Games, an untapped resource for improving group relations

Psychology - Three Minute Thesis FinalistUVic Faculty of Graduate Studies Three Minute Thesis (3MT) research communication competition.Graduat

Video Games and Self-Talk

The importance of the study is to further expand on the relationship between different types of self-talk and video games. Self-talk has been shown to be beneficial in sports performance, but has yet to be studied in relation to video game performance. With video games becoming popular, we are aiming to extend the research on sports performance to video game performance

(Preregistration) White students' perception of competence and warmth on Asian students

This preregistration was completed for fulfillment of PSYC 532's final project assignment. It investigates White student's perception of Asian's warmth and competence. In the literature, the Stereotype Content Model has been used to investigate stereotypes associated to race, nationality, etc. (Fiske et al., 2007), and Asians are typically seen high in competence but low in warmth (Lin et al., 2005). There are two research questions: 1) Do White students' perception of warmth and competence differ for each perspective (Asian international, Asian domestic, and White) and 2) Is there a relationship between White student's perception of warm and competence on discrimination, racism, and stereotypes? The purpose of the project is to investigate these questions and to see if these stereotypes exist. Fiske, S. T., Cuddy, A. J. C., & Glick, P. (2007). Universal dimensions of social cognition: Warmth and competence. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 11(2), 77-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2006.11.005 Lin, M. H., Kwan, V. S. Y., Cheung, A., & Fiske, S. T. (2005). Stereotype content model explains prejudice for an envied outgroup: Scale of anti-asian american stereotypes. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 31(1), 34-47. https://doi.org/10.1177/014616720427132

Can Talking to Myself Help Me Win? The Impact of Two Dimensions of Self-Talk on Video Game Performance.

While self-talk has been shown to improve sports performance, no research has examined its impact on sports-related video game performance. In study 1, 24 undergraduate students were recruited to select a game for use in our second study. Study 2 recruited 34 undergraduate students to test the feasibility of the main study. Study 3 recruited 81 undergraduate students (72% females) to investigate the impact of two dimensions of self-talk – valence (positive/negative) and function (motivational/instructional) on video game performance. In study 3, a 3 (positive/negative/control) x 2 (motivational/instructional) mixed factorial ANOVA indicated that these self-talk dimensions did not impact video game performance

The impact of tabletop games on group cohesion and teamwork in higher education

Group work can be a challenging situation in university classes, since students often find the process of selecting adequate groups members to be up to chance (Rusticus & Justus, 2019), which can negatively impact group cohesion. Using a mixed-methods design, we aim to investigate if tabletop games can be a tool within classrooms to improve group cohesion, team attitudes, and team psychological safety

Comparing Student- and Teacher-Formed Teams on Group Dynamics, Satisfaction, and Performance

We compared student- and teacher-formed teams on aspects of group dynamics, satisfaction, and performance. Two sections of an introductory psychology research methods course were randomly assigned to either student-formed or teacher-formed teams. We conducted t tests on 10 measures related to group dynamics, satisfaction, and success. Academic performance and group work contribution were the only measures found to be statistically different, with the student-formed teams scoring higher than the teacher-formed teams. Follow-up individual interviews or focus groups conducted with 13 students suggested a slight preference for the teacher-formed method because it was transparent and eliminated the stress of having to choose one’s team members. We further recommend this method because of its simplicity and closer approximation to real-world scenarios. Several factors identified as being important for effective team functioning, regardless of group formation method, are also discussed. </jats:p

Development and Preliminary Validation of the Teamwork Expectations and Attitudes Measure (TEAM)

Teamwork is essential for success in any group project and understanding how well a team functions can assist both students and teachers with learning. This paper outlines the development and preliminary validation of a new self-report measure of students’ perceptions of working in a team, the Teamwork Expectations and Attitudes Measure (TEAM).&nbsp; Two pilot studies, sampling a total of 438 undergraduate students, were conducted to develop and refine the initial items into a 14-item unidimensional measure. A validation study was then conducted with a sample of 226 undergraduate students. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the revealed unidimensional structure with high internal consistency. Correlations between the TEAM and other theoretically relevant variables provide evidence of convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity. Our results suggest that the TEAM has acceptable psychometric properties and may be useful to students, educators, and researchers as a tool for assessing team functioning

