Mountain Scholar :: Browsing by Author "Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member"

Browsing by Author "Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member"

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Open Access
A multi-level examination of authentic leadership and organizational justice in uncertain times
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Kiersch, Christa E., author; Byrne, Zinta, advisor; Ganster, Daniel, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member
Answering long-standing calls for research on how leaders influence followers and organization performance, as well as for the integration of leadership and justice research, this study proposes and tests a multi-level model of leadership, justice, and uncertainty. Building upon uncertainty management theory and the nascent research in authentic leadership, I propose a multi-level moderated mediation model wherein authentic leaders influence individual fairness perceptions and create a fair climate, which in turn is related to the well-being, turnover intention, commitment, and performance of subordinates. Uncertainty serves as a moderator in the model, such that leadership and fair climate are proposed to have a stronger relationship with employee outcomes when the level of perceived job and organizational uncertainty is high than when uncertainty is low. Survey data from 211 employees, clustered under 37 leaders (direct supervisors) is tested using a modification of Preacher et al.'s (2007, 2010) multi-level structural equation modeling (MSEM) approach. Results indicate that authentic leaders impact follower and organizational outcomes in part via directly influencing follower justice perceptions and justice climate, and that the effects of authentic leadership and justice are relatively independent of uncertainty level. This study contributes to the scientific literature by integrating theories of leadership, fairness, and uncertainty management, and by illustrating a novel and sophisticated approach (MSEM) to test this integrated model at the individual and leader levels of the organization. Implications for practice include support for authentic leadership development as an actionable strategy to bolster fairness perceptions and build a fair climate, as well as positively impact well-being, attitudinal, and behavioral intent outcomes of followers.
Embargo
An attachment perspective on human-equine relationships: the development of the Human-Equine Attachment Questionnaire
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Zaker, Ashleigh, author; Stallones, Lorann, advisor; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Peters, B. Caitlin, committee member; Tompkins, Sara Anne, committee member
This research aimed to develop and validate the Human-Equine Attachment Questionnaire (HEAQ), a self-report scale to assess attachment within the human-equine bond. Attachment to animals, particularly horses, presents unique dynamics that require specialized measurement. This study explored attachment styles in human-horse relationships, focusing on secure, insecure-anxious, and insecure-avoidant dimensions. The HEAQ underwent rigorous psychometric evaluation, which included confirmatory factor analysis and an assessment of construct validity. The data revealed that attachment within the human-equine bond is multifaceted, aligning with attachment styles observed in human-human relationships. Participants exhibited three distinct attachment styles – secure, insecure-anxious, and insecure-avoidant. This alignment confirms the existence of an attachment bond between humans and horses, which is complex and nuanced, featuring both secure and insecure attachment patterns. It is important to acknowledge that the internal reliability scores fell below recommended thresholds on the refined model. This is partly attributed to the reduced number of items within each factor post-misfit item removal, emphasizing the need for further scale refinement in order to enhance internal reliability. The study also explored the validity of the HEAQ by assessing convergent and discriminant evidence. Correlations between the HEAQ subscales and established scales, including the Pet Attachment Questionnaire (PAQ), Adult Attachment Scale (AAS), The Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Scale (ECC-RS), the Big Five Inventory (BFI), and the Positivity scales, provided insights into the HEAQ's relationship with similar and distinct constructs. These findings highlighted the distinctive features of attachment within the human-equine bond and underscored the need for a specialized attachment scale tailored to the unique dynamics of the human-equine bond. This research contributes to understanding the human-equine bond, with implications for the equine industry and Equine-Assisted Interventions (EAIs). The HEAQ's continued development will lead to a comprehensive assessment tool, facilitating further research into the dynamics of attachment within the human-equine bond and its potential impact on well-being in diverse contexts. Future research should focus on refining the HEAQ, examining item wording, exploring the attachment bond from the equine side, and assessing its applicability in various cultural and socio-economic contexts.
Open Access
An investigation of the differential effects of leader behaviors on employee safety
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Hoffmeister, Krista, author; Kraiger, Kurt, advisor; Rosecrance, John, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Henry, Kim, committee member
Leadership is frequently associated with positive safety outcomes such as improved perceptions of safety climate, increased safety behaviors, and decreased accidents and injuries. However, this research has mainly focused on the influence of general leadership on these safety outcomes. The present study sought to break down transformational and transactional leadership into their individual behavioral components and examine their unique influences on employee safety outcomes. From a sample of construction pipefitters and plumbers, results showed that idealized influence frequently explained the most variance in the safety outcomes, while individualized consideration and active management-by-exception were explained the least. Implications for leadership training and development are discussed.
