Do Personality Traits Matter? Exploring Anti-drug Behavioral Patterns in a Computer-Assisted Situated Learning...

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Drug abuse is a global issue, with traditional anti-drug campaigns showing limited effectiveness.
• Developing effective drug refusal skills is crucial for student well-being.
• Existing educational methods may not adequately address the complexities of peer pressure and decision-making in drug-related scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel serious game and concept map approach for teaching drug refusal skills to middle school students.
• To investigate the influence of personality traits (Big Five) on students' responses to drug temptation scenarios.
• To identify behavioral patterns associated with drug refusal and acceptance.

Main Methods:

• A game-based situational learning system was employed for a drug refusal skills experiment with 53 junior middle school students (ages 13-15).
• Participants engaged in simulated drug temptation scenarios within a serious game environment.
• Lag sequential analysis (LSA) using the Generalized Sequential Querier (GSEQ) was used to analyze recorded behavioral patterns.

Main Results:

• Seven distinct behavioral patterns were identified: differentiation, acceptance, effective/ineffective responses, effective/ineffective solution-seeking, and failure to refuse.
• Neuroticism levels were lower with concept map guidance; this trait correlated with the lowest drug acceptance risk.
• "Openness to experiences" was linked to a higher risk of drug acceptance.
• Failure to refuse drugs often led to inefficient help-seeking and refusal behaviors.

Conclusions:

• The serious game and concept map intervention shows promise for enhancing drug refusal skills.
• Personality traits significantly moderate drug refusal behaviors, suggesting personalized educational strategies.
• Findings inform the design of adaptive anti-drug education programs tailored to individual student characteristics.