Social factors of procrastination: group work can reduce procrastination among students

Research on procrastination covers a variety of individual factors (e.g., conscientiousness) and this focus is reflected in interventions against procrastination. Less emphasis is put on situational and social factors that may help students reduce procrastination, such as social interdependence. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between interdependence with academic procrastination and affective variables. Two vignette studies with student samples (N1 = 320, N2 = 193) were conducted and data was analyzed with regression analyses and analyses of covariance. Results of both studies show lower state procrastination in group work with interdependence compared to individual work, especially in participants with high trait procrastination. This difference is more pronounced when interdependence is accompanied by an active commitment to finish the task on time. Further, interdependent group work is related to increased positive affect and decreased negative affect. The results demonstrate the relevance of situational and social factors for academic procrastination, and point toward new approaches for intervention.

Examining the Creative Self-Efficacy, Goal Interdependence, and Satisfaction of New Venture Teams in the Board Game Industry

This study theoretically and empirically examines the important role that goal structures play in new venture teams. Specifically, we examine how creative self-efficacy affects the satisfaction of team members through cooperative and competitive goal interdependence. Relying on social cognitive and social interdependence theories, we contend that new venture teams’ creative self-efficacy leads to higher team satisfaction because it promotes the perception of cooperative goal structures among team members. We test our theory on new venture teams in the independent board game industry. Results generally support our hypotheses and we discuss the implications for entrepreneurship research and practice.

Using Social Psychology to Constructively Involve Colleagues in Internal Evaluation

Internal evaluators can lead positive, helpful, promotive interactions among colleagues to make evaluation more appropriate, understandable, and accessible. As the motivations and abilities of non-evaluator colleagues are highly varied, interpersonal skills help facilitate cooperation and promote evaluation. Social interdependence theory from social psychology can assist with understanding teamwork and developing interpersonal competence. While the literature links social interdependence theory with evaluation, there is limited understanding of its application in practice. In this article, we share our internal evaluation experiences in three Australian nonprofit organizations to elucidate how we harnessed social connections and interpersonal dynamics to achieve cooperative goals. The purpose of this article is to share our process for using theory and literature to assist with reflecting, planning, and acting, around the way we interact with colleagues. Evaluators may find this process useful when considering how to personalize professional development around interpersonal competencies for evaluation.

Activites coopératives et acquisition de compétences sociales par des adolescents auteurs de viol du centre d’observation des Mineurs de Bouake (RCI)

En quoi les activités coopératives influent-elles sur l’acquisition de compétences sociales par les adolescents auteurs de viol ? Telle est la question qui a suscité cette étude réalisée au Centre d’Observation des Mineurs (COM) de Bouaké. L’objectif visé est d’évaluer les influences des activités coopératives sur l’acquisition des compétences sociales par les adolescents privés de liberté. L’hypothèse principale postule que « plus les enfants délinquants auteurs de viol ont des activités coopératives, plus ils acquièrent des compétences sociales ». L’ancrage théorique de cette étude est un modèle interactionniste qui s’inspire de l’interactionnisme sociale de Vygotsky et Brunner et de la théorie de l’interdépendance sociale de Deutsch (1949, 1962). Pour collecter les données, l’on a eu recourt à la méthode comparative et aux techniques de l’observation structurée autour de trois grilles et de la recherche documentaire. Les principaux résultats obtenus révèlent que les activités coopératives influent sur les comportements sociaux, l’adoption de comportements responsables et enfin, la capacité de travailler en équipe des sujets d’un temps T1 à un temps T2. Ces résultats confirment ainsi l’hypothèse générale formulée en ce sens qu’ils ont établi que la coopération est un outil de « facilitation sociale pour désigner l’effet positif du groupe, sur les acquisitions des personnes le constituant. How do cooperative activities affect the acquisition of social skills by adolescent rapists? This is the question that prompted this study conducted at the Centre d'Observation des Mineurs (COM) in Bouaké. The objective is to evaluate the influence of cooperative activities on the acquisition of social skills by adolescents deprived of their liberty. The main hypothesis postulates that "the more delinquent children engage in cooperative activities, the more social skills they acquire''. The theoretical anchor of this study is an interactionist model that draws on Vygotsky and Brunner's social interactionism and the theory of social interdependence of Deutsch's (1949, 1962). To collect the data, we used the comparative method and the techniques of observation structured around three grids and documentary research. The main results obtained reveal that cooperative activities influence social behaviors, the adoption of responsible behaviors and finally, the ability to work in teams of the subjects from time T1 to time T2. These results confirm the general hypothesis formulated in the sense that they established that cooperation is a tool of "social facilitation to designate the positive effect of the group, on the acquisitions of the people constituting it".

