Psychology Course Research Articles

Making Life Choices: An Evaluation of a University-Based Identity Intervention Program

ABSTRACT This paper reports on the evaluation of a university-based identity intervention program aimed at helping college students identify and resolve their unique identity issues. The intervention is delivered as a personal growth psychology course that is entirely online and asynchronous, and it is rooted in Erikson’s theory of life-span development. Still, it borrows heavily from the influences of existentialism, critical theory and pragmatism. Intervention outcomes from 2015 through 2023 (N = 984) are evaluated. Improvements in identity exploration and commitment were related to decreased identity distress and positive changes in self-esteem, purpose in life, locus of control, self-actualization, and ego strength. The intervention was partially based on the premise that encouraging the value of accepting personal agency and taking responsibility for one’s life would foster positive change. Improvements in feelings of control and responsibility were associated with positive movement in stages of change. Further analyses and their implications are discussed.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes: using gamification of cognitive overload to teach leadership and psychology concepts

PurposeKeep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a puzzle-based video game that allows Leadership educators to facilitate a highly interactive and behaviorally intense experience within a traditional classroom environment. In this manuscript, we discuss appropriate use cases, curricular alignments and provide a sample lesson plan outlining one way of using the game.Design/methodology/approachThe cooperative and team-based nature of this game provides opportunities to create interactive lessons on a variety of topics, such as communication, group dynamics, leadership, conflict strategies and cognitive load.FindingsOur primary reflection is that this game provides a good balance between fun engagement and rigorous learning. While deploying this game in several leadership and psychology courses, students have shown excitement and enthusiasm about playing the game, especially when we have built up some anticipation for it while discussing cognitive load theory (CLT) or other content in the classes leading up to the experience.Originality/valueThe game provides a unique behavioral experience that is useful in several different educational outlets. Fundamentally, the game provides the opportunity for creating three dynamics among small groups of students: cognitive overload, intergroup stress and conflict and communication in stressful environments. Each of these three could be applicable in various courses and curriculum.

A case study of actual versus desired inclusion of community-derived core concepts into neuroscience courses in different disciplines at a large university

Neuroscience is an inherently interdisciplinary and rapidly evolving field. While many universities have neuroscience or related majors, they are highly heterogeneous, and it is unclear how their content aligns with a recent proposal of what ideas make up the field of neuroscience. It is therefore important to document and assess the alignment of neuroscience curricula with core concepts in the field. Recently, a large effort by some members of the neuroscience education community described eight core concepts for undergraduate neuroscience curricula. In this paper, we focus primarily on courses in biology, cognitive science, and psychology at a large university, surveying the recent and current course instructors of these courses to ask them (1) to what extent these community-derived core concepts are incorporated into their classes and (2) to what extent these concepts should be incorporated into their classes. In addition, we map core concepts onto course syllabi. We found that core concepts are well-represented across disciplines, and identified differences between departments' inclusion of core concepts. We found that instructors cover fewer core concepts than they desire, and that two core concepts, “Evolution” and “Gene-environment interactions”, were less frequently addressed across disciplines. We consider barriers to instructors' ability to align course content with core concepts, both within and across disciplines. In this effort, we provide an example of how departments can evaluate their alignment of major requirements with the neuroscience core concepts.

“I Felt More Mentally Present”: Examining Student Metacognitive Skills, Perceived Stress, and Academic Resilience Before and After a Classroom Mindfulness Intervention

Mindfulness interventions continue to be a recommendation for improving student well-being, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in student-reported mental health challenges. However, in the abundance of research supporting these recommendations, fewer studies have integrated mindfulness into college classrooms. This study reports on a 6-week classroom mindfulness intervention in an introductory psychology course. Students (N = 91) completed pre- and post-intervention measures of mindfulness, metacognitive ability, perceived stress, and academic resilience, as well as open-ended items about their perceptions of the intervention. Mindfulness and metacognitive ability were significantly higher post-intervention, but not perceived stress and academic resilience. More frequent in-class practice predicted greater post-intervention changes in mindfulness, metacognitive ability, and perceived stress. Perceptions of the intervention were mixed, consistent with prior research showing mindfulness interventions are not universally well-received. Implications and recommendations for classroom use are discussed.

