Psychology Students Research Articles

Validation of the Attitude Scale towards Statistics in Mexican psychology students

El modelo de cinco factores de la Escala de Actitud hacia la Estadística (EAE-25) propuesta por Auzmendi (1992) para medir la predisposición de los alumnos hacia los contenidos estadísticos ha sido cuestionada en distintas investigaciones. El propósito de este estudio fue analizar las propiedades psicométricas de la EAE-25 en una muestra de 291 estudiantes mexicanos de la licenciatura en Psicología. La validez y confiabilidad de la escala fueron examinadas mediante Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio (AFC) y el alfa de Cronbach. Los resultados del AFC muestran indicios parciales de estabilidad, cinco ítems fueron eliminados, pero permanecen los cinco factores originales. La escala así configurada muestra una consistencia interna aceptable, los ítems se relacionan positivamente entre sí en cada factor y cada ítem discrimina a los universitarios de acuerdo con su actitud favorable y desfavorable hacia la estadística, así como a los de rendimiento alto de los de rendimiento bajo.

Psychology Students’ Experiences of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination as an Assessment of Professional Skills in Psychology

A challenge for professional psychology programs is the assessment of students’ professional competence. Despite its potential, objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has not gained widespread use in the psychological field. However, at Umeå University and Örebro University in Sweden, the OSCE has been introduced at the Clinical psychology programs to assess professional competence. The aim of this study was to explore students’ perceptions of whether and how, preparing for and performing the OSCE benefits their professional learning and prepares them for clinical practice. A web-based questionnaire was administered to 88 psychology students who completed the OSCE and field training. Most of the students perceived the OSCE as a valuable experience that benefits their learning. The OSCE prepared them for clinical practice through practical hands-on training, and by providing essential experience in client interaction, increasing students’ confidence in the role as a psychologist. Students also reported that feedback from the OSCE was crucial for their ongoing learning, but that the authenticity of the examination can be improved. Based on these findings, recommendations for future OSCEs in professional psychology include appropriate preparations, providing constructive feedback as well as striving for high authenticity in the tasks of the OSCE stations.

Exploring statistics anxiety and self-efficacy in psychology undergraduate students

Statistics anxiety is experienced by a large proportion of psychology students, even though conducting statistical analyses is a fundamental skill for students to acquire. The research on statistics anxiety has tended to explore either dispositional factors (e.g. personality) or situational factors (e.g. teacher effects). One potential predictor that has not yet been considered is statistical self-efficacy; the belief that one can successfully complete statistical tasks. The present study aims to clarify whether statistical self-efficacy is a predictor of any aspects of statistics anxiety in psychology students. In this study 100 undergraduate students (89% female identifying), in the second and third (final) year of a psychology degree in the UK, completed the Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS), the Statistics Self-efficacy scale (SSE), and a measure of trait anxiety. A hierarchical regression showed a significant negative relationship between statistical self-efficacy and all aspects of statistics anxiety, showing that students who are more confident in their statistical skills experience less statistics anxiety. Findings are discussed in relation to both understanding statistics anxiety and developing interventions to alleviate statistics anxiety, such as mentoring for students with diagnosed clinical anxiety conditions or interventions that aim to improve a student’s self-efficacy.

Loneliness among first-year university students: Evaluating a peer support intervention

Loneliness is a subjective feeling of isolation or lack of companionship that is distinct from anxiety and depression. Loneliness is a significant problem for students that not only affects their wellbeing but also their ability to learn at university. Using a pre-registered protocol, this study investigated the effectiveness of a peer support intervention to ease the transition of first-year students to university life and reduce loneliness. First-year Psychology students were randomly allocated to the peer support intervention (n=20) or a no-intervention control group (n=32). Self-ratings of loneliness and wellbeing were obtained at baseline and 6 months later using the UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3 and the General Population – Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (GP-CORE) questionnaires respectively. Despite high initial levels of loneliness, both the intervention and control groups exhibited a significant reduction over time, possibly reflecting the students’ adaptability to new social settings. However, wellbeing concerns remained persistent, highlighting that loneliness and wellbeing may require distinct approaches. The peer support intervention did not produce significant improvements, calling for more structured and effective strategies. The study also faced limitations due to low participant engagement, suggesting the need for additional motivational factors to enhance uptake of the peer support intervention.

