Research Priorities

Research at the Department of Work, Organizational and Media Psychology stands at the intersection of three areas: 1) educational psychology focussed on new media technologies, 2) general media psychology, and 3) work and organizational psychology.


The research profile of the Department currently includes the following priorities:
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Social dimensions of work – Job characteristics and well-being

  • Psychosocial function of work
  • Social media at work
  • Microwork

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Why do you work? Probably not just for the money. Work also provides so-called latent benefits which are conducive to mental well-being and psychological health. Through work, we feel that we are part of a community, we gain recognition from peers, our day is structured, and we lead more active lives. Research shows that these benefits are related to mental health, but the nature of this relationship depends substantially on the quality of work – work not only makes us healthy, it can also make us sick. Our team studies this relationship in the light of current social and technological developments. For instance, can social media decrease work-life conflict? How do changes in working conditions – like computer-based side jobs or even full-time “clickworking” – affect our subjective perceptions of work? How does job insecurity impact employment’s ability to fulfill basic psychosocial needs? In a large part of our research, we draw on Marie Jahoda’s model of the latent benefits of work, test this model empirically, and broaden its content. Our aim is to unveil more of the mystery of the meaning of work, and thus provide organizations and political institutions with a basis for designing better work environments.

Publikationen

Publikationen

  • Kovacs, C., Batinic, B., Stiglbauer, B. & Gnambs, T. (2019). Development of a shortened version of the Latent and Manifest Benefits of Work (LAMB) scale. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 35, 685-697
  • Gnambs, T., Stiglbauer, B., & Selenko, E. (2015). Psychological effects of (non)employment: A cross-national comparison of the United States and Japan. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 56, 659-669.
  • Selenko, E. & Batinic, B. (2013). Job Insecurity and the Benefits of Work. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 22, 725-736. [link]
  • Stiglbauer, B. & Batinic, B. (2012). The role of Jahoda’s latent and financial benefits on work involvement: A longitudinal study. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 81, 259-268.
  • Selenko, E. & Batinic, B. (2011). Beyond debt. A moderator analysis of the relationship between perceived financial strain and mental health. Social Science & Medicine, 73, 1725-1732.
  • Selenko, E., Batinic, B. & Paul, K. I. (2011). Does latent deprivation lead to psychological distress? Investigating Jahoda's model in a four-wave study. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 84, 723-740. [link]
  • Paul, K. I., Hassel, A., Batinic, B. & Moser, K. (2011). Die Auswirkungen von Arbeitslosigkeit auf die psychische Gesundheit. Forum Arbeit, 1, 7-12.
  • Batinic, B., Selenko, E., Stiglbauer, B. & Paul, K. I. (2010). Are workers in high-status jobs healthier than others? Assessing Jahoda's latent benefits of employment in two working populations. Work & Stress, 24, 73-84. [link]
  • Paul, K. I. & Batinic, B. (2010). The need for work: Jahoda's latent functions of employment in a representative sample of the German population. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31, 45-64. [link]

Challenges, Opportunities & Burdens of Work

  • Impact of job insecurity
  • Positive and negative aspects of work autonomy
  • Dissolution of work-life boundaries through new media
  • Job satisfaction: Forms and development processes

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In this day and age, the term “work” is often associated with job insecurity and work intensification; however, positive aspects like greater autonomy and flexibility may also come to mind. Our research explores the immediate and long-term effects of these changing working conditions on employees’ work motivation, quality of life, and job satisfaction. Here we consider job satisfaction not as a static, one-dimensional factor, but as the dynamic result of a continual comparison between real and ideal working conditions. One aim of this research is to identify factors that minimize the negative consequences of current workplace developments and help ensure positive effects on motivation and well-being. For instance, work flexibility can have both positive and negative effects. Its overall outcome depends on how such flexibility is implemented in the organization, on structural job demands, as well as on individual resources and needs. The aim of our research is to provide a basis for crafting effective but also healthy working conditions.

