MSU PALM PILOT STUDY

July 2005

All participant positions have been filled; sign-up for this study is now closed. Please contact Remus Ilies at ilies@msu.edu with any questions about this study. Thank you for your interest!

Thank you for your interest in the MSU study on work activities, mood, and well-being. The study will be conducted in July 2005 and consists of three distinct phases, as described below. We will reward participants by sending a $100 check to those who complete the study. To be eligible to participate in this reseach, you must be a full-time employee who is able to fulfill the study requirements described below (importantly, you must be at work July 20 - August 3).

Phase 1. The Initial Survey asks participants to indicate the extent to which they agree with behavioral statements such as "I try to be courteous to everyone I meet" or "I would rather cooperate with others than compete with them" and to provide some demographic information and general work/life information. These surveys, available on-line, should take about 30 minutes to complete. (Those who sign up for the study will be presented with a link to the Intitial Survey on the confirmation page.)

Phase 2. For this phase, participants will attend a training session for operating the Palm Pilot devices which will be used in the subsequent phase of the study (each participant will receive a Palm Pilot device). You will also be asked to fill out a short paper-and-pencil survey during the training session. We scheduled four training sessions on July 18th and July 19th, for you to choose from (on each of these days there will be two sessions, one beginning at 12:15 PM and one at 5:15 PM; we will provide food and soft drinks at each session; you only need to attend one session). The training session will last about 40 minutes.

Phase 3. The third phase of the study will be conducted over two weeks, starting on Wednesday, July 20. On each work day, we will alert participants at three randomly selected times between 8:30 AM and 3 PM. This signaling will occur via the Palm Pilot (the device will beep). After each beep, participants will be asked to answer a set of questions regarding the activities in which they are currently engaged and about their feelings. The Palm Pilot surveys take between 3 and 5 minutes to do. At the end of the work day, participants will be asked to fill out a Web-based survey that assesses mood, satisfaction, and event/activity characteristics. Participants will receive an e-mail reminder containing the link to the survey at the end of each work day. This survey should take about 10 minutes, and it can only be completed between 4 and 6 PM. Finally, on each work day participants will also be asked to fill a Palm Pilot survey after work hours, assessing mood and satisfaction. The after work survey takes 3 minutes or less to complete.

If you want to participate in the study, you must read the informed consent below. If you agree with the informed consent, you can sign up to participate in the study after you indicate your agreement by pressing the I AGREE, GO TO THE SIGN-UP PAGE! button below.

If you have questions, please email me (Remus Ilies) at ilies@msu.edu, I will respond to all inquiries promptly.

I greatly appreciate your willingness to participate in this important research.

Remus Ilies

The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management
Michigan State University
N475 North Business Complex
East Lansing, MI 48824-1112
(517) 432-3510
Faculty Web Page


INFORMED CONSENT

You are invited to participate in a research study of work activities, mood, and well-being. We ask that you read this form and ask any questions you may have before agreeing to be in the study. This study is being conducted by:

Remus Ilies
Assistant Professor, Management Department, Michigan State University

Daniel R. Ilgen
John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Management, Department of Psychology, Michigan State University

Background Information:
The purpose of this study is to examine the role of social interactions and mood in the workplace and at home in influencing employees' behaviors and their psychological well-being. The results of this study may help in designing better jobs, from the perspectives of both employers and employees.

Procedures:
If you agree to be in this study, we will ask you to do the following things:
1. Register online for the study, sign up for an orientation session, and complete an initial Web survey.
2. Attend an orientation to receive training on the use of a handheld device (Palm Pilot) and respond to a brief questionnaire. The orientation will last 45 minutes or less and is mandatory for participation in the study. (We try to schedule all orientation sessions during lunch and provide lunch for participants.)
3. For two weeks (10 working days), three times each day you would complete a brief (about 5 minutes) survey from work, using the Palm Pilot, following a signal (beep).
4. On each day of the study, you would also complete a short (5-10 minutes) end-of-day survey from work, via the Internet. (You will receive an e-mail reminder at the end of each day.)
5. Finally, every evening of the study you will be prompted by the Palm Pilot to respond to a very short survey (less than 5 minutes).

You do not have to answer any question you do not wish to answer. The ratings you provide will be combined with those of other participants in this research.

Risks and Benefits of Being in the Study:
Participation in this study entails no more than minimal risk. In return for your participation, you will receive a payment of up to $100 after the completion of the study. Participants will receive no other benefit for participating in the study.

Confidentiality:
Your identity will be kept confidential to the maximum extent allowable by law. The records of this study will be kept private. In any sort of report we might publish, it will not be possible to identify you as a subject in this research.

Voluntary Nature of the Study:
Your decision whether or not to participate will not affect your current or future relations with Michigan State University. If you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw at any time without affecting those relationships. Completion of the initial survey during online enrollment and a second survey during the training session is required for participation in the study. Participants who withdraw before the completion of the study, or who do not complete at least 50 survey units (out of 60 possible; each Palm Pilot survey is worth one unit; each end-of-day web survey is worth 2 units) will be paid on a prorated basis as follows (those who submit 50 or more survey units will receive the full $100):

0-9 survey units - no payment
10-19 survey units - $30
20-29 survey units - $40
30-39 survey units - $60
40-49 survey units - $85

Contacts and Questions:
The researchers conducting this study are Remus Ilies and Daniel Ilgen. If you have any questions, please contact them at ilies@msu.edu / ilgen@msu.edu or at 517-432-3510 / 517-355-7503. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your treatment as a participant in the study and would like to talk to someone other than the researchers, contact the University Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (UCRIHS):

Peter Vasilenko, Ph.D., UCRIHS Chair
202 Olds Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1046
PHONE: (517) 355-2180
FAX: (517-432-4503
E-MAIL ucrihs@msu.edu

 

 

Statement of Consent:
I have read the procedure described above. By pressing the button below, I voluntarily agree to participate in the procedure.


If you have already signed up, but you did not complete the Initial Survey yet please click here: Initial Survey

For the end-of-day Work Survey please click here: Daily Work Survey