The effect of creating a mental set on cognitive learning and affective behaviors of nursing students.

BACKGROUND. A mental set predisposes a person to view and approach a problem in a predetermined manner. Affective behaviors determine whether students value what they learn. PURPOSE. This study investigated the effect of mental set in the form of negative impressions and anxieties about a nursing course (pathophysiology) on cognitive learning and affective behaviors. RESULTS. Results showed that, irrespective of type of mental set, all students learned significantly. Students who entered the course with a negative set scored significantly lower in affective behaviors than students who entered with a positive or neutral mental set. Predispositions stayed stable; significant changes occurred within each group, but not enough to change a negative set into a positive set or vice versa. IMPLICATIONS. Implications for nursing education and creation of affective behaviors conducive for life-long learning are presented.