German-speaking Sample Research Articles

Validation and invariance testing of the English Short Physical activity enjoyment scale.

Enjoyment is recognized as a determinant of physical activity habits. The enjoyment of engaging in physical activity can be measured with the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES). Later versions of this scale have been shortened to capture the component of subjective feeling, which has been validated using German-speaking samples. The aim of this study was to examine internal consistency, factorial validity, criterion-related validity, test-retest reliability, and measurement invariance (across gender and languages) in an English-speaking population. Data on physical activity enjoyment and self-reported physical activity were collected through an online survey with a test-retest design (n = 276,189 female, M = 42.55, SD = 16.81 years) conducted from September 2023 to December 2023. In addition, a German-speaking sample (n = 1017, 497 female, M = 29.77, SD = 13.54 years) was analyzed to assess measurement invariance with respect to language. McDonald's omega at time 1 was ω = 0.95. The confirmatory factor analysis supports the assumption of the unidimensional structure of PACES-S (χ2 = 19.8, df = 2, p < 0.05; CFI = 0.984; RMSEA = 0.180, 90% CI [0.113-0.256]), as the model fit can be estimated as good in view of the CFI value, while the sensitivity of the χ2 test is very high and the RMSEA may underestimate the model fit. Although the RMSEA value is higher than the conventional threshold, the small number of degrees of freedom may have a significant impact on this indicator. The criterion-related validity for light physical activity was r(107) = 0.26 (p < 0.05). The retest reliability was r(199) = 0.69 (p < 0.05). Further, the results supported measurement invariance across gender and partial measurement invariance across languages. Overall, the English PACES-S demonstrated good psychometric properties specifically for light intensity of physical activity, and can serve as an economical instrument to assess physical activity enjoyment.

Evaluating flourishing: a comparative analysis of four measures using item pool visualization

The construct of flourishing, which refers to a high level of wellbeing, is a key concept in the field of positive psychology. Nevertheless, despite the proliferation of questionnaires attempting to measure wellbeing and flourishing, there is still an ongoing debate in the scientific community about the definition and assessment of both, which makes the choice of appropriate measures a major challenge. This study addresses this uncertainty through a comparative analysis of four widely used flourishing measures in a German-speaking sample, to enable researchers to make a reasonable choice among the measures available: the PERMA-Profiler, the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form, the Flourishing Scale, and the Wellbeing Conceptual Framework. To enhance the understanding of these four measures, we compared and contrasted the instruments using Item Pool Visualization (IPV), an illustrative approach that generates item pools from the same dataset and displays them as nested radar maps. Our research indicates that all four measures are useful in measuring the concept of flourishing. However, they differ from each other depending on specific interest (from a broader to a narrower view). If the aim is to get a comprehensive overview of flourishing, then the PERMA-Profiler, the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form, and the Flourishing Scale are appropriate options. If the focus is on measuring a more central concept, the Wellbeing Conceptual Framework provides the most specific assessment of flourishing.

Depression, Contraception, and Ambivalence Concerning Fertility

Individuals suffering from depression exhibit a higher rate of unintended pregnancies, which are associated with negative outcomes for both parents and children. Often, unintended pregnancies result from contraceptive mistakes. Here, we examine the relationship between depression and the consistency of contraceptive behavior, testing ambivalence as a possible mediator. The analyses were based on cross-sectional data from the second and third waves of the German Relationship and Family Panel Pairfam. A German-speaking sample without children (N = 190; 117 female, 73 male), who reported not attempting to conceive or become pregnant during the last 12 months, was analyzed in comparison with a propensity score matched sample. Ambivalence was operationalized as the difference between the ideal and realistic number of children in wave 2. Data from wave 3 were used to assess contraceptive behavior. Depressed mood in wave 2 and consistency of contraceptive behavior in wave 3 were negatively correlated. After including ambivalence in wave 2 as a mediator in the model, the direct path between depressed mood and consistency of contraceptive behavior remained significant, with no significant mediation found. For men only, we observed a significant negative association of ambivalence with the consistency of contraceptive behavior in the last 3 months. No significant relationship was found between depressed mood and ambivalence. We conclude that future research aiming to better understand the consistency of contraceptive behavior should incorporate measures of ambivalence.

