The impact of local comparison feedback on test performance related evaluations

It has previously been shown that local comparison – the comparison within a small group of individuals – affects people’s self-evaluations more than general – or objective comparison (overall ranking, etc) (Zell & Alicke, 2009, 2010). In this paper, I was investigating whether the dominance of local comparisons emerges in people’s self-evaluations regarding performance, satisfaction with the performance, and in Weiner’s attribution theory’s (1985, 2010) central categories: ability, test-difficulty, effort, and luck. In total, 126 students participated in the study; however, 114 persons’ data was used in subsequent analyses. Participants took a mental abilities test and received bogus feedback regarding their performance. After receiving the feedback, participants evaluated their performance, their satisfaction with the performance, their mental abilities, test-difficulty, their effort and the role of luck in their performance. A 2 x 2 rank-based analysis of covariances controlled for test score was conducted to analyze the effect of local comparison on the participants’ evaluations. Results showed that local comparisons affected the evaluations of performance and the satisfaction with the performance. In the discussion section the meaning of the results, their theoretical and practical implications, the limitations of the study, and ideas for further research were discussed.http://www.ester.ee/record=b4511773*es

Lokaalse domineerimise efekt – replikatsioon

Selles seminaritöös uurisin lokaalse ja üldise sotsiaalset võrdlust soodustava informatsiooni mõju enesehindamisele; tegemist on Zell’i ja Alicke’i publikatsiooni (2009) esimese uuringu osalise replikatsiooniga. Käesolevas uuringus osales 144 naissoost üliõpilast. Katseisikud täitsid sõnavaratesti, mille järel said nad valetagasisidet tulemuste kohta koos sotsiaalset võrdlust võimaldava informatsiooniga, ja hindasid seejärel oma sooritust ning verbaalseid võimeid. Analüüs näitas, et lokaalne võrdlusallikas avaldab enesehindamisele statistiliselt olulist mõju, kusjuures üldine informatsioon ei avalda enesehindamisele mõju, kui esitatakse ka lokaalne võrdlusallikas. Samuti ilmnes, et paremad katseisikud kehvasti sooritanud grupis hindavad end kõrgemalt kui kehvemate tulemustega katseisikud paremini sooritanud grupis. Seega lokaalne info domineerib üldise ees – see on kooskõlas lähteuurimusega (Zell & Alicke, 2009). Ühtlasi arutlen seminaritöös tulemuste, nende võimalike tekkepõhjuste, töö kriitika ning potentsiaalsete jätku-uuringusuundade üle.http://tartu.ester.ee/record=b2654391~S1*es

Boredom proneness and fear of missing out mediate relations between depression and anxiety with problematic smartphone use

Depression and anxiety severity are found in numerous studies to correlate with increased levels of problematic smartphone use. Yet there are less available data on other psychopathology‐related correlates of such use. Two potentially important variables related to depression and anxiety, and recently found related to problematic smartphone use severity, are boredom proneness and the fear of missing out (FOMO). Our aims were to (a) assess boredom proneness and FOMO in relation to problematic smartphone use severity and (b) assess the mediating roles of boredom proneness and FOMO in relationships between depression/anxiety severity with problematic smartphone use severity. We recruited 297 American college students for a web survey, assessing constructs including FOMO, boredom proneness, depression, anxiety, problematic smartphone use, and smartphone use frequency. We tested a structural equation model to assess relations between depression and anxiety severity with boredom proneness and FOMO, and relations between these psychopathology constructs with levels of smartphone use frequency and problematic use. Results demonstrate that FOMO was significantly related to problematic smartphone use severity. FOMO also mediated relations between boredom proneness and problematic smartphone use severity. Furthermore, boredom proneness and FOMO serially mediated relations between both depression and anxiety severity with problematic smartphone use severity. Results are discussed in the context of Compensatory Internet Use Theory and the I‐PACE model in understanding factors driving problematic smartphone use.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153150/1/hbe2159.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153150/2/hbe2159_am.pd

Internet voting: the role of personality traits and trust across three parliamentary elections in Estonia

Some countries offer options to vote in elections remotely via the internet. However, not all voters take up this opportunity. This study investigates the role of the Five-Factor Model personality traits in the choice to use internet voting, and the potential mediating effects of trust in internet voting, controlling for sociodemographic variables. Survey data collected after national elections in Estonia in 2011 (N = 482), 2015 (N = 535), and 2019 (N = 546) were analyzed. Agreeableness was positively correlated with trust in internet voting in all samples. Additionally, Agreeableness was related to internet voting via trust, but not in all samples. Internet voting was predicted by higher trust in internet voting, better PC literacy, and speaking Estonian at home, across all samples. These results indicate that easy access to, and trust in, internet voting may play a bigger role in the decision to use internet voting than personality traits

Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of an e-health stepped care approach for the treatment of internet use disorders versus a placebo condition: the SCAPIT study

Introduction Excessive internet use can lead to problems for some individuals. The WHO has introduced Gaming Disorder in the International Classification of Diseases-11 (ICD-11). Previous research has shown that other internet applications can cause serious mental health problems as well. It is important to provide measures of prevention, early intervention and therapy for internet use disorders (IUDs). Methods and analysis The study ‘Stepped Care Approach for Problematic Internet use Treatment’ is a randomised, two-arm, parallel-group, observer-blind trial. The aim of the study is to investigate if a stepped care approach is effective to reduce symptom severity for IUD. The sample is primarily recruited online with a focus on employees in companies with support of health insurances. After screening, the stepped care approach depends on the success of the previous step—that is, the successful reduction of criteria—and comprise: (1) app-intervention with questionnaires and feedback, (2) two telephone counsellings (duration: 50 min) based on motivational interviewing, (3) online therapy over 17 weeks (15 weekly group sessions, eight individual sessions) based on cognitive–behavioural therapy. A follow-up is conducted after 6 months. A total of 860 participants will be randomised. Hierarchical testing procedure is used to test the coprimary endpoints number of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition and ICD-11 criteria. Primary analysis will be performed with a sequential logit model. Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the Ethics Committees of the Universities of Lübeck (file number: 21-068), Mainz (file number: 2021-15907) and Berlin (file number: 015.2021). Results will be reported in accordance to the CONSORT statement. If the approach is superior to the control condition, it may serve as part of treatment for IUD. Trial registration number DRKS00025994