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Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
Published on: September 11, 2021
No Impact? Long-Term Effects of Applying the Best Possible Self Intervention in a Real-World Undergraduate Classroom
Suzhen Duan1, Marisa Exter1, Timothy Newby1
1Learning Design and Technology, Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education at Purdue University, Steven C. Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education 100 N. University Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2098 USA.
Abstract:
Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) improve students' well-being in laboratory settings. Best possible self (BPS) is one of the most widely used PPIs shown in the laboratory to effectively improve participants' well-being in both the short- and long-term, but limited research has been conducted in real-world contexts. This study applied BPS in an undergraduate classroom to examine its long-term effects. Students enrolled in an undergraduate education course were assigned to treatment and control groups. Three writing activities and four tests were integrated into the course as assignments in both groups. Data were analyzed using a (group and time) mixed ANOVA. The results indicate that BPS did not significantly improve the participants' well-being over time compared with the control group. In fact, the control group performed better than treatment at one month after the intervention. This aligns with recent findings of well-being during COVID-19. Potential implications and areas for future research are discussed.
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