Open Access
Assessing employee engagement: a comparison of the Job Engagement Scale and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Drake, Travis J., author; Byrne, Zinta, advisor; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Albert, Lumina, committee member; Rickard, Kathryn, committee member
Two employee engagement measures were compared and contrasted to determine if one is better than the other, or if both are required to adequately assess the construct domain. The first measure is Rich, LePine, and Crawford's (2010) Job Engagement Scale based on Kahn's (1990) conceptualization of engagement. The second measure is Schaufeli, Salanova, Gonzalez-Romá, and Bakker's (2002) Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, based on Maslach and Leiter's (1997) conceptualization of engagement. The measures were compared by examining their convergent and discriminant construct validity, examining the factor structure of each measure, and examining the criterion-related validity of each through dominance analysis. Using responses from 470 working adults, results showed significant differences between the UWES and JES in terms of construct and criterion-related validity evidence.
Open Access
Cheating on online assessment tests: prevelance and impact on validity
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Cavanagh, Thomas M., author; Kraiger, Kurt, advisor; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Henry, Kim, committee member; Maynard, Travis, committee member
Online tests are a relatively efficient way to assess large numbers of job candidates and are becoming increasingly popular with organizations. Due to their unproctored nature, however, online selection tests provide the potential for candidates to cheat, which may undermine the validity of these tests for selecting qualified candidates. The purpose of this study was to test the appropriateness of utility theory as a framework for understanding decision-making in regard to cheating on an online cognitive ability test (CAT) by manipulating the probability of passing the test with cheating, the probability of being caught cheating, and the value of being caught cheating in two samples: 518 adults recruited through Amazon mTurk, and 384 undergraduate students. The probability of being caught cheating significantly affected performance on the CAT for the mTurk sample, but not for the student sample, and significantly moderated the relationship between CAT score during session one and CAT score during session two for the student sample. Neither the probability of being caught cheating nor the value of being caught cheating significantly affected CAT performance or validity in either sample. Findings regarding the prevalence and effectiveness of cheating are discussed.
Open Access
Cognitive ability testing for employee selection: implications for age discrimination
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Naude, Megan N., author; Fisher, Gwen, advisor; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Rhodes, Matthew, committee member; Henle, Chris, committee member
Existing theory and empirical research suggest that tests of fluid cognitive abilities have the potential to lead to age-based adverse impact and may be stronger predictors of job performance for younger job candidates compared to older job candidates. However, the evidence suggests that tests of crystallized cognitive abilities are not as susceptible to age-based adverse impact issues and should be strong predictors of job performance for candidates of any age. The two present studies used cognitive ability test scores collected from management employees in a large company in the United States in conjunction with supervisory performance ratings to examine adverse impact based on age, linear relations of test scores with age, and differential validity and prediction based on age. In the first study, a sample of N = 214 employees completed a test of fluid cognitive abilities, and in the second study, a sample of N = 232 employees completed a test of crystallized cognitive abilities. Contrary to hypotheses, results indicated that age-based adverse impact was more likely to be present for the test of crystallized abilities, age was negatively related to test performance for both tests, and neither test resulted in significant differential validity or prediction for the two age subgroups. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Open Access
Development and validation of the teacher writing to learn scale
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Perkins, Mark, author; Gloeckner, Gene, advisor; De Miranda, Michael, committee member; Reid, Louann, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member
Despite numerous efforts by educators and U.S. government agencies to improve the public education system, students continue to struggle with writing, mathematics, science and reading. Researchers and educators have employed a wide range of interventions, but proficiencies are still not at desired levels. One intervention that lacks empirical research is writing to learn (WTL). Social constructivist learning theory and cognitive learning theory of information processing provide an explanation as to why WTL promises to be an effective tool for improving content knowledge and writing skills. Further, the theoretical literature on WTL and the research on general writing mirror such theories of learning. However, despite over thirty years of theoretical and inductive research, little research examines the generalizability of WTL's effectiveness on writing and other content areas. Before measuring the effects of WTL on students, it is necessary to address teacher knowledge and efficacy of WTL. Therefore, the purpose of this proposed study is to develop an instrument to measure teacher knowledge and efficacy of WTL in the content areas of mathematics, science, social studies and language arts (which includes reading). Using the theories of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977) and using the literature on effective teaching of writing, WTL and theories of learning. This study began with item development using the literature and teacher input. Next, experts were used to test content validity and appropriate item response. The result was a six factor model to be tested empirically. Internal consistency measures using alpha and omega, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to check the response processes of the measure. The scale was correlated with other measures and differences tests were used to examine attributes of respondents. Results indicated problems with the first, second and last factors. The remaining two factors, perceived relevance of writing to the content and efficacy of teaching with writing showed the best fit indices, though future research is needed to refine them. The final two factors negatively correlated with writing apprehension, positively with teacher efficacy (with little explained variance) and positively correlated with number of years teaching. Difference tests indicate a strong difference between content areas of teachers on both factors and a small difference in efficacy to teach writing given gender. No differences were found between urban, rural and suburban teachers and none were found between middle school and high school teachers. This research adds to the body of work by developing a measure of teacher readiness to use WTL. However, future research is needed to refine the instrument to a usable state so that intervention research and staff development can use it.
Open Access
Does endorsement of gender stereotypes predict women's interest in, and expressed likelihood to pursue an academic career in science or engineering?
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Dunne, Christine, author; Canetto, Silvia Sara, advisor; Winterrowd, Erin, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Herrera Alonso, Margarita, committee member
Background: In recent decades much attention has been given in the United States (U.S.) to women's underrepresentation in science and engineering (SE) fields. Early theories were that women are simply not good at math and/or science, and that women are uninterested in SE. Both theories are not supported by evidence. To start with, in the U.S. women's representation in SE varies greatly by field (e.g., high representation in biology and low in computer science). Women's representation in SE also varies by country. For example, in Lithuania women represent the majority of engineers. This variability indicates that women are capable and interested in science, with social-cultural context (e.g., culture and opportunities) playing a major role in women's participation in SE. This study focused on the social-cultural context of women's participation in SE in the U.S. - specifically gender stereotypes and gender-ideology factors that are emerging as relevant to U.S. women's participation in SE fields mostly via studies of SE undergraduate students. The gender-ideology factors that are the focus of this study are: women's gender stereotypes of SE fields, gender stereotypes of SE individuals, SE women's goal orientation (e.g., self-versus other-growth focus), and SE women's family/work beliefs and expectations. This study examined whether these gender stereotypes and ideologies predict interest and expressed likelihood to pursue an academic career among graduate student women in SE. Regarding gender stereotypes of SE fields, U.S. studies of computer science (CS) and engineering undergraduate students suggest that when female students view these fields as more "masculine" they express less interest in SE careers (see Cheryan et al., 2017 for a review). Regarding gender stereotypes of SE individuals, U.S. studies of CS undergraduate students indicate that CS female students' interest and intention to pursue an academic career is lower when they view the field as masculine (e.g., Cheryan et al., 2011). Regarding goal orientation, U.S. studies conducted with undergraduate women in a variety of SE fields as well as psychology suggest that a focus on self-growth as an education goal is associated with greater interest in pursuing an SE career while a focus on others-growth is associated with less interest in pursuing an SE career (e.g., Diekman et al., 2010). Finally, with regard to family/work beliefs and expectations, quantitative survey studies of female SE undergraduates (e.g., in CS, Haines & Wallace, 2003; Sax, 2001) as well as qualitative and quantitative studies of female graduate students in science (e.g., in atmospheric sciences, Canetto et al., 2017; in chemistry and biology, Ferreira, 2003) suggest that women's interest and intention to pursue a leadership career in these fields are less strong when these women view themselves as having to take primary responsibility for family caregiving. A limitation of past U.S. studies of the social-cultural context of women in SE is that they mostly focused on undergraduate women or on professional women (e.g., Cech & Blair-Loy, 2019). An understudied SE educational stage is that of graduate school. Graduate school is when women make professional and personal decisions that support or interfere with their pursuit of a SE academic career. By the very fact of being in SE graduate school, SE graduate-student women have behaviorally challenged at least some SE stereotypes. The fact that they are investing in advanced SE education suggests SE-leadership ambition, including potentially, interest in a SE academic career. Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the association, among SE female graduate students, between their interest in, and their expressed likelihood to pursue a career in academia, with their views in four domains: 1. Their views of academia, science in general, and their SE field, as relatively feminine or masculine; 2. Their views of women or men who excel in academia, science, and specific SE field, as relatively feminine or masculine; 3. Their educational and career goals, as mostly self-growth or others-growth oriented; and 4. Their views of women's and men's family responsibilities. Method: The sample consisted of 140 SE graduate student women at a large state university in the U.S. Participants were asked to respond to an online questionnaire that included questions regarding their endorsement of various gender stereotypes and ideologies, and questions about their interest in, and expressed likelihood of pursuing a career in academia. Results: Endorsement of gender stereotypes and of gender ideologies of work and family did not predict women's interest in, and stated likelihood to pursue an academic career. Endorsement of gender stereotypes and ideologies was low in this sample of female SE graduate students. The least endorsed were the family/work gender ideologies that competitiveness and nurturance vary by sex, and that mother should work for pay only if necessary. The relatively least rejected family/work gender ideology was the idea that a father's major responsibility is to provide financially for his children The most endorsed gender stereotypes were the belief that men excel more than women in SE, and that academia, science, and their specific field are masculine. Women also endorsed others-growth goals more than self-growth goals. Endorsement of self-growth or others-growth oriented career goals varied by field. Also, interest and expressed likelihood to pursue an academic career were both relatively low. Women's interest in an academic career varied by field and years in the program. Women in Math, Microbiology, and Atmospheric Sciences expressed the most interest in an academic career while women in Chemistry, Engineering and Statistics reported the least interest. The more years the women had spent in their graduate program the less interest in an academic career they expressed. Discussion: This study assessed the possible role of gender stereotypes of SE, gendered ideologies of career goals, and gendered ideologies of family and work, in women's interest and intention to pursue a SE academic career. A main finding is that SE female graduate students did not endorse these gender stereotypes and ideologies. The only stereotypes that they gave some credence to were the idea that men excel in SE more than women and the idea that academia, science, and their SE field are masculine. Interest and expressed likelihood to pursue an academic career were both relatively low. Not surprisingly then gender stereotypes of SE, gendered ideologies of career goals, and gendered ideologies of family and work did not predict interest and intention to pursue a SE academic career. In this study endorsement of gender stereotypes and ideologies varied by field. Specifically, women in Math, Microbiology, and Atmospheric Sciences expressed the most interest in an academic career while women in Chemistry, Engineering and Statistics reported the least interest. The uneven sizes of participants by field did not allow examination of patterns by field. A conclusion based on these findings is that the gender stereotypes of SE and of gendered ideologies of career goals and of family and work evaluated in this study do not matter to women's interest and expressed likelihood to pursue a SE academic career once women are in graduate school, though they have been found to be relevant to undergraduate women considering a SE higher education and leadership path (Cheryan et al., 2017), Other gender stereotypes and ideologies may be relevant to graduate school women's interest and intention to pursue a SE academic career. It is also conceivable that the self-report measures of gender stereotypes and of gendered ideologies used in this study were not sensitive-enough to capture the chosen constructs among women in SE graduate school. Interviews may be a more effective method to explore gender stereotypes and gender ideologies among women in SE graduate school. Given the variability in gender stereotypes and ideologies endorsement by field suggested by this study, future research should examine by SE discipline the relationship between endorsement of gender stereotypes and ideologies and SE career interest and expressed likelihood to pursue it. To evaluate what predicts women in SE graduate school's actual move into a SE academia career, future research should assess not only SE academic-career interest and stated likelihood to pursue an academic career but actual SE career behaviors, including SE academic career choice and progress in a SE academic career, via a longitudinal design.
Open Access
Hearts and minds in the operating room: co-constructing a shared mental model with surgery teams for more predictable and more highly reliable collaborative voice and response
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Grieser, Skip, author; Gloeckner, Gene, advisor; Lynham, Susan, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Martelli, Peter, committee member
Overview: This qualitative case study explored nontechnical human factors—values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors—that make it easier or more difficult for surgeons, as team leaders, to encourage team members to voice safety concerns, clinical opinions, and learning questions; for team members to actually speak up; and for surgeons to respond collaboratively. Research site and participants: The research site was a major academic hospital in the western United States. Five surgeons and five anesthesiologists volunteered to participate. Perioperative nurses and surgical technologists were recruited but did not participate. Purpose, methodology, and methods: The purpose of the study was to co-construct, with participants, a shared mental model for collaborative voice and response. The study followed the constructivist inquiry paradigm and methodology, which posits that individuals and groups construct, co-construct, and can reconstruct their social realities. Using adaptive work theory and methods, semi-structured interviews were used to gather data on what values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors participants perceived to be essential versus expendable for more collaborative, predictable, and highly reliable voice and response. Thematic content analysis identified six themes, from which a proposed shared mental model was constructed by the researcher. Member checking with participants confirmed that the themes were accurate and comprehensive; that the proposed shared mental model comprehensively reflected the themes; and that, used in practice, the shared mental model could help collaborative voice and response be more predictable and more highly reliable. Results: Themes were let's be best-in-class; respect and be kind to all; value patient safety and well-being of all team members; explicitly encourage and appreciate voice; do speak up; and am I really that approachable? The proposed shared mental model constructed from the themes was represented by the mnemonic REVAT, the first letters of each component: Respect and be kind to all, Encourage voice, Voice (do speak up), Appreciate voice, and Thrive (all of us). The study also identified two subthemes, hierarchical abuses of power and production pressures or time pressures that hinder collaborative voice and response; and should also be understood and well-managed, so that patient safety and clinician well-being are less at risk. Conclusion: Well-being is essential for clinicians' own sakes, for patient safety, and for clinical performance and outcomes. REVAT, the proposed shared mental model for collaborative voice and response, is simply stated as "respect, encourage, voice, appreciate, and thrive." As such, it is a "simple rule" much like "first do no harm," that could help caregivers better succeed in their goals and thrive.
Open Access
Measuring resilience to childhood maltreatment in college students
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Shirley, Lauren A., author; Rosen, Lee, advisor; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member; Bloom, Larry, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member
This study developed and validated three measures to he used in the assessment of outcomes for college students with childhood maltreatment histories. The College Adjustment Questionnaire (CAQ) measures college adjustment within academic, social, and emotional domains. The Childhood Maltreatment Questionnaire (CMQ) assesses for five types of child maltreatment - physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and physical and emotional neglect. The Social/Emotional Resources Inventory (SERI) is a measure of protective factors typically associated with good outcomes for individuals who experience early adversity. Results of the confirmatory factor analyses, along with reliability and validity analyses, indicate that the measures demonstrate good psychometric properties and present an alternative to the use of the proprietary measures that currently exist. Future studies will need to further validate the measures, particularly with regard to criterion-related validity. Additional studies should also examine the data obtained from the measures and use it to develop an understanding of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and college adjustment, as well as the protective factors that influence this relationship.
Open Access
Mentor-mentee match in workplace mentoring relationships
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Marshall, Alyssa D., author; Kraiger, Kurt, advisor; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Conner, Bradley, committee member; Maynard, Travis, committee member
Mentoring programs are increasingly common in organizations. However, little research has addressed the optimal way to pair mentors and mentees together on deep-level characteristics. Person-Environment Fit Theory provides two possible ways to conceptualize fit. Supplementary fit emphasizes the importance of similarity, and complementary fit emphasizes the importance of meeting one another's needs. This study examined the effects of supplementary and complementary fit between mentors and mentees on three mentoring outcomes – relationship effectiveness, mentee learning, and mentee job performance. This study is unique in that, to the best of my knowledge, this is the first study to assess multiple conceptualizations of mentor-mentee fit, and to examine their respective impacts on outcomes for mentees. I collected data from 145 mentor-mentee pairs employed in various universities, and analyzed it using structural equation modeling. A revised measurement and structural model was a good fit to the data. The results suggest that both supplementary and complementary fit significantly and independently predict mentoring relationship quality, which in turn, predicts mentee job performance. Neither conceptualization of fit directly predicted mentee learning. The results of this study imply that organizational mentoring programs should assess both supplementary and complementary fit between mentors and mentees. By doing so, organizations can take steps towards ensuring that employees have high quality mentoring relationships and that mentees will be able to perform their jobs to the best of their abilities. This study is valuable in that it has clarified the relationship between mentor-mentee match and outcomes of workplace mentoring. However, future research should aim to replicate these findings with mentor-mentee samples in other fields and industries.
