Social Psychology Intervention

Posted: January 5th, 2023

Social Psychology Intervention

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Social Psychology Intervention

Part I – Introduction

Description of Purpose

Stress is part of life, but may be devastating when unregulated. Both younger and older people are at a risk of developing stress, and those who manage the problem effectively are those who either know how to handle the situation or those who receive necessary guidance. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the importance of social-psychological interventions in addressing academic and non-academic stressors that affect classwork and productivity. The report by Rana, Gulati, and Veenu (2019) (which serves as the basis for the topic), shows that learning institutions can employ social-psychological interventions by allowing learners to engage in various physical exercises as social groups, watch films and listen to music that deviate their attention from stressful thoughts, and go through lessons that inform on how to cope with stress and anxiety. The primary objective of employing the social-psychological intervention is to change students’ view and perceptions about stress and to transform them into more competent individuals in the way deal with disturbing thoughts.

Literature Review

Learning institutions are social settings. They thrive on cultures, relationships, and many interactions between numerous actors each day. All the social processes in schools have significant impact on the teaching and learning processes, and Yeager and Walton (2011) recommend that an effective way to comprehend the intricacies of these interactions is to use the concepts of social psychology, which examines how people influence, think, and connect to each other. A possible and one of the most effective ways to address the social issues emanating within the school environment is social-psychological intervention. 

Recent randomized trials have shown that seemingly, properly organized social-psychological interventions in educational practices – that is exercises that target learners’ beliefs, thoughts, and feelings in and about the learning environment – can result in significant benefits and sharply minimize achievement gaps even after a long time of intervention. The interventions do not impart students with academic knowledge to advance their intelligence and logical thinking. Yeager and Walton (2011) write that social-psychological interventions neither improve nor create learner ability. Yeager and Walton (2011) proceed to mention that they will not equip students with the capability to divide and multiply, if the learners do not instead they target learners’ psychology, such as their beliefs and thoughts such as they are part and are valued in the school or they have the potential to advance their intelligence. The social-psychological interventions may encompass a very specific act, such as praising a student for displaying good conduct, or an objective lesson that teaches learners that they have the capacity to deal with their problems or to grow their mind (Myers, 2005). Such initiatives can have tremendous effects on a learner’s outcome, as valuated by test results (Growth & Justice, 2013). In addition, they can improve students’ level of confidence in their classwork and strengthen their commitment to work harder, while boosting their feeling of belongingness in the school, as demonstrated by qualitative feedback and self-evaluation (Growth & Justice, 2013). Besides minimizing the relentless achievement gap, these kinds of interventions in achievement and in feelings of being part of the school community are vital requirements to improving student outcome. 

One possible area that social-psychological interventions can effectively address in an educational setting is ongoing stressors connected to academic and non-academic demands. Pascoe, Hetrick, and Parker (2019) focus on the effects of stress on students in tertiary and secondary education institutions and find out that academic-connected pressures can affect academic outcome, reduce motivation, and elevate possibility of school dropout. Pascoe, Hetrick, and Parker (2019) further report that the long-term effects of stress among learners, which include disrupted possibility of sustainable employment opportunities, cost federal and state government billions of dollars annually. Other than academic-related stress, students are likely to develop stress due to the disturbing situations they encounter outside school (Rana, Gulati, Veenu, 2019). For example, a student who come from a family where both parents are drug or alcohol addicts, or whose parents cannot afford the required resources may develop stress that have adverse direct impact on the learner. Whether academic or non-academic-related stress, Pascoe, Hetrick, and Parker (2019) argue that stress can have adverse mental health complications such as anxiety and depression, and could also cause other complications such as substance use and sleep problems. Educators need to borrow from the concepts of social-psychological interventions and come up with suitable frameworks for helping students who perform poorly or hardly concentrate on their work due to stress.

Part II – Methods (The Intervention)

Hypothesis 1 – Engaging learners in social activities that relieve them from stress increase their chances of performing well in class.

Hypothesis 2 – Allowing learners to work as a group minimizes the possibilities of reducing stress.

Participants

The exercise involves 100 learners who are at their third year in high school. The selection happens through systematic random sampling, to increase the chances of selecting students who experience some form of stress, either emanating from within the school or outside. The sample comprises of 57 boys and 43 girls aged between 15-17 years old. I encourage the participants to take part in the study by offering a lunch voucher so they would be able to buy some food at the school canteen once the process is over.

