Background
Social comparisons between pupils are especially relevant at school. Such comparisons influence self‐perception and performance. When pupils evaluate themselves more negatively and perform ...worse after an upward comparison (with a better off pupil) than a downward comparison (with a worse‐off pupil), this is a contrast effect. On the other hand, when they evaluate themselves more positively and are better after an upward than downward comparison, this is an assimilation effect.
Aims
We examine assimilation and contrast effects of comparison in the classroom on pupils’ self‐evaluation and performance. Previous work by Fayant, Muller, Nurra, Alexopoulos, and Palluel‐Germain (2011) lead us to hypothesize that approach vs. avoidance moderates the impact of upward vs. downward comparison: approach should lead to an assimilation effect on self‐evaluation and performance, while avoidance should lead to contrast on self‐evaluation and performance.
Methods
To test this hypothesis, we primed pupils with either approach or avoidance before reading upward or downward comparison information about another pupil. We then measured self‐evaluation (Experiment 1) and performance (Experiments 1 and 2).
Results
Results confirmed our predictions and revealed the predicted interaction on self‐evaluation (Experiment 1) and performance (Experiment 2): approach leads to an assimilation effect (in both experiments) whereas avoidance leads to a contrast effect (in Experiment 2).
Conclusions
These experiments replicate previous studies on self‐evaluation and also extend previous work on performance and in a classroom setting. Priming approach before upward comparison seems especially beneficial to pupils.
We propose that an employee's bottom-line mentality may have an important effect on social undermining behavior in organizations. Bottom-line mentality is defined as 1-dimensional thinking that ...revolves around securing bottom-line outcomes to the neglect of competing priorities. Across a series of studies, we establish an initial nomological network for bottom-line mentality. We also develop and evaluate a 4-item measure of bottom-line mentality. In terms of our theoretical model, we draw on social-cognitive theory (Bandura, 1977, 1986) to propose that supervisor bottom-line mentality is positively related to employee bottom-line mentality (Hypothesis 1). On the basis of conceptual arguments pertaining to bottom-line mentality (Callahan, 2004; Wolfe, 1988), we hypothesize that employee bottom-line mentality is positively related to social undermining (Hypothesis 2). We further predict a moderated-mediation model whereby the indirect effect of supervisor bottom-line mentality on social undermining, through employee bottom-line mentality, is moderated by employee core self-evaluations and conscientiousness (Hypothesis 3). We collected multisource field data to test our theoretical model (i.e., focal-supervisor-coworker triads; N = 113). Results from moderated-mediation analyses provide general support for our hypotheses. Theoretical and practical implications of bottom-line mentality and social undermining are discussed, and areas for future research are identified.
These meta-analyses of 60+ years of social comparison research focused on 2 issues: the choice of a comparison target (selection) and the effects of comparisons on self-evaluations, affect, and so ...forth (reaction). Selection studies offering 2 options (up or down) showed a strong preference (and no evidence of publication bias) for upward choices when there was no threat; there was no evidence for downward comparison as a dominant choice even when threatened. Selections became less differentiable when a lateral choice was also provided. For reaction studies, contrast was, by far, the dominant response to social comparison, with ability estimates most strongly affected. Moderator analyses, tests and adjustments for publication bias showed that contrast is stronger when the comparison involves varying participants' standing for ability (effect estimates, −0.75 to −0.65) and affect (−0.83 to −0.65). Novel personal attributes were subject to strong contrast for ability (−0.5 to −0.6) and affect (−0.6 to −0.7). Dissimilarity priming was associated with contrast (−0.44 to −0.27; no publication bias), consistent with Mussweiler (2003). Similarity priming provided modest support for Collins (1996) and Mussweiler (2003), with very weak assimilation effects, depending on the publication bias estimator. Studies including control groups indicated effects in response to upward and downward targets were comparable in size and contrastive. Limitations of the literature (e.g., small number of studies including no-comparison control conditions), unresolved issues, and why people choose to compare upward when the most likely result is self-deflating contrast are discussed.
Public Significance Statement
This article summarizes 60+ years of social comparison research and shows that people generally choose to compare with people who are superior to them in some way, even in the presence of threat to self-esteem, and that these comparisons tend to result in worsened mood and lower ability appraisal. Comparisons with proximal persons and on novel dimensions heighten these effects.