Explore, Plan, Succeed!: A Career Development Study

This experiment aligns with the career construction theory, which emphasizes the importance of adaptability in navigating career transitions (Savickas, 2005). Data from 297 students enrolled in introductory psychology courses at Carleton University were assessed using hierarchical regression analyses to explore the effects of demographics (i.e., job number, job status, GPA, year of study), parental career-related behaviors (i.e., support, interference, and non-engagement) and participation in a brief planning intervention on career curiosity, career adaptability, career anxiety, and decision-making self-efficacy. This study further explored the relationship between these career attitudinal outcomes. Results indicated a significant role of specific parental career-related behaviors in developing confidence in decision-making. The development of career adaptability resources also explained variance in students' career decision-making self-efficacy and career anxiety. Our findings contribute to the career development literature and provide insights for academics and career professionals.

Personality, Parents, & Planning: Predicting Career Attitudinal Outcomes in Undergraduate Students

Personality, parental career-related behaviors, and career construction-based interventions have been shown to impact career adaptability. This study examined the influence of these factors on career concern, an understudied but important dimension of career adaptability, and career anxiety. Data from 297 students enrolled in introductory psychology courses were assessed using hierarchical regression analyses to explore the effects of personality factors (i.e., conscientiousness and neuroticism), parental career-related behaviors (i.e., support, interference, and non-engagement), and participation in a brief planning intervention on career concern and career anxiety. This study further explored the relationship between these career attitudinal outcomes and life satisfaction. Results indicated a significant role of personality factors and specific parental career-related behaviors in career concern and career anxiety. Career concern and conscientiousness also played significant predictive roles in life satisfaction. Our findings contribute to the career development literature and provide insights for both academics and career professionals.

Perception and Social Impact of Blackboard-Based Online Learning in a Psychology Course: Al-Qunfudhah Medical Students' Opinion.

Online learning was considered a novel method of teaching that affects university lifestyle and health. This study focused on online perception of Al-Qunfudhah medical students during psychology course learning and the effect of online teaching on social life. Fifth-year students participated in an online psychology course. The online questionnaire consisted of 15 questions: three for demographic distribution, seven to assess online perception, and five to measure the effect of online teaching on students' social health. Questionnaire validity was checked by a preliminary pilot study, and Cronbach's alphawas used to assess internal consistency.A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Seventy-five (83.3%) students participated in the study: 48 (64%) female and 27 (36%) male. Fifty-eight (77.3%) medical students documented a good perception of online learning of a psychology undergraduate course, whereas 17 (22.7%) had a poor perception. Additionally, 29 (78.4%)female students reported online teaching had a significant effect on their social and psychological health (p < 0.010), whereas eight (21.6%) male students showed that online teaching does not affect their social life. Al-Qunfudhah medical students, both men and women, highly participated in the psychology course online learning; however, female students were socially and psychologically affected by online learning more than male students.

Does taking a health psychology course increase health self-efficacy and decrease psychological stress?

Does taking a health psychology course increase health self-efficacy and decrease psychological stress?

Effects of Psychological Training on Competitive Fencing Outcomes

This study assesses how psychological training affects Fencing competition results, with a particular emphasis on improving cognitive skills and overall performance. Psychological techniques like stress reduction, mindfulness, and visualization have been shown to help with decision-making, focus, and emotional regulation in a variety of sports, including Fencing. Twenty fencers, ages 17 to 20, participated in the study and completed a six-month psychological training course. The findings show that psychological training greatly improves competitive performance as measured by improved response times, win/loss ratios, and psychological evaluations. These results support earlier studies and imply that regular athletic preparation can greatly benefit from the inclusion of psychological training. The brief training period and small sample size are limitations that call for additional research on long-term effects and a variety of participant groups.