Contextual attributes to promote positive social interdependence in problem-based learning: a focus group study

Background Problem-based learning (PBL) is classified as a collaborative learning approach, wherein students learn while contributing meaning to experiences and interactions with others. An important theoretical fundament of PBL is social interdependence theory (SIT) because positive social interdependence within a group has been found to be key to better learning performance and future attitudes towards team practice. However, most previous studies in health professions education focused on cognitive outcomes, and few studies have focused on collaborative behaviors in PBL groups. The lack of this empirical insight makes implementation of PBL difficult, especially in contexts where there is limited experience with collaborative learning. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elucidate what promotes or hinders positive social interdependence and how the attributes work during PBL. Methods We conducted four focus groups among clinical year medical students (n = 26) who participated in PBL tutorials in the formal curriculum. We asked semi-structured questions that corresponded with the overall concept of SIT. We analyzed the transcript using constructivist grounded theory and developed a model to explain contextual attributes that promote or hinder positive social interdependence in PBL. Results Two contextual attributes of “academic inquisition” and “desire for efficiency” affect social interdependence among a student group in PBL. Academic inquisition is students’ desire to engage in their academic learning, and desire for efficiency is students’ attitude toward learning as an imposed duty and desire to complete it as quickly as possible. These attributes are initially mutually conflicting and constructing social interdependence through multiple steps including inquisition from a case, seeking efficient work, sharing interest in problem solving, expecting mutual contributions, and complementing learning objectives. Conclusion These findings will contribute to understanding collaborative learning environments in PBL and may help explain contexts where PBL is less successful. The model can also be used as a tool to support innovation of PBL as collaborative learning.

Prosocial and antisocial choices in a monogamous cichlid with biparental care

Human society is cooperative and characterized by spontaneous prosociality. Comparative studies on endotherm vertebrates suggest that social interdependence causes the evolution of proactive prosociality. To test the generality of this hypothesis, we modify a prosocial choice task for application to the convict cichlid, Amatitlania nigrofasciata, a monogamous fish with biparental care and a strong pair bond. We also affirm that male subjects learn to favor prosocial choices when their mates are the recipients in a neighboring tank. When the neighboring tank is empty, males choose randomly. Furthermore, in the absence of their mates, males behave prosocially toward a stranger female. However, if the mate of the subjects is also visible in the third tank, or if a male is a potential recipient, then subjects make antisocial choices. To conclude, fish may show both spontaneous prosocial and antisocial behaviors according to their social relationships with conspecifics and the overall social context.

Contextual attributes to promote positive social interdependence in problem-based learning: a qualitative study

Background:Problem-based learning (PBL) is classified as a collaborative learning approach, wherein students learn while contributing meaning to experiences and interactions with others. An important theoretical fundament of PBL is social interdependence theory (SIT) because positive social interdependence within a group has been found to be key to better learning performance and future attitudes towards team practice. However, most previous studies in health professions education focused on cognitive outcomes, and few studies have focused on collaborative behaviors in PBL groups. The lack of this empirical insight makes implementation of PBL difficult, especially in contexts where there is limited experience with collaborative learning. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elucidate what promotes or hinders positive social interdependence and how the attributes work during PBL. Methods:We conducted four focus groups among clinical year medical students (n=24) who participated in PBL tutorials in the formal curriculum. We asked semi-structured questions that corresponded with the overall concept of SIT. We analyzed the transcript using constructivist grounded theory and developed a model to explain contextual attributes that promote or hinder positive social interdependence in PBL. Results:Two contextual attributes of “academic inquisition” and “work efficiency” affect social interdependence among a student group in PBL. Academic inquisition is students’ desire to engage in their academic learning, and work efficacy is students’ attitude toward learning as an imposed duty and desire to complete it as quickly as possible. These attributes are initially mutually conflicting and constructing social interdependence through multiple steps including inquisition from a case, seeking efficient work, sharing inquisition for problem solving, expecting mutual contributions, and complementing learning objectives. Conclusion:These findings will contribute to understanding collaborative learning environments in PBL and may help explain contexts where PBL is less successful. The model can also be used as a tool to support innovation of PBL as collaborative learning.

Effects of Cooperation and Competition on Performance, Emotion, and Effort: Goal and Means Interdependence

Social interdependence theory proposes that task structure influences performance via social interaction. Using this framework, we examined sport performance. Fifty-six males performed a basketball task under four conditions: as an individual (individual, perform your best) and as a member of a team of two (cooperation, where teammates sought to better their individual performance; means independent competition, where two teams competed sequentially to outperform the other team; means interdependent competition, where two teams competed simultaneously to outperform the other team). Task performance (points) was better during means independent competition than other conditions. Anxiety and effort peaked during the competitions and enjoyment was greater during competition and cooperation than during the individual condition. Emotions, effort, and actions are discussed as explanations for the performance effects. Social interdependence theory provides a valuable framework to understand emotion, motivation, and performance. Team competition can be used to promote effort and enhance performance in sport.