Psychologically Based Productivity Improvement Programs: What Works and What Doesn't?

Author(s):  
Hope VonBorkenhagen ◽  
Mark L. Lengnick-Hall

A meta-analysis of the effects of II types of psychologically based organizational interventions on worker productivity showed that such programs, on average, raised worker productivity by nearly one-half standard deviation. This study reviewed research reported between 1982 and 1996 and extends a previous study by Guzzo, Jette and Katzell (1985) which reviewed research reported between 1971 and 1981. While the same overall effect size for productivity improvement programs was discovered, differences were found between the two studies on the effectiveness of specific interventions.

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-35
Author(s):  
Lubna Lubna

  This research is intended to analyze the effectiveness of problem-based learning in social sciences settings. The study employed a quantitative approach using a meta-analysis method which is defined as the analysis of the same topic existing literature. This study referenced 4 out of 9 representative journals and was determined as the analysis unit. Subsequently, it is decided to make six sub-study out of four analysis unit. Glass’ effect size equation is employed as the data analysis. This study revealed, (1) the overall effect of the problem-based method on the students’ learning achievement standard deviation was 0,795, (2) the utilization of problem-based method showed significant result on the highly motivated and gifted students; (3) this learning method is relevant to all educational stage.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgan M. Sparks ◽  
Joshua C. Kraft ◽  
Kliffi M. Subida Blackstone ◽  
Gordon G. McNickle ◽  
Mark R. Christie

AbstractCryptic local adaptation—where an environmental effect masks the magnitude of the genetic contribution to a phenotype—has long been a topic of interest in ecology and evolution. Here, we systematically document the magnitude and drivers of two common forms of cryptic local adaptation—counter- and cogradient variation. Using a hierarchical Bayesian meta-analysis, we calculated the overall effect size as 1.03 for countergradient variation and 0.90 for cogradient variation. This result indicates that the genetic effect of cryptic local adaptation is approximately equal to a one standard deviation change in trait value between the most disparate populations. We also found that the abiotic and biotic covariates with the largest mean effects were temperature (2.50) and gamete size (2.78), although there was substantial variance. Our results demonstrate the pervasiveness and large effect of cryptic local adaptation in wild populations and underscores the importance of accounting for these effects in future studies.


Author(s):  
Anthony Petrosino ◽  
Claire Morgan ◽  
Trevor Fronius

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have become a focal point of evidence-based policy in criminology. Systematic reviews use explicit and transparent processes to identify, retrieve, code, analyze, and report on existing research studies bearing on a question of policy or practice. Meta-analysis can combine the results from the most rigorous evaluations identified in a systematic review to provide policymakers with the best evidence on what works for a variety of interventions relevant to reducing crime and making the justice system fairer and more effective. The steps of a systematic review using meta-analysis include specifying the topic area, developing management procedures, specifying the search strategy, developing eligibility criteria, extracting data from the studies, computing effect sizes, developing an analysis strategy, and interpreting and reporting the results. In a systematic review using meta-analysis, after identifying and coding eligible studies, the researchers create a measure of effect size for each experimental versus control contrast of interest in the study. Most commonly, reviewers do this by standardizing the difference between scores of the experimental and control groups, placing outcomes that are conceptually similar but measured differently (e.g., such as re-arrest or reconviction) on the same common scale or metric. Though these are different indices, they do measure a program’s effect on some construct (e.g., criminality). These effect sizes are usually averaged across all similar studies to provide a summary of program impact. The effect sizes also represent the dependent variable in the meta-analysis, and more advanced syntheses explore the role of potential moderating variables, such as sample size or other characteristics related to effect size. When done well and with full integrity, a systematic review using meta-analysis can provide the most comprehensive assessment of the available evaluative literature addressing the research question, as well as the most reliable statement about what works. Drawing from a larger body of research increases statistical power by reducing standard error; individual studies often use small sample sizes, which can result in large margins of error. In addition, conducting meta-analysis can be faster and less resource-intensive than replicating experimental studies. Using meta-analysis instead of relying on an individual program evaluation can help ensure that policy is guided by the totality of evidence, drawing upon a solid basis for generalizing outcomes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 473
Author(s):  
Yusuf İnel ◽  
Adem Sezer