Publikationen

Publikationen

  • Stiglbauer, B. & Kovacs, C. (2018). The more, the better? Curvilinear effects of job autonomy on well-being from Vitamin Model and PE-Fit theory perspectives. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 23(4), 520-536, https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000107
  • Stiglbauer, B. (2017). Differential challenge and hindrance stressor relations with job-related core affect. International Journal of Stress Management. 25.http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/str0000076
  • Stiglbauer, B. & Zuber, J. (2018). Challenge and hindrance stress among school teachers. Psychology in the Schools, 55, 707-721.
  • Kovacs, C., Stiglbauer, B., Batinic, B. & Gnambs, T. (2018). Exploring different forms of job (dis)satisfaction and their relationship with well‐being, motivation and performance. Applied Psychology, 67, 523-556.
  • Stiglbauer, B. (2017). Under what conditions does job control moderate the relationship between time pressure and employee well-being? Investigating the role of match and personal control beliefs. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38, 730-748.
  • Gattringer, F. & Batinic B. (2016). Die Rolle von Cyberslacking im Kontext von Life-Domain-Konflikten und Telearbeit. Wirtschaftspsychologie, 18, 5-14.
  • Stiglbauer, B. & Batinic, B. (2015). Proactive coping with job insecurity – beneficial or harmful? Work & Stress, 29, 264-285. doi: 10.1080/02678373.2015.1074956 [link]
  • Stiglbauer, B., Selenko, E., Batinic, B. & Jodlbauer, S. (2012). On the link between job insecurity, well-being, and turnover intentions and the moderating effect of work involvement. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 17, 354-364.
  • Jodlbauer, S., Selenko, E., Batinic, B. & Stiglbauer, B. (2012). The relationship between job dissatisfaction and training transfer. International Journal of Training and Development, 16, 39-53

Internet research & new media

  • Non-reactive data collection: Wearables, Beatery und Beacons
  • Online surveys

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We have been involved in planning, implementing, and conducting follow-ups to online surveys since 1994, making us one of the pioneers in this field in the German-speaking world. Our studies include an examination of the structure of online panels (e.g., the university online panel Unipanel) and of strategies for recruiting survey participants. Our research shows which criteria should be met by reliable survey-software, how online surveys should be designed, which response rate can be expected, and how quality of data can be enhanced. At the moment, we are also researching new ways of collecting data through wearables and mobile technologies. How can the measurement of behavior through fitness trackers augment and enrich traditional survey-based methods? How can smartphones best be used for surveying? Our aim is to show the potential of new technologies as an instrument of applied psychological research.

Publikationen

Publikationen

  • Batinic, B., & Kovacs, C. (2017). Online employee surveys and online feedback. In: G. Hertel, D. L. Stone, R. D. Johnson, & J. Passmore. The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of the psychology of the Internet at work (pp.347-368). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Batinic, B. (2014). Kommentar zu dem Beitrag „Ein national gefördertes Onlinelabor als Infrastruktur für die psychologische Forschung“. Psychologische Rundschau, 65, 227-229.
  • Stiglbauer, B., Gnambs, T. & Gamsjäger, M. (2011). The interactive effects of motivations and trust in anonymity on adolescents’ enduring participation in web-based social science research: A longitudinal behavioral analysis. International Journal of Internet Science, 6, 29-43. [link]
  • Stiglbauer, B. & Gnambs, T. (2011). Online-Forschung – Möglichkeiten und Grenzen. In H. Moser (Hrsg.), Professionswissen für Lehrerinnen und Lehrer. Band 10: Forschung in der Lehrerbildung. (S. 207-220). Zürich: Verlag Pestalozzianum.
  • Gnambs, T., Batinic, B., & Hertel, G. (2011). Internetbasierte psychologische Diagnostik. In L. F. Hornke, M. Amelang & M. Kersting (Eds.), Verfahren zur Leistungs-, Intelligenz- und Verhaltensdiagnostik, Enzyklopädie der Psychologie, Psychologische Diagnostik (Bd. II/3, pp. 448-498). Göttingen: Hogrefe.
  • Gnambs, T., Appel, M. & Batinic, B. (2010). Color red in web-based knowledge testing. Computers in Human Behavior, 26, 1625-1631. [link]
  • Batinic, B. & Moser, K. (2005). Determinanten der Rücklaufquoten in Online-Panels. Zeitschrift für Medienpsychologie, 17, 64-74.
  • Batinic, B. (2004). Online Research. In P. Vorderer, R. Mangold & G. Bente (Hrsg.), Lehrbuch der Medienpsychologie (S. 251-270). Göttingen: Hogrefe.
  • Batinic, B. (2003). Internetbasierte Befragungsverfahren. Österreichische Zeitschrift für Soziologie, 4, 6-18.
  • Batinic, B., Reips, U.-D. & Bosnjak, M. (Eds.). (2002). Online Social Sciences. Seattle, WA: Hogrefe & Huber.
  • Batinic, B. & Moser, K. (2001). Neue Methoden für Medienpsychologie: Online Panels. Zeitschrift für Medienpsychologie, 13, 45-49.
  • Batinic, B. & Bosnjak, M. (2000). Fragebogenuntersuchungen im Internet. In B. Batinic (Hrsg., 2. Aufl.), Internet für Psychologen (S. 287-317). Göttingen: Hogrefe.

