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Maria Kolyschkow

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Dr. Maria Kolyschkow, Dipl.-Psych.

Short Vita

1974:

Born in Leningrad (Soviet Union, now: St. Petersburg, Russia)

1993-1999:

Study of Psychology at the University of Greifswald (Germany)

1999:

Graduation in Psycholgy at the University of Greifswald (Germany). Thesis: "Hochbegabung an der Schule" (Giftedness at school).

April 1999 - April 2002:

Ph.D. student of the VGK (with scholarship).

Contact:

Phone: ++49 (0) 381 66916 28
Fax: ++49 (0) 381 66916 20
E-Mail: maria.kolyschkow@ggp-hro.de
WWW: My Homepage

Tagesklinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie der Gemeinnützigen Gesellschaft für Gemeindepsychiatrie im Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund mbH in Kooperation mit der Universität Rostock
Dierkower Höhe 14
18146 Rostock (Germany)

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Ph.D. Project

Topic: The role of attitudes, goal intentions and action plans in task handling by New Media

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. R. Westermann (Greifswald)

Start of the Ph.D. project: April 1999

Summary

The relevance of New Media increases consistently, especially in areas as schooling and in-firm advanced training. However you often find that especially elder employees hold negative attitudes towards computers and New Media. And even persons with positive attitudes often do not work with New Media even if the tasks were especially well-suited for the handling by New Media.

The Rubicon model of action phases (Heckhausen, 1989; Gollwitzer, 1991) offers a possible explanation for the discrepancy between positive attitudes and omitted behavior. The theory postulates four different action phases, each of them associated with a characteristic mind set. In the first predecisional phase the desirability and feasibiltiy of potential action goal is deliberated. Choosing one goal and transforming it into a goal intention is seen as the transition point into the preactional phase. Here the goal pursuit has to be planned. It is carried out in the third -the actional- phase and finally in the postactional phase the consequences and outcomes of the action are evaluated.

It is hypothesized that attitudes towards certain objects influence the choice of a goal intention. In the predecisional phase information about desirability and feasibility is processed. It is assumed that attitudes are linked to the assesment of desirability but not to the one of feasibility. Inspite of a positive attitude towards New Media the forming of a goal intention is impeded because of a negative assesment of feasibility. So subjects without any experiences with New Media are expected to choose a conventional medium although a new medium is more adapted for task handling and also available. One aim of the study will be to investigate if influencing the assesment of feasibility in positive direction leads to forming the goal intention Ñtask handling by New Mediaì.

But forming a goal intention is not sufficient for successful goal attainment, because a lack of experience with New Media hampers the forming of an action plan. The initiation of the action is facilated by forming of an action plan (Gollwitzer, 1996). Therefore it is not enough to generate a positive assesment of feasibility. In addition imparting of knowledge about New Media is necessary to enable subjects to form an action plan.
The hypothesis is that only those subjects will use the new medium for task handling which have a positive attitude, a positive assesment of feasibility and enough knowledge to form an action plan. All the others will either form a goal intention but not carry it out or choose the conventional medium right away.

The study uses a 2x2 factor design with assesment of feasibility (positive vs. negative) and forming of an action plan (imparting of knowledge vs. no imparting of knowledge) as independent variables. The attitudes of persons towards New Media will be treated as a moderator variable. The dependent variables pertain to the formation of goal intention (by decision which medium to use) and the actional use of New Media by task handling.

References

Gollwitzer, P.M. (1991). Abwägen und Planen. Bewußtseinslagen in verschiedenen Handlungsphasen. Göttingen: Hogrefe.

Gollwitzer, P.M. (1996). The Volitional Benefits of Planning. In: P.M. Gollwitzer & J.A. Bargh (Eds.). The Psychology of Action (pp. 287-312). New York: Guilford Press.

Heckhausen, H. (1989). Motivation und Handeln. Berlin: Springer.

 
 

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