Open Access
Occupational injuries among craft brewery workers in Colorado
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Brents, Colleen, author; Rosecrance, John, advisor; Brazile, William, committee member; Anderson, Brooke, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Biegert, Jeff, committee member
Workers at craft breweries in the U.S. are an understudied occupational cohort in a rapidly growing industry. Between 2015 and 2019, the number of craft breweries in Colorado grew 120% (Brewers Association, 2020). At the start of 2020, Colorado had more than 420 craft breweries with more than 9,100 workers. California is the only state with more craft breweries than Colorado. In the U.S., 8,000 craft breweries employed 161,000 workers (Brewers Association, 2020). As craft brewery workers produce beer through manufacturing processes, they are exposed to numerous occupational hazards that have been associated with injuries. These hazards include awkward body postures, lifting/carrying heavy loads, highly repetitive activities, sharp edges on materials and equipment, hot surfaces, and high levels of noise. According to national injury surveillance data, occupational injury rates are higher among brewery workers compared to all industries including private, state, and local government. Unfortunately, the national injury surveillance data do not differentiate between large and craft breweries. Craft breweries are substantially smaller than large industrialized breweries. An analysis of national injury data that includes all sizes of breweries may lead to erroneous perceptions of injuries affecting craft brewery workers. To date, no published studies have specifically outlined occupational hazards and injuries associated with craft brewing tasks. To effectively improve safety among craft brewery workers, it is critical that researchers and industry stakeholders have a better understanding of the occupational exposures related to injuries specific to craft brewery workers. The purpose of the present study was to characterize injuries specific to craft brewery workers and to identify their contributing factors in order to inform practitioners tasked with directing intervention resources. Researchers used data from workers' compensation to analyze injuries among Colorado craft brewery workers from 2013 to 2018. Researchers then analyzed accident narratives using the revised agent-host-environment epidemiologic model to better understand the relationship between the reported injury claim and the contributing factors to the agent, host, environment, and vehicle. Informal interviews with subject matter experts supplemented the workers' compensation analysis. Due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, qualitative data were collected through virtual informal interviews with subject matter experts. Researchers developed a series of injury process models to highlight the relationship between injury characteristics and contributing factors that resulted in an injury nature. These models included information on how an injury nature was the result of an injury event when energy was transferred from the environment or vehicle to the injured workers' anatomical region. Researchers analyzed 570 claims. Results of the present study indicated that new workers experience occupational injuries, as more than 60% of claimants had less than two years of tenure at the time of injury. Among claims that incurred costs, the median total claim cost was $680 and the mean total claim cost was $2,100. Claims associated with sprains/strains incurred the highest costs per claim and the highest cumulative cost. Sprains/strains and contusions were the most frequent injury natures. The low back, hands, and fingers were the most frequently injured body parts. By analyzing accident narratives, researchers determined that injuries in craft breweries were typically associated with claimants either carrying items or performing cleaning tasks. The majority of injuries occurred in the packaging hall area of the craft brewery. Subject matter experts described how the packaging hall typically had the highest number of workers and the greatest proportion of new workers compared to other regions of the craft brewery. Contusions, lacerations, and burns affected the hands/fingers whereas sprains/strains predominately affected the low back. Sprains/strains and contusions both typically occurred in the packaging area of the craft brewery while the claimant carried an item. Lacerations typically occurred in the packaging area or kitchen. Burns typically occurred in the brewery or kitchen. Both burns and lacerations occurred while the worker performed maintenance work, cleaning activities, or food preparation tasks. Findings from this study (including the injury process models) can help guide practitioners tasked with developing interventions to reduce injuries and improve the quality of work life among craft brewery workers.
Open Access
Perception or response bias?: evaluating competing hypotheses through automation of action-control
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Tenhundfeld, Nathan L., author; Witt, Jessica, advisor; Clegg, Benjamin, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Smith, Charles A. P., committee member; Wickens, Christopher, committee member
The claim of action-specific researchers is that one's ability to act affects his or her perception of the environment. When using a reach extending tool, such as a stick, objects appear closer than they do without using that stick. However, whether these effects are perception or simply a response bias has been hotly contested. In this dissertation, four experiments were run using the Pong task to be able to differentiate between a response bias and evidence for a perceptual account. Results indicate that not only were results not in line with a response bias account, but they were what the action-specific account of perception would predict. Results are discussed in context of what this means for theories of visual perception. Results are then discussed in relation to the motor simulation hypothesis to evaluate its validity as an explanation for action-specific effects. Finally, given the nature of the experimental design, a framework for a Theory of Automation Embodiment is developed.