Use and impact of media and new technologies

  • Social media at work
  • Dissolution of work-life boundaries through new media
  • Formative evaluation of job satisfaction

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In our research projects, we attempt to take a nuanced view of new technologies and their possible uses. Our research aims to show both advantages and disadvantages of new technologies, to reveal the psychological processes involved and to hopefully help provide a scientific basis for judging the truth of common myths and clichés. The rise of the Internet has spurred the development of new technologies and new ways of communicating in our professional life. This raises the question of how new media have changed organizational processes and structures from a psychological perspective. Social media open up new possibilities of communication in the workplace. In this sense they may support the psychosocial benefits of work, but they can also be distracting and mar productivity. Personal use of the Internet at work can jeopardize productivity, but it can also function as a coping or recovery mechanism during work. Our research aims to convey a deeper understanding of the role that social and new media play in the occupational context in order to show strategies for avoiding risks while tapping positive potential effectively.

Publikationen

Publikationen

  • Stiglbauer, B., & Weber, S. (2018). A picture paints a thousand words: The influence of taking selfies on place identification. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 58, 18-26.
  • Gattringer, F., Stiglbauer, B., Rührlinger, M., Lankes, M., & Hagler, J. (2017). Co-smonauts: Game interfaces for elderly people in co-located and collaborative play. Proceedings of the 11th Annual International Conference on Computer Games Multimedia & Allied Technologies (pp.8-14). Singapore.
  • Böhm, M., & Stiglbauer, B. (2017). Berufliche Rehabilitation von Menschen mit psychosozialem Unterstützungsbedarf in einer Arbeitswelt 4.0. SWS-Rundschau, 57(3), 288-304.
  • Gattringer, F. & Batinic B. (2016). Die Rolle von Cyberslacking im Kontext von Life-Domain-Konflikten und Telearbeit. Wirtschaftspsychologie, 18(2), 5-14.
  • Appel, M., Stiglbauer, B., Batinic, B., & Holtz, P. (2014). Internet use and verbal aggression: The moderating role of parents and peers. Computers in Human Behavior, 33, 235-241. [link]
  • Appel, M., Mara, M., & Weber, S. (2014). Media and Identity. In M. B. Oliver & A. Raney (Eds.), Media and Social Life(pp.16-28). New York: Routledge.
  • Jadin, T., Gnambs, T. & Batinic, B. (2013). Personality traits and knowledge sharing in online communities. Computers in Human Behavior, 29, 210-216.
  • Appel, M. (2012). Are heavy users of computer games and social media more computer literate? Computers & Education, 59, 1339-1350. [pdf]
  • Appel, M., Holtz, P., Stiglbauer, B. & Batinic, B. (2012). Parents as a resource: Communication quality affects the relationship between adolescents’ Internet use and loneliness. Journal of Adolescence, 35, 1641-1648. [pdf]
  • Holtz, P. & Appel, M. (2011). Internet use and video gaming predict problem behavior in early adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 34, 49-58. [pdf]
  • Jadin, T., Gruber, A. & Batinic, B. (2009). Learning with e-lectures. The meaning of learning strategies and design principles. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 12,282-288. [pdf]
  • Batinic, B. & Göritz, A. (2009). How does social psychology deal with new media? Social Psychology, 40, 3-5.
  • Batinic, B. & Appel, M. (2009). Online-Bewerbungen aus Sicht von Bewerbern und Unternehmen. Zeitschrift für Personalpsychologie, 8, 14-23.
  • Hertel, G., Schroer, J., Batinic, B. & Naumann, S. (2008). Do shy persons prefer to send e-mail? Personality effects on communication media preferences in threatening and non-threatening situations. Social Psychology, 39, 231-243.