University Students Who Overcame Learned Helplessness: What Helped or Hindered?

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 334-362
Author(s):  
Syler Hayes ◽  
Daniele Doucet ◽  
Robinder P. Bedi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Learned Helplessness ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Educational Performance ◽  
Academic Environment ◽  
Enhanced Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Helping And Hindering Factors

Learned helplessness in an academic environment often affects educational performance and mental health in adverse ways (Ciarrochi et al., 2007; Hu et al., 2015). Using a modified version of the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique, this study aimed to develop a better understanding of what helps or hinders university students in overcoming learned helplessness. Analysis generated 14 categories of helping incidents and seven categories of hindering incidents, most of which were consistent with previous research. This study identified the category Being in the Spotlight, which had not been noted at all in past research. Examination of the results contributes information about reported interactions between hindering incidents and the importance of autonomy in overcoming learned helplessness, topics neglected or understudied in past research on learned helplessness in university students. Overall, the results of this study provide additional direction for counsellors working with university students who experience learned helplessness and highlight the need for further research to understand in more detail the helping and hindering factors outlined in this study.

The Philosophical Underpinnings of the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 738-755
Author(s):  
Matthew M. McDaniel ◽  
William A. Borgen ◽  
Marla J. Buchanan ◽  
Lee D. Butterfield ◽  
Norm E. Amundson
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Science ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Enhanced Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Ontological Position ◽  
Counselling Psychology

Since its introduction in 1954, the critical incident technique (CIT) has been modified for use within counselling psychology and undergone several contemporary enhancements. While the method’s procedures and history have been described thoroughly, its philosophical underpinnings have not. This article seeks to fill this gap by contrasting the most current iteration of the CIT (i.e., the enhanced critical incident technique, or ECIT) across the philosophy of science paradigms. The ECIT is found to contain specific and rigorous post-positive epistemological elements and a flexible ontological position. This makes the ECIT a malleable method that can meet the needs of researchers from multiple perspectives.

Mental health effects of an online self-help intervention for university students during COVID-19: a non-randomized controlled pilot study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elodie Charbonnier ◽  
Bastien Trémolière ◽  
Louise Baussard ◽  
Aurelie Goncalves ◽  
Florence Lespiau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
University Students ◽  
Stress Management ◽  
Learned Helplessness ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Self Help

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting abrupt changes in daily life and ways of learning has had a significant impact on university students, especially on their mental health. However, little is known on how to prevent and/or reduce its impact to date. Prior to COVID, some studies have shown that online stress management programs were successful enough to improve students' mental health and stress adjustment strategies, suggesting that these interventions should be further developed during the pandemic. OBJECTIVE Our study explored the effects of an online self-help program which targeted stress management and learning. METHODS A non-randomized controlled study was initially conducted with 204 university students. Our final sample is composed of 67 participants distributed in two groups, the intervention group (participants who took part to the full program) and the control group (participants who did not take part in the program). The variables measured were: anxiety and depressive symptoms (HADS), academic burnout (MBI-SS), learned helplessness (LHQ), and coping strategies (Brief-COPE). Measurements were performed at the baseline (T0) and at 8 weeks (T1) after the baseline. RESULTS Means comparisons between T0 and T1 show in the intervention group a reduction in anxiety symptoms (d = .67), use of substance to cope with stress (d = .93) and learned helplessness (d = .53), which is not observed in the control group. CONCLUSIONS Our pilot study reports promising effects of our online self-help program combining stress and learning on students' psychological state. In the future, further research effort will be needed to confirm the beneficial effect of this type of program on university students.

scholarly journals The Enhanced Critical Incident Technique Investigation of Girls’ Perceptions of Prosocial Connectedness in a Wraparound Program

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 756-777
Author(s):  
Rebecca Barrett-Wallis ◽  
Alanaise Goodwill
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Sexual Exploitation ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Male Population ◽  
Enhanced Critical Incident Technique ◽  
School Based ◽  
Gang Prevention ◽  
Attachment Model

Women and girls are being implicated in gang-related operations at alarming rates. Anti-social gang behaviours such as drug trafficking, sexual exploitation, gun violence, and street entrenchment are of particular concern. British Columbia has seen a rise in gang-associated violence and homicide directed at or involving women over the last decade. Positive youth development initiatives such as the one in this study aim to support youth currently involved in or at risk of being involved in gangs. School personnel identify students who are exposed to anti-social gang behaviours and refer them to a wraparound program where they are matched with an adult mentor who works with them and their families to facilitate prosocial connections to five life domains: (a) school, (b) community, (c) home, (d) prosocial peers, and (e) the self. A 2012 evaluation report determined the program to be effective in reaching its objectives with a predominantly male population (84%). However, between 2015 and 2016, the program dramatically increased its responsiveness to girls, with a nearly 50% increase in female referrals. Using the enhanced critical incident technique (ECIT), the purpose of the study was to describe how female-identifying students articulate “prosocial connectedness” within the context of their experiences in a school-based wraparound gang prevention program. Critical incidents were collected by the first author, who interviewed eight girls and asked them the following: “What has helped/hindered/would have better helped facilitate your prosocial connectedness?” Findings were organized into 34 categories. ECIT analyses point to the effectiveness of using a relational/attachment model to inform strategies for gang prevention and school-based intervention in female youth.

Understanding Educators’ Implementation of an Equity-Focused PBIS Intervention: A Qualitative Study of Critical Incidents

2021 ◽  
pp. 109830072110088
Author(s):  
Eoin Bastable ◽  
Sarah Fairbanks Falcon ◽  
Sara C. McDaniel ◽  
Kent McIntosh ◽  
Maria Reina Santiago-Rosario
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Critical Incidents ◽  
School Discipline ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Enhanced Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Positive Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Depth Interviews

With the emergence of interventions shown to reduce school discipline disparities, it is important to explore what variables influence educators to implement these approaches. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 21 educators asked to describe their experiences implementing an equity-focused Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) intervention. A qualitative method called the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique was used to generate 22 representative categories from 241 observable incidents reported. Findings included 14 helping categories, four hindering categories, and four categories describing what could have made implementing the intervention easier. Implications for enhancing educators’ use of equity-focused disciplinary approaches are discussed along with current research, theory, and consultation models.

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