Testing the Factor Structure and Construct Validity of the German Version of Gray et al.’s (2003) Sexual Fantasy Questionnaire

Gray et al.’s (2003) Sexual Fantasy Questionnaire (SFQ) is becoming an increasingly used self-report measure of sexual fantasy use. The current study analyzed the factorial structure and construct validity of the behavioral items of the SFQ using a nomological network of other sexuality-related measures in a large German-speaking sample (N = 846). Participants’ (27.7% females) mean age was 30.8 years (SD = 11.0). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 65-item scale comprising five-factors, which were termed: normophilic sexual fantasies, sexualized aggression, sexualized submission, submissive courtship, and bodily functions. This German version of the SFQ was found to have high construct validity indicated by its association with other related constructs. Based on these results, we argue that the SFQ is a valid self-report measure that can be used in both research and clinical practice (foremost the factors sexualized aggression and sexualized submission). Suggestions for future research are discussed in light of the results and the study’s limitations.

(290) Exploring the Link Between Conformity to Masculine Ideologies and Responses to Sexual Rejection in Cisgender Men and Cisgender Women

Abstract Introduction Sexual rejection occurs when a person’s sexual advances are terminated by a potential sexual partner, leading to responses that may disregard the partner’s choice, such as attempts to entice or express resentment. Traditional masculine ideologies (TMIs) could play a role in motivating enticing or resentful responses. TMIs often emphasize superiority, encompassing power, control, dominance, and frequent sexual activity. When individuals adhering to TMIs face sexual rejection, they may experience feelings of inferiority and respond with enticing or resentful behaviors to reassert superiority. Objective Explore links between TMIs and the use of enticing and resentful responses following experiences of sexual rejection. Methods A German-speaking sample of 351 cisgender men and 345 cisgender women (age: M = 28.11, SD = 8.05) were randomly assigned to read one of two hypothetical stories in which participants should imagine being sexually rejected by their partner (rejection condition), or engaging in sexual activity with their partner (no-rejection condition). Afterward, participants had to report how they would react to sexual rejection. TMI was assessed with the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory. Results Compared to cisgender women, cisgender men more often would react with enticing tactics (β = .77, p &amp;lt; .001). Compared to participants who were rejected, participants who were not rejected more often would react with enticing tactics (β = .43, p &amp;lt; .001). Participants with higher levels of TMIs (being a playboy, dominating women, holding heterosexual self-presentation) more often would react with enticing tactics (β = .18, p &amp;lt; .001; β = .15, p &amp;lt; .001; β = .11, p &amp;lt; .001, respectively). Compared to men with higher levels of TMI (heterosexual self-presentation), women with higher levels of TMI (heterosexual self-presentation) more often would react with resentful responses (β = .68, p &amp;lt; .001). This effect was reinforced through sexual rejection, as opposed to no sexual rejection (β = -.63, p &amp;lt; .001). Conclusions When sexual rejection hasn’t occurred men are more inclined to enticing behaviors. This tendency may stem from potential misunderstandings about desires and consent after initial sexual intercourse. Conversely, when sexual rejection does occur, resentful responses are more common among women adhering to a heterosexual self-presentation. Heterosexual self-presentation might align with adherence to traditional sexual scripts in which men are not expected to decline the sexual advances of a desiring woman. Consequently, rejection may be perceived as a direct challenge to their identity as a woman, triggering feelings of resentment. Therapists can apply these findings to better assist individuals or couples in their sexual relationships. By examining how adherence to traditional gender norms and scripts influences reactions to sexual rejection, therapists can help clients recognize these influences and promote respectful responses that honor all partners’ desires and boundaries. Disclosure No.

German translation of the Four-Item Mentalising Index (FIMI-G)

Mentalising can be defined as the social-cognitive ability to understand and infer the mental non-emotional states of oneself and others. Recently, the Four-Item Mentalising Index (FIMI), a self-report scale, was developed to efficiently measure mentalising ability in English-speaking samples. This study presents a German translation of the FIMI—namely, the Four-Item Mentalising Index-German (FIMI-G). To assess the usefulness of the translation, initial evidence for the psychometric properties of the FIMI-G was gathered in a German-speaking sample from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland (N = 283). As expected, the corrected item-total correlations, the confirmatory factor analysis, and the inner consistency estimation indicated a homogenous, unidimensional measure which corresponds to the English original. In addition, the FIMI-G scores were related to the validation criteria as expected. Socially desirable responding did not undermine the validity. It is concluded that the German FIMI translation is a useful measure.

