Philipp Sprengholz

PurposeClimate policy acceptance and sustainable behavior partially depend on accurate CO₂ estimates and perceived policy effectiveness. We tested whether seeding, an intervention in which people learn accurate CO₂ values for representative foods that serve as anchors for estimating other foods' emissions, can increase carbon numeracy (i.e., the ability to estimate carbon footprints of foods without explicit calculations). MethodTwo pre-registered experiments examined whether increased carbon numeracy also enhances perceived effectiveness and acceptance of a value-added tax (VAT) reform on food and food choice. Study 1 (N = 974) tested whether seeding increased the effectiveness and acceptance of a VAT increase for meat. Study 2 (N = 1,023) extended this by explaining the policy mechanism. Food choice was assessed by asking participants to select a food box (vegan, vegetarian, or meat-based) in a lottery.ResultsBoth studies found that seeding improved carbon numeracy (ηp² = .55−.58, p < .05). However, neither seeding nor policy explanations significantly increased policy acceptance or food choice, although explaining the policy increased perceived effectiveness (β = .21−.24, p < .05). In both studies, perceived effectiveness (r = .31−.41, p < .001) and policy acceptance (r = .30−.49, p < .001) were significantly related to selecting a non-meat food box. Exploratory analyses revealed that perceptions of a potential price change were the strongest predictor of policy acceptance (β = -.47, p < .001). ConclusionThese findings suggest that VAT policy changes could require both explaining environmental benefits and addressing perceived personal costs.

Heat waves pose critical health risks for unhoused people. However, little is known about how this population perceives and copes with heat, particularly in Europe. Employing a sequential mixed‐methods approach, we investigated dimensions of unhoused individuals’ heat perceptions, coping behaviors, and barriers via semi‐structured interviews ( N = 9) to inform the design of a quantitative survey administered across 13 German cities in 2024 ( N = 252). Results revealed that many homeless people experience fatigue, nausea, or faintness on hot days, whereas only half of respondents considered heat‐related health problems likely or dangerous. Protection was most strongly associated with perceiving that people important to participants protect themselves. At the same time, protective behavior was structurally constrained by limited opportunity, including inadequate access to hydration and cooling spaces, eviction, and lack of cool and secure places to store medication. Overall, the results warrant urgent policy interventions, such as improving access to hydration resources, establishing dedicated cooling shelters, and suspending evictions from cool places in the case of official heat warnings. Furthermore, information‐based interventions should raise awareness regarding heat‐related health risks and protective actions among unhoused populations, stakeholders working with them, and the general public.

Food‐based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) are a key instrument for communicating healthy nutrition principles that are implemented in most countries. However, adherence remains low, and recent literature highlights the need for improvements. This exploratory study investigated consumer perceptions of the German FBDGs, focusing on strengths and areas for improvement. Ten individuals with diverse demographics, nutrition knowledge, and dietary motivation participated in semi‐structured interviews. Participants evaluated the content and design of the FBDGs regarding both comprehensibility and applicability. Additionally, participants provided feedback on a proposed mock‐up illustrating the concept of an AI‐based feedback tool aimed at enhancing individualization and contextual aspects. Overall, participants expressed more criticism than approval. Although the FBDGs were generally considered easy to understand, many found them difficult to translate into daily practice. Participants perceived the FBDGs as (a) too general for individualized diets and (b) too theoretical, offering little support for behavior change. Positive feedback mainly referred to the simple and understandable language. The mock‐up was received more positively, though some criticism regarding individualization was raised. The findings suggest that while the German FBDGs effectively illustrate healthy eating principles conceptually, they fall short in supporting real‐life implementation. The presented AI‐based tool represents a promising step toward more practical and individualized guidance but may still not be sufficient to induce substantial changes to behaviors. Future improvements to national dietary guidance may therefore require the development of complementary, behaviorally oriented programs that go beyond informational approaches and address the practical realities of everyday nutrition.

Slow codes occupy a contested position in clinical ethics, yet systematic evidence on public attitudes toward this practice remains limited. In response to criticisms raised by Lu and Lederman (2026), this article clarifies the aims, assumptions, and methodological limits of my original study on public moral judgments of slow codes. I argue that the original findings are not undermined by nonrepresentative sampling, gaps in lay knowledge, or framing artifacts, but rather reflect how nonprofessionals reason about end‐of‐life decisions under uncertainty. The response positions empirical moral psychology as a complementary contribution to clinical ethics and invites continued interdisciplinary dialogue on ethically contested practices such as slow codes.

Background: Neglected tropical diseases disproportionately affect underserved populations, with snakebite envenoming (SBE) remaining one of the most overlooked, despite its significant global burden. Digital health applications (DHAs) offer potential to improve prevention, care, and resource management, especially when integrated into digital health interventions. However, despite growing interest, evidence and structured evaluations are limited, making it difficult to assess their impact without a clear overview of existing tools. Objective: This scoping review aims to provide the first comprehensive mapping of DHAs for SBE, highlighting their potential to strengthen the World Health Organization (WHO) strategy while underscoring the urgent need for structured evaluation, improved quality, and strategic integration to enhance prevention, treatment, and coordination efforts. Methods: This review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute and PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines, with a protocol registered on the Open Science Framework. We searched the PubMed database, app stores, and Google for DHAs between September 24 and 26, 2024, addressing snakebite prevention or treatment. To be included, the DHA had to be accessible via the recorded link, contain a description with snakebite-related features (eg, identification, first aid, and treatment), and allow user interaction. Descriptions had to appear in abstracts, app store listings, or website text. Results were grouped by type (mobile- or web-based) and by WHO region. Furthermore, we examined the 2 most common features: first aid and snake identification. First aid content was benchmarked against global guidelines, while identification methods were categorized, and selected artificial intelligence (AI)–based identification apps were exploratively tested using images of medically significant snakes. Results: A total of 52 eligible results were included, of which 94.2% (49/52) were mobile apps and 5.8% (3/52) were web-based. Regional focus varied, with most apps targeting South-East Asia (n=11, 21.2%), the Americas (n=9, 17.3%), and the Western Pacific (n=5, 9.6%). However, these numbers largely reflect concentration in just a few countries, namely India (n=10, 19.2%), the United States (n=5, 9.6%), and Australia (n=5, 9.6%). The most frequent feature was snake identification support, for example, through photo upload and algorithm-based recognition. However, AI-driven identification often lacked clarity and performed inconsistently in testing. First aid guidance was also common, but only a handful of apps offered comprehensive, evidence-based advice, while others omitted key steps or recommended unsafe practices. Conclusions: This review provides the first structured evaluation of DHAs for SBE and offers a reproducible framework for assessing digital solutions across neglected tropical diseases. By highlighting key gaps and proposing a foundation for integration into national strategies, it supports the development of equitable, evidence-based digital health innovation in underserved areas.

Background: GLP‐1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are increasingly prescribed for weight loss and prevention of obesity‐related diseases. Although effective, users are likely to face stigma, as medication‐based weight loss is often perceived as less legitimate than lifestyle changes. We investigated stereotypes and discrimination toward weight loss injection users through the lens of the Stereotype Content Model. Methods: Across three quota‐representative online studies with UK adults, we assessed perceptions of warmth and competence, behavioral discrimination, and potential explanatory mechanisms. Study 1 ( N = 300) compared evaluations of four groups differing in weight status and weight loss methods. Study 2 ( N = 301) experimentally manipulated weight loss method (injections vs. diet and exercise) and tested the roles of fairness and healthiness perceptions, as well as behavioral discrimination using a dictator game. Study 3 ( N = 201) evaluated whether communicating the fairness and healthiness of injections could improve user evaluations. Results: Weight loss injection users were perceived as more competent than individuals with overweight, but less warm and competent than normal‐weight people or those losing weight through diet and exercise. Discrimination manifested behaviorally, with participants allocating less money to injection users. Fairness perceptions predicted warmth, while healthiness perceptions predicted competence. Importantly, providing corrective information about the fairness and healthiness of injections enhanced warmth and competence ratings and reduced discriminatory behavior. Conclusions: Weight loss injection users are subject to stereotype‐driven stigma that may pose barriers to treatment uptake. Targeted communication addressing fairness and health concerns can reduce stigma and support broader adoption of the medications.

Increasing the value-added tax (VAT) on animal- and reducing it on plant-based foods can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and diet-related disease burden by shifting consumption toward more sustainable dietary patterns. Yet, public acceptance remains low. Two pre-registered online experiments in Germany examined whether acceptance is linked to cost overestimation and whether communicating accurate price information increases public support. In Study 1 (N = 161), participants submitted a personal grocery receipt and were randomly assigned to one of three VAT scenarios: an increase on animal-based products (7% to 19%), a reduction on plant-based products (7% to 0%), or both. Policy acceptance was measured before and after participants estimated the price change of their receipt and received feedback on the actual change. Although participants systematically misestimated costs, initial acceptance (β = .92, p < .001) rather than misestimation (β = .03, p = .329) was the dominant predictor of subsequent acceptance. When given the opportunity to eliminate products from their receipt after receiving feedback on the actual change, participants predominantly removed meat and dairy. Study 2 (N = 299) focused on the VAT combination policy using a standardized €30 receipt. Participants either estimated costs before receiving feedback, received accurate price information only, or received only a policy description. Acceptance in the estimation (d = .54) and information (d = .33) conditions significantly increased compared to the control condition, while misestimation showed no significant relationship with acceptance. These findings suggest that expressing price changes in Euros rather than VAT percentages represents a simple, scalable strategy for increasing public support for sustainable food taxation.

We examined contingency learning of response sequences (response-response contingency learning, RR-CL) in a serial reaction time task (SRTT), in which keys were pressed corresponding to the spatial position of dots appearing successively on a screen. First-order contingencies between pairs of successive responses were introduced into the task by biasing the transition probabilities between the spatial positions of subsequently appearing dots, rendering specific response sequences more likely than others. A pre-registered study (n = 40) revealed evidence for robust RR-CL effects, indicated by shorter (longer) response times for responses that were preceded by a likely (unlikely) preceding response. Part of this RR-CL effect was due to episodic retrieval of the most recent response sequence that started with the same response as the current sequence. Yet, a robust genuine RR-CL effect remained after controlling for recency-based episodic retrieval. This residual RR-CL effect was dependent on contingency awareness, with stronger residual RR-CL effects for sequences that were correctly identified as high or low in frequency, indicating that learning of response sequence contingencies partly reflects propositional knowledge. A reliable residual RR-CL effect, however, was obtained also in the absence of contingency awareness, indicating that another part of the learning of response sequence contingencies operates automatically and outside of awareness.