Structure

I will put 50 learners under control group and the other 50 in experimental group. The exercise will find out whether after the intervention, those placed in experiment group record more impressive outcome compared to those under control group. 

Measures

The intervention process that will last for three months will consider both independent and dependent variables. The independent variable in this case are the intervention techniques and the instructor and the dependent variables are the participating students. The intervention techniques in this process are taking part in physical activities, watching helpful films and listening to music, and engaging learners in lessons that help to overcome stress. Instructors are independent variables because the learners’ level of stress depend on the techniques they use to mitigate the problem. The learners are the dependent variables because their ability to overcome stress would depend on the intervention techniques instructors use to handle the matter. The best way to measure the level of stress among learners would be to monitor how they interact with others, how they participate in group work, and their level of happiness.

Analysis

The study in this case employs the two-way ANOVA as the primary statistical method. The technique provides an opportunity to find out the effects of at least a couple of independent variables on a single dependent variable. Moreover, the approach presents an opportunity to analyze the effects of independent variables on the anticipated outcome along with their connection to the result itself. The approach is more suitable in this case because it presents an opportunity to examine the interaction of more than two independent variables, and because it is cost effective.

Anticipated Outcome

It is expected that the participant in the experiment group will record better performance than their counterparts in the control group. Those in the experiment group are likely to experience reduced level of stress, which will confirm that social psychological intervention plays key roles in alleviating stress.

The Plan

The plan relies on the transtheoretical model, which holds that it is only possible to achieve the desired changes when an individual is ready to adopt new practices (Yeager & Walton, 2011). The model would allow learners to make the decision on whether they want to join the exercises that help to overcome stressful thoughts or not. Therefore, learners must first contemplate the possible benefits for joining the program, prepare, and act by following the recommended practices. Otherwise, forcing learners to comply with the proposed initiatives may not work effectively.

The plan in this case entails deviating students’ mind from stressful feelings that could tamper with their outcome and productivity. The structure is threefold in nature. The first approach entails engaging the target students in a series of activities such as games, running, and jogging that relieve them of stressful feelings. Students will take part in physical activities as often as possible to keep them focused on productive and positive thoughts. Engaging learners in physical activities is a suitable social-psychological intervention because other than allowing individuals to interact with others in their social setting, participating in physical activities pumps up one’s endorphins, which are neurotransmitters in the brain that make a person feel good (Sharon-David & Tenenbaum, 2017). Physical exercise also evokes the production of hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that play vital functions in regulating stress. In addition, active physical activity minimizes adverse effects associated with stress, and plays vital roles in regulation emotions and mood (Sharon-David & Tenenbaum, 2017). Apart from taking part in physical activities, the plan entails creating room for learners to watch constructive films and listen to music that help them to forget their stressful thoughts and focus on improving their outcome. The school’s management will allow students to listen to music and watch TV and films during designated times, especially during their free time because Thoma, Marca, Bronnimann, and Finkel (2013) write that some kind of music can make a person feel more positive and enthusiastic about life. Music with slower tempo, for example, can relax one’s muscles, put the mind at peace, and create a soothing sensation that make it possible to relieve stress. The final practice in the intervention plan is engaging learners in lessons and talks that help them to deal with the stress they encounter at home and in school, which affect their academic performance. Equipping learners with the relevant knowledge on how to handle stress help to understand that such feelings are part of life, and being confident and strong helps one to overcome stressors.

Comparison with Past Innovations

Researchers and practitioners have developed various mechanisms for elevating how learners overcome their stress. Johnstone et al. (2016) describe how mindfulness interventions created to intentionally focus one’s attention on the current encounter in a manner that is not judgmental. Johnstone et al. (2016) think that where provided in a group or individually, mindfulness interventions may provide many benefits to people in need of therapy for any concern. However, the proposed intervention is different because it takes a holistic approach and proposes various techniques for overcoming the stress.