Measuring dysfunctional interpersonal beliefs: validation of the Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions Scale among a heterogeneous German-speaking sample

BackroundDysfunctional interpersonal beliefs (DIBs) are a key symptom domain in numerous mental disorders. Because DIBs exert a strong influence on social experience and behavior, they play an important role in a mental disorder's development and progression. To date, only the Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions Scale (ICDS) captures DIBs independently of specific disorders, populations, or contexts. The present study's aim was to psychometrically evaluate and validate a German translation of the ICDS.MethodsThe ICDS was administered along with indicators of convergent (rejection sensitivity, depressive expectations, interpersonal trust, interpersonal problems, perceived social support), discriminant (self-efficacy, perseverative negative thinking, optimism), and clinical validity (psychopathology, perceived stress, well-being) to a pooled sample incorporating non-clinical (N = 114) and clinical (N = 94) participants.ResultsAn exploratory factor analysis (EFA) suggested a five-factor solution (factor loadings: .44 to .85). Correlational analyses demonstrated acceptable convergent (ρ = -.29 to -.35, ρ = .27 to .59), suboptimal discriminant (ρ = -.27 to -.38, ρ = .52), and acceptable clinical validity (ρ = -.21, ρ = .36 to .44) at the total-scale level. However, results at the subscale level were mixed and required nuanced interpretation. Likewise, internal consistency was acceptable at the total-scale level (α = .76), but ranged from good to poor at the subscale level (α = .61 to .80). DIBs mediated the negative relationship between mental disorder onset and psychopathology levels.DiscussionOur results imply DIBs' relevance to mental health and related outcomes. When working with the ICDS’s German version, we recommend employing only the “insecurity” subscale, as this was the only scale revealing acceptable psychometric properties. Future studies should improve the construct validity of the ICDS (and its subscales), e.g., by adding more items to the respective subscales and further classes of DIBs.

Introduction and behavioral validation of the climate change distress and impairment scale

Governmental agencies and the medical and psychological professions are calling for a greater focus on the negative mental health effects of climate change (CC). As a first step, the field needs measures to distinguish affective/emotional distress due to CC from impairment that requires further scientific and diagnostic attention and that may require treatment in the future. To this end, we constructed the climate change distress and impairment scale, which distinguishes CC distress (spanning anger, anxiety, and sadness) from impairment. In four studies (N = 1699), we developed and validated English and German versions of the scale. Across samples, spanning 2021–2022, CC distress was at least moderate, while we observed general moderate to high levels of distress and low to moderate levels of impairment. In three English-speaking samples, younger individuals and women were most affected by CC distress, whereas this was not the case in a German-speaking sample, suggesting sociopolitical influencing factors. We demonstrate convergent validity with previous measures and discriminant validity for general negative affectivity and depressive and generalized anxiety disorder symptoms, which underlines that CC distress is not in itself pathological. Employing a fully incentivized social dilemma paradigm, we demonstrate that CC distress and (to a lesser degree) CC impairment predict pro-environmental behavior, underscoring them as possible drivers, and targets, of climate-change mitigation efforts.

Chronotype and sensory-processing sensitivity: A cross-sectional survey

ABSTRACT Here we examined the possibility of a relationship of sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) with chronotype in a German-speaking sample of N = 1807 (1008 female, 799 male) with a mean age of 47.75 ± 14.41 y (range: 18–97 y). The data were collected using an anonymous online questionnaire (Chronotype: one item of the Morning-Evening-Questionnaire, as well as typical bedtimes on weekdays and weekends; SPS: German version of the three-factor model ; Big Five: NEO-FFI-30) between 21 and 27 April 2021. Results. We found morningness to correlate with the SPS facet low sensory threshold (LST), while eveningness correlated to aesthetic sensitivity (AES) and marginally significant to ease of excitation (EOE). Discussion: The results show that the correlations between chronotype and the Big Five personality traits are not consistent with the direction of the correlations between chronotype and the SPS facets. The reason for this could be different genes that are responsible for the individual traits influence each other differently depending on their expression.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the Man-Made Disaster-Related Distress Scale (MMDS)

