Iniciação Científica em Psicologia Social Comunitária na Pandemia da COVID-19 / Scientific Initiation in Community Social Psychology in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Resumo: Este trabalho é o resultado de uma pesquisa de Iniciação Científica, realizado por uma aluna da primeira turma de Psicologia do Centro Universitário do Espírito Santo (UNESC). Refere-se ao projeto Abacateiro: Iniciação Científica em Psicologia Social Comunitária por meio de levantamento de teses defendidas na Região Sudeste do Brasil. Tem por objetivo, apresentar as produções desenvolvidas no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicossociologia de Comunidades e Ecologia Social (EICOS), da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Apresenta também, um relato histórico sobre a EICOS, a Psicologia Social Comunitária, a Ecologia Social, a importância da pesquisa e os desafios no desenvolvimento da IC em meio a pandemia da Covid-19. Fundamenta-se na análise de103 teses defendidas, no período entre 2003 e 2020. Os resultados obtidos foram apresentados por meio de quadros expositivos e discutidos em doze categorias. Palavras-chave: Psicologia Comunitária. Comunidade. Iniciação Científica. Abstract: This work is the result of a Scientific Initiation research, carried out by a student of the first Psychology class at the University Center of Espírito Santo (UNESC). It refers to the Abacateiro project: Scientific Initiation in Community Social Psychology through a survey of theses defended in the Southeast region of Brazil. Its objective is to present the productions developed in the Postgraduate Program in Psychosociology of Communities and Social Ecology (EICOS), at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. It also presents a historical report on EICOS, Community Social Psychology, Social Ecology, the importance of research and the challenges in the development of CI in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is based on the analysis of 103 theses defended, in the period between 2003 and 2020. The results obtained were presented through expository tables and discussed in twelve categories. Keywords: Community Psychology. Community. Scientific research.

Studying Subjective Well-Being during a Quarantine

To investigate the impact of writing a gratitude letter on particular mood states, we asked students in two university classes (a research class and a positive psychology class) to complete a 15-item mood assessment survey (MAS) twice a day (once in the morning and once at night). The research students who signed up for one or two pass/fail field-study credits in a research class also completed the MAS twice a day, but they did not write the weekly gratitude letter that was expected from the students in the positive psychology class. Each mood state was averaged per each day for the participants in each group and compared between the Gratitude Group and the Control Group. No group difference occurred for some mood states like “incompetent,” but for the “unmotivated” mood state, a significant difference was found. To investigate the potential effect of weekday, we compared the average mood rating between groups for each day of the week. For the mood state of “unmotivated”, a remarkable dip occurred on Wednesday for the Gratitude group, but not for the Control group. These results indicated that writing a gratitude letter increased the benefactor’s motivation, especially on the day when it was accomplished.

Does expressive writing or an instructional intervention reduce the impacts of test anxiety in a college classroom?

Test anxiety is a major concern in education because it causes uncomfortable feelings in test-anxious students and may reduce the validity of exam scores as a measure of learning. As such, brief and cost-effective interventions are necessary to minimize the negative impact of test anxiety on students’ academic performance. In the present experiment, we examine two such interventions: expressive writing (Experiment 1) and an instructional intervention (Experiment 2), with the latter developed from a similar intervention for stereotype threat. Across four authentic exams in a psychology class, students alternated between completing the intervention and a control task immediately before completing the exams. Neither intervention was effective at reducing test anxiety or improving exam performance. The present results suggest that these interventions may not be successful in addressing the impacts of test anxiety in all classroom settings.

The Impact of Screen-Free Zones in an Undergraduate Psychology Classroom: Assessing Exam Performance and Instructor Evaluations in Two Quasi-Experiments

Background: With in-person instruction, many undergraduates look at screens during lectures. Because screens can distract, attempts to curb this behavior through screen policies are increasingly common but understudied. Objective and Method: Two quasi-experimental studies (Study 1: N = 412; Study 2: N = 179) in the same Psychology class explore results of restricting screens to one area of the classroom on exam performance and instructor/course evaluation. Results: In both studies, these policies improved exam scores in the class. In Study 2, students who chose to sit in the screen-free zone did better on exams. Limiting screen use to the back of the classroom (Study 1) produced student pushback in qualitative comments and lower evaluations in quantitative instructor and course ratings. In contrast, placing screen and screen-free zones side-by-side (Study 2) was accepted without comment by students. Conclusion: Together, these studies suggest that creating screen-free zones in classrooms can be beneficial for students, especially for those students who choose to sit in the screen-free section. Additionally, students accept side-by-side division of a classroom into screen and screen-free zones. Teaching Implications: Because these studies are ecologically valid, results have implications for how students take notes and how instructors set restrictions on screens in their classroom.

Improving Students’ Study Habits and Course Performance With a “Learning How to Learn” Assignment

How can instructors help students adopt effective learning strategies? In this study, students in a large introductory psychology class completed a “learning how to learn” assignment in which they read one of four randomly assigned empirical articles about the utility of a learning strategy (i.e., distributed practice, rereading, practice testing, or forming mental images) and wrote a paper summarizing, analyzing, and applying the article’s findings. Students relied significantly less on low-utility strategies and significantly more on moderate and high-utility strategies at the end of the semester than at the beginning. Furthermore, students who completed this assignment outperformed their peers in a control semester of the same course, improving by about one-third of a letter grade. Suggestions for effective implementation of a similar assignment are presented.

Reflections and Results from the Intersections: Teaching and Learning the Praxis of Intersectionality in the Psychology Classroom

This article bridges multiple ways of knowing to explore the experience of an undergraduate psychology class focused on intersectionality. Drawing on feminist pedagogy, intersectionality, and critical consciousness literatures, we, the instructor and students together work to understand the experiences of the course and to offer our lessons learned. We present a detailed structure of the course, Experiences of Intersectionality, results of a qualitative analysis of students’ written course reflections, and instructor reflections. Three themes were extracted from the data: Vulnerability and Privilege, “Small Slaps in the Face,” and Empathy and Action. The discussion of the findings includes reflections from the course instructor and applications to praxis, particularly for educators.

Using Memoirs and Autobiographies To Enhance the Teaching of Abnormal Child Psychology

Memoirs and autobiographies can be rich sources of real-world information for students in psychology classes. These resources have been used in adult-oriented abnormal psychology classes, but have yet to be explored for use in courses on abnormal child psychology. This manuscript reviews the use of memoirs and autobiographies in adult-oriented abnormal psychology classes and then explores the use of memoirs and autobiographies in abnormal child psychology classes. In the Appendix, lists of memoirs and autobiographies are provided that instructors can use as a resource in the selection of books for abnormal child psychology classes. Data are analyzed regarding undergraduate students’ opinions about the use of memoirs in an abnormal child psychology class and an investigation of learning outcomes for classes with and without assigned memoirs is provided. Overall, the use of memoirs and autobiographies appears to be a promising way of enhancing the teaching of abnormal child psychology.

Using Performances in a Flipped Classroom Setting

The purpose of this study is to explain how performances are used within a flipped classroom environment in a university educational psychology class. This instructional approach also incorporates the concept of “integrated assessment” where assessment and instruction are intimately connected. Examples of student-led instruction using performances are provided. Results of a teacher-developed assessment administered during the past several years to elicit student evaluations of these instructional practices have provided evidence that using this instructional approach is effective for most but not all students.