How do I compare thee? An evidence-based approach to the presentation of class comparison information to students using Dashboard Dr Annelie Harvey Dr Helen Keyes Project funded by Anglia Learning and Teaching Project Award

Social Comparisons Festinger (1954) proposed that we are motivated to accurately evaluate our abilities via the opinions of others Image source: https://images.tmcnet.com/tmc/misc/articles/image/2013/12/shutterstock_241743001.jpg People learn about themselves through other people. People need to be confident about the validity of their perceptions, attitudes, feelings and behaviours to function adequately in life. There is often no objective way to measure the validity of such artefacts so people look for validation for their thoughts, feelings and behaviours from others. In particular we seek out others that are similar to us to validate our perceptions – usually those who belong to our social groups.

Social Comparisons Image source: https://thechronicadventurer.wordpress.com/2015/12/07/day-6-of-7daysofibd-for-crohns-and-colitis-awareness-week/ Who we choose to seek validation or compare ourselves with can have a huge impact on how we rate ourselves and how we feel about ourselves.

Are you good at basketball? Image source: http://www.clipartbest.com/thinking-stickman

Are you good at basketball? Image source: http://www.clipartbest.com/thinking-stickman http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/tattoo/celeb-jordan.htm

Are you good at basketball? Image source: http://www.clipartbest.com/thinking-stickman http://teresamerica.blogspot.com/2011/05/beatification-of-pope-john-paul-ii-on.html Musseiler et al. (2004) found that when participants compared themselves with such extreme comparisons, their estimates of physical abilities were affected. Participants thought they could do more push ups if they had been primed with the pope but less when they had been primed with Michael Jordan.

Image source: https://www.gettyimages.in/license/1286125 Aug 1992: Jose Perinan of Spain wins gold ahead of Shane Kelly of Australia (silver) and Erin Hartwell of the USA (bronze) in the kilometer time trial event at the Barcelona Olympic Games in Spain. \ Mandatory Credit: Gray Mortimore /Allsport Medvec et al. (1995) videotaped the silver and bronze medallists from the 1992 Olympics and asked naïve participants to rate how happy they thought each medallist winner was immediately after the win and at the podium stand. Participants rated the Bronze medallists as happier than the Silver medallists both immediately after the event and on the podium.

If only I would have tried a bit harder, I could have won gold! Image source: https://www.gettyimages.in/license/1286125 Aug 1992: Jose Perinan of Spain wins gold ahead of Shane Kelly of Australia (silver) and Erin Hartwell of the USA (bronze) in the kilometer time trial event at the Barcelona Olympic Games in Spain. \ Mandatory Credit: Gray Mortimore /Allsport Medvec et al. (1995) videotaped the silver and bronze medallists from the 1992 Olympics and asked naïve participants to rate how happy they thought each medallist winner was immediately after the win and at the podium stand. Participants rated the Bronze medallists as happier than the Silver medallists both immediately after the event and on the podium.

If only I would have tried a bit harder, I could have won gold! At least I won a medal! Image source: https://www.gettyimages.in/license/1286125 Aug 1992: Jose Perinan of Spain wins gold ahead of Shane Kelly of Australia (silver) and Erin Hartwell of the USA (bronze) in the kilometer time trial event at the Barcelona Olympic Games in Spain. \ Mandatory Credit: Gray Mortimore /Allsport Medvec et al. (1995) videotaped the silver and bronze medallists from the 1992 Olympics and asked naïve participants to rate how happy they thought each medallist winner was immediately after the win and at the podium stand. Participants rated the Bronze medallists as happier than the Silver medallists both immediately after the event and on the podium.

Social Comparisons Comparing yourself to someone better than you Comparing yourself to someone worse than you = Upward comparison = Downward comparison

Social Comparisons in Academia Students use social comparisons to gauge their academic abilities (Molloy, Guest, & Rulison, 2010) Downward comparisons can bolster our self-esteem (Taylor & Lobel, 1989) and upward comparisons may lower self-esteem (Callan et al., 2014) Student’s estimates of future performance and academic self-competence decrease after upward comparisons (Bissell-Havran, 2014; Raat, Kuks, Hell, & Cohen-Schotanus, 2013) Upward comparisons can be inspiring and have a positive influence on students (Burleson, Leach, & Harrington, 2005)

Dashboard

Our Study We wanted to see if relative upward and downward social comparisons on a hypothetical Dashboard would influence students… Self-esteem Willingness to engage in StudySkillsPlus Motivation to work on hard tasks 260 ARU students participated online (Qualtrics)

You are performing above the class average

You are performing the same as the class average

You are performing below the class average

Self-esteem Rosenberg (1965) self-esteem scale

Willingness to engage with StudySkillsPlus 4 items

Motivation to Work on Hard Tasks Example, YBO = BOY OLWGFNA KDNITE DNOEIG GEIDLH ALLRGON Impossible anagram task

Demographics & Uplifting task Please write down 3 of your best qualitied below: 1. 2. 3. To ensure any effects to self-esteem where annulled before participants left the survey

Results: Self-esteem * Error bars indicate 1 standard error

Results: Willingness to Engage with SSP Error bars indicate 1 standard error

Results: Motivation for Hard Tasks Error bars indicate 1 standard error

Results Students self-esteem decreases after making an upward comparison (i.e., they are performing below the course average) compared to a downward comparison (i.e., they are performing above the course average) No effect of social comparisons on (1) the willingness to engage in StudySkillsPlus or (2) the motivation for hard (impossible) tasks No interaction or effect with students grade level – failing students reacted the same way as 1st class students

Dashboard Implications + Dashboard can increase the self-esteem of students when they are making downward comparisons (i.e., performing better than the average) - Dashboard can lower our student’s self-esteem when they are making upward comparisons (i.e., performing lower than the average) + Dashboard social comparisons do not demotivate students from engaging in hard tasks or support services - Dashboard social comparisons do not motivate students to engage more in harder tasks or with support services

Limitations and Future Research Engagement or performance? How to increase self-esteem within Dashboard? Engagement with the personal tutor? Social comparison or low grade? Lowered self-esteem predictor of Dashboard use?

Anglia Learning and Teaching Project Award for funding this project Thank You Dr Helen Keyes Matt East Anglia Learning and Teaching Project Award for funding this project