Thesis
Creation and validation of a self-guided positive psychological capital intervention training
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2016
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/100948
Abstract
Recent research has identified positive psychology characteristics within the workplace that can help organizations and their employees to flourish. Psychological capital (PsyCap), which is a higher order construct that consists of hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism, has recently emerged as one of the key constructs that takes positive psychology to the workplace. One of the most important aspects of PsyCap is that it is open for development through PsyCap interventions (PCI). In fact, a face-to-face and a trainer facilitated web-based PCI have been shown to significantly increase PsyCap. However, both these interventions need an expert within the field to facilitate the training. Therefore, the purpose of the current research study was to create and validate a self-guided PCI, which does not rely on a facilitator to administer the training. This study used a pretest-posttest experimental design with a control group, utilizing a heterogeneous sample of 268 U.S. working adults. Participants were randomly assigned to either a self-guided PCI or a decision making exercise. Participants in the self-guided PCI condition were administered a one and a half-hour training intervention via the internet. All participants were administered the PsyCap measure immediately before intervention and, again at one week post-intervention. ANOVA, ANCOVA, and paired samples t-tests were used to examine the effects of the PCI on PsyCap. The results revealed a significant increase in PsyCap among participants in the self-guided PCI condition, while no significant change was found among those in the control condition. A supplemental confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the PsyCap measure, which resulted in a five-factor model solution instead of the previously demonstrated second order four-factor model. Altogether, the results indicate that the self-guided PCI does increase PsyCap as a whole; however, additional research is needed to verify the construct validity of PsyCap measure (Luthans, Avolio, Avey, & Norman, 2007) as well as alternative factor structures.
Metrics
14 File views/ downloads
19 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Creation and validation of a self-guided positive psychological capital intervention training
- Creators
- Nicholas Jay Gailey
- Contributors
- Tahira M. Probst (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Psychology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525397801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis