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Using a volitional help sheet to increase university students' attendance at on‐campus lectures: A randomized controlled trial.

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Title: Using a volitional help sheet to increase university students' attendance at on‐campus lectures: A randomized controlled trial.
Authors: Elliott, Mark A. (AUTHOR), McGroarty, Allan (AUTHOR), Robertson, David J. (AUTHOR), Anderson, Hazel P. (AUTHOR)
Source: British Journal of Educational Psychology. Mar2026, Vol. 96 Issue 1, p270-285. 16p.
Subjects: Lecture method in teaching, Self-evaluation, Undergraduates, Statistical sampling, Universities & colleges, Questionnaires, Will, Randomized controlled trials, Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, Analysis of covariance, Psychology, Intention, Memory, One-way analysis of variance, Psychology of college students, Data analysis software
Geographic Terms: Scotland
Abstract: Background: A volitional help sheet (VHS) is an intervention that promotes the formation of implementation intentions. Research has established that VHSs can change a range of behaviours, including increased attendance at online university lectures. However, research has not yet tested whether VHSs can increase attendance at on‐campus lectures. Additionally, no studies have explicitly tested the extent to which memory improvement techniques can increase the efficacy of VHSs, nor have they tested the dependence of VHSs on memory. However, models of memory dictate that rehearsal of specified implementation intentions should boost their efficacy and that their efficacy should depend on memory ability. Aims: To test whether: (1) a VHS can increase university students' attendance at on‐campus lectures; (2) the efficacy of the VHS could be boosted with an encoding facilitation task requiring rehearsal (articulatory and elaborative) of implementation intentions; and (3) memory ability moderates the effects of the VHS on lecture attendance. Materials and Methods: Students enrolled in an undergraduate Psychology degree programme (N = 252) completed online measures of goal intention to attend lectures and both self‐reported and objective memory ability. These students were subsequently randomised to receive a VHS only, a VHS plus encoding facilitation or a control intervention, designed to increase lecture attendance. Results: Both VHS conditions attended a greater proportion of lectures over the following 11‐week teaching semester than did the control condition. There was no difference in lecture attendance rates between the VHS only and VHS plus encoding facilitation conditions. Memory ability did not moderate the effects of the VHS on lecture attendance rates. Discussion and Conclusion: The VHS was efficacious at increasing on‐campus university lecture attendance. There was no evidence that the encoding facilitation task boosted the effects of the VHS or that the efficacy of the VHS was dependant on memory ability. VHSs are likely to constitute useful interventions for increasing university students' attendance at on campus lectures. Further research could usefully test the efficacy of memory improvement techniques and the dependency of VHSs in samples with memory difficulties, where there is likely to be more scope for improvement than in the university student populations. Further research is also required to test other ways to boost the efficacy of VHSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of British Journal of Educational Psychology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Using a volitional help sheet to increase university students' attendance at on‐campus lectures: A randomized controlled trial.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elliott%2C+Mark+A%2E%22">Elliott, Mark A.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22McGroarty%2C+Allan%22">McGroarty, Allan</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Robertson%2C+David+J%2E%22">Robertson, David J.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Anderson%2C+Hazel+P%2E%22">Anderson, Hazel P.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22British+Journal+of+Educational+Psychology%22">British Journal of Educational Psychology</searchLink>. Mar2026, Vol. 96 Issue 1, p270-285. 16p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Lecture+method+in+teaching%22">Lecture method in teaching</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self-evaluation%22">Self-evaluation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Undergraduates%22">Undergraduates</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistical+sampling%22">Statistical sampling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Universities+%26+colleges%22">Universities & colleges</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Questionnaires%22">Questionnaires</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Will%22">Will</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Randomized+controlled+trials%22">Randomized controlled trials</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chi-squared+test%22">Chi-squared test</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Analysis+of+covariance%22">Analysis of covariance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychology%22">Psychology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intention%22">Intention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Memory%22">Memory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22One-way+analysis+of+variance%22">One-way analysis of variance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychology+of+college+students%22">Psychology of college students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scotland%22">Scotland</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Background: A volitional help sheet (VHS) is an intervention that promotes the formation of implementation intentions. Research has established that VHSs can change a range of behaviours, including increased attendance at online university lectures. However, research has not yet tested whether VHSs can increase attendance at on‐campus lectures. Additionally, no studies have explicitly tested the extent to which memory improvement techniques can increase the efficacy of VHSs, nor have they tested the dependence of VHSs on memory. However, models of memory dictate that rehearsal of specified implementation intentions should boost their efficacy and that their efficacy should depend on memory ability. Aims: To test whether: (1) a VHS can increase university students' attendance at on‐campus lectures; (2) the efficacy of the VHS could be boosted with an encoding facilitation task requiring rehearsal (articulatory and elaborative) of implementation intentions; and (3) memory ability moderates the effects of the VHS on lecture attendance. Materials and Methods: Students enrolled in an undergraduate Psychology degree programme (N = 252) completed online measures of goal intention to attend lectures and both self‐reported and objective memory ability. These students were subsequently randomised to receive a VHS only, a VHS plus encoding facilitation or a control intervention, designed to increase lecture attendance. Results: Both VHS conditions attended a greater proportion of lectures over the following 11‐week teaching semester than did the control condition. There was no difference in lecture attendance rates between the VHS only and VHS plus encoding facilitation conditions. Memory ability did not moderate the effects of the VHS on lecture attendance rates. Discussion and Conclusion: The VHS was efficacious at increasing on‐campus university lecture attendance. There was no evidence that the encoding facilitation task boosted the effects of the VHS or that the efficacy of the VHS was dependant on memory ability. VHSs are likely to constitute useful interventions for increasing university students' attendance at on campus lectures. Further research could usefully test the efficacy of memory improvement techniques and the dependency of VHSs in samples with memory difficulties, where there is likely to be more scope for improvement than in the university student populations. Further research is also required to test other ways to boost the efficacy of VHSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of British Journal of Educational Psychology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=191428621
RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1111/bjep.70014
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 270
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Lecture method in teaching
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self-evaluation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Undergraduates
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Statistical sampling
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      – SubjectFull: Universities & colleges
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Questionnaires
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      – SubjectFull: Will
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      – SubjectFull: Randomized controlled trials
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Chi-squared test
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      – SubjectFull: Analysis of covariance
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      – SubjectFull: Psychology
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      – SubjectFull: Intention
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      – SubjectFull: Memory
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      – SubjectFull: One-way analysis of variance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychology of college students
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      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scotland
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Using a volitional help sheet to increase university students' attendance at on‐campus lectures: A randomized controlled trial.
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              Text: Mar2026
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              Y: 2026
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