Emotional Learning Research Articles

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FOREIGN EXPERIENCE IN IMPLEMENTING PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PEDAGOGICAL GUIDANCEFOR SOFT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

The article discusses modern methods and practices of psychological and pedagogical guidanceforthe soft skills development of students in higher educational institutions. With globalization and rapid technological progress, traditional teaching methods are becoming insufficient. The purpose of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of modern methods and practices used in different countries, with the aim of adapting and introducing them into the higher education system of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The methodological basis of our research is a personal approach, which involves considering the individual characteristics of each student.The analysis of international experience revealed effective methods, such as emotional intelligence development, active learning, coaching and mentoring, project-based and problem-based learning, gamificationand the flipped classroom. These approaches demonstrate high effectiveness and can be adapted for use in the higher education system of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The introduction of these methods helps to improve the quality of education, improve the employment of graduates and their competitiveness in the labor market. Successful integration of these practices will require adaptation to local conditions and training of teachers, which will significantly increase the level of specialists’training in Kazakhstan.

REM sleep and mental disorders on the 70th anniversary of the discovery of REM sleep.

The discovery of rapid eye movement sleep in 1953 led to numerous studies investigating the relationship between rapid eye movement sleep abnormalities and psychiatric disorders. The most salient findings were the association of rapid eye movement sleep alterations-reduced rapid eye movement sleep latency, increased rapid eye movement sleep volume of total sleep, and increased rapid eye movement density-with major depression. This paper briefly reviews the history of rapid eye movement sleep research in psychiatry with a focus on the work related to major depressive disorder and some of the various theories that have been proposed to explain the associated rapid eye movement sleep abnormalities. Given the increasing evidence that rapid eye movement sleep is important for emotional processing, memory and cognition, a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms for the relationship between rapid eye movement sleep and mood disorders could lead to improved treatments for these common and disabling illnesses.

Second language learners’ academic emotions in grammar learning with explicit attention to grammatical complexity

ABSTRACT Grammatical complexity, a hot topic in grammar research, poses great challenges for second language (L2) learners. This study aims to investigate L2 learners’ emotional reactions to L2 grammar learning, and the epistemic emotional sources related to grammatical complexity. Thirty sophomore English majors aged between 19 and 20 from a natural class were recruited in the present study. Through qualitative research design, the data consisted of 30 written narrative reflections with each containing a self-report on emotional experiences and a recalled summary of learning strategies, along with 10 semi-structured interviews. A deductive content analysis approach and thematic analysis were used for the data analysis. The present study revealed five main findings. First, delight and anxiety are saliently representative achievement-related activity emotions; second, disappointment represents the typical retrospective outcome emotion; third, hope is the typical prospective outcome emotion; fourth, the social aspects of the present context elicit the emotion of gratitude, whereas the cognitive aspects of grammatical complexity cause a more complicated emotional state; fifth, epistemic emotions are mainly evoked by thinking-related factors, syntactic rules, and the practical application of syntactic rules. Pedagogical implications for L2 grammar teaching were discussed.

Emotional Working Memory Training Treatment for Young Adult Problem Online Sports Bettors: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial.

One of the key features of gambling disorder (GD) is impairment in cognitive-emotional control. Considering the negative consequences of GD, the present study investigated the effectiveness of emotional working memory training (eWMT) in improving cognitive control, attention, working memory capacity, and cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERS) among young adults with GD compared to a placebo group. Following the initial assessment in the pre-test phase, eligible participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: experimental (n = 34) and placebo (n = 30). These groups completed eWMT and a feature matching task for 20 sessions respectively. The post-test and follow-up measures indicated that eWMT significantly improved cognitive control, attention, working memory capacity, and the use of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, but it had no significant effect on adaptive CERS. The promising results of the present study suggest the use of eWMT as a new intervention to improve cognitive-emotional control among individuals with online gambling problems.

A Brief Measure of Classroom Climate for Elementary School Students

Since classroom climate is inherently a group level phenomenon, we argue that measures shown to be valid and reliable in multi-level settings are needed. We propose a brief, 5-item measure of classroom climate and demonstrate its reliability and validity in multi-level structural equation models. The measure demonstrated good reliability and we also show the measure’s relationship to a key student outcome, social emotional learning (SEL) knowledge. In classrooms with higher climate levels, fourth grade students are more likely to have higher SEL knowledge.