Open Access
Predictors and outcomes of occupational burnout: a five-wave longitudinal study
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Lancaster, Paige Gardner, author; Chen, Peter Y., advisor; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Henry, Kim, committee member; Rosecrance, John, committee member
The current study investigated both intraindividual and interindividual change in occupational burnout in a sample of early-career nurses. This research utilizes Conservation of Resources theory in order to understand the trajectory of burnout over time, whether burnout predicts important outcomes for individuals and organizations, and whether burnout can be predicted by personality traits and recovery experiences. Nursing students were surveyed three times during their nursing program and an additional two times after they began their employment. Latent growth models were used to investigate the trajectory of burnout, assess variance in both the initial status and rate of change in burnout, and examine covariances of the rates of change of burnout with health, job attitudes, and recovery experiences. Autoregressive models provided additional information about the direction of relationships between burnout and these variables. Results indicated that average burnout levels declined during nursing school but then began to increase when the nurses entered their careers. Burnout predicted declines in physical health and satisfaction with the occupation, and reciprocal relationships between burnout and mental health were observed. Personality traits were related to the participants' initial burnout levels, and engaging in psychological detachment during time away from work was associated subsequent decline in burnout. Implications, directions for future research, and limitations are discussed.
Open Access
Religion, meaning, and belief in a just world
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Jaramillo, Matthew, author; Chavez, Ernest, advisor; Dik, Bryan, advisor; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Anderson, Sharon, committee member
The present study examined a meaning-making model, focusing on the impact of Coping, Posttraumatic Growth, Life Meaningfulness, Belief in a Just World, Well-Being, and God Images. The path analysis generally mirrored a model Park and colleagues' (2008) constructed in their examination of meaning-making among cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to replicate their model and investigate its interactions with God Images. This research was undertaken to offer new insights into the meaning-making model and extend knowledge of God Images in clinical work and research. The present study's sample consisted of military veterans and undergraduate psychology students. The path model for the present study was significant and generally conformed to Park and colleagues' (2008) meaning-making model. The God Images behaved as expected with some exceptions. The God images Present and Providence significantly moderated mediation relationships in the meaning-making model. The God image, Present, moderated the effect of Posttraumatic Growth mediating Coping and Life Meaningfulness of the model. God as Present also moderated the effect of Life Meaningfulness mediating Posttraumatic Growth and Well-Being. The God Image, Providence, moderated the effect of Belief in a Just World mediating Coping and Life Meaningfulness. Providence also moderated the effect of Life Meaningfulness mediated Posttraumatic Growth and Belief in a Just World. Discussion of the implications of these findings for research and clinical work follow.
Open Access
Resilience to childhood abuse and neglect in college students
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Shirley, Lauren A., author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor; Bloom, Larry, committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member
Research on outcomes of childhood maltreatment tends to examine only one type of maltreatment (usually sexual abuse) and generally ignores gender differences in resilience by failing to consider outcomes for men and women separately. This study sought to address those issues by examining the prevalence of maltreatment in a college sample and identifying the relationship between maltreatment and college adjustment in men and women. Results indicate that maltreated men in college have more resilient outcomes than maltreated women in college and several reasons for this difference were discussed. Overall, negative life events and social/emotional resources are thought to be two important variables in understanding the relationship between maltreatment and adjustment. Future studies can extend the results of this study by examining maltreatment in both college and community samples, collecting data from a larger sample of individuals, and perhaps using a more stringent criterion for classifying maltreatment in the sample.
Open Access
Resource competition and ageism: a study of the influence of employment scarcity on the endorsement of ageist attitudes
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Ospina, Javier H., author; Cleveland, Jeanette, advisor; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Henle, Chris, committee member; Swaim, Randall, committee member
The major economic recession of 2007, which has disproportionately affected younger workers, and the rapid growth of the older population have created an environment where younger persons are economically disenfranchised and a highly visible older population persists in the labor force at a time when jobs are scarce. Intergenerational conflict may arise under these conditions due to perceived competition over economic resources, consistent with Realistic Group Conflict Theory, which posits that negative intergroup perceptions arise when the success of one group is threatened by another, potentially leading to intergroup hostility. Younger workers may perceive older workers as a threat to their economic well-being and thus harbor ageist perceptions about them. To test this hypothesis, survey data was collected from 395 participants using Amazon's Mechanical Turk. The survey collected information about current employment status, duration of longest unemployment, number of peers unemployed, underemployment, job insecurity, and endorsement of ageist beliefs. Work centrality was investigated as a potential moderator for these relationships and perception of threat felt from older persons as a potential mediator. Results indicated that underemployment and job insecurity were both significant predictors of ageism. Workers who experienced greater underemployment or job insecurity were more likely to harbor ageist beliefs. Additionally, work centrality moderated relationships between peer unemployment and ageism, and perception of threat from older persons mediated relationships between underemployment/job insecurity and ageism. This study provides insight into how perceptions of age are influenced by economic factors and how a vulnerable group in society is affected during periods of economic turmoil.
