Skip to main content

Prof. Dr. Birgit Elsner - Publications

Infant Cognitive Development

Scientific articles:

Vanoncini, M., Boll-Avetisyan, N., Elsner, B., Höhl, S. & Kayhan, E. (2022). The role of mother-infant emotional synchrony in speech processing in 9-month-old infants. Infant Behavior and Development, 69, 101772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101772

Gumbsch, C., Adam, M., Elsner, B., Martius, G., & Butz, M.V. (2022). Developing hierarchical anticipations via neural network-based event segmentation. Proceedings of the 2022 IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL 2022)

Hilton, M., Wartenburger, I., Verrel, J., & Elsner, B. (2022). Pre-boundary lengthening and pause signal boundaries in action sequences. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, 44. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5ks5h1h4

Adam, M., Gumbsch, C., Butz, M. V., & Elsner, B. (2021). The Impact of Action Effects on Infants’ Predictive Gaze Shifts for a Non-Human Grasping Action at 7, 11, and 18 Months. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 695550, 1-10. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.695550

Gumbsch, C., Adam, M., Elsner, B., & Butz, M. V. (2021). Emergent Goal-Anticipatory Gaze in Infants via Event-Predictive Learning and Inference. Cognitive Science, 45: e13016. doi: 10.1111/cogs.13016

Hilton, M., Wartenburger, I., & Elsner, B. (2021). Kinematic boundary cues modulate 12-month-old infants’ segmentation of action sequences: An ERP study. Neuropsychologia, 159, ArtID 107916. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107916

Adam, M., & Elsner, B. (2020). The impact of salient action effects on 6-, 7-, and 11-month-olds’ goal-predictive gaze shifts for a human grasping action. PLOS ONE 15(10): e0240165. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240165

Elsner, B., & Adam, M. (2020). Infants’ goal prediction for simple action events: The role of experience and agency cues. Topics in Cognitive Science. Available online March 4, 2020. doi: 10.1111/tops.12494 Topic “Event-Predictive Cognition: From Sensorimotor via Conceptual to Language-Based Structures and Processes,” Martin V. Butz, David Bilkey, and Alistair Knott (Topic Editors).

Adam, M., & Elsner, B. (2020). The impact of salient action effects on 6-, 7-, and 11-month-olds’ goal-predictive gaze shifts for a human grasping action. PLOS ONE 15(10): e0240165. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240165

Elsner, B., & Adam, M. (2020). Infants’ goal prediction for simple action events: The role of experience and agency cues. Topics in Cognitive Science. Available online March 4, 2020. doi: 10.1111/tops.12494

Patzwald, C., Matthes, D., & Elsner, B. (2020). Eighteen-month-olds integrate verbal cues into their action processing: Evidence from ERPs and mu power. Infant Behavior and Development, 58, Article 101414. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.101414

Eiteljoerge, S. F.V., Adam, M., Elsner, B., & Mani, N. (2019). Word-object and action-object association learning across early development. PLOS ONE, 14, e0220317. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220317

Eiteljoerge, S. F.V., Adam, M., Elsner, B., & Mani, N. (2019). Consistency of co-occurring actions influences young children’s word learning. R. Soc. open sci., 6, 190097. doi: 10.1098/rsos.190097

Patzwald, C., & Elsner, B. (2019). Do as I say - or as I do?! How 18- and 24-month-olds integrate words and actions to infer intentions in situations of match or mismatch. Infant Behavior and Development, 55, 46-57. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.03.004

Schönebeck, M., & Elsner, B. (2019). ERPs reveal perceptual and conceptual processing in 14-month-olds' observation of complete and incomplete action end-states. Neuropsychologia, 126, 102-112. Available online 21 October 2017. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.10.026

Adam, M., & Elsner, B. (2018). Action effects foster 11-month-olds’ prediction of action goals for a non-human agent. Infant Behavior and Development, 53, 49-55.  doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2018.09.002