The Power of Social Emotional Learning: Building Self Confidence, Emotional Intelligence and Independence in Early Childhood Ages 4-5 in Preschool Abc Jakarta

The skills of selfconfidence (SC), emotional intelligence (EI), and independence (IDC) should be trained as early as possible. It is required for early childhood to have a strong foundation for their future. These skills can be learned and trained using the RULER approach with the method of Mood Meter. The purpose of this study is to observe any difference in the levels of these skills after undergoing the Mood Meter. This research is conducted in children aged 4-5 in Preschool ABC Jakarta with 9 participants in total consisting of 6 girls and 3 boys. The methods used in the research are quasi-experimental with one group pre and posttest. A t-test and N-gain were conducted for the hypothesis testing. Results show moderate effectiveness in increasing SC, particularly in areas like perseverance and participation. EI also showed a moderate increase, with students displaying more internal motivation. However, the biggest impact was on IDC, with students demonstrating significantly higher levels of responsibility and personal care. The Mood Meter likely helped students manage their emotions and understand routines, leading to better classroom behaviour and adjustment.

How to Improve the High School Students' Foreign Language Enjoyment?

Foreign language enjoyment (FLE) has been the cornerstone of the recent positive psychology in foreign language (FL) learning movement. Introduced by Dewaele and MacIntyre (2014), FLE can be defined as a broad positive emotion experienced by FL learners when their psychological needs are met in the FL classroom. It represents the first foray into quantifying positive emotions in FL research since it was introduced in 2014. In recent years, many scholars have linked positive psychology with education and teaching to explore the impact of positive psychology on students' learning. As a language, English can be used not only to communicate but also to express feelings and thoughts. Highschool English teaching should not only let students master the basic language knowledge and skills, but also cultivate students' emotional values. However, high school English teaching has the characteristics of boredom, complexity and comprehensiveness, so many students show negative emotions in learning, and some students even have psychological problems. Therefore, the author in this study puts forward some ways to improve the FLE according to the characteristics of high school English.

Exploring the Impact of Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) through Children’s Literature

Exploring the Impact of Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) through Children’s Literature

Hands-on training: Effects on virtual presence, learning-centered emotions, cognitive load and learning outcome when learning with virtual reality

The effect of highly immersive virtual reality (VR) on learning is mixed, partly due to technical challenges with VR equipment like head-mounted displays (HMDs) and control devices. These can distract learners from the learning environment and its relevant learning material within. This challenge might cause lower virtual presence, higher negative emotions, and extraneous cognitive (working memory) load; all of which have a negative impact on learning outcome. This study investigates whether hands-on training of the interface improves virtual presence, learning emotions, cognitive load and learning outcomes when learning about chemistry in an immersive VR environment. Seventy-six eighth graders participated in a between-subjects design (hands-on training vs. no training). The results show that pupils with hands-on training (n = 38) showed significantly higher virtual presence, lower extraneous cognitive load and higher learning outcomes than those without any initial hands-on training (n = 38). However, no significant differences in pupils’ learning emotions and in intrinsic and germane cognitive load were found. Implications for the design of highly immersive VR environments are discussed from both a cognitive and an affective perspective.

Disrupted basolateral amygdala circuits supports negative valence bias in depressive states

Negative bias is an essential characteristic of depressive episodes leading patients to attribute more negative valence to environmental cues. This negative bias affects all levels of information processing including emotional response, attention and memory, leading to the development and maintenance of depressive symptoms. In this context, pleasant stimuli become less attractive and unpleasant ones more aversive, yet the related neural circuits underlying this bias remain largely unknown. By studying a mice model for depression chronically receiving corticosterone (CORT), we showed a negative bias in valence attribution to olfactory stimuli that responds to antidepressant drug. This result paralleled the alterations in odor value assignment we observed in bipolar depressed patients. Given the crucial role of amygdala in valence coding and its strong link with depression, we hypothesized that basolateral amygdala (BLA) circuits alterations might support negative shift associated with depressive states. Contrary to humans, where limits in spatial resolution of imaging tools impair easy amygdala segmentation, recently unravelled specific BLA circuits implicated in negative and positive valence attribution could be studied in mice. Combining CTB and rabies-based tracing with ex vivo measurements of neuronal activity, we demonstrated that negative valence bias is supported by disrupted activity of specific BLA circuits during depressive states. Chronic CORT administration induced decreased recruitment of BLA-to-NAc neurons preferentially involved in positive valence encoding, while increasing recruitment of BLA-to-CeA neurons preferentially involved in negative valence encoding. Importantly, this dysfunction was dampened by chemogenetic hyperactivation of BLA-to-NAc neurons. Moreover, altered BLA activity correlated with durable presynaptic connectivity changes coming from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, recently demonstrated as orchestrating valence assignment in the amygdala. Together, our findings suggest that specific BLA circuits alterations might support negative bias in depressive states and provide new avenues for translational research to understand the mechanisms underlying depression and treatment efficacy.

Success and failure at implementing cognitive reappraisal modulates the magnitude of the emotional memory trade-off effect.

Success and failure at implementing cognitive reappraisal modulates the magnitude of the emotional memory trade-off effect.

Learning emotion regulation: An integrative framework.

Learning emotion regulation: An integrative framework.

Evidencia de estrategias de desarrollo de habilidades socioemocionales y su impacto en el aprendizaje y el ajuste escolar

The objective of the study was to analyze the evidence on strategies for developing social-emotional skills and their impact on learning and school adjustment. A literature review was conducted of 25 scientific articles that addressed teaching strategies, programs, and theoretical approaches. The inclusion criteria were: publications in Spanish and English, empirical studies published between 2020 and 2024, that discussed strategies or programs for developing social-emotional skills in educational contexts, and that analyzed the impact of these strategies on student learning and/or school adjustment. The systematic search for studies was conducted in the databases: Scopus, Dialnet, and Google Scholar, considering the keywords “social-emotional learning,” “emotional intelligence,” “academic performance,” “school adjustment,” among others. Among the results, the studies support that the development of social-emotional skills, through teaching strategies such as social and emotional learning, positively impacts learning, school adaptation, and student well-being. These strategies strengthen key dimensions of emotional intelligence, such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. It is concluded that integrating the development of social-emotional skills into the school curriculum is relevant, through the implementation of comprehensive programs and teaching strategies that involve students, teachers, families, and communities. This contributes to the formation of more resilient students, with better self-regulation and adaptation skills, which results in more effective learning and school adjustment.

The Effect of Mindfulness-Based SEL Programs on Reducing Stress and Improving Mental Health in Adolescents in Jordan

This study employed quantitative methodologies to investigate the impact of a 12-week mindfulness-based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program on lowering stress and improving mental well-being in a sample of 300 adolescents from Jordan. The study employed a stratified random sampling strategy to choose participants from diverse urban and rural populations. Data was collected utilizing the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The data evaluation involved the use of descriptive statistics, paired-sample t-tests, regression analysis, and an Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results indicate a significant decrease in stress levels and positive changes in mental health outcomes following the intervention. The regression analysis revealed that age was a likely predictor of changes in stress levels, indicating that older persons saw more significant declines. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated significant gender-specific discrepancies in the impacts of the intervention. Independent samples t-tests revealed statistically significant variations in the average rankings across specific age groups and school environments. Proposed measures include implementing mindfulness-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs in school systems, tailoring treatments to suit different demographic groups, examining gender-specific factors, and advocating for policy integration. Performing a longitudinal study is typically advised to assess the long-term sustainability of intervention results.

The Relationship between Social and Emotional Competencies and Standardized Test Scores among Elementary Schools in Saudi Arabia

This study examines the relationship between social and emotional abilities and standardized test results among elementary school students in Saudi Arabia. The data was collected using a purposive sampling strategy, with the Social and Emotional Learning Assessment Scale (SELAS) used to assess skills and actual educational material utilized to provide standardized test results. Data analysis involves the utilization of descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, regression assessment, ANCOVA, and subgroup analyses. The results indicate a robust and positive correlation between social and emotional abilities and standardized test scores. The regression evaluation demonstrates the ability of these skills to accurately predict academic achievement. The ANCOVA method finds socio-economic variables as the primary moderators. The evident existence of disparities, principally influenced by gender and grade level, highlights the necessity for interventions that are specifically tailored to address these variances. Proposed approaches include integrating comprehensive social and emotional learning activities into educational curricula, implementing targeted interventions to address socio-economic disparities, and implementing strategies customized to individual genders. Maintaining continuous surveillance and assessment is crucial for fostering a comprehensive academic environment.

