Abstract
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 41-52 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Learning and Instruction |
| Volume | 44 |
| Early online date | 8 Mar 2016 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2016 |
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Keywords
- peer feedback
- social comparison
- knowledge awareness
- learner engagement
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When being worse helps : The influence of upward social comparisons and knowledge awareness on learner engagement and learning in peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. / Neugebauer, Josephine; Ray, Devin G; Sassenberg, Kai.
In: Learning and Instruction, Vol. 44, 08.2016, p. 41-52.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - When being worse helps
T2 - The influence of upward social comparisons and knowledge awareness on learner engagement and learning in peer-to-peer knowledge exchange
AU - Neugebauer, Josephine
AU - Ray, Devin G
AU - Sassenberg, Kai
N1 - Acknowledgment We thank Katharina Scheiter for her comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. We thank the Baden-Württemberg Stiftung for the financial support of this research under the Eliteprogramme for Postdocs, Grant AZ Baden-Württemberg Stiftung 1.16101.08.
PY - 2016/8
Y1 - 2016/8
N2 - Providing learners with awareness of a learning partner's knowledge supports knowledge exchange. However, such knowledge awareness enables social comparison. Because people strive for positive self-evaluation, we propose that less knowledgeable learners who rely on social comparisons for self-evaluation will be motivated to increase their engagement in response to awareness of a more knowledgeable learning partner's knowledge. We tested our hypothesis in two experiments in which we staged a cooperative learning task, assessed participants' predisposition to social comparison, manipulated participants' awareness of learning partner knowledge, and observed the consequences for participants' engagement and learning outcomes. In both experiments, knowledge awareness helped learners match their explanation requests to a learning partner's superior knowledge. At the same time, less knowledgeable learners motivated to engage in social comparisons showed better learning engagement and learning outcomes as a result of knowledge awareness. Understanding and managing this interaction of knowledge awareness and social comparisons has the potential to improve peer-to-peer knowledge exchange.
AB - Providing learners with awareness of a learning partner's knowledge supports knowledge exchange. However, such knowledge awareness enables social comparison. Because people strive for positive self-evaluation, we propose that less knowledgeable learners who rely on social comparisons for self-evaluation will be motivated to increase their engagement in response to awareness of a more knowledgeable learning partner's knowledge. We tested our hypothesis in two experiments in which we staged a cooperative learning task, assessed participants' predisposition to social comparison, manipulated participants' awareness of learning partner knowledge, and observed the consequences for participants' engagement and learning outcomes. In both experiments, knowledge awareness helped learners match their explanation requests to a learning partner's superior knowledge. At the same time, less knowledgeable learners motivated to engage in social comparisons showed better learning engagement and learning outcomes as a result of knowledge awareness. Understanding and managing this interaction of knowledge awareness and social comparisons has the potential to improve peer-to-peer knowledge exchange.
KW - peer feedback
KW - social comparison
KW - knowledge awareness
KW - learner engagement
U2 - 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.02.007
DO - 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.02.007
M3 - Article
VL - 44
SP - 41
EP - 52
JO - Learning and Instruction
JF - Learning and Instruction
ER -