Open Access
Restoring employer image after a crisis
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Steiner, Zachary J., author; Byrne, Zinta S., advisor; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Gingerich, Karla, committee member; Plaisance, Patrick, committee member
Organizational image is a key predictor of employee recruitment variables, such as attraction to a company, intentions to pursue employment, and pursuit behavior. A company's image can suffer when faced with negative events or crisis. I applied image restoration theory from the crisis communication literature to explore the process by which a company's image can be restored post-crisis for job seekers. I also applied insights from research on the psychology of apologies to understand the mechanism by which a company's image changes in the context of image restoration. I employed a repeated measures 2 x 3 factorial experimental design. Time 1 information was either negative or neutral about a company. Time 2 information was one of two forms of image restoration (reduce offensiveness and corrective action) or neutral information about the same company. The study also examined a chain of recruitment outcomes from image to attraction, to intentions to pursue a job opportunity. As predicted, results suggest that participants who initially viewed negative information had lower image ratings than those who viewed neutral information at time 1. Those who initially viewed negative information at time 1 showed improvements in image perceptions at time 2 in response to new information, as hypothesized. However, at time 2 there were no differences in participants who were exposed to the image restoration as compared to the neutral information, contrary to predictions. Attraction fully mediated the relationship between image and intentions to purse a job opportunity, as hypothesized. This study provided an initial test of image restoration theory in a recruitment context. Though there were no observed differences between the two types of image restoration and neutral information conditions, all three conditions showed improvements in image perceptions at time 2. Results of the study suggest that the mere absence of negative information may serve as an image recovery mechanism for job seekers; hence, actual efforts to construct the message to include image restoration content that will restore image after a crisis event may not be necessary.
Open Access
The development and validation of the Mentoring Functions Measure
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Rechlin, Alexandra M., author; Kraiger, Kurt, advisor; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Cleary, Anne, committee member; Chermack, Thomas, committee member
This study developed and provided validation evidence for a new measure of mentoring functions, the Mentoring Functions Measure (MFM). Existing measures of mentoring functions suffer from flaws that the present study aimed to reduce or eliminate. This study had three primary goals: (1) to develop a new measure of mentoring functions, (2) to provide reliability and validity evidence for the measure, and (3) to connect the measure to socioemotional selectivity theory, a theory of aging. In the first phase of the study, 98 items were created based on dimensions that had been used in previous research. These items were reviewed by subject matter experts (SMEs), after which the number of items was reduced to 78. In the second phase, the measure was further refined after being completed by 487 participants in the United States through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk); all participants were currently in an informal mentoring relationship and working at least part-time. Through item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis, the MFM was refined and finalized. The MFM consists of 12 items, demonstrates good reliability evidence, and is comprised of three factors: Career functions, Trust & Acceptance functions, and Relationship functions. Construct validity evidence was obtained, with the MFM generally correlating more strongly with the MFQ-9 than with transformational or paternalistic leadership. Criterion-related validity evidence was also established, with MFM subscales predicting affective outcomes (job satisfaction and life satisfaction), health outcomes (burnout), and cognitive outcomes (personal learning). The MFM was expected to demonstrate known-groups validity evidence, using socioemotional selectivity theory; younger protégés were expected to prefer a mentor who exhibits more career functions, and older protégés were expected to prefer a mentor who exhibits more psychosocial functions. However, no significant differences were found in mentor preference based on protégé age. Due to the scale development best practices used to develop the MFM, as well as the reliability and validity evidence established in this study, the MFM can be used by both researchers and practitioners to measure mentoring functions.
Open Access
The development of a multidimensional measure of relational change during parental illness: the parental illness relationship impact scale
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Copeland, Lindsey Y., author; Rosén, Lee, advisor; Bloom, Larry, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member
Existing instruments do not appear to satisfactorily measure the impact of parental illness on children's relationships with family and peers, a variable that may contribute significantly to long-term psychosocial outcomes for those who have experienced parental illness. A brief retrospective scale measuring the relational impact of parental illness was developed and validated within a sample of university students who identified as having had a seriously ill parent during childhood or adolescence. Participants responded to items assessing change in relationships with their ill parent, other parent, sibling(s), and peers during the time of parental illness. Analyses of the measure revealed evidence for the expected four-factor structure (Ill Parent, Other Parent, Sibling, and Peer), acceptable fit indices, and strong factor loadings. The measure also demonstrated good internal consistency and convergent validity. This evidence suggests that the Parental Illness Relationship Impact Scale may be successfully used to assess parental illness' perceived impact on childhood relationships.