The Role of Diagnostic Models in Prejudice Toward People With Borderline Personality Disorder: An Experimental Investigation.

We tested whether dimensional personality disorder models such as the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) cause less prejudice toward people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) than categorical models, and we sought to identify the mechanisms underpinning this reduction in prejudice. Undergraduate psychology students (n = 183) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (AMPD, categorical, control) and given descriptive information about BPD. Participants in the AMPD and categorical conditions also received a presentation about their respective BPD diagnostic criteria. Students in all conditions then completed a survey assessing their prejudice toward people with BPD. There was no difference between conditions on overall prejudice toward people with BPD. However, the AMPD increased continuum beliefs and decreased categorical beliefs, and these, in turn, affected perceptions of people with BPD as ingroup members, which indirectly reduced prejudice. We have identified pathways through which the AMPD indirectly reduces prejudice toward people with BPD.

Relationship between Meaning in Life and Psychological Well-Being among First-Year Counseling Psychology Students at Selected Private Universities in Nairobi County, Keny

Relationship between Meaning in Life and Psychological Well-Being among First-Year Counseling Psychology Students at Selected Private Universities in Nairobi County, Keny

Interpersonal Skills And Cooperative Learning In Psychology Students Of A Private University In Guayaquil, 2023

The objective of this document is to propose a training plan based on the development of interpersonal skills with the aim of fostering cooperative learning among psychology students at a private university in Guayaquil in 2023. The research was conducted using a non-experimental design, which entailed observing and evaluating the variables or phenomena under investigation without any manipulation. The research findings indicate that inter-institutional alliances facilitate the expansion and enhancement of future psychologists' and professionals' competencies, offering them experiential learning opportunities in authentic work environments. The provision of internships in companies that offer training in this regard will be pivotal in complementing the academic training of students and better preparing them to address the issues they would encounter in professional practice. In this way, the university will not only fulfill its obligation to train competent professionals but will also become an agent of constructive social change.

Measuring intellectual extremism among psychological counseling students

This current research aims to identify intellectual extremism among psychological counseling students, according to the variable (gender, geographical location, academic stages), and to achieve the research objectives, the researchers built a scale of intellectual extremism consisting of (30) paragraphs in (5) areas after conducting a statistical analysis of the scale after applying it to a sample of (150) male and female students, all paragraphs of the scale were distinctive, and the psychometric characteristics of validity and reliability were conducted, and thus it became in its final form, and it was applied to a sample of psychological counseling students of (265 male and female students, with (41) male students and (84) female students from the University of Basra and (76) male students (74) female students from Al-Mustansiriya University, and the results showed that counseling students Psychologically, they are characterized by intellectual extremism, and there are statistically significant differences on the gender variable, and the difference was in favor of males at the expense of females, and there are no statistically significant differences according to the variable of educational stages.

Correlation Between Intensity of Instagram Social Media User and Narcissism in Generation Z

Indonesia ranks ninth out of ten countries with an average of 3 hours and 11 minutes of social media usage per day. The Z generation uses Instagram extensively. Generation Z uses this platform to update themselves and get praise from others. This study aims to find out the relationship between the intensity of social media use on Instagram and narcissism in Generation Z. This type of research involves quantitative correlation with a cluster sample consisting of 157 active psychology students at Sumbawa University of Technology. The results show a positive relationship between the two variables with a very strong coefficient value of 0.880, which indicates that the higher the intensity, the higher narcissism, and so is the other way

Cultivating Positivity Role of Gratitude and Psychological Well-Being among Undergraduate Psychology Students

Positive psychology emphasizes the significance of personal positive qualities such as gratitude, for human well-being. Gratitude is linked to greater perceptions of support and stronger social relationships. The purpose of the study is to examine the correlation between gratitude and psychological well-being among undergraduate psychology students (N = 224). A quantitative correlational design was employed, utilizing online surveys distributed through Google Forms. The Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6) assessed gratitude, and a shortened version of the Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale measured psychological well-being. Descriptive statistics were computed for gratitude and psychological well-being, and a Pearson correlation coefficient was employed to analyse the research questions. Results have shown a weak positive correlation between gratitude and psychological well-being, suggesting that gratitude may be a significant factor influencing the well-being of undergraduate psychology students. This study helps to learn more about gratitude's role in this specific population and may inform interventions to promote well-being among future mental health professionals.