Man-made disasters (MMD2MMD = man-made disasters2) are a widespread cause for psychological burden, both in directly and indirectly affected regions, as currently highlighted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Yet, measurement instruments that assess psychological distress associated with MMD are lacking. The study aimed to develop and validate such an instrument in an indirectly affected region. The resulting “man-made disaster-related distress scale” (MMDS) was tested within a German-speaking sample (N = 327). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a two-factorial structure (“Psychological distress” and “Change of existing belief systems”) of the MMDS. The confirmatory model had an acceptable to good fit with CFI/TLI higher than 0.90. Internal consistency of the MMDS and its subscales was high with α and ω higher than 0.80. Correlational analyses suggested convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity. Measurement invariance was confirmed for gender and age with a change in CFI smaller than 0.01 but was rejected for educational level. The MMDS resulted in a 14-item assessment instrument based on a 7-point Likert-scale with good psychometric properties. Its administration is readily and economical, yielding the option to be used as a standardized measurement tool.

Socio-cultural power of social media on orthorexia nervosa: An empirical investigation on the mediating role of thin-ideal and muscular internalization, appearance comparison, and body dissatisfaction

As social media continues to penetrate users' daily lives, concerns about its negative impact on body image issues and eating disorders are becoming focuses of research. It remains unclear whether social media should be held responsible for promoting orthorexia nervosa—a problematic and extreme fixation on healthy eating. The present study draws on socio-cultural theory and tests a social media-based model in the context of orthorexia nervosa to enhance knowledge of social media's influence on body image issues and orthorectic eating tendencies. The socio-cultural model was tested using structural equation modeling based on responses from a German-speaking sample (n = 647). The results indicate that social media users' involvement with health and fitness accounts is associated with higher orthorectic eating tendencies. Thin-ideal and muscular internalizations mediated this relationship. Interestingly, body dissatisfaction and appearance comparison were not mediators, which can be attributed to the characteristics of orthorexia nervosa. Higher involvement with health and fitness accounts on social media was also related to higher appearance comparisons. The results highlight the powerful influence of social media on orthorexia nervosa and the relevance of socio-cultural models in investigating the mechanisms underlying this influence.

Analysing the Effects of Social Media Influencers’ Food-related Posts on Healthy Eating Intentions, Orthorectic Eating Tendencies, Product Attitudes, and Purchase Intentions

Food-related social media posts, often with branded content, distributed by popular social media influencers, have started to catch the attention of many social media users. The impacts of these posts and marketing efforts on users, not only on purchase behaviour, but especially on healthy eating intentions and orthorectic eating tendencies are still under researched. Orthorectic eating tendencies are becoming increasingly more prevalent and characterize potentially disordered eating behaviours with a (too) strong focus on food quality. We conducted an online survey among a German-speaking sample of young adults (18-30 years) and Instagram users, exposing participants (N=251) to food-related Instagram posts, to investigate these effects. The results suggested that especially those food-related social media posts, which triggered higher emotional arousal had a positive impact on attitudes towards the advertised product and purchase intentions. Worryingly, a higher emotional arousal also contributed to higher (problematic) orthorectic eating tendencies. Posts that were perceived as more credible contributed to higher healthy eating intentions. We outline important implications of our results for influencers, social media users, and marketers.

Insecure yet Resourceful: Psychological Capital Mitigates the Negative Effects of Employees' Career Insecurity on Their Career Satisfaction.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased employee career concerns (i.e., insecurity), and many people face difficulties with their current jobs. In addition, employees have struggled with their health due to COVID-19. Based on the psychological capital (PsyCap) and the conservation of resource theories, we suggest that personal resources, such as resilience, can mitigate the adverse effects of employee career insecurity on their career-related outcomes, such as career satisfaction, as well as on their health. In a German-speaking sample (N = 185) and a two-wave design, we investigated the role of employees' career insecurity on their career satisfaction. We employed PsyCap as a moderator in these relationships. Results showed a negative relationship between career insecurity and career satisfaction. In addition, moderation analyses revealed that PsyCap significantly moderates the effects of career insecurity on employee career satisfaction. Specifically, for high PsyCap the effect of career insecurity on employee career satisfaction does not hold significant, while it does for low PsyCap, showing that PsyCap can mitigate the negative effects of career insecurity on employee career satisfaction. With a robust personal construct in career research, our study contributes to this field by investigating the role of PsyCap for employee careers, especially in a crisis context (i.e., COVID-19). We discuss implications for employees and organizations.

