Browsing by Subject "Positive Psychology"
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Item The Effects Of Cognitive Reflection Exercises On Employee Engagement: A Positive Intervention And Study Of The Role Of Cognition In Increasing Engagement In The Workplace(2020-05) Giddings, DouglasThe employee engagement literature suggests that in order to increase engagement in the workplace, the number and availability of job resources (e.g., performance feedback, social support, autonomy, etc.) to which employees have access must also increase. This dissertation explores the role of cognition in employee engagement interventions by creating and testing a theoretical model that proposes the relationship between job resources and engagement is mediated by increased cognitive perceptions of those resources (perceptions of resource presence, and perceptions of resource importance). I tested hypotheses by creating a cognitive reflection intervention, similar to those used in the positive organizational scholarship literature, which asked participant to briefly reflect, at the end of each workday, and write about a positive experience they had related to one of five specific job resources. This intervention lasted for five weeks, and included pretest-posttest surveys to analyze overall changes to employee engagement and other key outcomes, as well as five end-of-week surveys to assess within-person changes in outcomes during the intervention period. The active-treatment condition was then compared to results from an active-control condition (who were asked to reflect about positive events more generally, rather than focusing specifically on job resources) and a no-treatment condition. Results revealed no significant changes to engagement for participants assigned to the active-treatment condition, or in differences between the active-treatment group and the other two conditions. Nevertheless, engagement scores for both reflection conditions increased or remained steady during the intervention period, while engagement scores for the no-treatment condition decreased. I conclude with a discussion of findings, theoretical and practical implications, and study limitations.Item Traditional Lakota Concept of Well-Being: A Qualitative Study(2015-12) Noisy Hawk, LyleMost psychological research from which treatments are developed has typically been from the majority population overlooking American Indian/Alaskan Native racial/ethnic groups. This qualitative study examines how traditional Lakota healers conceptualize well-being from their unique perspectives. Seven healers were interviewed using a 3 question semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were transcribed into the Lakota language then translated from Lakota to English. The interviewed were then analyzed inductively using a grounded theory method. From the data, a central theme emerged: the traditional Lakota concept of well-being (Wicozani). The healers identified five distinct way that well-being (Wicozani) may be achieved. These are that: (1) well-being is attained and maintained through one's prayerful awareness and experience with religious beliefs or the sacred/the holy - the Wakan; (2) well-being is attained and maintained through maintaining healthy relationships with family, tribal structure and all of creation; (3) well-being is attained and maintained through consistent practice of prayer through rituals and traditions; (4) well-being is attained and maintained through successful recovery from traumatic experiences; (5) the need to enact the values to attain and maintain an integrated sense of well-being. The results suggest that there are similarities across the Lakota culture and the majority culture despite epistemic difference. Based on the findings, implication and recommendations were made.