The Effect of Personal Relevance on Eliciting Self-Awareness

7/30/2019 The Effect of Personal Relevance on Eliciting Self-Awareness

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The Effect of Personal Relevanceon Eliciting Self-Awareness

Within a Program of Instruction

By Cadet Noah Truax

Advisor: LTC James W. Ness,Ph.D


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Habits of the Mind

Everyone has natural tendencies in anybehavior or thought process (Bem, 1973)

These behaviors may or may not beappropriate for an optimal applicationoutcome


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Habits of the Mind

Leadership is no different, people have naturaltendenciesmethods or styles with which they

are most comfortable. These natural tendencies may not always beappropriate for every situation.

Self-awareness is therefore essential to self-development as a leader, so that leaders knowwhat their tendencies are and can adjustaccordingly to situational factors.


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Self-Awareness

Sometimes a hard concept to grasp: Self-Awareness in this study is an accurate

understanding of ones own actions, habits,and tendencies, and the effect of the same onothers.


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Leadership

Self-development in leadership hingesupon leaders awareness of their personal

tendencies. Without knowing how one operates, one

cannot adjust to improve themselves.


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Study

This study compares two programs of instruction,a case-study design, and a computer simulationdesign

The case study design is full of a specific Army-relevant context.

The computer simulation design involves a basic,simply structured approach to learning leadershipstyles.

Both designs have previously shown promise inaffecting self-awareness (Benbassat & Baumal,

2005).

S i T fl


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Scenario T ree Influencing GroupDynamics


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Scenario #1

Failing the APFTLT Davis had just taken over as PL when orders of deployment to a combat theater ofoperations in two months were received. A review of the PT records for the platoon

evealed that PFC Freeman failed the last two APFTs. However, there is no record that the

PFC was flagged, counseled, or given any special PT program. PFC Freeman is given thetest and once again fails due to an inability to run without periodically stopping to walk.

The PFC is an otherwise good soldier with a strong desire to serve.Courses of Action:

1. Protect unit deployment readiness by giving a passing APFT with the understandingthat PFC Freedman will not be promoted until he passes.

2. This is an indiscipline problem; put PFC Freeman on a remedial PT program.3. Work with PSG, Squad leader and PFC Freeman to remediate PFC Freedman.4. Too busy with deployment issues, delegate the issue to the PSG and focus on

preparing for the deployment.


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Study

Theory: inexperienced learners will relate betterto personally relevant basic leadership context,

and will therefore become more self-awarethrough a basically structured beginnersleadership program. Army-relevant contextwithin a program of instruction on leadership

style will hinder understanding, will not bepersonally relevant to inexperienced learners,and will elicit less self-awareness.


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Study

Theory: As all persons have initialtendencies, those who become self-aware

within a program that requires situationalanalysis will learn to mitigate theirtendencies in order to employ an optimal

approach according to the instruction ofthe program.


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Study

Theory: Therefore, this study looked foran increase in correctly chosen leadership

styles between pre and post instruction inorder to claim an elicitation of self-awareness.


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Method

Participants: First-year cadets at the UnitedStates Military Academy enrolled in an

introductory Psychology course Between the ages of 17 and 23 Little to no prior Army experience. 26 participants randomly assigned to two

conditions: Case Study (control), and VirtualLeader (experimental). 13 per condition.


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Method

Materials/Apparatus: Control condition: Case-Study regiment

developed by the Army Research Institute(ARI). Involve leadership dilemmas where adecision was requested of the participant asto the best coarse of action (leadership

approach)


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Method

Materials/Apparatus: Experimental condition: Virtual Leader

program by the Simulearn company. This isan interactive virtual leadership platform inwhich participants work with artificiallyintelligent co-workers in several generic

office-meeting-format simulations.Participants were asked to apply leadershipfundamentals and techniques taught withinthe program to effect an optimal outcomeduring virtual practice.


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Method

Measures: The independent variable was the presence or

non-presence of personally relevant contextwithin the programs of instruction. The twolevels were null (CS), and present (VL).

The dependant variable was self-awareness

as measured by the degree of increase incorrect theory application.


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Method

Procedure: Participants ran through either control or

experimental conditions

Program of instruction run through, initial tendenciesmeasured, instruction within the programadministered and tendencies revealed to participant,post instruction testing done to measure application

ability.

Understanding and acceptance of material measured.


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Results

Measures of central tendency taken toevaluate degree of understanding and

acceptance of the program.

Paired-sample t-tests done to measurecorrect application before and afterinstruction.


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Results

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

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AVGRatingonLikertScal

Identific

ation

Realis

m

Prac

ticality

Co

mpreh

ensio

n

Worth

Futur

eUse

Rec

omme

nd

Participant Acceptance of the VL Program

Average Rating Possible Rating80%


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Results

5.20

5.40

5.60

5.80

6.00

6.20

6.40

6.60

6.80

7.00

AverageRatinona

Likertscale

Identific

ation

Realis

m

Prac

ticality

C

ompre

hension

Worth

Futu

reUs

e

Recom

mend

Participant Acceptance of the Case Study Program

Potential Rating

AVG Rating

88%


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ResultsExperimental Condition Before Instruction (VL) Experimental Condition After Instruction (VL)

Mean # of Correct Applications:

(M = .25, SD = .45)


(M = .75, SD = .45)

Paired Samples t-Test:

t(11)= -2.57, p= .02695% Confidence Interval:

-.93 to -.07

Control Condition Before Instruction (CS) Control Condition After Instruction (CS)


(M= .24, SD= .43)


(M= .34, SD= .48)

Paired Samples t-Test:

t(69)= -1.98, p= .05295% Confidence Interval

-.20 to .00


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Results

Pre-Instruction

Post-Instruction

Case Study (C)

Virtual Leader (E)

0.25

0.75

0.24

0.34

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

%Correct

Mean % Correct Approach

Case Study (C)

Virtual Leader (E)


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Discussion

The results support the hypothesis thatpersonally relevant context increases self-awareness elicitation within a program of

instruction. Potential weaknesses of the Study: # of participantsAssumptions

Interesting ideas for future research: Does the amount of reliance on one style change? Include experienced participants and compare


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Questions?

The Effect of Personal Relevance on Eliciting Self-Awareness

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