Be Prepared!
"Be Prepared" has been the motto used by millions of Scouts around the world since 1907. In the midst of a global pandemic and a war on the borders of Europe, the idea of educating new generations to be ready for whatever happens, the idea that "there is no such thing as good and bad weather, only good and bad equipment"-is more powerful than ever.
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The goal of this project is to study the competence to be ready. Combining methods and theories from cognitive, developmental, and educational psychology, information theory and computational modeling, the project aims to shed light on the cognitive, developmental, social, and cultural mechanisms that guide, support, and direct children and adults in their propensity and ability to detect, explore, predict, prepare for, and adapt to change.
The project in which we would like to involve you seeks to answer the following questions:
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What does it mean to be prepared?
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Are Scouts better prepared than non-Scout peers, i.e. are they more motivated, flexible, resilient, curious and creative, persistent?
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What is the impact of the Scouting experience vs. feeling like a Scout on these variables?
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What is the effect of participation in events such as the Jamboree on these variables?
The project
What do you have to do?
The project consists of four questionnaires (15-20 minutes), which will be sent to you between January and September 2023. The questionnaires will collect information about demographics and your Scouting experience, and will engage you in a series of games designed to measure problem-solving and decision-making skills, sense of observation and readiness for change, resilience, motivation, curiosity, creativity and persistence. We will ask you how you see the future, and ask you some questions about your friends and family members.
Participation in each questionnaire, as well as the involvement of friend(s) in the project, is voluntary and will be rewarded with Scout-themed gadgets (mugs, pocketknives, etc.) with the project logo.
What do you win?
The results
Research findings will be shared with participants, parents and the respective contingent team, published in international research journals and presented at conferences around the world.. Everything will be completely anonymous, of course!
