Lucid Dream

Purpose: The purpose of this design was to create a garment that is beautiful but also practical. The look is inspired by grunge but also by romanticism and the occult. I wanted to portray a completely simplistic garment in a way that makes it seem so much more profound and adaptable to any style the wearer chooses to portray. Process: I found my initial inspiration by looking at Dark Beauty magazine, a gothic fashion magazine. From there, I searched on various online databases and put inspirational images into a design Pinterest board. The images combined to create a tribal but celestial mood, with an otherworldly etherealness. After I had the mood concrete, I began looking to my favorite clothing websites like Dolls Kill and Nasty Gal to decide what kind of garment I might want to construct. These websites have out of the norm looks and an overall grunge, alternative feel, while still accommodating to many style tribes. All of this considered, I decided to create a romper with a tied back and small ruffle details on the shoulders and bottom hem. Techniques: To make this design a reality, I used flat patterning and draping to create a pattern. From the pattern, I made a sample, which I then fitted to my model. Once the fit was perfected, I created the final garment which you see today. Contribution to fashion or innovation used: My contribution to fashion is the creation of a piece of clothing that can seamlessly adapt to many different style tribes. Materials: Lightweight gray cotton fabric, all-purpose thread, invisible zipper. This is one in a line of three garments; the entire line can be seen at the Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising spring fashion show, May 30, at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in Milo Smith Theater in McConnell Hall

Why Do Employees Behave Badly? An Examination Of The Effects Of Mood, Personality, And Job Demands On Counterproductive Work Behavior

Given the recent interest in the organizational literatures on the topic of workplace aggression and other acts of counterproductive work behavior (CWB), coupled with the interest in how affect and emotions influence organizational behavior, this study aimed to integrate these two themes to test how mood, personality, and factors relating to one\u27s job influence a person\u27s propensity to engage in acts of CWB. This study contributes to the extant literature in several ways. First, this is one of only a handful of studies that examines the relationship between momentary moods and counterproductive work behaviors using an experience sampling methodology. Second, this study includes two personality variables which are rarely examined in the organizational literatures, affect intensity and dispositional happiness. Third, this study adds to the current literature on how moods affect organizational behavior in that the present study examines both the hedonic tone and the activation dimensions of mood using the circumplex model of moods and emotions as a guiding framework. The sample consisted of one hundred and fourteen employees and students at a large Midwestern university. Participants completed short self-report questionnaires three times daily for two weeks, in addition to an initial demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM; Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002). Results revealed that all momentary variables varied both within- and between-persons. Individual factors (i.e., personality, mood) were more predictive of CWBs than situational factors (i.e., job demands, work events) in the present study. Broadly, individuals were less likely to engage in CWBs when they were in positive moods. There were several unanticipated findings. Notably, individuals in activated mood states were less likely to engage in acts of counterproductive work behavior, and individuals in unactivated unpleasant (i.e., bored) mood states were more likely to engage in acts of counterproductive work behavior. While mood occasionally was related to subsequent perceptions of work events, more evidence was found that work events influenced subsequent mood states. In addition, positive work events indirectly decreased CWBs by increasing activated mood states. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed

Research design of job satisfaction in an East African medical research center

For years, I-O research has used surveys and scales to measure job satisfaction; however, a traditional survey may not always be the best option. Therefore, our research team utilized interviews as well as surveys to understand job satisfaction at the National Institute of Medical Research, Amani Centre (NIMR-AC). The Centre is in Muheza, Tanzania, a rural town one hour from the East African coast. We used a mixed methods approach with an aim to distinguish the key characteristics and variations of job satisfaction among the employees of NIMR-AC. The nature of the surveys, one-on-one interviews, and a focus group discussion were inductive. Due to the cultural context and the limited amount of I-O related research done in the region, we wanted to take a holistic approach in the search for significant themes. The current project discusses the influence that language and culture had on our research design. The end goal of the instrumentation design was for it to be culturally literate for the participants. We started the design process with a literature review of both job satisfaction and the few papers similar to the I-O psychology field that were in the East African context. This enabled us to better understand job satisfaction and how we could best investigate it for this site. Then, we gathered information regarding the interpersonal dynamics of the employees at NIMR-AC and the culture of the region’s workplaces to further direct our research. This gave us a better idea of what words and phrases would be best to use when translating to Swahili. Since we conducted the interviews and administered the surveys in Swahili, we had to pay careful attention to the translation of all the instrumentation. Lastly, and repeatedly throughout the design process, we sought the advice from experts in seemingly unrelated fields. The data will be analyzed using MAXQDA and SPSS in order to find themes. Analyses will provide the lab with real data pinpointing problems with job satisfaction and illuminating solutions. The current study aims to distinguish some of the differences of the design process when researching in a foreign context with the ultimate goal of encouraging other I-O researchers to investigate the workplace outside the Western world

Investigating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program\u27s Impact on Public Service Employees

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program has garnered attention in the media in recent months, primarily in reaction to recent program reforms. Public service employees have struggled to navigate the PSLF program since its formation in 2007, which is complex, tedious, and time consuming. While some relief has been granted, many more face uncertainty as to whether or when their loans will be forgiven. Coupled with the fact that many individuals feel shame and stigma for having loans in the first place and for seeking loan forgiveness, the PSLF process can take a negative toll on individuals and in turn, negatively impact a wide variety of personal, social, and work outcomes. For this study, we surveyed individuals pursuing PSLF and assessed a variety of emotional responses to the loan forgiveness process and a variety of well-being outcomes. We hypothesize that individuals who are enrolled in the PSLF program will have more negative emotional responses to the loan forgiveness program than positive emotional responses. We hypothesize negative emotions about the PSLF process will be positively correlated with a) levels of depression and b) feeling like a burden on their family. Additionally, we will explore the size of the loan to be forgiven and number of years spent pursuing loan forgiveness in these relationships. This study is a beginning phase of our research agenda, wherein our goal is to explore and understand how enrollment in the PSLF program conflicts with one’s time, contributes to personal strain, lack of autonomy, and coping attempts to handle the program alongside their life demands. Participants were recruited to complete an online survey from social media pages associated with PSLF and data collection is still ongoing, with 116 participants to date. Data are being analyzed using correlation and regression analyses in SPSS. Implications of this study include gaining a greater understanding of the emotional impacts of the PSLF program on public service employees. Further, this work aims to spark a call to action for the PSLF program, as it is in dire need of further reform to decrease the enrolled individuals’ negative outcomes, in both the personal and work spheres. Policy implications would also include devising tactics and establishing resources for public servants to mitigate their depressive symptoms and improve their overall mental health. Such improvements would not only help the public service employees, but also their communities that they are serving

Perceived Organizational Support Through a Lens of Racial Tension and Challenging Times

The degree to which employees believe their organization cares about them and their well-being – also called perceived organizational support (POS) – has important downstream impacts on employee work behaviors, their orientation toward their organization, and their well-being (Eisenberger et al., 2020). Furthermore, when one’s organization shows support for its employees, this elicits norms of reciprocity between organizations and employees (Eisenberger et al., 2020). This study expands POS knowledge by investigating the linkages between POS and important outcomes during turbulent social and challenging economic times. During 2021, there was extremely high racial tension with the creation of various movements (i.e., Black Lives Matter) in response to social injustice. Additionally, economic crises and COVID-19 created unique challenges and a high degree of uncertainty for many United States citizens. These tensions and crises led to organizational support’s increased salience; therefore, understanding the role of POS under these circumstances is crucial. Participants completed online self-report surveys across two time points – September 2021 and May 2023. Our sample includes 170 part- and full-time employees in the United States (Mage = 46.5, 62.4% White, 56.5% female). We measured three aspects of POS – coworker support, supervisor support, and inclusion climate, and three outcomes of POS – affective organizational commitment (AOC), burnout, and intention to resign. We hypothesize the following: Hypothesis 1. Perceived coworker support will be (a) positively related to AOC, (b) negatively related to intention to resign, and (c) negatively related to burnout. Hypothesis 2. Perceived supervisor support will be (a) positively related to AOC, (b) negatively related to intention to resign, and (c) negatively related to burnout. Hypothesis 3. Inclusion climate will be (a) positively related to AOC, (b) negatively related to intention to resign, and (c) negatively related to burnout. To test the above hypotheses, we will utilize path analysis. We are currently analyzing the data, and results will be available in time to present if accepted. This work will contribute practical implications for organizations to aid them in preparing for and understanding the importance of POS, particularly during trying societal times, and mitigating adverse outcomes (i.e., turnover). This work also contributes novel insights into how inclusion climate is related to perceived organizational support, serving as a foundation for future research