Patzwald, C., Curley, C. A., Hauf, P., & Elsner, B. (2018). Differential effects of others’ emotional cues on 18-month-olds’ preferential reproduction of observed actions. Infant Behavior and Development, 51, 60-70. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2018.04.002

Adam, M., Reitenbach, I., & Elsner, B. (2017). Agency cues and 11-month-olds’ and adults’ anticipation of action goals. Cognitive Development, 43, 37-48. doi: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2017.02.008

Adam, M., Reitenbach, I., Papenmeier, F., Gredebäck, G., Elsner, C., & Elsner, B. (2016). Goal saliency boosts infants’ action prediction for human manual actions, but not for mechanical claws. Infant Behavior & Development, 44, 29-37. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2016.05.001

Henrichs, I., Elsner, C., Elsner, B., Wilkinson, N., & Gredebäck, G. (2014). Goal certainty modulates infants’ goal-directed gaze shifts. Developmental Psychology, 50(1), 100-107. doi: 10.1037/a0032664

Elsner, B., Jeschonek, S., & Pauen, S. (2013). Event-related potentials for 7-month-olds’ processing of animals and furniture items. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 3, 53-60. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2012.09.002

Elsner, B., Pfeifer, C., Parker, C., & Hauf, P. (2013). Infants’ perception of actions and situational constraints: An eye-tracking study. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 116, 428-442. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2012.11.014

Kaduk, K., Elsner, B., & Reid, V.M. (2013). Discrimination of animate and inanimate motion in 9-month-old infants: An ERP study. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 6, 14-22. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2013.05.003

Pfeifer, C., & Elsner, B. (2013). Preschoolers’ encoding of rational actions: The role of task features and verbal information. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 116, 532-544. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2012.12.005

Elsner, B., & Pfeifer, C. (2012). Movement or goal: Goal salience and verbal cues affect preschoolers’ imitation of action components. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 112(3), 283-295. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2012.02.010

Elsner, B., & Schellhas, B. (2012). The acquisition of flexible tool use in preschoolers: The impact of prior experience. Zeitschrift für Psychologie / Journal of Psychology, 220(1), 44-49. doi: 10.1027/2151-2604/a000090

Henrichs, I., Elsner, C. Elsner, B., & Gredebäck, G. (2012). Goal salience affects infants’ goal-directed gaze shifts. Frontiers in Psychology, 3, Article 391, 1-7. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00391

Jeschonek, S., Marinovic, V., Hoehl, S., Elsner, B., & Pauen, S. (2010). Do animals and furniture items elicit different brain responses in human infants? Brain & Development, 32(10), 863-871. doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2009.11.010

Elsner, B. (2007). Infants’ imitation of goal-directed actions: the role of movements and action effects. Acta Psychologica, 124, 44–59. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2006.09.006

Elsner, B., & Pauen, S. (2007). Social learning of artefact function in 12- and 15-month-olds. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 4(1), 80-99. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2006.00532.x

Elsner, B., Hauf, P., & Aschersleben, G. (2007). Imitating step by step: a detailed analysis of 9- to 15-month olds’ reproduction of a 3-step action sequence. Infant Behavior & Development, 30, 325-335. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2006.10.001

Jovanovic, B., Király, I., Elsner, B., Gergely, G., Prinz, W. & Aschersleben, G. (2007). The role of effects for infants’ perception of action goals. Psychologia, 50, 273-290. doi: 10.2117/psysoc.2007.273

Elsner, B., Pauen, S., & Jeschonek, S. (2006). Physiological and behavioral parameters of infants’ categorization: Heart rate and duration of examining across trials. Developmental Science, 9 (6), 551–556. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2006.00532.x

Hauf, P., Elsner, B., & Aschersleben, G. (2004). The role of action effects in infants’ action control. Psychological Research, 68, 115-125. doi: 10.1007/s00426-003-0149-2

