Introduction
It is important to note that psychology research methods can significantly impact the results and findings. The given analysis will primarily focus on Thomas Holtgraves’ study, which was comprised of four experiments conducted in 2015. The emphasis is made on the methods where participants are engaged in self-reporting rather than independent observation from outside.
The proposed study investigates the impact of cognitive and affective language in self-report measures on the accuracy of self-assessments of academic competence among undergraduate IT students. More specifically, the influence of language in self-reports is the main topic, where the use of specific verbs can significantly skew self-esteem scores under such conditions. Affective and cognitive verbal modifications impact self-esteem evaluations in self-reports, with gender being the most critical predictor.
Literature Review
In order to comprehensively understand the subject of interest, it is helpful to consult and review the reliable and relevant scholarly literature first. Psychology research methods are a set of techniques and strategies psychologists use to study human behavior, emotions, cognition, and other mental processes (Holtgraves, 2015). Holtgraves (2015) conducted four experiments to investigate the effect of using cognitive, such as ‘think,’ or affective, such as ‘feel,’ verbs in self-report items on participants’ responses.
Results of experiments 1 and 2 showed that responses were significantly more negative when prompted with the word ‘feel’ compared to ‘think’ in open-ended self-descriptions (Holtgraves, 2015). This effect was observed in the subsequent self-esteem scores of experiment 2. In addition, “replacing the verb ‘feel’ with ‘think’ in the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES) in experiments 3 and 4 led to significantly higher reported self-esteem for female participants but not for male participants” (Holtgraves, 2015, p. 1). In other words, the type of language used in self-reports, as a psychology research method, can affect the outcome.
It should be noted that the Rosenberg self-esteem scale is a widely used psychological assessment tool. It consists of 10 items designed to measure an individual’s overall self-esteem (Rosenberg, 1965). Holtgraves’s (2015) finding may be related to the observation by Schrauf and Sanchez (2004) that the English vocabulary has a more significant number of negative affective words than positive ones, which suggests a potential bias. Thus, the choice of cognitive or affective verbs in self-report measures can significantly influence the nature of responses, with potential implications for research design and interpretation.
Research Purpose and Hypothesis
This research aims to explore the impact of using cognitive and affective language in self-report measures on perceived self-competence in academic performance among undergraduate psychology students. The hypothesis is that the use of cognitive verbs in self-report measures will lead to more accurate self-assessments of academic competence compared to the use of affective verbs, as the latter may introduce emotional biases. In addition, the expectation is that the influence of cognitive and affective language may vary depending on the participants’ gender and cultural backgrounds.
Method
Participants
The study will involve a total of 120 undergraduate students majoring in the information technology (IT) field from several universities. The students will be recruited online through university social media pages. Inclusion criteria will require that participants are currently enrolled in a course related to their major and are fluent English speakers. Participants’ demographic information, such as age and ethnicity, will be collected as well. The anticipated gender breakdown will be 60 males and 60 females, and the age range will be between 18 and 26 years old, putting the mean at 22. For ethnicity percentages, there are no clear anticipations since it is not of the main interest, but one could expect that it will be reflective of state or national averages.
Measures
The Rosenberg self-esteem scale will be utilized as the primary measure for this study. Two versions of the RSES will be created, where one will use cognitive verbs, such as ‘think,’ and the other will use affective verbs, such as ‘feel.’ Each will contain ten items in total, and the example and response format is as follows:
1. On the whole, I feel/think that I am satisfied with myself.
[Strongly Agree] [Agree] [Disagree] [Strongly Disagree]
The original Rosenberg’s (1965) question uses ‘on the whole, I am satisfied with myself,’ but the modified version introduces verbs similar to Holtgraves (2015). The objective is to assess any differences caused by the verb change. Full measures can be found in Rosenberg’s (1965) Society and The Adolescent Self-Image.
In addition, a brief academic test of the participant’s respective fields will be developed to evaluate their self-assessed competence against their actual performance. The questions will include ten technical IT questions appropriate for the undergraduate level. The example and response format for the academic evaluation question is as follows:
What is the purpose of the ‘git commit’ command in version control systems?
- To add a new file to the repository
- To update an existing file in the repository
- To save changes to the local repository
- To synchronize changes with the remote repository
Procedure
The recruitment will be conducted online through university social media pages as a social media announcement and post. The instructions will be directly included in the post itself, where they will be asked to participate by completing the Google form. They will be informed about the procedure and their rights to withdraw at any moment, alongside other critical information about ethical implications.
Firstly, participants will be randomly assigned to complete either the modified version of the RSES to measure their self-esteem. Half of the students will take the ‘think’ version of the RSES Google form, whereas the remaining students will take the ‘feel’ version.
Secondly, following the self-esteem measures, a quick academic assessment in the participant’s respective fields will be conducted to compare their perceived competence with their actual performance. There will be ten questions in total to evaluate and assess the overall knowledge of an IT undergraduate in their field. The assistance of an IT professor from the university will be important in designing them to be comprehensive and encompassing. Finally, participants will be debriefed and thanked for their participation through their emails.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the influence of cognitive and emotional language on self-reported assessments highlights the importance of carefully considering research methodology in psychology studies. The choice of verbs in self-report measures can influence the nature of responses and may introduce potential biases, affecting the interpretation and validity of the findings. The proposed research plan aims to further explore the influence of cognitive and affective language on undergraduate IT students’ perceptions of their academic abilities. By examining the potential differences in self-competence perceptions and actual performance, this study could provide valuable insights into the role of language in self-assessment and inform future research designs in psychology. Moreover, understanding the nuances of self-report measures can contribute to more accurate assessments and better-informed interventions in educational settings.
References
Holtgraves, T. (2015). I think I am doing great but I feel pretty bad about it: Affective versus cognitive verbs and self-reports. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1-10. Web.
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton University Press.
Schrauf, R. W., & Sanchez, J. (2004). The preponderance of negative emotion words across generations and across cultures. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 25, 266-284. Web.