<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>This study aims to combine the results of independent studies in order to reveal the impact of the usage of instructional materials in teaching geography subjects on students’ achievement. We have tried to answer the question “Do the instructional materials in teaching geography subjects impact on students’ achievement?”. The study is performed via meta-analysis. The total sampling size obtained from 31 studies included in analysis. The data were analyzed using STATA 13. and CMA 3 programs. When analyzing the data, the values of standard deviation, arithmetic average and sampling size of postest measures of control and experimental groups in each study were used. The results of this study indicate that the usage of instructional materials in the teaching geography subjects impacts positively on students’ achievementat at wider effect size. They also show that there is no any statistically difference among effect size by sampling stage (high school), the material type used, research type, and publication years of studies. </p><p><strong>Öz</strong></p><p>Bu çalışmada, coğrafya konuların öğretilmesinde kullanılan materyallerin öğrenci başarısı üzerindeki etkisinin tespit edilmesine yönelik yapılmış birbirinden bağımsız çalışmalardan elde edilen sonuçların birleştirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaç dâhilinde, “Coğrafya Konuların Öğretiminde Kullanılan Materyaller, öğrencilerin akademik başarılarını etkilemekte midir?” sorusuna cevap aranmıştır. Çalışma, meta analiz yöntemiyle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Analize dahil edilen 31 çalışmadan elde edilen toplam örneklem büyüklüğü 2138 dir. Verilerin analizinde STATA 13 ve CMA 3 programları kullanılmıştır. Verileri analiz ederken her bir çalışmanın kontrol ve deney grubunun sontest ölçümlerinden standart sapma, aritmetik ve örneklem büyüklüğü değerleri kullanılmıştır. Çalışma sonucunda, coğrafya konuların öğretiminde kullanılan materyallerin öğrencilerin akademik başarılarına pozitif yönde geniş düzeyde etki ettiği görülmüştür. Ayrıca, araştırmanın karakteristiğini oluşturan öğrenim düzeyi, materyal türü, çalışma türü ve çalışmaların yayınlandığı yıl değişkenlerine göre etki büyüklükleri açısından istatistikî olarak bir farkın olmadığı tespit edilmiştir. </p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 303-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jedidiah Siev ◽  
Shelby E. Zuckerman ◽  
Joseph J. Siev

Abstract. In a widely publicized set of studies, participants who were primed to consider unethical events preferred cleansing products more than did those primed with ethical events ( Zhong & Liljenquist, 2006 ). This tendency to respond to moral threat with physical cleansing is known as the Macbeth Effect. Several subsequent efforts, however, did not replicate this relationship. The present manuscript reports the results of a meta-analysis of 15 studies testing this relationship. The weighted mean effect size was small across all studies (g = 0.17, 95% CI [0.04, 0.31]), and nonsignificant across studies conducted in independent laboratories (g = 0.07, 95% CI [−0.04, 0.19]). We conclude that there is little evidence for an overall Macbeth Effect; however, there may be a Macbeth Effect under certain conditions.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettina Moltrecht ◽  
Jessica Deighton ◽  
Praveetha Patalay ◽  
Julian Childs

Background: Research investigating the role of emotion regulation (ER) in the development and treatment of psychopathology has increased in recent years. Evidence suggests that an increased focus on ER in treatment can improve existing interventions. Most ER research has neglected young people, therefore the present meta-analysis summarizes the evidence for existing psychosocial intervention and their effectiveness to improve ER in youth. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Twenty-one randomized-control-trials (RCTs) assessed changes in ER following a psychological intervention in youth exhibiting various psychopathological symptoms.Results: We found moderate effect sizes for current interventions to decrease emotion dysregulation in youth (g=-.46) and small effect sizes to improve emotion regulation (g=0.36). Significant differences between studies including intervention components, ER measures and populations studied resulted in large heterogeneity. Conclusion: This is the first meta-analysis that summarizes the effectiveness for existing interventions to improve ER in youth. The results suggest that interventions can enhance ER in youth, and that these improvements correlate with improvements in psychopathology. More RCTs including larger sample sizes, different age groups and psychopathologies are needed to increase our understanding of what works for who and when.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyune June Lee ◽  
Sung Min Kim ◽  
Ji Yean Kwon

Abstract Background Peripartum depression is a common disorder with very high potential hazards for both the patients and their babies. The typical treatment options include antidepressants and electroconvulsive therapy. However, these treatments do not ensure the safety of the fetus. Recently, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation has emerged as a promising treatment for neuropathies as well as depression. Nevertheless, many studies excluded pregnant women. This systematic review was conducted to confirm whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation was a suitable treatment option for peripartum depression. Methods We performed a systematic review that followed the PRISMA guidelines. We searched for studies in the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Cochrane library databases published until the end of September 2020. Eleven studies were selected for the systematic review, and five studies were selected for quantitative synthesis. Data analysis was conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3 software. The effect size was analyzed using the standardized mean difference, and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was determined by the generic inverse variance estimation method. Results The therapeutic effect size of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for peripartum depression was 1.394 (95% CI: 0.944–1.843), and the sensitivity analysis effect size was 1.074 (95% CI: 0.689–1.459), indicating a significant effect. The side effect size of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for peripartum depression was 0.346 (95% CI: 0.214–0.506), a meaningful result. There were no severe side effects to the mothers or fetuses. Conclusions From various perspectives, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can be considered an alternative treatment to treat peripartum depression to avoid exposure of fetuses to drugs and the severe side effects of electroconvulsive therapy. Further research is required to increase confidence in the results.


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