The game as a methodological means of training students of humanities at the university

The article is written in the context of an integrative approach to psychology that combines methods for studying personality and group from different areas of human knowledge, contributing to the creation of a comprehensive psychosocial methodological apparatus aimed at studying the process of providing social and psychological support and assistance in an individual and group format. The article reveals the essence of a psychological game as a resource that contributes to the formation and development of professionally significant personal qualities and skills of university students majoring in the humanities (psychology students). In the course of the study, we proved the possibility of developing empathy in students with the help of psychological game practices in the educational environment of the university. Conceptualization of the definitions of the phenomena of the emotional sphere of personality functioning in bachelors of the 1st and 2nd years of study was carried out. The effectiveness of the development of game materials was assessed: bingo sheets and emotionally rich dialogues, as a stimulus material for recognizing emotions. A methodological justification for the effective use of gamification technologies in the educational process at the university is given. As a result of the empirical study, the training focus of the developed game «Empati-Bingo» was determined, prospects for improving the stimulus material, the possibilities of diagnosing the level of empathy development in students using game tools were determined. It was revealed that the psychological game «Empati-Bingo» requires a high level of empathy development in its leaders. The accuracy of recognition and determination of emotion can reflect the level of development of the cognitive component of empathy as a component of emotional intelligence. To improve the internal validity of the psychological game, the range of emotions that were proposed to be defined was expanded for the declared constructs of emotion and emotional intelligence: dialogues containing negative emotions were added, some emotionally neutral situations arising in interpersonal interaction were removed, which made the stimulus material more understandable for the game participants.

Investigating the effects of a utility value manipulation on attention: combining self-report and neuronal measures

Utility value interventions are one approach to promote students’ interest experience and performance. It is unexplored how utility value interventions affect attention besides enjoyment and perceived value as important aspect of interest experience. The present research investigated the effects of a directly-communicated utility value intervention on students’ enjoyment, perceived value, performance and self-reported and neuronal attention (EEG alpha-band activity). In a first study, 139 psychology students watched a video-taped mathematics lecture online. The lecture emphasized the utility value of logarithms to psychology students by drawing on examples from psychology (nEG = 70). Examples from natural sciences were used in the control group (nCG = 69). In a second experiment with 52 psychology students (nEG = 23, nCG = 29) the same intervention was tested in a laboratory setting while the students’ electroencephalogram was recorded. The utility value intervention increased students’ perceived value in both settings. No main effect for any other outcome was found.

Comparison of Virtual Reality Exergames and Nature Videos on Attentional Performance: A Single-Session Study.

This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of a single session of a VR exergame (Beat Saber) and a VR nature video (Ireland 4K) on attentional performance, using the Flanker and Attentional Blink (AB) tasks. The objective was to assess whether these VR interventions could enhance attentional control, as measured by improvements in response times and accuracy. A total of 39 psychology students, aged 19-25, were randomly assigned to one of three groups: VR exergame, VR nature video, or control. Participants completed the Flanker and AB tasks before and after the intervention. A repeated measures design was employed to analyze changes in response times and accuracy across pre- and post-test sessions. The study revealed significant improvements in response times and accuracy across all groups in the post-test measures, indicating a strong training effect. In the AB task, shorter stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) led to decreased accuracy and slower response times, emphasizing the difficulty in processing closely spaced targets. The interaction between Type and Group in response times for target stimuli suggested that the intervention types differentially influenced processing speed in specific conditions. The findings suggest that while brief VR interventions did not produce significant differences between groups, the training effect observed highlights the influence of task-specific factors such as SOA and target presence. Further research is needed to explore whether longer or repeated VR sessions, as well as the optimization of task-specific parameters, might lead to more pronounced cognitive benefits.

Identificación de Indicadores de TEPT y su Relación con el Sexo y las Estrategias de Afrontamiento en Estudiantes de Psicología

Abstract Coping strategies play a role in protecting well-being, which is why the presence of indicators of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the use of coping strategies were identified in psychology students. The study follows a non-experimental cross-sectional observational design with intentional, non-probabilistic quota sampling, involving 60 psychology students. 40% of the evaluated population presents PTSD, and the coping styles employed most frequently are religion, emotional avoidance, aggressive reaction, and social support. No significant relationship is found between PTSD diagnosis and the variables of gender and coping style. It is concluded that student gender and coping style do not exhibit an association with PTSD diagnosis.

University Support for Coping with Studying During the Fourth Wave of the Pandemic: A Thematic Analysis of Student Perspectives

This qualitative study, conducted in Poland in January 2022, drew upon the experiences of final semester master’s degree psychology students. Amidst record-high case numbers, these students were asked to provide written statements discussing the stress they experienced in relation to studying during the pandemic and what the university as an organization should offer to support students in coping. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis to identify and interpret patterns regarding the reported stress and proposed solutions for coping. This study spotlighted health concerns, technostress, communication challenges, and the diminished human contact as key sources of stress in remote learning environments. Findings further indicated that stress management could be significantly improved through the proper organization and prompt communication of changes in teaching and examination modes. Furthermore, a clear definition of course requirements and conditions for credit, combined with avenues for student input, emerged as an essential aspect of the university's approach. The study recommends the development of stress management and well-being courses, organization of additional instructor-student meetings, and promotion of social activities to combat isolation. It also underscored the necessity of accessible psychological support, highlighting the potential benefits of interventions such as mindfulness programs. The implementation of these suggestions aims to foster the development of resilient, adaptive, and successful individuals prepared to face the challenges of an increasingly interconnected and technologically-driven world.

Доброта и сострадание в оптике новой психологической нормальности

The introduction substantiates the relevance of studying the modes of prosocial behavior in the conditions of new psychological normal, conditioned by informatization and digitalization of society, breaking of habitual behavioral algorithms during the pandemic, adjustment of rules and norms of interaction. Theoretical analysis and earlier studies allow us to differentiate compassion and kindness in terms of motives, goals and results of prosocial behavior: if compassion is associated with empathic connection, sympathy, resonant co-tuning with the Other, providing him with his own resources, kindness is interpreted as voluntary acceptance of responsibility for the present and future of the Other through the mobilization of his resources. Empirical analysis. The objective of this research is to study compassion and kindness as different modes of prosocial behavior from the point of view of their typicality and significance in the behavioral repertoire of modern students, the possibility of adequate recognition depending on the location of the Other on the scale “Acquaintance – Stranger”. Participants: psychology students (N = 76; M = 24.4; SD = 9.5). Methods: survey and psychological testing with the Kindness and Compassion Scenario Scale (Gilbert P. et al.). Conclusion. It has been revealed that the significance and typicality of the implementation of behavioral scenarios constructed with regard to the norms of prosocial behavior indicates their insufficient priority and demand. It is found that when the mode of kindness is more accurately recognized, compassion is equally well identified in relation to both familiar and unfamiliar people, whereas kindness is better identified in relation to familiar people and corresponds with altruistic investment.

Example-based learning in heuristic domains: can using relevant content knowledge support the effective allocation of intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load?

Worked examples support initial skill acquisition. They often show skill application on content knowledge from another, "exemplifying" domain (e.g., argumentation skills have to be applied to some contents). Although learners' focus should remain on the skill, learners need to understand the content knowledge to benefit from worked examples. Previous studies relied on exemplifying domains that are familiar and contain simple topics, to keep learners' focus on skill acquisition. We examined whether using a relevant exemplifying domain would allow learners to acquire both skills and content knowledge simultaneously, or whether relevant content distracts from the main learning goal of skill acquisition. In a training study with 142 psychology students, we used example-based learning materials with an exemplifying domain that was either relevant or irrelevant for participants' course outcomes. We assessed cognitive load, declarative knowledge about skills and course-related content knowledge, and argumentation quality. Incorporating relevant content knowledge in worked examples did not reduce learning outcomes compared to a condition using an irrelevant exemplifying domain. Contrary to previous research, the results suggest that worked examples with a relevant exemplifying domain could possibly be an efficient teaching method for fostering skills and content knowledge simultaneously.

