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Biomedical subjects

Ted Thompson

Publications and source records attributed to Ted Thompson.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Does priming for mastery goals improve the performance of students with an entity view of ability?

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that an entity view of ability (where ability is viewed as a fixed entity that cannot be changed) is linked with social comparison goals and poor performance. On the other hand, an incremental view of ability (where ability is viewed as an acquirable skill) is linked with a mastery goal orientation and positive achievement outcomes. On these bases, the present study sought evidence that priming students with an entity view of ability to pursue mastery goals would result in improved performance. SAMPLE: Participants were 48 students with an entity view of ability, and 48 students with an incremental view of ability. METHOD: We used a 2 (views of ability: entity, incremental) x 2 (performance feedback: success, failure) x 2 (goal priming: mastery, social comparison) between-subjects factorial design to examine the effects of goal priming on performance for students with either an incremental or entity view of ability following either success or failure feedback. Prior to, and following, performance feedback, participants completed parallel measures of state anxiety. Participants were then primed for either social comparison goals prior to attempting to solve 16 Unicursal (tracing puzzle) tasks. Their performance on a subsequent set of Unicursal tasks was then examined. Finally participants completed a State Goals Scale assessing their degree of endorsement of social comparison/mastery goals whilst working on the Unicursal tasks. RESULTS: The performance of students with an incremental view of ability was comparable irrespective of whether they were initially exposed to success and failure feedback and irrespective of whether they were primed for mastery or social comparison goals. However the performance of students with an entity view of ability improved when they were primed for mastery relative to social comparison goals irrespective of whether they were initially exposed to success or failure. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm the performance-limiting consequences of social comparison goals for participants with an entity view of ability, suggesting benefits in encouraging these students to pursue mastery goals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Re-examining the effects of noncontingent success on self-handicapping behaviour.

BACKGROUND: Self-handicapping refers to the practice on the part of certain individuals to handicap their performance when poor performance is likely to reveal low ability. Noncontingent success (feedback that is inflated relative to performance) is more likely to promote self-handicapping behaviour than noncontingent failure (failure feedback based on false or misleading information). However, the reasons for the differing effects of these forms of performance feedback on self-handicapping behaviour remain obscure. AIMS: The present study sought an explanation for the differing effects of these forms of performance feedback, testing the assumption that students high in self-handicapping behaviour would react more negatively following noncontingent success, reporting more unstable and external attributions, higher anxiety, and a greater propensity to claim handicaps than those low in self-handicapping behaviour. No differences were expected on any of these measures for high relative to low self-handicappers following either noncontingent failure or success. SAMPLE: Participants were 72 undergraduate students, divided equally between high and low self-handicapping groups. METHOD: High and low self-handicappers were assigned to one of three performance feedback conditions: noncontingent failure, success and noncontingent success. High and low self-handicappers were then given an opportunity to claim handicaps prior to completing measures of attributions and state anxiety. Subsequently, they completed 12 remote associate tasks, serving as an assessment of performance, and 16 unicursal tasks, assessing practice effort. RESULTS: Following noncontingent success, high self-handicappers reported greater anxiety, more unproductive attributions and claimed more handicaps than low self-handicappers. However no differences were evident for high and low self-handicappers following either noncontingent failure or success. High self-handicappers also performed poorly on the remote associates tasks and reduced practice effort on the unicursal tasks. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm the adverse effects of noncontingent success for high self-handicappers, while failing to provide evidence that noncontingent failure has any more adverse effects on high relative to low self-handicappers.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Causal uncertainty, claimed and behavioural self-handicapping.

BACKGROUND: Causal uncertainty beliefs involve doubts about the causes of events, and arise as a consequence of non-contingent evaluative feedback: feedback that leaves the individual uncertain about the causes of his or her achievement outcomes. Individuals high in causal uncertainty are frequently unable to confidently attribute their achievement outcomes, experience anxiety in achievement situations and as a consequence are likely to engage in self-handicapping behaviour. AIMS: Accordingly, we sought to establish links between trait causal uncertainty, claimed and behavioural self-handicapping. SAMPLE: Participants were N=72 undergraduate students divided equally between high and low causally uncertain groups. METHOD: We used a 2 (causal uncertainty status: high, low) x 3 (performance feedback condition: success, non-contingent success, non-contingent failure) between-subjects factorial design to examine the effects of causal uncertainty on achievement behaviour. Following performance feedback, participants completed 20 single-solution anagrams and 12 remote associate tasks serving as performance measures, and 16 unicursal tasks to assess practice effort. Participants also completed measures of claimed handicaps, state anxiety and attributions. RESULTS: Relative to low causally uncertain participants, high causally uncertain participants claimed more handicaps prior to performance on the anagrams and remote associates, reported higher anxiety, attributed their failure to internal, stable factors, and reduced practice effort on the unicursal tasks, evident in fewer unicursal tasks solved. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm links between trait causal uncertainty and claimed and behavioural self-handicapping, highlighting the need for educators to facilitate means by which students can achieve surety in the manner in which they attribute the causes of their achievement outcomes.

Achievement↗
PubMed2003

Construction and initial validation of the self-worth protection scale.

BACKGROUND: The self-worth theory of achievement motivation holds that in certain circumstances students stand to gain by deliberately withdrawing effort. When failure occurs despite effort, students are likely to conclude that failure resulted from lack of ability. Thus, withdrawing effort offers a defence against conclusions of low ability, thereby protecting self-worth. AIM: We undertook to assess the psychometric properties of the Self-Worth Protection Scale (SWPS). SAMPLE: Data were obtained from 243 participants (Study 1) and 411 participants (Study 2) enrolled in undergraduate psychology courses at a university in the United States. METHOD: We administered a number of scales, including the SWPS and scales assessing a fear of negative evaluation, academic self-esteem, uncertain global self-evaluations, self-handicapping, and causal uncertainty. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis indicated a three-factor solution (ability doubts, the importance of ability as a criterion of self-worth, and an avoidance orientation) utilising 33 of the original 44 items. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that this three-factor solution was a poor fit of the data. After modifying the model, a confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a three-factor solution with 26 of the original items and a higher order factor of self-worth protection was an adequate fit of the data. Reliability measures were acceptable for the three subscales and total score. The total score of the SWPS was positively correlated with theoretically related constructs, demonstrating construct validity. CONCLUSIONS: The SWPS appears to be a psychometrically sound scale to assist in identifying individuals who manifest self-worth protection in achievement situations.

Achievement↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Optimal allocation of resources across four interventions for type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Several interventions can be applied to prevent complications of type 2 diabetes. This article examines the optimal allocation of resources across 4 interventions to treat patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The interventions are intensive glycemic control, intensified hypertension control, cholesterol reduction, and smoking cessation. METHODS: A linear programming model was designed to select sets of interventions to maximize quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), subject to varied budget and equity constraints. RESULTS: For no additional cost, approximately 211,000 QALYs can be gained over the lifetimes of all persons newly diagnosed with diabetes by implementing interventions rather than standard care. With increased availability of funds, additional health benefits can be gained but with diminishing marginal returns. The impact of equity constraints is extensive compared to the solution with the same intervention costs and no equity constraint. Under the conditions modeled, intensified hypertension control and smoking cessation interventions were provided most often, and intensive glycemic control and cholesterol reduction interventions were provided less often. CONCLUSIONS: A resource allocation model identifies trade-offs involved when imposing budget and equity constraints on care for individuals with newly diagnosed diabetes.

Adult↗