Background: Short-term mindsets are associated with self-defeating behaviors, such as delinquency and alcohol use. In contrast, people who consider the longer-term consequences of their decisions... Show moreBackground: Short-term mindsets are associated with self-defeating behaviors, such as delinquency and alcohol use. In contrast, people who consider the longer-term consequences of their decisions tend to report positive outcomes, like feeling more competent and enhanced goal achievement. We evaluate an intervention, FutureU, that aims to stimulate future-oriented thinking, increase goal achievement, and reduce self-defeating behavior, by strengthening people’s identification with their future self. The intervention will be delivered through a smartphone application (app) or immersive Virtual Reality (VR). We test the effectiveness of FutureU for both delivery methods, examine working mechanisms, and identify potential moderators of intervention effects. Methods: In this Randomized Controlled Trial, a total of 240 first-year university students (n=80 per condition) will be randomized into one of three conditions: (1) a smartphone condition, (2) a VR condition, and (3) an active control condition. We will assess proximal (i.e., future self-identification) and distal intervention outcomes (e.g., future orientation, self-defeating behaviors, goal achievement), user engagement, and examine usage data and goal content. Assessments will take place at baseline, during the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and at 3- and 6-months follow-up. Discussion: This study will provide information on the effectiveness of the intervention and allows for comparisons between delivery methods using novel technologies, a smartphone app versus immersive VR. Knowledge gained through this study can be used for further intervention development as well as theory building. Trial registration: This trial is registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05578755) on 13 October 2022. Show less
Belo, N.A.H.; Driel, J.H. van; Veen, K. van; Verloop, N. 2014
This doctoral thesis comprises two questionnaire studies and two small-scale interview studies on the content and structure of physics teachers__ belief systems. The studies focused on teachers__... Show moreThis doctoral thesis comprises two questionnaire studies and two small-scale interview studies on the content and structure of physics teachers__ belief systems. The studies focused on teachers__ beliefs about the goals and pedagogy of teaching and learning physics, and the nature of science. The samples consisted of physics teachers working at secondary schools in the Netherlands (students aged 12-18). The questionnaire studies showed that, on average, teachers__ belief systems about teaching and learning physics were composed of interrelated beliefs about the goals of physics education and more or less distinct beliefs about teacher-regulated learning, student-regulated learning and knowledge construction, and the nature of science. The interview studies showed that teachers differed in their priorities concerning the goals of physics education, as well as the extent to which their beliefs about the pedagogy of teaching and learning physics reflect student-regulated learning. No clear relationship was found between beliefs about the nature of science and beliefs about the goals and pedagogy of physics education. The main conclusions are discussed by paying attention to theoretical perspectives such as pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and practical knowledge. The practical implications for teacher education and professional development emphasize the importance of building an explicit professional rationale. Show less
The central issue in this thesis is the work related causes and consequences of job stress among nurses. The relationships between a wide range of work characteristics and characteristics of the... Show moreThe central issue in this thesis is the work related causes and consequences of job stress among nurses. The relationships between a wide range of work characteristics and characteristics of the organization and environment on the one hand, and different outcomes (such as job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion) on the other hand are explored in three studies. The influence of goal orientation on the outcomes is studied in a fourth study. Data were gathered by means of questionnaires that were spread among all nurses of the Leiden University Medical Centre in 2000 and in 2003. Nurses’ job satisfaction is influenced by their possibilities to develop nursing skills and by having good working relationships with supervisors. Nurses’ ill health is largely determined by their workload. However, it seems not (necessarily) to be the emotional demand of patient contact that burdens nurses. More likely, ill-health is the effect of the fact that nurses cannot give each patient the attention they want to give, due to too many tasks. The thesis deals with methodological issues such as causality. Moreover, it deals with theoretical issues such as the influence of person and environmental factors on the stress reaction. Finally, practical considerations are outlined. Show less