Exploring the relationship between learning emotion and cognitive behaviors in a digital game

AbstractPrevious studies have primarily explored the learning effects of digital games on students from a macro perspective, mainly ignoring the fine‐grained dimensions of learners' emotions and cognition during gameplay. To enrich the study of learners' emotions and cognitions in the context of digital games, this paper conducts an empirical study using the self‐developed board game “Connect Four Chess” as a research vehicle. We semi‐automatically identify learners' emotional and cognitive behaviors within this game‐based educational context and explore the relationship between the two. The study demonstrates that high‐level learners maintained a high level of insightful emotion throughout the game, excelled at constructing strategic formations to control more significant chessboard areas, and preferred to reserve powerful pieces until the end to secure a winning advantage. Conversely, low‐level learners exhibit a predominant level of neutral emotion, especially during unrelated behaviors, and struggle to maintain a strategic overview, focusing instead on smaller, immediate gains, which hamper the application of deeper strategies.

Effects of a Social-Emotional Learning Intervention on Social-Emotional Competencies and Behavioral Problems in Elementary Students Amid COVID-19.

This study investigated whether a social-emotional learning program, implemented over a one-year period, could lead to gains in social-emotional competencies and to a reduction in internalizing and externalizing problems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the program analyzed how students (boys vs. girls) with varying levels of social-emotional competencies and externalizing and internalizing problems, and from different socioeconomic backgrounds, were differently affected. The program was applied to 358 Portuguese third- and fourth-grade students (51.4% boys, Mage = 8.56; SD = 0.82). Self-report (students) and hetero-report (teachers) questionnaires were administered before and after the intervention. Linear mixed-effects models were computed to test intervention impacts. Significant intervention gains were noted in social-emotional learning competencies, namely emotional knowledge, social competence, peer relations, self-management, and academic behavior, and in externalizing (social problems) and internalizing (anxiety) problems. No effects were found in aggressiveness. Students with lower social-emotional competencies and higher externalizing and internalizing problems at baseline profited more from the program. Gender moderated both emotional knowledge and social problems, and socioeconomic status only moderated social problems. Findings highlight the effectiveness of this social-emotional learning program, especially for students facing initial challenges. Recommendations for future research, acknowledging limitations and strengths, are discussed.

Emotional false memories: the impact of response bias under speeded retrieval conditions

ABSTRACT Emotional false memory findings using the DRM paradigm have been marked by higher false alarms to negatively arousing compared to neutral critical lure items. Explanations for these findings have mainly focused on false memory-based accounts. However, here we address the question of whether a response bias for emotional stimuli can, at least in part, explain this phenomenon. Participants viewed both neutral and negative arousing DRM lists and completed a recognition test in speeded or self-paced conditions. Speeded test reduces the opportunity to adjust response bias. Analysis showed no significant difference in false recognition across critical lure types for the speeded condition, but false recognition was higher for negative compared to neutral critical lures in the self-paced condition. We argue that when retrieval does not allow for shifts in response criteria, false alarms to negative emotional critical lures appear more similar to neutral equivalents. The discussion explores memory-based and criterion-shift explanations for the enhanced emotional false memory finding.

Emotional Conditions And Learning Achievement In Students From A National University In The Peruvian Jungle In A Context Of Return To Face-To-Face

Emotional Conditions And Learning Achievement In Students From A National University In The Peruvian Jungle In A Context Of Return To Face-To-Face

Identifying what social emotional support first-year engineering students need to overcome setbacks in lab settings: a case study

ABSTRACT Engineering has high attrition rates in the United States, especially in underrepresented subpopulations in the first year of undergraduate study. An important component of combatting attrition is better understanding what social emotional supports are needed to retain students. In this case study, five first-year engineering students were interviewed across three semi-structured sessions. Transcripts were thematically analysed using the framework developed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) to identify what social emotional learning (SEL) skills and forms of support are needed to overcome setbacks. Students shared that applying emotion regulation skills to manage frustration and relying on relationship skills to ask for help facilitated overcoming setbacks. Analysing the skills described and the desired supports students expressed within the context of the SEL framework provides a way to categorise and discuss how instructors can practically support their undergraduate engineering students in the classroom to better retain them.