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AgentOtterPerson30
#1. A human resource manager was interested in determining if there…
#1. A human resource manager was interested in determining if there was a relationship between
intelligence and employee motivation. The HR manager had 1000 employees complete a standardized
intelligence test and a self-report scale measuring employee motivation. The HR manager then
compared the intelligence scores with motivation scores.
(a) What type of study is this?
(b) What would it mean if the researcher found a positive correlation between intelligence and
employee motivation?
(c) What are some problems with the study and how would you improve it?
#2. A study was conducted to determine if men and women received similar or difference
performance ratings from their supervisor. To test this question the HR manager went through
company files and got the performance ratings of all employees for the last five years and examined if
there were differences between the ratings of men and women employees.
(a) What type of study is this?
(b) What are some problems with the study and how would you improve it?
#3. Apple Rubber, Inc., is interested in seeing if their employees would use a gym at work if they
created one. The HR manager sent a questionnaire to all employees asking them how often they would
use the gym, what equipment they would use in it, and what hours of the day they would use it.
(a) What type of study is this?
(b) What are some problems with the study and how would you improve it?
#4. A professor was interested in discovering the effect of incentives on employee performance. He
went back through every issue of The Journal of Applied Psychology and the Journal of Management
and statistically combined the results reported in all of the relevant articles. The mean effect size (d) of
.63 indicated that incentives did increase employee performance.
(a) What type of study is this?
(b) What is good about this kind of study?
#5. A manager worried that her employees were not happy with the organization. To confirm her
fears, she had each of her employees provide written answers to 10 questions about their attitudes
toward work. She was surprised to find that her employees were happier than she thought.
(a) What type of study is this?
(b) What are some problems with the study and how would you improve it?
#6. A professor hypothesized that people could be trained to detect deception in employment
interviews. To test her hypothesis, 50 students were randomly assigned to be given training on
detecting deception and another 50 students were randomly assigned to be given training on
interpersonal skills. The 100 students then viewed one of two interviews, one with a person lying and
the other with a person telling the truth. After viewing the tape, the students were asked to indicate
whether the applicant in the tape was telling the truth about her work history. The professor found that
the students who were trained to detect deception were no more accurate than the other students.
(a) What type of study is this?
(b) What is the independent variable?
(c) What is the dependent variable?
(d) What are some strengths of this study?
(e) What are some problems with the study and how would you improve it?