The Burnout Assessment Tool: An Initial U.S. Validation Study

Despite the long-standing history of studying burnout, it remains a prevalent concern, with nearly 6 out of 10 U.S. workers self-reporting at least moderate levels of burnout (Forbes, 2023). Burnout, as defined by Maslach and Leiter (2016), is a psychological syndrome that emerges as a prolonged response to chronic interpersonal stressors encountered in the workplace. The repercussions of burnout are far-reaching, impacting employee job satisfaction, organizational commitment, absenteeism rates, turnover intentions, and job performance (Edú-Valsania et al., 2022). The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) has historically served as the gold standard for assessing burnout, being employed in a staggering 88% of all publications on the subject (Schaufeli et al., 2020). However, concerns have been raised regarding its suitability for accurately capturing the complex phenomenon of burnout. These concerns revolve around three major flaws in the MBI. Firstly, it was developed inductively, derived from interviews with human service professionals rather than being grounded in a comprehensive conceptual framework. Secondly, the MBI exhibits technical and psychometric weaknesses that have raised doubts about its reliability and validity. Lastly, the absence of clear cut-off scores in the MBI manual complicates the determination of when a score signifies burnout (Schaufeli & De Witte, 2023). In response to these concerns, researchers have developed a new burnout assessment tool called the Burnout Assessment Tool using Flemish and Dutch working population samples (BAT; Schaufeli et al., 2020a, 2020b). The BAT seeks to address the limitations of the MBI and has been validated in countries overseas (e.g., Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Portugal). However, there is a notable gap in research concerning its applicability, reliability, and validation in the context of U.S. workers. The present study aims to contribute to this field of research by providing evidence for the reliability and validity of the BAT in a sample of U.S. workers, as scant evidence is available thus far. A sample of U.S. participants completed online self-report surveys across two time points – September 2021 and May 2023. Our sample includes 170 part- and full-time employees (Mage = 46.5, 62.4% White, 56.5% female). Analyses are currently being conducted to establish the reliability and construct validity of this new burnout measure using a U.S. sample. Full results will be available in time for presentation if accepted

Spin dynamics in semiconductors

This article reviews the current status of spin dynamics in semiconductors which has achieved a lot of progress in the past years due to the fast growing field of semiconductor spintronics. The primary focus is the theoretical and experimental developments of spin relaxation and dephasing in both spin precession in time domain and spin diffusion and transport in spacial domain. A fully microscopic many-body investigation on spin dynamics based on the kinetic spin Bloch equation approach is reviewed comprehensively.Comment: a review article with 193 pages and 1103 references. To be published in Physics Reports

Violating Work-Family Boundaries: Reactions to Interruptions at Work and Home

Our study builds on recent trends to understand the work-family interface through daily experiences of boundary management. In particular, we investigated boundary violations, or events in which family life breaches the boundary of work and vice versa. Our purpose was to enlighten the process between violations and relevant outcomes, building on the foundations of affective events theory and boundary theory. Specifically, we aim to (1) tease apart boundary violations at work and at home from the established construct of work-family conflict, (2) explore the affective events theory process through which cognitive and affective reactions to boundary violation events contribute to work-family conflict and satisfaction, and (3) examine positive and negative reactions to boundary violations. Findings from a 2-week daily diary study of 121 employed participants partially supported our predictions. Boundary violations contributed to general perceptions of work-family conflict both directly and indirectly through cognitive appraisals of thwarted goals and, in the work domain, negative affective reactions. Violations were also related to satisfaction through goal appraisal. Finally, benefits in the form of positive affect were found from boundary violations due to facilitated goals in the interrupting domain.work-family conflictboundary violationsaffective events theorygoal conflictsatisfactio

Advancing Workaholism Research

Research on workaholism (also called work addiction by some scholars, especially in the clinical psychology field) has increased substantially in the last few years [...

The Flux, Pulse, and Spin of Aggression-Related Affect

Aggression is an affect-laden behavior. The within-person variability of affective states that immediately precede, accompany, and follow aggression — and their links to between-person variability in aggressive behavior and traits — remain incompletely understood. To address this gap in our understanding, we examined eight studies in which 2,173 participants reported the negative and positive affect they experienced before, during, and after a laboratory or online aggression task. We quantified the within-person variability within (flux) and across (pulse) negative and positive affect intensity, as well as the variability in oscillations between negative and positive affect (spin). Internal meta-analyses revealed an association between aggressive behavior and traits and flux in positive affect (against our preregistered predictions). Probing this effect with piecewise growth models showed that less aggressive individuals exhibited a pronounced decrease in positive affect during aggression, as compared to before and after the act. This downward fluctuation in positive affect was attenuated among aggressive individuals, who exhibited relatively stable levels of positive aggression-related affect. Thus, stable positive affect surrounding an aggressive act and higher positive affect during the act may buttress and promote aggressive tendencies. These findings support a reinforcement model of aggressive behavior, contrast with the aggression literature’s conventional focus on negative affect and the instability thereof, and point to the utility of dynamic measures of moment-to-moment affect in understanding human social behavior