Fear of negative evaluation: A cross-sectional study among undergraduate nursing students

Effects of smartphone-based hypnotic intervention for undergraduate students' shyness during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, university students have been exposed to a heightened vulnerability towards developing psychological issues, such as psychological distress and shyness. Internet-based interventions offer a convenient avenue for scalability, thus prompting the development of a smartphone-based hypnotic intervention aimed at addressing shyness among university students.

OBJECTIVE

We devised an innovative smartphone-based hypnotic intervention called mHypnosis to examine its impact on shyness among undergraduate students. Furthermore, we aimed to investigate whether the apprehension of negative evaluations before treatment could serve as a predictor for the effectiveness of the intervention on shyness.

METHODS

Eighty students with high shyness scores were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the control group. Another 40 participants with low shyness score were selected as the baseline group. The Shyness Scale (SS), Fear of Negative evaluation scale (FNE), Self-Acceptance Questionnaire (SAQ), and Self-Esteem Scale (SES) were used to evaluate the effect of hypnotic intervention.

RESULTS

Before the intervention, the scores of the experimental and control groups on the SS, FNE, SAQ, and SES were higher than those in the baseline group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in scores between the experimental and control group (p > 0.05). After the intervention, the scores of the SS, FNE, SAQ, and SES were significantly lower in the experimental group than those in the control group (p < 0.05). The pretest score of FNE could predict the shyness score after hypnotic intervention (B = 0.35, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Smartphone-based hypnotic intervention had a significant effect on ameliorating shyness during the COVID-19 pandemic; fear of negative evaluation can be a target for treating shyness.

A Digital Single-Session Intervention (Project Engage) to Address Fear of Negative Evaluation Among College Students: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Increasingly, college science courses are transitioning from a traditional lecture format to active learning because students learn more and fail less frequently when they engage in their learning through activities and discussions in class. Fear of negative evaluation (FNE), defined as a student's sense of dread associated with being unfavorably evaluated while participating in a social situation, discourages undergraduates from participating in small group discussions, whole class discussions, and conversing one-on-one with instructors.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the acceptability of a novel digital single-session intervention and to assess the feasibility of implementing it in a large enrollment college science course taught in an active learning way.

METHODS

To equip undergraduates with skills to cope with FNE and bolster their confidence, clinical psychologists and biology education researchers developed Project Engage, a digital, self-guided single-session intervention for college students. It teaches students strategies for coping with FNE to bolster their confidence. Project Engage provides biologically informed psychoeducation, uses interactive elements for engagement, and helps generate a personalized action plan. We conducted a 2-armed randomized controlled trial to evaluate the acceptability and the preliminary effectiveness of Project Engage compared with an active control condition that provides information on available resources on the college campus.

RESULTS

In a study of 282 upper-level physiology students, participants randomized to complete Project Engage reported a greater increase in overall confidence in engaging in small group discussions (P=.01) and whole class discussions (P<.001), but not in one-on-one interactions with instructors (P=.05), from baseline to immediately after intervention outcomes, compared with participants in an active control condition. Project Engage received a good acceptability rating (1.22 on a scale of -2 to +2) and had a high completion rate (>97%).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a foundation for a freely available, easily accessible intervention to bolster student confidence for contributing in class.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

OSF Registries osf.io/4ca68 http://osf.io/4ca68.

Fear of positive evaluation mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and fear of negative evaluation in nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Fear of evaluation (including the negative and positive ones) has been the focus of scholarly attention as one of the core components of social anxiety. However, most existing research has focused on participants with social anxiety. Previous research has suggested that self-efficacy and fear of positive evaluation are associated with fear of negative evaluation. Still, it remains unknown whether there is an association between the three. For undergraduate nursing students in complex social environments, understanding the association between self-efficacy and fear of positive and negative evaluation is essential to facilitate the high-quality development of nursing talent.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to explore the mediating role of fear of positive evaluation in the relationship between self-efficacy and fear of negative evaluation.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 824 undergraduate nursing students using the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale-Straightforward Items, the Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation of the variables. t-test or ANOVA was used as a univariate analysis. A bootstrap test was conducted to verify the mediating effect through the SPSS macro plugin PROCESS v3.3, with P < 0.05 indicating a statistically significant difference.

FINDINGS

Self-efficacy, fear of positive evaluation, and fear of negative evaluation were significantly associated. Self-efficacy directly and negatively predicted fear of negative evaluation (B = -3.14, p < 0.001). Fear of positive evaluation partially mediated between self-efficacy and fear of negative evaluation, with a mediating effect size of 38.22 %.

DISCUSSION

Self-efficacy can directly and negatively influence fear of negative evaluation. Meanwhile, it can also indirectly reduce the fear of negative evaluation by reducing the fear of positive evaluation. Nursing educators can improve the fear of negative evaluation by increasing students' self-efficacy and encouraging them to view positive assessments correctly.