Implementation

Prior to progressing with the implementation process, the exercise considers several factors that will significantly influence the execution process. Specifically, the plan employ Lewin’s change management framework, which requires the team to set the urge for change, make actual change, and reinstate change within the organization (Saetren & Laumann, 2017; Teczke, Bespayeva & Bugubayeva, 2017). It is essential to take time to define and comprehend the problem and its possible origins. The practice engages various stakeholders at this stage who will give valuable information on how to handle the entire process. For example, the exercise will engage instructors and ask them for their candid views regarding the nature of the problem and how it affects learners (Wight, Wimbush, Jepson & Doi, 2015). Upon defining the issue, it is important to take time to know its distribution, as well as trying to find out who are likely to gain or not likely to benefit from the intervention. The next phase would be to find out what factors require immediate attention and what can be done to meet the necessary requirements (Wight, Wimbush, Jepson & Doi, 2015). The process devices a feasible work framework at this stage, and will find ways for handling each process successfully. The plan proceed to recognize how to promote change at the learning institution. Having recognized the most effective and suitable changeable causal components to mitigate, the next phase is to consider how well to attain the desired change (Wight, Wimbush, Jepson & Doi, 2015). The next process would be to come up with a plan on how to achieve the change mechanisms so that learners get to enjoy provisions that help them to deal with stress. The practice may proceed to test whether the proposed plan will deliver the anticipated outcomes, and gather adequate evidence of appropriateness to justify the implementation process.

The learning institutions will develop various facilities that make it easy for learners to exercise and relieve their academic and non-academic-related stress. The school administration will ensure that the learning institution has adequate space where learners can walk around as they interact with others. Besides, the school’s management will assign a team to oversee the formation of a space where learners can jog, and dance as a way of relieving their stress. In addition, the facility will acquire several bicycles to introduce bicycling as a physical exercise, although this will require considerable landscaping to create a terrain that is conducive for the exercise. The learning facility will also establish infrastructure that allow students to participate in farming, swimming, and yoga that are all forms of physical practices that help the mind get away from stressful thoughts. All along, instructors will encourage students to work as groups and share ideas that may improve how they exercise.

The practice will rely various centers where students are free to listen to music and watch films at their free time. Learners will have to visit these specially designed rooms at intervals to avoid overcrowding, and to ensure that they have enough time to interact and comprehend what they listen or watch. Instructors will allow learners to select what they want to listen or watch, but will oversee the entire process to ensure students do not interact with media products that could alter their thoughts, and subject them to more stress.

Teachers will formulate lessons where they teach learners how to cope with academic and non-academic related stress that impact on their performance. Students will receive instructions on stress management, and will get the chance to ask questions on areas where they require more information. Instructors will familiarize students with different theories of stress to improve their individual capacity to avoid disturbing thoughts. For example, the practice will familiarize learners with Lazarus’ theory of stress, which implies that one develops stress when they think that societal demands exceed their social and personal resources a person is able to generate and use to elevate their well-being (Cooper & Quick, 2017; Krohne, 2002).

Results

It is expected that the adopted measures will yield many positive outcomes that would help students to avoid the stress that is likely to tamper with their academic performance. It is expected that students will interact with each other in all the three contexts and the association will provide them with additional opportunity to gain skills on how to prevent excessive stress that could cause health implications. It is projected that learners will be preoccupied with the many activities the learning institution adopts to evade stressful thoughts and will not have to worry about the stressors in school and at home. It is projected that the physical exercises will change the learners’ views and perceptions regarding daily lifestyle because they will see the need to engage in such exercises even when they are not in school. Moreover, the practices will show the need to interact with others as a way of managing stress. Bulut (2019) asserts that socialization influence’s individual’s levels of stress in many ways. Bulut (2019) argues that interacting with others prompts the production of hormones that minimize stress and anxiety levels, and make people become self-assured in their capability to put up with stressors. Besides, socializing during all the practices set to regulate stress levels direct a person’s energy outward, which provides the chance to handle stress as opposed to when in isolation (Bulut, 2019). Lastly, introducing lessons that familiarize learners to the various techniques of coping with stress presents a suitable chance to prevent adverse effects that could cause health complications and interfere with students’ outcome. Apart from being conversant with the theories of managing stress as highlighted in the previous section, implementing the lessons provide many other opportunities for learning how to how to deal with stressful conditions (DeLongis & Holtzman, 2006). For example, the lessons will show the importance of interacting with others, as well as the merits of taking a balanced diet, talking about the problem to get help in real time (DeLongis & Holtzman, 2006). Furthermore, the lessons will take learners through the importance of making time for extracurricular activities, as well as show the benefits of staying away from avoidable issues that may cause stress, and taking deep breaths and being calm whenever one comes across stressful thoughts or incidences.

