Mindfulness to Mitigate Psychological Threat and Improve Engagement and Learning in Introductory Physics Courses

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This project involves testing a brief mindfulness training program to reduce students' psychological threat and support motivation, engagement, and learning in introductory undergraduate physics courses. The investigators predict that, compared to a control condition, mindfulness training will reduce psychological threat and increase motivation, engagement, and learning in physics.

Official Title
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Mobile Mindfulness Training and Physics Learning

Conditions
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Stress

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Mindfulness Training


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: at least 18 years of age current University of Pittsburgh student fluent in written and spoken English enrolled in introductory physics self-reported psychological threat in physics Exclusion Criteria: under 18 years of age not a current University of Pittsburgh student not fluent in written and spoken English not enrolled in introductory physics does not meet self-report psychological threat in physics

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Mindfulness Training<br>Participants receive 20 minutes of mindfulness training per day for five continuous days (Monday through Friday). Training is delivered remotely to participants' computers and smartphones. | Behavioral: Mindfulness Training<br>* Training is focused on learning the principle of RAIN (recognize, accept, investigate, non-identify) in the context of physics learning.<br>|
| No Intervention: No-Training<br>Participants do not receive training. On Monday and Friday, they listen to a 20 minute audiobook to match for time. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mean differences in Psychological Threat measured via Ecological Momentary Assessment | Perceived physics demands and physics coping resources, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 6. Psychological threat is calculated by subtracting average of physics demands from average of physics resources. Psychological threat ranges from -5 to 5, with scores above zero indicating psychological threat and scores of 0 or lower indicating psychological challenge. | Up to 3 days post-random assignment | 
| Mean differences in Physics Motivation assessed via Ecological Momentary Assessment | State motivation to do physics work, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 4. Physics motivation is calculated as an average of all items. Physics motivation ranges from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater motivation to do physics work. | Up to 3 days post-random assignment | 
| Mean change in Psychological Threat measured via Self-Report | Perceived physics demands and physics coping resources, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 6. Psychological threat is calculated by subtracting average of physics demands from average of physics resources. Psychological threat ranges from -5 to 5, with scores above zero indicating psychological threat and scores of 0 or lower indicating psychological challenge. | Up to three months post-intervention | 
| Mean change in Physics Interest measured via Self-Report | The degree by which student's want to know or learn about physics, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 4. Physics interest is calculated as an average of all items. Physics interest ranges from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater interest in learning about physics. | Up to three months post-intervention | 
| Mean change in Physics Self-Efficacy measured via Self-Report | Beliefs about the ability to perform well in physics, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 4. Physics self-efficacy is calculated as an average of all items. Physics self-efficacy ranges from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicated greater self-efficacy to perform well in physics. | Up to three months post-intervention | 
| Mean change in Physics Value measured via Self-Report | Perceived value of learning physics, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 6. Physics value is calculated as an average of all items. Physics value ranges from 1 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater perceived value of physics learning. | Up to three months post-intervention | 
| Mean change in Physics Identity measured via Self-Report | The degree by which students identify their self-concept with physics, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 6. Physics identity is calculated as an average of all items. Physics identity ranges from 1 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater self-identification with physics. | Up to three months post-intervention | 
| Mean change in Physics Belonging measured via Self-Report | Student's sense of belonging in their physics course, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 5. Physics belonging is calculated as an average of all items. Physics belonging ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater sense of belonging in physics. | Up to three months post-intervention | 
| Mean change in Physics Achievement Goals measured via Self-Report | Goals related to mastery approach, performance approach, or performance avoidance, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 6. Each subscale is calculated as an average of all of the items for each subscale. Physics achievement goals range from 1 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater mastery approach, performance approach, or performance avoidance goals. | Up to three months post-intervention | 
| Mean change in Physics Growth Mindset measured via Self-Report | Beliefs that intelligence and abilities for physics can be developed through dedication and hard work, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 6. Growth mindset is calculated as an average of all items. Growth mindset ranges from 1 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater growth mindsets and lower scores indicating greater fixed mindsets. | Up to three months post-intervention | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mean differences in Meaning Making and Positive Reappraisal assessed via Ecological Momentary Assessment | Positive Construals and appraisals of a difficult experience in physics, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 5. Positive construals and appraisals are calculated as an average of all items. Positive construals and appraisals ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater positive reappraisal of a difficult experience in physics. | Up to 3 days post-random assignment | 
| Mean differences in Affect assessed via Ecological Momentary Assessment | Positive and negative affect, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 5. Positive and negative affect are calculated as an average of all items from each subscale. Positive and negative affect ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater positive or negative affect, respectively. | Up to 3 days post-random assignment | 
| Mean differences in Mindfulness assessed via Ecological Momentary Assessment | State mindful attention and awareness, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 0 to 6. State mindfulness is calculated as an average of all items. State mindfulness ranges from 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater state mindful attention and awareness. | Up to 3 days post-random assignment | 
| Mean differences in Equanimity assessed via Ecological Momentary Assessment | State balanced mental attitude, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 5. State equanimity is calculated as an average of all items. State equanimity ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating a greater balanced mental attitude. | Up to 3 days post-random assignment | 
| Mean change in Meaning Making and Positive Reappraisal assessed via Self-Report | Positive construals and appraisals of a difficult experience in physics, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 5. Positive construals and appraisals are calculated as an average of all items. Positive construals and appraisals ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater positive reappraisal of a difficult experience in physics. | Up to three months post-intervention | 
| Mean change in Physics Engagement assessed via Self-Report | Physics effort, cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, & help-seeking, with each subscale measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 6. Each subscale is calculated as an average of all of the items for each subscale, with higher scores indicating greater effort, use of cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, and greater help-seeking behavior. | Up to three months post-intervention | 
| Mean change in Physics Anxiety assessed via Self-Report | Anxiety about doing physics work, measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 5. Physics anxiety is calculated as an average of all items. Physics anxiety ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater physics anxiety. | Up to three months post-intervention | 
| Mean change in Physics performance on the assessment | Physics problem solving tasks that range in difficulty covering content from introductory physics. Each item is scored for accuracy. Multiple choice and forced choice items scored as correct or incorrect. Open-ended and explanation items are scored on a rubric. Scores are averaged across the items with higher scores indicating better physics performance. | Change from baseline to posttest | 
| Mean differences in Performance on the Preparation for Future Learning Task | Physics problem solving tasks that include new learning resources (e.g., a worked example) and a transfer task. Each item is scored for accuracy. Open-ended and explanation items are scored on a rubric. Scores are summed across items with higher scores indicating better physics learning. | Posttest | 
| Mean change of judgments of confidence, anxiety, and difficulty during physics assessment via Self-Report | Judgments of anxiety, confidence, and difficulty during physics problem solving, with each subscale measured using self-report items with Likert scale from 1 to 6. Each subscale is calculated as an average of all of the items, with higher scores indicating greater confidence, anxiety, and difficulty respectively. | Change from baseline to posttest | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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psychological threat, motivation, engagement, physics education, mindfulness