Mahima Saxena

What were you thinking, feeling, and doing? An experience sampling study of student cognition, emotion and behavior: Impact on Quality of Life, Performance, and Productivity

Abstract: Students cognitive and emotional states play a key role in effective performance and well being. Most programs designed to improve student productivity and well-being focus on contextual factors; few focus on the individual factors that are determinants of effective performance on task and personal well-being. Relying heavily on the episodic process model of performance, this study utilizes the experience sampling methodology as a unique approach to uncover momentary cognitions and emotions amongst the graduate student population at Purdue University. Viewing task-focused attention and positive emotional states as the building blocks of performance, this study has two objectives: 1) to uncover the extent to which graduate students engage in mind-wandering and experience disturbing emotional events and, 2) provide strategic interventions to increase task-focused attention and coping skills of graduate students. Therefore, the study seeks to further the Graduate Schools goal of enhancing the quality of life for graduate students and improve performance and productivity. The requested budget of $1500 covers the cost of purchasing equipment for data collection. The project period is approximately ten months.