Effects of a Self-Reflection Intervention on Strain, Job Satisfaction, and the Moderating Role of Job Autonomy

Kummerfeldt, Lennart (2025) Effects of a Self-Reflection Intervention on Strain, Job Satisfaction, and the Moderating Role of Job Autonomy. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.

Text L.KummerfeldtBachelorThesis.pdf Restricted to Repository staff only Download (334kB)

Abstract

A growing body of research highlights self-reflection interventions as feasible and effective tools for improving well-being and resilience in military settings. This study extends this research to a broader occupational context, where workplace strain and low job satisfaction are prevalent issues that negatively impact employee well-being and impose financial burdens on organizations. Accordingly, we examined the effectiveness of a self-reflection intervention on these outcomes, hypothesizing that self-reflection would reduce strain and increase job satisfaction. We further expected the work-characteristic job autonomy to moderate these effects, such that the intervention would be more effective for employees with higher autonomy. Participants (N = 82) were randomly assigned to either a control or self-reflection intervention group. Hypotheses were tested using aggregated daily survey data over the span of 10 workdays, with the intervention group additionally receiving self-reflection prompts. We found that the self-reflection intervention reduced strain but did not affect job satisfaction. Job autonomy did not moderate the effectiveness of the self-reflection intervention but was found to predict lower strain in the control group. These findings suggest that while job satisfaction may require longer-term engagement or follow-up to show improvement, as it reflects a less acute and more complex outcome, strain can be addressed more quickly and directly. Additionally, they underscore job autonomy as a valuable work characteristic that can reduce strain independently. The intervention itself appears effective in reducing strain, even in the short term, and can thereby provide immediate benefits to employee well-being and organizational outcomes. Keywords: self-reflection, job autonomy, job satisfaction, strain, emotional exhaustion, negative affect, well-being

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisor name:	Devarakonda, S.K.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	None [Bachelor Psychology]
Date Deposited:	21 Jan 2025 14:59
Last Modified:	21 Jan 2025 14:59
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4514

Actions (login required)

View Item