Elsner, B., & Aschersleben, G. (2003). Do I get what you get? Learning about the effects of self-performed and observed actions in infancy. Consciousness & Cognition, 12, 732-751. doi: 10.1016/S1053-8100(03)00073-4

Book chapters:

Elsner, B. & Pauen, S. (2018). Vorgeburtliche Entwicklung und früheste Kindheit. In W. Schneider & U. Lindenberger (Hrsg.), Entwicklungspsychologie (8. Aufl., S. 163-190). Weinheim: Beltz PVU. ISBN-13: 978-3621284530

Elsner, B. (2014). Theorien zu Handlungsverständnis und Imitation. In L. Ahnert (Hrsg.), Theorien in der Entwicklungspsychologie (S. 310-329). Heidelberg: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-34805-1_12

Elsner, B. & Pauen, S. (2012). Vorgeburtliche Entwicklung und früheste Kindheit. In W. Schneider & U. Lindenberger (Hrsg.), Entwicklungspsychologie (7. Aufl., S. 159-186). Weinheim: Beltz PVU.

Elsner, B. (2009). Tools and goals: A social-cognition perspective on infant learning of object function. In T. Striano & V.M. Reid (Eds.), Social Cognition: Development, Neuroscience, and Autism (pp. 144-156). Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

Pauen, S., & Elsner, B. (2008). Neurologische Grundlagen der Entwicklung. In R. Oerter & L. Montada (Hrsg.), Entwicklungspsychologie (6. Aufl., S. 67-84). Weinheim: Beltz PVU.

Elsner, B. (2005). Novelty and complexity: Two problems in animal (and human) imitation. In S. Hurley & N. Chater (Eds.), Perspectives on imitation: From neuroscience to social science (Vol. 1; pp. 287-290). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Elsner, B. (2005). What does infant imitation tell us about the underlying representations? In S. Hurley & N. Chater (Eds.), Perspectives on imitation: From neuroscience to social science (Vol. 2; pp. 191-194). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Intrapersonal Developmental Risk Factors in Middle Childhood

Scientific articles:

Warschburger, P., Gmeiner, M.S., Bondü, R., Klein, A.M., Busching, R., & Elsner, B. (2023). Self-regulation as a resource for coping with developmental challenges during middle childhood and adolescence: the prospective longitudinal PIERYOUTH-study. BMC Psychology, 11, Article 97. doi: 10.1186/s40359-023-01140-3

Pollatos, O., Mönkemöller, K., Groppe, K., & Elsner, B. (2022). Interoceptive accuracy is associated with benefits in decision making in children. Frontiers in Psychology, section Perception Science, 13. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1070037

Bilgin, A., Bondü, R., & Elsner, B. (2021). Longitudinal associations between justice sensitivity, non-suicidal self-injury, substance use, and victimization by peers. Development and Psychopathology. Available online 29th April 21. doi: 10.1017/S0954579421000250

Holl, A. K, Vetter, N., & Elsner, B. (2021). Disentangling the relations of theory of mind, executive function and conduct problems. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 72, Article 101233. doi: 10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101233

Austin, G., Bondü, R., & Elsner, B. (2020). Executive function, theory of mind and conduct-problem symptoms in middle childhood. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article ID 539. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00539

Lensing, N., & Elsner, B. (2019). Cool executive functioning predicts not only mean levels but also individual 3-year growth trajectories of zBMI in elementary-school children. International Journal of Behavioral Development. Available online March 20, 2019. doi: 10.1177/0165025419833818

Meixner, J. M., Warner, G.J., Lensing, N., Elsner, B., & Schiefele, U. (2019). The relation between executive functions and reading comprehension in primary-school students: a cross-lagged-panel analysis. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 46, 62–74. doi: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.04.010

Lensing, N., & Elsner, B. (2018). Development of hot and cool executive functions in middle childhood: Three-year growth curves of decision-making and working-memory updating. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 173, 187-204. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2018.04.002

