top of the animal kingdom. Even before developing the ability to speak, infants show behaviours such as joint attention, turn taking and helping, which are the first steps to form complex social interactions. By understanding how these abilities develop has been a key concern of cognitive sciences as well as robotics and artificial intelligence. Early cooperation between caregivers and infants emerges well before language of advanced theory-of-mind abilities. Such collaborative behaviour (turn taking, response contingency and intention recognition) instead rests on simple sequence learning and predictive processes mechanisms [1], [2]. In this thesis we will test the hypothesis that a robotic system can acquire and deploy these skills to engage in joint tasks, only by observing human demonstrations. Our work will adopt a grounded, sensorimotor approach inspired by infant learning. In a simulated block world, a robot watches a human stack coloured blocks and builds internal models of the demonstrated sequences. These models serve two purposes, recognition and prediction and collaborative completion. The robot is expected not only to learn these sequences but to act collaboratively by continuing a task initiated by a human partner. Our modular cognitive architecture integrates deep-learning visual models for object and action recognition, mirror neuron inspired mappings that translate perceived human actions into the robot's motor commands, reinforcement learning visuomotor policies for precise block manipulation and RNN-based sequence encoders that underpin predictive and completion capabilities. The robot first learns to recognise objects and actions in its environment. It then observes repeated demonstrations of tasks and is trained to predict subsequent steps. Through this, it develops internal representations that enable it to detect incomplete sequences. In cooperative scenarios, the human begins a task and pauses, a…
subject: Talk Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Dario Lamaj
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Dario Lamaj https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Competing Loyalties: How Beliefs Shape Voting When Identities Clash
type: item
description: Introduction Voting is often portrayed as a rational act based on policy preferences, where individuals support candidates whose platforms align with their economic self-interest. However, real-world behavior often does not correspond to this assumption. People routinely vote against their material interests, for instance, migrants supporting anti-immigration parties [1] or low-income individuals opposing redistribution policies that would benefit them [2]. These contradictions point to a more complex understanding of voter behavior, where social identities such as ethnicity, class, and ideology play a central role. In contemporary politics, identity often outweighs policy. Even as voters maintain overlapping views on specific policy issues, political identities have become increasingly polarized. Voter loyalty, ideological rigidity, and affective partisanship are rising, indicating that identity can, in many cases, override issue-based considerations at the ballot box. Theoretical Background Recent cognitive models of political behavior question the assumption that identity and policy preferences are evaluated independently. Instead, they propose that they compete for limited cognitive resources, with the more salient dimension disproportionately influencing decision-making. Jenke and Huettel propose that when identity cues are made salient, policy considerations are cognitively suppressed, and vice versa [3]. This tradeoff is particularly pronounced in individuals with cross-cutting identities, for example, highly skilled members of disadvantaged groups, who must navigate internal tensions between solidarity with their identity group and the pursuit of economic self-interest. Methodology This study investigates how voters navigate such tradeoffs by experimentally examining the intersection of identity and skill level in shaping redistribution preferences. A 2x2 between-subjects design will be used to manipulate participants’ group status (privileged vs. disadvanta…
subject: Talk Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Lucija Karnelutti
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Lucija Karnelutti https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Designing for Cognition: A Framework for Accessible Communication Technology
type: item
description: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, digital tools that help people with speech difficulties communicate through symbols, text, or voice output, show high abandonment rates, leading users to reject devices that could expand their communication capabilities [1]. AAC devices typically require users to maintain spatial-organizational mental models of menu systems in working memory while processing semantic content, selecting appropriate vocabulary, and managing social interaction demands. Cognitive load theory explains how excessive extraneous load can interfere with intrinsic cognitive processes [2]. AAC technology requires users to develop navigation expertise before they can communicate basic needs. This cognitive load challenge during communication highlights gaps in how we understand accessibility. Current accessibility frameworks would benefit from theoretical grounding in cognitive science. Existing approaches like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines focus on technology-specific accommodations for predefined user groups [3]. These frameworks treat cognitive differences as static deficits requiring workarounds, rather than understanding the dynamic cognitive processes involved in human-technology interaction. The result is technology that may meet compliance guidelines while remaining cognitively inaccessible to the people who need it most. This research proposes a cognitive accessibility framework grounded in cognitive load theory that addresses this fundamental gap. Rather than asking "how do we accommodate cognitive deficits," the framework asks "how do we design technology that supports the cognitive processes essential for communication?" The approach recognizes that cognitive accessibility needs vary based on available cognitive resources, which fluctuate due to stress, fatigue, context, and individual differences. Communication technologies should minimize extraneous cognitive load while supporting the intrinsic cognitive processe…
subject: Talk Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Celina Mueller
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Celina Mueller https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Predicting the Effectiveness of Music Therapy in Autism Using Resting-State fMRI
type: item
description: Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neuro-developmental condition, in which symptomatic manifestations are manifolded and characterized by core impairments in social interaction, communication, and restricted or repetitive behaviours and interests. Music therapy (MT) is among the numerous therapeutic tools that are being used to address the core symptoms and mental health needs of individuals diagnosed with ASD. Currently, no reliable biomarkers exist to identify individuals with ASD or guide treatment selection. Research Question Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) is altered in the brain of individuals with ASD. Recent evidence has revealed different patterns of connectivity, with combined instances of both over- and under-connectivity [1]. Consequently, rsFC is currently being discussed to aid categorization of individuals with ASD and serve as a possible diagnostic tool [1]. Furthermore, results of randomized controlled trial (RCT) clinical studies such as [2] demonstrated that 8-12 weeks of MT is indeed efficacious in enhancing social communication and altering functional brain connectivity. The primary aim of Music4Autism (M4A) [3] is to replicate the findings of [2] and to further explore the hypothesis that changes in predictive abilities mediate changes in mental health outcomes and rsFC after MT. However, the objective of this research project is to investigate the inverse conclusion by using changes in rsFC not as an indication of treatment success, but their baseline measurements as a predictor that anticipates the effectiveness of MT. Methodology The assessment will be conducted utilizing psychometric measures and fMRI-neuroimaging data of 80 ASD diagnosed children aged 6-12 [3]. The rsFC analysis encompasses pre-MT baseline measurements and following [2] focusses on increased coupling between auditory and both striatal and motor regions, as well as decreased coupling between auditory and visual regions. To examine the relation bet…
subject: Poster Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Niels Bennett Lilienthal
creator: Asena Umay Kocan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Niels Bennett Lilienthal, Asena Umay Kocan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Neural Correlates of Cross‑Linguistic Syntactic Variation in Multilinguals
type: item
description: Introduction Syntax is a core property of human language: every known language is governed by structural rules that enable the construction of meaningful sentences. The cortical model of syntax by Matchin and Hickok [1] provides a framework for studying how the brain supports syntactic processing. The model distinguishes between two dimensions of syntax: morpho-syntactic linearisation and hierarchical structuring. Morpho-syntactic linearisation refers to how words are arranged in a sentence according to grammatical rules, such as word order and the addition of grammatical markers (e.g., the suffix -ed, as in walk → walked). This process is associated with the posterior inferior frontal gyrus (pIFG). In contrast, hierarchical structuring, i.e., the construction of syntactic trees — tree-like, nested representations that reflect syntactic relationships, is supported by the posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG). Although this model captures key aspects of syntactic processing and its neural basis, it does not address cross-linguistic variation. Moreover, few studies have examined how bilingual and multilingual speakers process syntax, particularly when significant differences exist across the languages they speak. To address these gaps, we ask the following research question: How do syntactic differences between languages relate to their neural processing in multilinguals? Methods For this study, we will use fMRI data from the NEBULA101 project [2] collected using a quasi-naturalistic listening task — the Alice language localiser [3]. Each of 101 participants in the study listened to both intact and acoustically degraded excerpts from Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” and its translations in two self-selected languages (L1 and L2), with 19 unique L1–L2 pairs spanning 13 languages. Each language pair will receive a syntactic similarity score based on two components: (1) text-derived syntactic metrics (e.g., mean dependency distance between syntactically related wor…
subject: Talk Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Nikita Zmanovsky
creator: Narly Golestani
creator: Olga Kepinska
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Nikita Zmanovsky, Narly Golestani, Olga Kepinska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Exploring the Role of Gen-AI Tools and Smart Toys in Early Childhood Education
type: item
description: Early childhood represents an important period for the development of a healthy brain, during which the foundations of sensory and perceptual systems critical to language, social, and emotional systems are formed. Research suggests that young children learn best through play; a natural mode of exploration and creativity that serves as a foundation for learning, problem-solving, and communication [1]. Smart toys and Gen-AI tools are increasingly included in early childhood education (ECE) settings across both formal and informal environments [2]. These tools, enhanced with technological elements such as sensors, micro-controllers, or interactive software, offer opportunities for learning and development, creative expression, exploration, and social interaction [2]. These tools and toys cannot serve as a replacement for human relationships and learning opportunities, but they can complement them when used thoughtfully. Some studies indicate improved cognitive outcomes, increased engagement, and the promotion of collaborative and inquiry-based learning, while others have noted potential risks of using such tools in ECE settings [3]. Children under the age of 5 cannot understand the implications of using such toys - including their data being collected or how much trust is appropriate to place in such devices [3]. As the current state of science provides mixed results in this regard, the concrete role and impact of such tools for children and their caretakers requires further investigation. Therefore, this study seeks to answer the research question: How do Gen-AI tools and smart toys contribute to cognitive and social development through play in early childhood? This project is a small-scale exploratory qualitative study investigating how Gen-AI tools and smart toys contribute to cognitive and social development through play in early childhood (4 to 8 years of age). Using an interdisciplinary framework that draws from cognitive science, education, and human–technology …
subject: Poster Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Aleksandar Valland
creator: Katharina Roetzer
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Aleksandar Valland, Katharina Roetzer https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

The Impact of Hungarian Barn Dance Intervention on Executive Functions in Children
type: item
description: Executive functions are essential for adaptive daily functioning and are categorized into three core components: updating, shifting, and inhibition [1]. Inhibition involves suppressing irrelevant stimuli in favor of the focused goal; shifting refers to mental flexibility, and updating relates to working memory. Music and rhythm training have been found to benefit the development of executive functions, especially during childhood, a sensitive period for training effects [2]. The aim of the study was to investigate the beneficial effects of music and rhythm training in a culturally embedded, rhythm-based movement intervention: the Hungarian Barn Dance method. The Hungarian Barn Dance is a cultural event featuring live music, Hungarian folk dance, circle dances, rhythm games, music creation, singing, and folk games. We were specifically interested in whether dance training can enhance executive functions in 8–11-year-old children. We hypothesized that participants in a four-month program would show greater improvement in inhibition, shifting, and updating than those in an active control group. The Hungarian Barn Dance method is appropriate for young children, and it builds from basic skills to creating and improvising dance [3]. A pretest-posttest design with an active control group was used. To guarantee the similarity of the groups, the experiment was conducted in the same school on two classes of the same grade. Executive functions were assessed with three tasks: Numerical Stroop (inhibition), Counting Span (updating), and Verbal Fluency (shifting). The Verbal Fluency task included three subtasks: phonetic and semantic fluency and a switching component, which required alternating between two semantic categories. The pre-test measures were followed by four months of intervention or active control, and immediately after, the post assessment. Without the outliers, the experimental group consisted of 13 girls and 17 boys (mean age = 8.98), and the control group include…
subject: Talk Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Jázmin Fruzsina Mikó
creator: Ferenc Honbolygó
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Jázmin Fruzsina Mikó, Ferenc Honbolygó https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Obsessive-Compulsive Experience and Phenomenological Verticality: A Mad Studies Approach
type: item
description: A new epistemological approach considers the nature of mental disorders to be primarily constituted by the patient 's anomalies of experience, expression, and existence that typically involve suffering and dysfunction. Models integrating phenomenology explore the particular relationship of OCD patients with their world, and recognize in OCD a characteristic personological configuration (obsessive ‘organization of personal meaning’) that is heightened in OCD patients. They experience the world emotionally as a sterile set of rules, and this experience determines their suffering [1]. One’s life-world is the manifold forms of a person’s experience, and manifests concretely to a person as immediate evidence. Lifeworld analysis is a hermeneutic method that focuses on space, time, body, self, emotions, others, and values [2]. It allows for examining psychopathological symptoms as the result of a crisis in one’s dialogue with alterity, or of some difficulty in partaking in it. Anthony Steinbock developed a phenomenological-philosophical anthropology where he traces the meaning of what it is to be a person to what he calls the heart, in which the generativity of personhood is revealed through moral emotions (loving) [3]. He describes loving as a vertical mode of givenness, meaning it has its own forms of evidence and deception. The insight that phenomenologically, in our experiences, something can take hold of us in an absolute manner, allows his framework to see obsessions as forms of idolatry. Seeing them as spiritual disorders; disorders of the heart, he puts emphasis on a lack of verticality which causes a disharmony of one’s participation as person in relations with the Other. Since absolute experiences are vertical, they should be treated in their own language, not as (horizontal) epistemic objects or through reasoning. This thesis investigates how Steinbock's phenomenological framework of verticality and idolatry can serve to reinterpret Obsessive-Compulsive Experien…
subject: Talk Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Louise Struwe
creator: Jurij Bon
creator: Aleš Oblak
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Louise Struwe, Jure Bon, Aleš Oblak https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10

Disentangling Linguistic and Cultural Biases in Large Language Models: A Comparative Study
type: item
description: Introduction Large Language Models (LLMs) are rapidly becoming ubiquitous tools for communication, research, and decision-making across disciplines and industries. However, they inherit systematic biases from their training data, raising critical concerns about their fairness and representation. LLMs are often perceived as neutral tools, but training on large, predominantly Western datasets embeds cultural norms and ideological assumptions. This can reinforce dominant worldviews while marginalizing non-Western perspectives, shaping how models portray social roles and global narratives. This study investigates two interrelated yet analytically distinct types of bias in LLMs: linguistic bias, embedded in the structure of language and its representation within the model's architecture, and cultural bias, which emerges through normative assumptions elicited during model prompting. By distinguishing between these forms, we aim to contribute to the development of targeted strategies for bias mitigation, model auditing, and model transparency. Theoretical Framework Linguistic bias refers to systematic patterns that arise from word co-occurrence, syntactic structures, and embedding-level associations in training corpora. This can result in underrepresentation or mischaracterization of dialects and non-standard linguistic forms, as well as reflect societal stereotypes [1]. Cultural bias, by contrast, is reflected in prompt-induced behaviour that draws on specific cultural scripts, stereotypes, or political values. It is more dynamic and sensitive to framing, often reinforcing hegemonic worldviews [2]. We hypothesise that LLMs encode these two forms of bias at different levels of their architecture. In our exploratory design, a language condition is intended to reflect linguistic bias, while a roleplay condition aims to surface cultural bias through interpretive and value-laden tests. By comparing the outputs of these two branches across the same tasks, we aim to better under…
subject: Poster Abstracts
  topic: section
creator: Philip Nordt
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Philip Nordt https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0
date: 2025-06-10
publication date: 2025-06-10