The Efficacy of GenAI Tools in Postsecondary Education

In postsecondary education institutions, where innovative technologies continually reshape research and pedagogical approaches, the integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools presents promising avenues for enhancing student learning experiences. This study assesses the efficacy of integrating GenAI tools, specifically chatbots, to ameliorate learning outcomes and mitigate test anxiety among postsecondary students. Within the context of an introductory psychology course, 40 participants engaged with chatbots as supplementary “study confidantes” for exam preparation and as facilitators for an essay grading task. The results from surveys administered to the participants indicated that most students found the chatbots helpful in aiding comprehension of course materials. Moreover, a substantial proportion of respondents reported an enhanced understanding of how to structure an academic paper because of their essay grading activity. Despite the favourable perception of chatbot assistance with learning course material and fostering insights into structuring scholarly essays, no discernible alterations in the levels of test anxiety among students were observed. Overall, this research underscores the latent potential of chatbots as pedagogical adjuncts, furnishing instructive insights for educators aiming to innovate instructional methodologies and optimize student learning paradigms within the domain of postsecondary education. Keywords: GenAI tools, assessments, learning outcomes

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Psychological Flexibility Trainingon Enhancing Career Adaptability in High School Students

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a psychological flexibility training course based on the Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) DNA-V model in enhancing psychological flexibility and career adaptability among high school students, and to offer a reference for psychological health services. Methods: Collaborating with a high school in Chengdu, 110 second-year students were randomly assigned into three groups: a DNA-V face-to-face group (33 students), a DNA-V online group (40 students), and a control group receiving standard psychological education (37 students). The intervention consisted of a six-session course, with assessments using the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth and the Career Adaptability Scale conducted before, one week after, and two months after the sessions. Results: Data analyzed via linear mixed models showed that the face-to-face group experienced significant improvements in psychological flexibility and career adaptability at one week and two months post-intervention (P&lt;0.01), with no significant changes noted between these two times. The online group saw no significant changes, and the control group s gains reverted to baseline after two months. Conclusion: The face-to-face DNA-V course effectively enhanced psychological flexibility and career adaptability for at least two months, underscoring its potential for integration into student mental health programs.

Children’s rights in action: involving care-experienced individuals in academic lessons

ABSTRACT Focusing on children’s right to participate, as outlined in Article 12 of the 1989 Children’s Rights Convention, there is a growing body of research on involving children and young people in participatory practices in institutional meetings, everyday life, and peer research. However, fewer are the initiatives involving care-experienced young people in social work and educational professional training, as well as in academic education. Building on these considerations, this article describes the involvement of two care experienced young women coming from alternative care experiences within the Course of Work and Organizational Psychology, Social Work BA, Sapienza, University of Rome, Italy. Drawing on ethnographic notes taken during co-planning, co-delivering, and receiving feedback, I critically reflect on the methodological challenges and necessary psychological considerations of such initiatives, paving the way for future participatory training and academic opportunities for social workers.

A digital positive psychology intervention for college student mental health and health behaviors

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a 10-week positive psychology course on college student stress, anxiety, self-compassion, resilience and health behaviors.Design/methodology/approachThis study implemented a 10-week positive psychology program that included ten one-week modules. Each module consisted of a reading on a given positive psychology topic, a guided learning slideshow, a video to reinforce topical understanding and individual reflection or application exercises. Participants completed pre and postintervention measures, including the perceived stress scale, generalized anxiety disorder-7, self-compassion scale, brief resilience scale and wellness behavior inventory.FindingsA total of 48 students consented to participate in the study, of which 35 completed the 10-week positive psychology online intervention as well as the pre and postsurveys (27.1% attrition rate). There were no statistically significant differences between pre and postresponses for any of the outcome scales. However, there was a trend toward a decrease in perceived stress and generalized anxiety, as well as a trend toward an increase in self-compassion and health behaviors from pre to posttest.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this study was design and sample size. Although it was a pilot study, future research should consider a randomized control trial, including pre and postevaluation and blind comparison group. Finally, this intervention was only implemented in the online, asynchronous format. Future research might consider comparing face-to-face, asynchronous online and synchronous online modalities.Practical implicationsFuture implementation should include a more rigorous design, such as a comparison group with randomization as well as a larger sample size.Social implicationsGiven the previous effectiveness of positive psychological interventions on health behaviors, continued research may use direct measures of health behavior engagement throughout the intervention (Biber and Ellis, 2019). This study provides other researchers and practitioners with a model for utilization with middle, high and university students.Originality/valueThis study used open-access content that was free of charge to students to promote positive mental health and health behavior change.

AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDER (TEA)

This article was prepared as a final product of the Psychology Course at the Faculdade Venda Nova do Imigrante - FAVINI, for this purpose, a bibliographic and documentary study was carried out on the theme chosen by the student. The objective of the study was to understand the concept of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the possible mediations in socialization, learning and quality of life of individuals with ASD. The deepening of knowledge opens up a series of possibilities for methodologies of interaction, support, cognitive and social development of the person in question, as well as their family members and/or guardians. Rapid diagnosis is of great value for the development of the individual’s potential and social inclusion. The educational practice in people with ASD still needs to go a long way to actually guarantee their inclusion and develop their autonomy.

Modeling Group Discourse with Epistemic Network Analysis: Unpacking Connections, Perspectives, and Individual Contributions

AbstractOperationalizing and modeling group talk has proved to be a consistent challenge in educational research. In this paper, we suggest that epistemic network analysis (ENA) could provide unique insights concerning group talk. Specifically, we use ENA to model the talk orientations put forward in the Exploratory Talk framework (Cumulative, Disputational, Exploratory). Participants (n = 60, 67% female, 33% male) were undergraduate students in an Introduction to Psychology course who took part in three 90-min collaborative online tasks. We coded student discourse according to a set of basic communicative acts reflective of the Exploratory Talk framework. Then, using ENA, we identified different groups’ patterns of discourse at the group and individual level. Presenting the epistemic networks of four purposefully chosen groups, this paper offers three key contributions to modeling and conceptualizing group dialogue: (1) illustrating how ENA could offer new ways to analyze group talk by focusing on the frequency of co-occurrence of connections between a basic set of communicate acts rather than the different communicative acts used; (2) refining the theoretical conceptualization of Exploratory Talk by distinguishing two sub-variations—other-oriented vs. self-oriented Exploratory Talk—that differ according to the depth of engagement with other perspectives; (3) examining how ENA allows unpacking diverging dynamics of individual contributions to group discourse, focusing on the role of individuals that function as “instigators” or “connectors.”

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGE OF PSYCHOLOGY: CREATING AN INTEGRATIVE BILINGUAL ENVIRONMENT FOR TEACHING STUDENTS

Language acquisition and learning play a special part in any child’s cognitive and linguistic development. The younger the children are, the deeper insight into psychology it takes. Academic subject Foreign language learning at young learners’ age is grounded in psychology and psycholinguistics, as one of the EMI-based[1] courses within the ELM programme of the Faculty of Education in Belgrade. We investigated, through focus-group interviews, our students’ (N=32) experience with psychology and language teaching courses to see how they prepare for work with children. The results confirm that integrative courses largely support their personal and professional growth from academic bilinguals to responsible and caring teachers of young learners. [1] English Medium Instruction – the use of English to teach academic subjects other than English itself in countries where the first language of the majority of the population is not English. (https://www.education.ox.ac.uk › research-groups › emi) [Accessed February 2024]

Exploration of the Curriculum Reform Path in the Period of High-Quality Development of University Educational Psychology

The theoretical and applied characteristics of educational psychology courses in colleges and universities are prominent, and actively promoting curriculum reform is more conducive to promoting the implementation of talent training goals, which is in line with the practical needs of social development for high-quality talents. However, curriculum reform is a systematic project, which involves the innovation of curriculum content systems, teaching methods, teaching evaluations, and so on. This paper mainly expounds on the curriculum reform path in the period of high-quality development of educational psychology in colleges and universities, hoping to play a reference role in improving the level of education management.

Distinguishing genuine from simulated dissociative identity disorder using the Morel Emotional Numbing Test.