Rohlf, H., Holl, A. K., Kirsch, F., Krahé, B., & Elsner, B. (2018). Longitudinal links between executive function, anger, and aggression in middle childhood. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 12, Art. 27. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00027

Austin, G., Bondü, R., & Elsner, B. (2017). Longitudinal relations between children’s cognitive and affective theory of mind with reactive and proactive aggression. Aggressive Behavior, 43, 440–449. doi: 10.1002/ab.21702

Groppe, K., & Elsner, B. (2017). Executive function and weight status in children: A one-year longitudinal perspective. Child Neuropsychology, 23, 129-147.doi: 10.1080/09297049.2015.1089981 Published online: 29 Sep 2015

Holl, A. K., Kirsch, F., Rohlf, H., Krahé, B., & Elsner, B. (2017). Longitudinal reciprocity between theory of mind and aggression in middle childhood. International Journal of Behavioral Development. Available online September 4, 2017. doi: 10.1177/0165025417727875

Lensing, N., & Elsner, B. (2017). Overweight and Normal-Weight Children’s Decision-Making in a Child Variant of the Iowa Gambling Task. Child Development Research, 2017, Article ID 1285320. doi:10.1155/2017/1285320

Bondü, R., Hannuschke, M., Elsner, B., & Gollwitzer, M. (2016). Inter-individual stabilization of justice sensitivity in childhood and adolescence. Journal of Research in Personality, 64, 11-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jrp.2016.06.021

Bondü, R. & Elsner, B. (2015). Justice sensitivity in childhood and adolescence. Social Development, 24(2), 420-441. doi: 10.1111/sode.12098.

Groppe, K., & Elsner, B. (2015). The influence of hot and cool executive function on the development of eating styles related to overweight in children. Appetite, 87, 127-136. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.12.203

Austin, G., Groppe, K., & Elsner, B. (2014). The reciprocal relationship between executive function and theory of mind in middle childhood: a one-year longitudinal perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, Article 655 doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00655

Groppe, K., & Elsner, B. (2014). Executive function and food-approach behavior in middle childhood. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, Article 447. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00447

Cognition and Action (studies with adult subjects)

Scientific articles:

Schubotz, R.I., Ebel, S. J., Elsner, B., Weiss, P. H., & Wörgötter, F. (2023). Tool mastering today – an interdisciplinary perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1191792   

Hilton, M., Wartenburger, I., Verrel, J., & Elsner, B. (2022). Pre-boundary lengthening and pause signal boundaries in action sequences. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, 44. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5ks5h1h4

Hilton, M., Räling, R., Wartenburger, I., & Elsner, B. (2019). Parallels in processing boundary cues in speech and action. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, Article 1566. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01566

Gottwald, J. M., Elsner, B., & Pollatos, O. (2015) Good is up – Spatial metaphors in action observation. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, Article 1605. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01605

Kühn, S., Elsner, B., Prinz, W., & Brass, M. (2009). Busy doing nothing: Evidence for nonaction–effect binding. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 16(3), 542-549. doi: 10.3758/PBR.16.3.542

Wühr, P., & Elsner, B. (2007). Effects of irrelevant stimulus orientation on visually-guided grasping movements. Behavioral Neuroscience, 121, 301-309. doi: 10.1037/0735-7044.121.2.301

Elsner, B. & Hommel, B. (2004). Contiguity and contingency in action-effect learning. Psychological Research, 68, 138-154. doi: 10.1007/s00426-003-0151-8

Knoblich, G., Elsner, B., Aschersleben, G., & Metzinger, T. (2003). Grounding the self in action. Consciousness & Cognition, 12, 487-494. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2003.08.009

Elsner, B., Hommel, B., Mentschel, C., Drzezga, A., Prinz, W., Conrad, B., & Siebner, H.R. (2002). Linking actions and their perceivable consequences in the human brain. NeuroImage, 17, 364-372. doi: 10.1006/nimg.2002.1162

