Final answer:
The study design allows the psychologist to explore the effects of giving individuals more control over their work on job satisfaction, while also considering the potential influence of gender. By comparing the job satisfaction scores before and after the experimental manipulation, the psychologist can assess whether increased control leads to higher job satisfaction. Additionally, analyzing the data by gender can provide insights into any gender-related differences in the relationship between control and job satisfaction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The I/O psychologist in this study aims to investigate whether giving individuals more control over their work leads to increased job satisfaction. The psychologist recognizes that gender may play a role in this relationship and includes gender as a factor in the study. Here's a step-by-step breakdown of the study design and analysis:
1. Participants: The psychologist selects a group of men and women working at a large company to participate in the study. The participants rate their job satisfaction using a scale where higher scores indicate greater job satisfaction.
2. Experimental Manipulation: Half of the men and half of the women are given the opportunity to have input in how they perform their work. They engage in various activities such as individual meetings with supervisors, filling out surveys, and participating in weekly group meetings with the company president to brainstorm ways to improve work. The other men and women do not have the same level of control and do not engage in these activities.
3. Timeframe: The study lasts for a duration of 6 months.
4. Job Satisfaction Measurement: At the end of the 6-month period, all participants are administered the same job satisfaction scale again. The difference between their first and second job satisfaction scores is calculated. Positive numbers indicate an increase in job satisfaction, while negative numbers indicate a decrease.
5. Data Analysis: The psychologist will compare the differences in job satisfaction scores between the two groups (those with control and those without) and analyze the data statistically. This analysis will likely involve comparing means, possibly using statistical tests such as t-tests or analysis of variance (ANOVA), to determine if there are significant differences in job satisfaction between the two groups.
6. Gender Analysis: The psychologist will also examine the potential impact of gender on the relationship between control and job satisfaction. This may involve analyzing the data separately for men and women or conducting a statistical test to determine if there are significant gender differences in the relationship.
Your question is incomplete, but most probably the full question was:
An I/O psychologist wants to determine if giving people more control over how they do their work leads to increased job satisfaction. The psychologist knows that gender may have an impact on control and includes gender in the current study. The psychologist has a group of men and women working at a large company rate their job satisfaction.
On this job satisfaction scale, higher scores indicate greater job satisfaction. Then half of the men and half of the women are given input in how they perform their work. They have individual meetings with their supervisors, fill out various surveys, and have a weekly meeting with the president of the company as a group where they brainstorm ways to improve work. The other women and men are not allowed to give input in how they work. They do not engage in the same programs that the first set of women and men did.
At the end of 6 months, all of the participants are given the same job satisfaction scale. The difference between their first job satisfaction score and their second score is used such that positive numbers indicate that the participants had gained in job satisfaction and negative numbers indicate that the participants had lost in job satisfaction.
Qs: Analyze the study design above!