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| Studies in Behavioral Safety |
| Monday, May 26, 2008 |
| 3:30 PM–4:50 PM |
| Joliet |
| Area: OBM |
| Chair: Kristen Rost (Queens College, City University of New York) |
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| The Effects of Social Modeling on Safety Behavior. |
| Domain: Applied Research |
| RYAN B. OLSON (Oregon Health & Science University), Ariel Grosshuesch (Western Michigan University), Sara Schmidt (Portland State University), Mary Gray (Portland State University) |
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| Abstract: The current experiment asked whether social modeling would increase the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during a simulated work task. Participants (N=56) were recruited to complete a “luggage screening study” where they worked in isolation at a computerized vigilance task for 40 minutes. White noise played in the background at 70 decibels and participants had access to bright yellow over-the-ear sound mufflers. Prior to beginning the computerized task, participants watched a training video where a researcher and three confederate participants demonstrated the task. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four video conditions with different levels of social modeling of PPE use (0, 1, 2, and 3 confederate participants wearing PPE). Each participant was observed unobtrusively through a lab window with partially closed blinds at five time intervals. The percentage of individuals with one or more intervals of PPE use was 21%, 14%, 43%, and 71% across groups exposed to 0, 1, 2, and 3 social models, respectively [X2(3, N=56) = 11.8, p = .01]. The results suggest that social modeling may be an important determinant of initial PPE use in work environments. |
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| The Long-Term Effects of Behavioral Safety in a Petroleum Refinery. |
| Domain: Applied Research |
| KRISTEN ROST (Queens College and The Graduate Center, CUNY), Wanda Myers (Quality Safety Edge), Terry E. McSween (Quality Safety Edge), Alicia M. Alvero (Queens College, City University of New York) |
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| Abstract: This paper describes the implementation of the Values-Based Safety Process (VBSP) in a petroleum oil refinery of a major petroleum company in the United States. The components of the behavioral safety consultation are described in detail. Safety-related data that span from 1987 to 2007 are presented to show the long-term effects of the implementation on recordable incident rates, lost-workday case rates, and direct costs of injuries. The implementation was correlated with decreases in recordable injuries, lost workday cases, and workers' compensation costs. An interview with the Vice President of the refinery is presented to highlight the impact the implementation has had on the organization's safety culture. |
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| Self-Solicited Feedback: Effects of Hourly Pay and Individual Monetary Incentive Pay. |
| Domain: Applied Research |
| JULIE M. SLOWIAK (Western Michigan University), Alyce M. Dickinson (Western Michigan University) |
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| Abstract: Giving employees frequent performance feedback is the most common intervention used by managers to improve employee performance. With the advent of electronic monitoring and tracking systems, it has become possible for employees to self-solicit their own performance feedback. Findings from early studies warrant further investigation to determine the conditions under which workers will self-solicit feedback. Additionally, because feedback is typically combined with other performance improvement techniques such as monetary incentives, research is needed to determine the effects of different types of pay on the self-solicitation of feedback. The primary objectives of this study were to determine: (1) whether workers self-solicit feedback more when they are paid monetary incentives than when they are paid hourly wages (2) whether the self-solicited feedback improves performance, and (3) whether the self-solicitation of feedback is influenced by the extent to which individuals are competitive with themselves and/or others. College students, assigned to either an hourly pay condition or a monetary incentive pay condition, performed a computerized data entry task modeled after the job of a proof operator at the bank. During experimental sessions, participants were able to “click” on a button to obtain feedback about their performance whenever they liked. |
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