Elsner, B. & Hommel, B. (2001). Effect anticipation and action control. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 27(1), 229-240. doi: 10.1037/0096-1523.27.1.229

Book chapters:

Elsner, B. & Prinz, W. (2012). Psychologische Modelle der Handlungssteuerung. In H.-O. Karnath & P. Thier (Hrsg.), Kognitive Neurowissenschaften (3. Aufl., S. 367-375). Heidelberg: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-25527-4_33

Hommel, B., & Elsner, B. (2009). Acquisition, representation, and control of action. In E. Morsella, J. A. Bargh, & P. M. Gollwitzer (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Human Action (pp. 371-398). New York: Oxford University Press.

Elsner, B. & Prinz, W. (2006). Psychologische Modelle der Handlungssteuerung. In H.-O. Karnath & P. Thier (Hrsg.), Neuropsychologie (2. Aufl., S. 286-295). Heidelberg: Springer. doi: 10.1007/3-540-28449-4_27

Elsner, B. & Prinz, W. (2002). Psychologische Modelle der Handlungssteuerung. In H.-O. Karnath & P. Thier (Hrsg.), Neuropsychologie (S. 299-310). Berlin: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-662-08957-6_26

Elsner, B. (2000). Der Erwerb kognitiver Handlungsrepräsentationen. Berlin: Wissen-schaftlicher Verlag Berlin. (Dissertation)

Hommel, B., & Elsner, B. (2000). Action as stimulus control. In A. Schick, M. Meis, & C. Reckhardt (Eds.), Contributions to psychological acoustics: Results of the eighth Oldenburg Symposium on Psychological Acoustics (pp. 403-424). Oldenburg: BIS.

Evaluation of Cognitive Trainings for Children

Scientific articles:

Elsner, B. & Hager, W. (1995). Ist das Wahrnehmungstraining von M. Frostig effektiv oder nicht? Zur Evaluation des Programms zur Förderung der visuellen Wahrnehmung im deutschen Sprachraum. Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie, 44, 48-61.

Hager, W., Hasselhorn, M. & Elsner, B. (1995). Evaluation kognitiver Trainings versus Trainingsforschung: zwei Zugänge zu einem Problembereich. Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie, 9, 25-32.

Hager, W., Hasselhorn, M. & Elsner, B. (1995). Zur Evaluation des (meta-)kognitiven Trainings von G. W. Lauth. Verhaltenstherapie und psychosoziale Praxis, 27, 135-148.

Hager, W., Hasselhorn, M. & Elsner, B. (1995). Zur Re-Evaluation der Evaluationen des Denktrainings für Kinder I. Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie, 9, 1-11.

Book chapters:

Hager, W. & Elsner, B. (1997). Übung, Training, Coaching und Transfer. In U. Kittler & H. Metz-Göckel (Hrsg.), Pädagogische Psychologie in Erziehung und Organisation (S. 78-87). Essen: Verlag die blaue Eule.

Hager, W., Elsner, B. & Hasselhorn, M. (1996). Dauer- und Kompetenzwirkungen des Denktraining für Kinder I aus differentieller Sicht. In E. Witruk & G. Friedrich (Hrsg.), Pädagogische Psychologie im Streit um ein neues Selbstverständnis. Landau: Empirische Pädagogik.

Hager, W. & Elsner, B. (1995). Validität einiger bei der Trainingsevaluation eingesetzter diagnostischer Tests (Variablenvalidität: abhängige Variablen). In W. Hager (Hrsg.), Programme zur Förderung des Denkens bei Kindern. Konstruktion, Evaluation und Metaevaluation (S. 229-256). Göttingen: Hogrefe.

Hager, W., Elsner, B. & Hübner, S. (1995). Metaevaluation von Evaluationen einiger kognitiver Trainings. In W. Hager (Hrsg.), Programme zur Förderung des Denkens bei Kindern. Konstruktion, Evaluation und Metaevaluation (S. 257-291). Göttingen: Hogrefe.