Validating a Modified Version of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (MSDLR) for use Among Undergraduate Students

Self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) refers to the degree to which learners are ready to be accountable for their own learning and learning needs and is a skill that students can develop. Understanding student levels of SDLR can help optimize the learning environment for more effective teaching and learning strategies. The purpose of this study was to provide additional validity evidence for a modified version of the SDLR scale. Evidence of internal structure and relations with other variables was examined in a sample of 203 undergraduate students. A confirmatory factor analysis did not support the three-factor structure of the modified SLDR scale; however, a follow-up exploratory factor analysis suggested that there were three factors, with some items not loading onto their intended factors. Evidence was provided for convergent validity, and mixed evidence was found for discriminant validity. Overall, these results suggest that some modifications may be needed for this scale, but there is potential for this measure to be suitable for assessing readiness for self-directed learning

Est-ce que l’aptitude à l’apprentissage auto-dirigé permet de prédire les préférences pédagogiques des étudiants du premier cycle?

Self-directed learning is a process by which students take the lead, with or without the help of others, in determining their learning needs and managing their learning strategies and outcomes. Relatedly, self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) looks at the attitudes, abilities, and personality characteristics necessary for self-directed learning. In study one, we shortened, and slightly modified, the SDLR scale (Fisher et al., 2001) to make it more applicable for broader use among undergraduate university students and to examine its factor structure and reliability. In a sample of 194 students, the three-factor structure of this scale (self-management, desire to learn, and self-control) was confirmed with acceptable reliability. In study two, we examined whether the modified SDLR subscales predicted a preference for a teacher-directed or student-directed class format in a sample of 256 undergraduate students. We conducted a series of four multiple linear regressions to examine whether the three dimensions of SDLR were predictive of four classroom preference styles (knowledge construction, teacher direction, cooperative learning, and passive learning). While three of these analyses were statistically significant with small to medium-effect sizes, the results minimally supported our hypotheses. We discuss whether these results indicate a lack of relationship between SDLR and teaching style or whether these results may be characteristic of the sample.L’apprentissage auto-dirigé est un processus par lequel les étudiants et les étudiantes prennent l’initiative, avec ou sans l’aide d’autrui, pour déterminer leurs besoins en matière d’apprentissage et pour gérer leurs stratégies d’apprentissage et leurs résultats. Sur le même sujet, l’aptitude à l’apprentissage auto-dirigé s’intéresse aux attitudes, aux aptitudes et aux caractéristiques personnelles nécessaires pour l’apprentissage auto-dirigé. Dans la première étude, nous avons raccourci et légèrement modifié l’échelle de l’aptitude à l’apprentissage auto-dirigé (Fisher et al, 2001) afin de la rendre plus applicable à une utilisation plus large parmi les étudiants et les étudiantes du premier cycle universitaire et pour examiner sa structure de facteurs et sa fiabilité. Dans un échantillon de 194 étudiants et étudiantes, la structure à trois facteurs de cette échelle (auto-gestion, désir d’apprendre et maîtrise de soi) a été confirmée avec une fiabilité acceptable. Dans la seconde étude, nous avons examiné si les sous-échelles de l’aptitude à l’apprentissage auto-dirigé permettaient de prédire une préférence pour un format de cours dirigé par un professeur ou une professeure ou pour un format de cours auto-dirigé, dans un échantillon de 256 étudiants et étudiantes du premier cycle. Nous avons mené une série de quatre régressions linéaires multiples afin d’examiner si les trois dimensions de l’aptitude à l’apprentissage auto-dirigé permettaient de prédire les quatre styles de préférences de salle de classe (construction des connaissances, direction par l’enseignant ou l’enseignante, apprentissage en coopération et apprentissage passif). Alors que trois de ces analyses ont été statistiquement significatives dans les cas d’effets petits ou moyens, les résultats soutenaient de façon minimale nos hypothèses. Nous discutons la question de savoir si ces résultats indiquent une absence de rapport entre l’aptitude à l’apprentissage auto-dirigé et le style d’enseignement ou si ces résultats pourraient être caractéristiques de l’échantillon

The applications and psychological mechanisms of games in fostering group relationships: A systematic scoping review

The objective of the scoping review is to investigate the theories and evidence related to the involvement of games in developing successful group relationships and social engagements