Clinical trial NCT04589377: Mindfulness to Mitigate Psychological Threat and Improve Engagement and Learning in Introductory Physics Courses
Official title: Mobile Mindfulness Training and Physics Learning
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Stress
Keywords: psychological threat
motivation
engagement
physics education
mindfulness
Lead sponsor: University of Pittsburgh
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: U.S. National Science Foundation
name: James S McDonnell Foundation
First posted: 2020-10-19
Enrollment: 149
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: 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.


Eligibility criteria: 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

Primary outcomes:
measure: Mean differences in Psychological Threat measured via Ecological Momentary Assessment
timeFrame: Up to 3 days post-random assignment
measure: Mean differences in Physics Motivation assessed via Ecological Momentary Assessment
timeFrame: Up to 3 days post-random assignment
measure: Mean change in Psychological Threat measured via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Physics Interest measured via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Physics Self-Efficacy measured via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Physics Value measured via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Physics Identity measured via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Physics Belonging measured via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Physics Achievement Goals measured via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Physics Growth Mindset measured via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Mean differences in Meaning Making and Positive Reappraisal assessed via Ecological Momentary Assessment
timeFrame: Up to 3 days post-random assignment
measure: Mean differences in Affect assessed via Ecological Momentary Assessment
timeFrame: Up to 3 days post-random assignment
measure: Mean differences in Mindfulness assessed via Ecological Momentary Assessment
timeFrame: Up to 3 days post-random assignment
measure: Mean differences in Equanimity assessed via Ecological Momentary Assessment
timeFrame: Up to 3 days post-random assignment
measure: Mean change in Meaning Making and Positive Reappraisal assessed via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Physics Engagement assessed via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Physics Anxiety assessed via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Physics performance on the assessment
timeFrame: Change from baseline to posttest
measure: Mean differences in Performance on the Preparation for Future Learning Task
timeFrame: Posttest
measure: Mean change of judgments of confidence, anxiety, and difficulty during physics assessment via Self-Report
timeFrame: Change from baseline to posttest
Other outcomes:
measure: Mean differences in Performance in Physics Class
timeFrame: End of semester, approximately 12 weeks
measure: Mean differences in Retention in Physics Classes
timeFrame: End of following semester, approximately 7 months
measure: Mean change in Physics Failure Mindset assessed via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Physics Epistemological Beliefs assessed via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Physics Transfer assessed via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Covid-19 Perception of Threat assessed via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Mindfulness assessed via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Emotion Regulation assessed via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
measure: Mean change in Trait Equanimity assessed via Self-Report
timeFrame: Up to three months post-intervention
Locations:
city: Pittsburgh
country: United States
facility: University of Pittsburgh
state: Pennsylvania
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Pittsburgh
name: Brian Galla, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: University of Pittsburgh
name: Timothy Nokes-Malach, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: