App-based Training Study Employing the Computer-based Program Zirkus Empathico: Analysis of Behavioral and Neural Correlates of Socio-Emotional Competences in Four-to Six-Year-Old Children

App-based Training Study Employing the Computer-based Program Zirkus Empathico: Analysis of Behavioral and Neural Correlates of Socio-Emotional Competences in Four-to Six-Year-Old Children - Zirkus Empathico 2

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

DRKS

Registry ID

DRKS00015789

Enrollment

Registered

2018-10-24

Start date

2018-10-29

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-04-07

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

F93 F98 F91 F92 F93 F94

Interventions

Group 1: Training group (TG) – Training of socio-emotional competences with the help of the computer-based program Zirkus Empathico (http://www.zirkus-empathico.de/). The training lasts 6 weeks for 60

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

4 Years to 6 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: German as native language, no bilingualism (English)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: •Nonverbal IQ <=70 (Coloured progressive matrices intelligence test; Raven, Bulheller & Häcker, 2001) •Inadequate understanding of language (verbal age < 4;0 years; Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test; Lenhard et al., 2015) •Neurological or psychological disorders •Other training- or EEG-impairing disorders/medication/illnesses •Parallel participation in other socio-emotional trainings •Parallel participation in other clinical trials

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Training component: Empathy •Empathy is measured from the parental perspective with the help of the Griffith Empathy Measure (GEM; Dadds, et al., 2008, Greimel et al., 2011) and the sub-test empathy of the Inventar zur Erfassung emotionaler Kompetenzen bei Drei- bis Sechsjährigen (EMK 3-6; Petermann & Gust, 2016) from the perspective of the parents and the child. •The parental questionnaire GEM examines empathy with 23 items. The EMK 3-6 screening questionnaire contains of four items for empathy. The EMK 3-6 behavioral assessment uses dolls to present the child with different child-typical situations. The child then describes what the doll thinks and feels in this moment. •GEM and EMK 3-6 are administered at first (T1) and second (T2) measurement.	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Training component: Empathy •Empathy is measured from the parental perspective with the help of the Griffith Empathy Measure (GEM; Dadds, et al., 2008, Greimel et al., 2011) and the sub-test empathy of the Inventar zur Erfassung emotionaler Kompetenzen bei Drei- bis Sechsjährigen (EMK 3-6; Petermann & Gust, 2016) from the perspective of the parents and the child. •The parental questionnaire GEM examines empathy with 23 items. The EMK 3-6 screening questionnaire contains of four items for empathy. The EMK 3-6 behavioral assessment uses dolls to present the child with different child-typical situations. The child then describes what the doll thinks and feels in this moment. •GEM and EMK 3-6 are administered at first (T1) and second (T2) measurement.

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
2. Training component: Emotion knowledge •EMK 3-6 from the parental perspective: sub-test emotion knowledge, from child’s perspective: sub-test primary emotions •Results of the EEG measurement after training completion, with special regard to the differentiation of emotion within the ERPs; collected from child’s perspective 3. Training component: Prosocial behavior •Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 1997), measurement of behavioral disruptions, emotional problems, hyperactivity, problems with peers and prosocial behavior, from parental perspective •EMK 3-6 sub-test: prosocial behavior, from child’s perspective •EMK 3-6 and SDQ are collected during first (T1) and second measurement (T2) after the training period. EEG collection is administered at T2 only.	—

Measure

Time frame

2. Training component: Emotion knowledge •EMK 3-6 from the parental perspective: sub-test emotion knowledge, from child’s perspective: sub-test primary emotions •Results of the EEG measurement after training completion, with special regard to the differentiation of emotion within the ERPs; collected from child’s perspective 3. Training component: Prosocial behavior •Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 1997), measurement of behavioral disruptions, emotional problems, hyperactivity, problems with peers and prosocial behavior, from parental perspective •EMK 3-6 sub-test: prosocial behavior, from child’s perspective •EMK 3-6 and SDQ are collected during first (T1) and second measurement (T2) after the training period. EEG collection is administered at T2 only.

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Countries

Germany

Contacts

Public ContactSandra Naumann

Berlin School of Mind and BrainHumboldt-Universität zu Berlin

sandra.naumann@hu-berlin.de0176/76867649

Outcome results

None listed

Source: DRKS (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026