Does Playing Apart Really Bring Us Together? Investigating the Link Between Perceived Loneliness and the Use of Video Games During a Period of Social Distancing.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries implemented social distancing measures to contain virus transmission. However, these vital safety measures have the potential to impair mental health or wellbeing, for instance, from increased perceived loneliness. Playing social video games may offer a way to continue to socialize while adhering to social distancing measures. To examine this issue further, the present online survey investigated social gaming during the pandemic and its association to perceived loneliness within a German-speaking sample. Results indicated a small positive correlation between general gaming frequency and perceived loneliness. Detailed analysis revealed a negative association between perceived loneliness and increased social forms of video gaming. Specifically, gamers with a higher social motive for gaming perceived less loneliness, but gamers with a dominant escape motive demonstrated a positive link to perceived loneliness. The use of social gaming in times of social distancing seems to play a small but significant factor in perceived loneliness compared to other demographical data. The findings are discussed with respect to methodological limitations, effect sizes, and sample characteristics. The results enrich the current knowledge on video gaming and its link to social wellbeing and provide a more nuanced picture than simplistic investigations of screen time.

Musical Sophistication and Speech Auditory-Motor Coupling: Easy Tests for Quick Answers.

Musical training enhances auditory-motor cortex coupling, which in turn facilitates music and speech perception. How tightly the temporal processing of music and speech are intertwined is a topic of current research. We investigated the relationship between musical sophistication (Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication index, Gold-MSI) and spontaneous speech-to-speech synchronization behavior as an indirect measure of speech auditory-motor cortex coupling strength. In a group of participants (n = 196), we tested whether the outcome of the spontaneous speech-to-speech synchronization test (SSS-test) can be inferred from self-reported musical sophistication. Participants were classified as high (HIGHs) or low (LOWs) synchronizers according to the SSS-test. HIGHs scored higher than LOWs on all Gold-MSI subscales (General Score, Active Engagement, Musical Perception, Musical Training, Singing Skills), but the Emotional Attachment scale. More specifically, compared to a previously reported German-speaking sample, HIGHs overall scored higher and LOWs lower. Compared to an estimated distribution of the English-speaking general population, our sample overall scored lower, with the scores of LOWs significantly differing from the normal distribution, with scores in the ∼30th percentile. While HIGHs more often reported musical training compared to LOWs, the distribution of training instruments did not vary across groups. Importantly, even after the highly correlated subscores of the Gold-MSI were decorrelated, particularly the subscales Musical Perception and Musical Training allowed to infer the speech-to-speech synchronization behavior. The differential effects of musical perception and training were observed, with training predicting audio-motor synchronization in both groups, but perception only in the HIGHs. Our findings suggest that speech auditory-motor cortex coupling strength can be inferred from training and perceptual aspects of musical sophistication, suggesting shared mechanisms involved in speech and music perception.

Religious and Spiritual Struggles in a German-Speaking Sample: a Validation Study

Abstract This paper presents the German adaptation and validation of the Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale (RSSS) (Exline et al. 2014). Religious and spiritual (r/s) struggles consist of inner conflicts regarding supernatural, interpersonal and intrapersonal concerns, which in the RSSS are categorized into six struggles: Divine, Demonic, Doubt, Interpersonal, Moral and Ultimate Meaning. The prevalence of these as well as mental health correlates and associations with centrality of religiosity were explored in a sample of 1359 German-speaking participants, primarily university students from Switzerland. Inner r/s struggles have primarily been studied in samples from the United States, and data are lacking for more secular societies such as Switzerland, where these struggles are experienced as well. For the first time, the RSSS was translated into and administered in the German language and its six-factor structure confirmed with confirmatory factor analysis.