Few studies have identified validity tests that are appropriate for use in individuals with dissociative identity disorder (DID). This study investigated whether the Morel Emotional Numbing Test (MENT) could distinguish between genuine and simulated DID. Thirty-five participants with DID diagnosed via a semistructured interview were compared to 88 participants taking an abnormal psychology course who were instructed to simulate DID. Group comparison analyses were conducted to examine differences in the MENT errors. Univariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses examined how well the MENT errors discriminated between groups and identified a cutoff optimizing sensitivity while maintaining high specificity. Simulators had significantly more errors across all three MENT sets compared to genuine DID participants. The total number of MENT errors across sets most strongly and significantly predicted genuine versus simulated DID groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses indicated that the MENT could discriminate between genuine and simulated DID with outstanding classification accuracy (area under the curve = .95). A cutoff of ≥ 10 total errors on the MENT yielded an optimal balance of sensitivity (.86) and specificity (.94). However, the previously defined cutoff of ≥ 8 total errors also demonstrated high sensitivity (.87) and specificity (.89). Findings provide preliminary evidence for the MENT as a validity test for DID populations. Although the commonly used cutoff of ≥ 8 errors on the MENT demonstrated excellent psychometric properties, we recommend using a cutoff of ≥ 10 errors for individuals with DID to minimize the risk of false positives while maintaining strong sensitivity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Widening access to older people’s clinical psychology: Piloting a summer shadowing programme in older adults services

Within recent years, there has been an expansion of UK clinical psychology courses, additional psychological professions and increased attention to psychological wellbeing as part of the NHS Long Term Plan (NHS England, 2019). It has been an energetic time for clinical psychology and in turn, older adult clinical psychology. However, despite the expansion of training places, pervasive social inequalities have meant that for some a career in clinical psychology is less accessible, meaning that the psychology workforce is less diverse. This, in combination with lack of parity in investment for Older Adult Services, can mean older adults’ access to more representative psychological professionals remain hindered. The current paper explores a recent shadowing programme that our small psychology team and older adults’ mental health team piloted in the summer of 2023. Eight female students were able to complete the programme and provided insightful feedback on the experience. We reflect on future learnings and recommendations of setting up such projects in older adult services.

Self-Compassion is Associated with Improved Well-Being and Healthier Cortisol Profiles in Undergraduate Students

ObjectivesStress is highly prevalent in college students. Self-compassion, the tendency to respond in a caring manner to one’s own suffering or failures, reduces psychological distress and promotes mental health. Self-compassion may also influence physiological manifestations of stress; however, research is limited. Among undergraduate students over the course of an academic semester, we explored the associations of self-compassion with stress-related psychological variables including measures of affect, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. We also examined daily patterns of salivary cortisol over four days: diurnal slope, mean, and day-to-day cortisol rhythm stability.MethodThis sample of undergraduate students from introductory psychology courses in a large United States Midwestern university was predominantly non-Hispanic White (71.2%) and female (86.4%). All data were collected prior to final exams. After providing baseline psychosocial data, participants engaged in a 2-week mindfulness intervention: They were provided an iPod loaded with audio tracks based on the well-known Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction intervention, but received no face-to-face instruction. Fifty-nine participants provided self-report demographic and medical data and completed the saliva sampling regimen over the first 4 days of the intervention. Diurnal salivary cortisol was assessed immediately after waking and again at bedtime over four consecutive days.ResultsHierarchical multiple regressions replicated previous findings showing that self-compassion is associated with higher positive and lower negative affect, lower perceived stress, and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. Regression models controlling for oral contraception and tobacco use revealed a positive association of self-compassion with healthy cortisol profiles marked by steeper diurnal cortisol slopes and increased regularity of the inter-daily cortisol slope.ConclusionsThese results confirm that self-compassion may be protective against the psychological and physiological manifestations of stress in college. Kind and compassionate responses to one’s own struggles may shield students from the adverse effects of stress. The potential mechanisms underlying these associations are worthy of future research.PreregistrationThis study is not preregistered.