Potential Issues and Concerns Relevant for the Target Audience

The intervention approaches are likely to evoke some concerns that require considerable attention from various stakeholders. One of the possible concern regarding the approach is whether the learning facility will take full responsibility of meeting the cost of implementing the project, or whether other sponsors will facilitate the change. A potential financer in this case will be the government, which may offer both material and support requirements to make the process successful. The other possible concern that may be relevant to the target audience is whether the facility will create a follow-up process that makes it possible to understand whether the adopted changes have any significant influence. It is imperative to develop a follow-up program to ensure that everyone who goes through the social-psychological intervention attain the stipulated or desired outcomes (Centre, 2010). However, failing to develop a robust follow-up plan may derail the attempts to help students handle in the most suitable way (Centre, 2010). Another possible concern likely to emerge from this intervention plan is whether all students in the learning institution will undergo the intervention or only those who depict signs and symptoms of stress. It may be essential to preserve confidentiality while executing the plan to avoid embarrassing some learners who may not wat to be exposed to the rest of the learners as suffering from stress.

Measuring Effectiveness

Any team in charge of a project should embrace ways of evaluating whether the process has achieved the desired outcome, or whether more need to happen to address the problem. The team in this case will adopt the concept of measures of effectiveness, which are created to show the accomplishment of project goals and achievements of anticipated outcome (Stathakis, Brachos, Abatzianis, Bandekas, 2017). MOE (measures of effectiveness) quantify the outcomes to be achieved by a structure and may be displayed as likelihoods that the system or organizational structure will function as anticipated (Stathakis, Brachos, Abatzianis, Bandekas, 2017). The interveners will take various measures to measure the effectiveness of the adopted measures. These measures include monitoring how students interact with others, level of participation in class work and physical exercises, and rate of reporting about stress. The group will examine whether the adopted measures has helped to achieve the desired goals and objectives. The group will examine each of the objectives and compare with the outcomes to find out whether the process has made significant strides in easing the level of stress among learners.  

Conclusion

The study presents a social-psychological intervention that would help learning institutions mitigate cases of stress that usually affect many learners. The study shows that many learners suffer from stress generated by academic and non-academic-related stressors that end up affecting their class performance. Learning institutions can effectively apply the approaches of social-psychological interventions to minimize the possible effects of stress at the learning institution, and find effective solutions that would impact on learners’ outcome and productivity. The suitable social-psychological interventions in this case, include engaging students in physical activities while encouraging them to work as social groups to gain more ideas on how to work out. The technique is effective because it transforms how students think, and help them understand that it is possible to stay away from stressful thoughts by being active through physical exercise. The other approach the study acknowledges as being effective in alleviating stress is permitting learners to listen to soothing and inspiring music and to watch films that deviate their attention from stressful encounters. The report also recommends the use of constructive lessons that educate learners on how to cope with, manage, and prevent stress. The group overseeing the implementation must provide adequate oversight to ensure everything works as planned, and should embrace suitable appraisal framework to determine when the project yields the anticipated outcomes.

References

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Cooper, C., & Quick, J. (2017). The handbook of stress and health: A guide to research and practice. New York, NY: Wiley-Blackwell.

DeLongis, A., & Holtzman, S. (2006). Coping in context: The role of stress, social support, and personality in coping. Journal of Personality, 73(6), 1633-1656.

Growth & Justice. (2013). Social-psychological interventions: Student-centered approaches to raising academic achievement. Retrieved from https://growthandjustice.org/publication/Social-Psychological.pdf   

Johnstone et al. (2016). School-based mindfulness intervention for stress reduction in adolescents: Design and methodology of an open-label, parallel group, randomized controlled trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 4(15), 99-104.

Krohne, H. (2002). Stress and coping theories. Retrieved from https://userpage.fu-berlin.de/schuez/folien/Krohne_Stress.pdf

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Teczke, M., Bespayeva, R., & Bugubayeva, R. (2017). Approaches and models for change management. Jagiellonian Journal of Management, 3(3), 195-208.

Thoma, M., Marca, R., Bronnimann, R., & Finkel, L. (2013). The effect of music on the human stress response. PLoS ONE, 8(8), doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070156

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