Research Participants?

[doc dogg]

After being messed around by the ethics committee at my uni I need to get some participants for my 4th year psych research quick smart (the thesis is due in 4 weeks, but I've applied for an extension). I would never just spam the forum, so I'm asking for permission.

In a nutshell the research is looking at how people's decisional style effects their workplace email usage. It will require people to record the number of personal and work related emails they receive and reply to for 5 days and then fill out an online survey all up it will take about 30 mins spread over 5 days. More details are available here Page Title

If you say it will be OK, I'll post an expanded explanation in the general discussion forum and VWWatercooled will get an honourable mention in my thesis

[rayray086]

It's OK by me mate, but I'll discuss this with the other moderators to see if it's OK. Give me 24 hours.

[mikinoz]

Sorry, I am too busy replying to my email to consider this.

[doc dogg]

Ok fellow Dubbers, it is time to help a member in need. This is the final assessment piece for my postgraduate diploma in psychology. After this (depending on my final grades...I'm right on track for first class honours) I'll either be applying for a masters in clinical psychology or a doctorate (so I really will be Dr. Dogg ). To participate you need to be employed in a role where you have access to workplace email.

It has been approved by the Monash University ethics committee (CF10/1658 – 2010000921) and I need to quickly gather the data before the due date of 5th November. All details are available at Page Title but basically you will need to record your workplace email behaviour in an Excel spreadsheet communication diary (see below) for 5 days and then fill out an online survey that will consist of the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and the totals calculated by the communication diary.

The whole process of recording your email behaviour and filling out the survey will take no longer than 30 minutes, so even though it looks daunting, it really is quite an easy process. I would also appreciate it if you could forward this on to other people who you think might participate because I need as many participants as possible to make it statistically sound.

Unfortunately I can not entice you to participate by giving away cash prizes or gift vouchers but you will earn yourself “Research Karma” and my eternal gratitude. Provided I can get enough participants, there is a good chance this research will be published in an industry journal.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me using PM or the details shown on the explanatory statement

[team_v]

I'll do it.
Glad to help another tig/student out.

[doc dogg]

Thanks Team_v, I really appreciate it.

[team_v]

No worries.
It is interesting to see how many emails have been work/personal so far and it's only day 1.

[doc dogg]

It is interesting to see how many emails have been work/personal so far and it's only day 1.

When I started testing the spreadsheet I thought I would send about the same number of work/personal, I was surprised to see that most were work related. Even more surprising is that half of the work email I receive, I delete without replying or saving because they are not relevant to me. When I looked it up, there is even a term for it, "bacn"

[*thad*]

In like sin. I feel like im always using the email at work it will be interesting to see the count.
Cheers
Ross

[doc dogg]

I was given an extension due to the uni messing me around with ethics approval, so the new deadline for receiving all the data is now 5th November. So if you haven't started participating due to the short time frame, you don't have an excuse now

[*thad*]

Done and Done. Can you post the results in this thread for futre referance?? I know i can get the email but if anyone else wanted to see them it maybe a good idea.
Cheers
Ross

[doc dogg]

Sure thing, thanks for participating

[doc dogg]

Hi everyone,

I've finally finished my thesis and it is submitted. My supervisor was really impressed with the results I produced and we are working on packaging them in a format that will be suitable for publication. He is fairly confident that the article will be published and I'm the primary author so it will count towards my PhD applications and hopefully make me competitive in scholarship applications.

Thanks to the members who participated, I couldn't have done it without you I've provided the abstract from my thesis for those who were interested in seeing the results. Once it is graded and/or published I can provide more in depth information by way of a web page I will set up.

I'll be super busy in the next few weeks reformatting the thesis and I've received a promotion at work too so I'm working my arse off at the moment. Keep an eye out for me in mid December in the background behind the Minister for Health and Ageing when she delivers a new product we have been contracted to supply for DOHA. I'll be stroking my chin and nodding as she talks



Abstract
There is a lack of understanding as to the psychological processes that underpin how employees deal with the personal and work related email they receive whilst at work. Previous research has used self report measures to address employee email behaviours but this falls short of management's capability to monitor the actual behaviour. 39 employed individuals completed a 5 day communication diary recording their actual behaviour upon receiving personal and work related email as well as the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. It was found that vigilant individuals were more likely to use email in an efficient manner by deleting personal email and being less likely to open email later. Procrastinators, buckpassers and people experiencing high levels of negative affect were all more likely to delay dealing with email, which could be viewed as dealing with email in a less efficient manner. Consistent with previous research (Baker & Phillips, 2007; Phillips & Reddie, 2007) procrastinators were found to be more likely to reply to a higher proportion of work related emails. This implies that procrastinators are using work related email as a method to delay working on other tasks at work, while still giving the impression to others that they are working.

[greasykitchen]

Interesting, as so much of my work is done via - even with people in the same office. I counted today - I have 84 email archive folders for different topics for this year alone!! I usually attend to them as they come in or soon after, but many things get left (flagged) but never get done. Very few personal emails, but that's just me.

And as someone who's just finished a PhD (as in today after more than 6.5 years) best of luck in your further studies.