The Impact of Using Doodling in The Educational Environment On the Degree of Learning of Educational Material

Introduction. This article is devoted to the study of doodling as a process of unconscious drawing by students during active thinking activity under experimental conditions. The relevance of the study is conditioned by the expressed public demand for the development and implementation of new methods and technologies in the modern educational process. The novelty of the study lies in the relatively low level of study of this phenomenon to date and the contradictory nature of the available practical data on its effectiveness. Thus, the presented work will help to supplement the still unstable scientific understanding of such a widespread phenomenon as “drawing on the margins”. Objective. To compare the degree of learning of educational material in students when using doodling and the classical method of memorization on the basis of historical text. Materials and Methods. Forty-eight psychology students at SFU, aged 17 to 22 years, 43 of them women and 5 men, were chosen as subjects. The subjects were divided into control and experimental groups, each of which was read a historical text. Then, 30‒40 minutes after the end of the experiment, each group completed the author’s questionnaire of 10 open-ended questions on the listened material. The results of each subject were evaluated by the degree of the completeness of answers and summarized for each group to then find the average value for each and compare. Results. The experimental group, which used doodling techniques, showed noticeably worse learning and reproduction results than the control group. Discussion. The results obtained are partially reflected in the work of other authors who were unable to reproduce the data, showing the advantages of doodling in memorizing information. It can be assumed that the results of the experiment were influenced by the relatively small size of the stimulus material and the morning time of the experiment: the subjects did not have time to tire, so they did not have a natural need for additional methods of attention retention. Perhaps, for this reason, a natural experiment could show better results on the use of doodling than a laboratory experiment. It is alsopossible that this method is only useful for people with certain characteristics. Further experimental studies with other conditions of doodling playback in different educational environments, subjects, and stimulus material are needed to clarify the phenomenon.

As it unfolds: Exploring the impact of team-based gamification on performance, confidence, and engagement

The study explored the impact of a team-based leaderboard on students' performance, confidence, and engagement in an in-class, multiple-choice quiz with two phases (voting/revoting). A total of 103 Psychology students volunteered to participate and were assigned to a control (one non-gamified team) or a gamified condition (two competing teams whose scores were shown on the leaderboard). During voting, the students answered the quiz and denoted their levels of confidence and wrote short justifications for their answers. The same quiz questions were used in revoting, while the tallied answers of their teammates, their level of confidence, and the justifications written for each of the question choices were shown. Results showed that the losing team was outperformed in all aspects of the study by the winning and the control teams, which were comparable to each other. Educational relevance and implications statementA team-based leaderboard was used to enhance social relatedness and avoid intrateam friction. The losing team demonstrated lower performance, confidence, and engagement, while the winning team was comparable to the non-gamified, control team. Students more positive to gamification in terms of competitiveness, experience, or preference experienced a larger negative impact from gamification. The implications of the study are that (a) team-based gamification may have a detrimental effect on students' performance, confidence, and engagement, and (b) students' individual characteristics related to gamification may interact with the gamification setting.

Fairness in E-Recruitment: Examining Procedural Justice Perceptions and Job Seekers’ Intentions

Corporate websites are crucial in recruitment, as the prospective applicants’ experiences in digital recruitment may influence their intentions. Therefore, understanding how opportunity-to-perform perceptions (OPP) integral to procedural justice experienced by potential applicants while visiting a corporate recruitment website impact their reactions towards the company can be key. This study aims to elucidate the influence of OPP on applicants’ intentions to apply (ITA) via corporate websites. Specifically, it explores the indirect relationship between OPP during recruitment and ITA one month after visiting a company website, mediated by organizational attractiveness and ITA measured immediately after and one week after the website visit. This multi-wave study collected 260 cases from master’s students in psychology who completed a questionnaire across waves. Hypotheses were tested using the PROCESS macro in SPSS. The findings highlighted a serial mediation pathway, wherein the indirect connection between OPP and ITA after one month was mediated through organizational attractiveness, ITA immediately after, and one week after website visits. The results highlight the importance of enhancing procedural justice corporate websites to influence applicants’ perceptions and intentions positively and improve recruitment outcomes. Future research should explore the effect of long-term justice perceptions as a basis for a sustainable employee–employer relationship.