Locus of control moderates the association of COVID-19 stress and general mental distress: results of a Norwegian and a German-speaking cross-sectional survey

BackgroundAn internal locus of control (LoC I) refers to the belief that the outcome of events in one’s life is contingent upon one’s actions, whereas an external locus of control (LoC E) describes the belief that chance and powerful others control one’s life. This study investigated whether LoC I and LoC E moderated the relationship between COVID-19 stress and general mental distress in the general population during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis cross-sectional survey study analysed data from a Norwegian (n = 1225) and a German-speaking sample (n = 1527). We measured LoC with the Locus of Control-4 Scale (IE-4), COVID-19 stress with a scale developed for this purpose, and mental distress with the Patient Health Questionnaire 4 (PHQ-4). Moderation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS.ResultsThe association between COVID-19 stress and general mental distress was strong (r = .61 and r = .55 for the Norwegian and the German-speaking sample, respectively). In both samples, LoC showed substantial moderation effects. LoC I served as a buffer (p < .001), and LoC E exacerbated (p < .001) the relation between COVID-19 stress and general mental distress.ConclusionsThe data suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic is easier to bear for people who, despite pandemic-related strains, feel that they generally have influence over their own lives.An external locus of control, conversely, is associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. The prevention of mental distress may be supported by enabling a sense of control through citizen participation in policy decisions and transparent explanation in their implementation.

Psychometric Properties of the German Version of the Young Positive Schema Questionnaire (YPSQ) in the General Population and Psychiatric Patients

Early adaptive schemas (EAS) are resilience-oriented counterparts to early maladaptive schemas (EMS), which are central in schema therapy. The Young Positive Schema Questionnaire (YPSQ) was developed as a measure of EAS but has been evaluated neither in relation to a clinical population nor in a German-speaking sample. Objectives of this study were therefore the psychometric validation of a German YPSQ in a community sample and the comparison of EAS to psychiatric patients. Participants were 1,418 individuals from a community sample and 182 psychiatric patients with a main diagnosis of major depressive disorder. A factor structure of 10 EAS, instead of the original 14, demonstrated satisfactory factorial validity and internal consistency in both samples. EAS exhibited divergent validity to EMS, childhood trauma, and psychopathology. Convergent validity was evident with resilience, self-efficacy, and satisfaction with life. Support for incremental validity beyond EMS was especially shown for resilience, self-efficacy, and satisfaction with life, and was also evident for several dimensions of psychopathology. Individuals in the community sample exhibited more pronounced EAS compared to psychiatric patients with the exception of empathic consideration. Especially for concepts associated with mental health, the YPSQ has the potential to be a highly valuable addition to current research and practice.

Validation of a German and English Version of the Revised Art-of-Living Inventory

Abstract. It is an important goal for many people to achieve happiness or well-being. Research has shown the effects of various stand-alone strategies to increase well-being. However, it is unclear whether multiple strategies can enhance happiness. Art-of-living is defined as a combination of the most important strategies that lead to well-being. Based on philosophical theory and empirical studies, 11 strategy components have been identified. A basic questionnaire, the Art-of-Living Inventory (AOLI), which aims to measure these strategies, was validated in a German-speaking sample ( n = 1,302) and an English-speaking sample ( n = 2,166). Results confirmed the hypothesized factor structure which comprised 11 dimensions and at least weak measurement invariance. Further analyses demonstrated good internal consistency, retest reliability and convergent, and discriminant validity with respect to different indicators of well-being and the validation measures. Multiple regressions indicated that a combination of multiple components was significantly better at predicting well-being than even the best single component. Moreover, when compared to personality, art-of-living was demonstrated to have additional and distinct effects on well-being. In sum, the AOLI has promising measurement characteristics and may be applied in research studies to better understand well-being and in intervention studies aimed at enhancing well-being.

Test Anxiety in Autistic University Students-Preliminary Results from a German-Speaking Sample.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition associated with increased levels of anxiety. However, whether autism is related to heightened test anxiety as one situation-specific type of anxiety has not yet been examined. This question may be relevant for the achievement and well-being of autistic people in educational settings (e.g., at universities). In this study, we took a first step to investigate whether autistic university students have increased test anxiety. A sample of 16 German-speaking university students completed an established diagnostic instrument to measure test anxiety and its components of worry, emotionality, cognitive interference, and lack of confidence. The scores of the autistic students were compared with the test anxiety means and percentile ranks of the standardization sample for the applied test anxiety measure (n = 1350). For an additional comparison, the test anxiety means and percentile ranks of non-autistic university students (n = 101) were assessed during the last third of the semester; that is, close to the examinations. Overall, the results suggest that autistic university students have remarkably increased test anxiety. Although the present findings must be considered preliminary, they suggest that text anxiety in educational settings may be a neglected significant problem for autistic people that requires further attention in research and practice.