The present study used a latent growth curve modeling approach to (a) examine the effectiveness of a brief self-compassion intervention on reducing impostor phenomenon, maladaptive perfectionism, and ...psychological distress and (b) explore who would benefit more from this intervention. A total of 227 college students at a large Midwest university were randomly assigned to participate in either a 4-week brief self-compassion intervention group or a nonintervention control group. Analyses of the effectiveness of the intervention suggested the brief self-compassion intervention had significant treatment effects for reducing impostor phenomenon and maladaptive perfectionism. Moreover, this study also examined whether participants with different levels of fear of self-compassion and core self-evaluation would report different levels of treatment effectiveness. Fear of self-compassion was found to be a significant moderator of the intervention effects in reducing maladaptive perfectionism and psychological distress. Specifically, participants in the intervention group with higher levels of fear of self-compassion reported a greater decline in both maladaptive perfectionism and psychological distress over time when compared to those with lower levels of fear of self-compassion. Core self-evaluation significantly moderated the effectiveness of this intervention in reducing participants' levels of impostor phenomenon and maladaptive perfectionism. Specifically, participants in the intervention group with lower core self-evaluation reported a greater reduction in maladaptive perfectionism over time when compared to those with higher core self-evaluation.
Public Significance Statement
By examining a brief online self-compassion intervention to reduce the levels of impostor phenomenon, this study contributes to improving college students' mental health. Our findings suggested that impostor phenomenon and maladaptive perfectionism have been reduced by the brief self-compassion intervention. This provides an important tool that could be used to tackle a salient mental health issue among the college student population.
The Big Two of agency and communion can be divided into the facets of agency‐assertiveness, agency‐competence, communion‐morality, and communion‐warmth. The present research studies how these facets ...are related to global evaluation of self versus others. In five studies we tested whether self‐evaluation is reliably related to agency‐assertiveness (H1), and evaluation of others to communion‐morality (H2). Participants had to describe themselves (or a specific other person) on the facets and later to rate their self‐evaluation (or other‐evaluation). Supporting hypotheses, Studies 1, 3, and 4 showed that agency‐assertiveness was reliably related to self‐evaluation (Study 4: also agency‐competence). Studies 2–5 showed that communion‐morality was reliably related to evaluation of an acquaintance, but agency‐competence (Studies 3 and 5) and communion‐warmth (Study 2) were also important. We conclude that supporting H1, agency‐assertiveness is particularly important for self‐evaluation, whereas partly supporting H2, evaluation of others is associated with communion‐morality, but also agency‐competence and communion‐warmth.
Integrating implications from regulatory focus and approach/avoidance motivation theories, we present a framework wherein motivational orientations toward positive (approach motivation orientation) ...or negative (avoidance motivation orientation) stimuli interact with workplace success to mediate the relation of core self-evaluation (CSE) with job satisfaction. Using data collected from supervisor-subordinate dyads (Sample 1) and time-lagged data (Sample 2), we found that the results from two studies indicated that the interaction of workplace success and avoidance motivation orientation mediated relations of CSE with job satisfaction. Although approach motivation orientation did not interact with workplace success, it did mediate the CSE-job satisfaction relation on its own. Implications for the CSE and approach/avoidance literatures are discussed.
Schools and universities devote considerable time and resources to developing students' social and emotional skills, such as emotional intelligence (EI). The goals of such programs are partly for ...personal development but partly to increase academic performance. The current meta-analysis examines the degree to which student EI is associated with academic performance. We found an overall effect of ρ = .20 using robust variance estimation (N = 42,529, k = 1,246 from 158 citations). The association is significantly stronger for ability EI (ρ = .24, k = 50) compared with self-rated (ρ = .12, k = 33) or mixed EI (ρ = .19, k = 90). Ability, self-rated, and mixed EI explained an additional 1.7%, 0.7%, and 2.3% of the variance, respectively, after controlling for intelligence and big five personality. Understanding and management branches of ability EI explained an additional 3.9% and 3.6%, respectively. Relative importance analysis suggests that EI is the third most important predictor for all three streams, after intelligence and conscientiousness. Moderators of the effect differed across the three EI streams. Ability EI was a stronger predictor of performance in humanities than science. Self-rated EI was a stronger predictor of grades than standardized test scores. We propose that three mechanisms underlie the EI/academic performance link: (a) regulating academic emotions, (b) building social relationships at school, and (c) academic content overlap with EI. Different streams of EI may affect performance through different mechanisms. We note some limitations, including the lack of evidence for a causal direction.
Public Significance Statement
This meta-analysis shows that emotional intelligence has a small to moderate association with academic performance, such that students with higher emotional intelligence tend to gain higher grades and achievement test scores. The association is stronger for skill-based emotional intelligence tasks than rating scales of emotional intelligence. It is strongest for skill-based tasks measuring understanding emotions and managing emotions.
Core physician activities of lifelong learning, continuing medical education credit, relicensure, specialty recertification, and clinical competence are linked to the abilities of physicians to ...assess their own learning needs and choose educational activities that meet these needs.
To determine how accurately physicians self-assess compared with external observations of their competence.
The electronic databases MEDLINE (1966-July 2006), EMBASE (1980-July 2006), CINAHL (1982-July 2006), PsycINFO (1967-July 2006), the Research and Development Resource Base in CME (1978-July 2006), and proprietary search engines were searched using terms related to self-directed learning, self-assessment, and self-reflection.
Studies were included if they compared physicians' self-rated assessments with external observations, used quantifiable and replicable measures, included a study population of at least 50% practicing physicians, residents, or similar health professionals, and were conducted in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Australia, or New Zealand. Studies were excluded if they were comparisons of self-reports, studies of medical students, assessed physician beliefs about patient status, described the development of self-assessment measures, or were self-assessment programs of specialty societies. Studies conducted in the context of an educational or quality improvement intervention were included only if comparative data were obtained before the intervention.
Study population, content area and self-assessment domain of the study, methods used to measure the self-assessment of study participants and those used to measure their competence or performance, existence and use of statistical tests, study outcomes, and explanatory comparative data were extracted.
The search yielded 725 articles, of which 17 met all inclusion criteria. The studies included a wide range of domains, comparisons, measures, and methodological rigor. Of the 20 comparisons between self- and external assessment, 13 demonstrated little, no, or an inverse relationship and 7 demonstrated positive associations. A number of studies found the worst accuracy in self-assessment among physicians who were the least skilled and those who were the most confident. These results are consistent with those found in other professions.
While suboptimal in quality, the preponderance of evidence suggests that physicians have a limited ability to accurately self-assess. The processes currently used to undertake professional development and evaluate competence may need to focus more on external assessment.
This paper explores participation trends in interventions that promote self‐evaluation exercises on the effective use of digital technologies in schools. We use a unique dataset consisting of 83,185 ...respondents from 924 Spanish schools that used SELFIE, a tool based on self‐reflection questionnaires that capture different dimensions of school's digital capacity. We benefit from a natural experiment situation caused by the parallel use of SELFIE by two groups of schools. The first group was externally selected as part of a representative sample of Spanish schools. Conversely, the second group voluntarily decided to use SELFIE as a diagnostic tool for a subsequent self‐evaluation exercise. Moreover, a subset of schools were located in regions where authorities embedded SELFIE in broader digitalisation programmes. By comparing these groups, it is shown that schools that decide to participate in SELFIE voluntarily are those with a lower initial digitalisation level. It is also found that the promotion of the use of SELFIE as part of public interventions can increase participation but mainly attracts digitally advanced schools. In conclusion, policy interventions aiming to develop the digital capacity of schools need to plan how to reach those schools that need it more in order to be more equitable.
Practitioner notes
What is already known about this topic
Research has shown the existence of a Matthew effect in the usage of digital technologies in education.
The promotion of schools self‐evaluation exercises on digital education is a common policy intervention that is growing in importance.
There is a surprising lack of attention to the inequitable effects that programmes aiming to incorporate technologies in educational institutions may generate.
What this paper adds
This paper investigates the self‐selection trends and (un)equity effects of SELFIE, an EU programme designed to prompt schools' self‐evaluations of digital capacity.
When schools decide autonomously, schools with low digital capacity levels tend to participate in SELFIE more.
Incorporation of SELFIE into broader public programmes enlarges participation in SELFIE.
Incorporation of SELFIE into broader public programmes over‐attracts digitally advanced schools.
Implications for practice and/or policy
Public policies promoting self‐evaluation exercises on school digital capacity in schools might be a good way for upscaling these exercises.
However, these policies should be carefully designed to reduce inequalities and reach these schools that need digitalisation more.
Aim
To investigate undergraduate nursing students' general study engagement using intra‐individual assessment and to evaluate the impact of core self‐evaluation and career calling on study ...engagement.
Design
A descriptive and cross‐sectional design.
Methods
Data were collected using a self‐administered questionnaire survey. Four hundred and twenty nursing students from first‐ to fourth (final)‐academic year in Guangzhou Medical University were invited to participate in the spring of 2021. The Cronbach's alpha, one‐way analysis of variance, Bonferroni post hoc analysis, Pearson correlation analysis and multiple stepwise regression analysis were used to analyse the data.
Results
The first‐ and fourth‐year undergraduates showed significantly higher levels of study engagement (first‐year undergraduates, 3.52 ± 0.59; fourth‐year undergraduates, 3.54 ± 0.64), core self‐evaluation (first‐year undergraduates, 3.04 ± 0.48; fourth‐year undergraduates, 3.11 ± 0.45) and career calling (first‐year undergraduates, 3.65 ± 0.47; fourth‐year undergraduates, 3.69 ± 0.50) than those of second‐year undergraduates (study engagement, 3.32 ± 0.61; core self‐evaluation, 2.93 ± 0.52; career calling, 3.41 ± 0.50) and third‐year undergraduates (study engagement, 3.16 ± 0.61; core self‐evaluation, 2.88 ± 0.50; career calling, 3.34 ± 0.38). The Pearson correlation analysis among nursing students revealed a significant positive correlation between core self‐evaluation, career calling and study engagement (p < 0.01). A partial mediation effect of career calling was present in the relationship between core self‐evaluation and study engagement.
PDF
