For those of you who have been watching the debate on the news lately about government spending and cutting, I want to whisper something in your ear. I know research and program evaluation can seem stuffy and boring to some, but its utility can no longer be denied. When an organization, be it a foundation, a business, or the government needs to find a way to balance its budget or reduce excess spending, its employees should dust off their research methodology and stats books. Program evaluation, a type of research focused on assessing a program’s features, can come to the rescue and inform decision-making.  There are many types of program evaluations but an outcome evaluation, in this case, would help lawmakers and other decision-makers see which programs are achieving their proposed objectives (and to what degree) and where improvements need to be demanded. Too often money is allocated to an initiative with lofty goals but then the program is not monitored for effectiveness or efficiency.  We all know that money needs to be spent because there are tremendous needs out in the community- the question is do you know what the money should be spent on? Let program evaluation guide you to more informed, less biased decisions one where funding should go. For more information or assistance with program evaluation or outcome research, contact me today.

The Performance Psychologist’s blog was just included among the top 50 blogs by psychologists! The field of psychology is quite broad and diverse so this includes blogs by media, school, clinical, sports, cognitive, and forensic psychologists to name just a few. Thanks to my readers for making this blog stand out! Check out the rest of the list here.

A recent research article entitled “Effects of Online Testing on Student Exam Performance and Anxiety” in the Journal of Educational Computing Research sought to answer the question about the impact of online exams (versus those administered in class) on test anxiety and performance. Sixty-nine psychology students were recruited for the study. All students were randomly assigned to either the classroom or online format for the first exam and then switched to the other format for the second exam. Test anxiety and other academic emotions were measured using the Academic Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ) before and immediately after each exam. The study’s authors hypothesized that students would report less anxiety in the online testing situation because they had greater control over the testing situation, including when and where the test is taken.  If students did in fact experience less test anxiety in the online situation, it was plausible to hypothesize that they would also perform better because test anxiety is inversely related to test performance (Seipp, 1991).

Results:

The study found that overall students in both test conditions performed comparably and experienced similar levels of anxiety. However, the level of classroom anxiety was a factor.  Those high in classroom test anxiety experienced lower test anxiety in the online setting and those low in classroom test anxiety experienced higher test anxiety in the online setting. High classroom anxiety was associated with poor performance in the classroom.  The relationship between anxiety and test performance was not as strong in the online conditions. Aside from test anxiety, anger, shame, and hopelessness were also related to poorer test performance and enjoyment, hope, and pride were related to better performance.

Dr. Romirowsky’s Recommendations based on this study:

Do not automatically assume that all college students will perform better or experience less test anxiety in an online exam than a traditional classroom-based exam.

If you usually experience a great deal of test anxiety for the classroom tests and are given an online exam option, the online exam might be less anxiety-provoking for you.

Reducing your test anxiety in whichever setting you experience it would probably improve your performance, particularly if you’re anxious for classroom tests.

Anticipate that more classes, online and traditional, will experiment with offering online exams. Prepare yourself for that possibility, know which option you prefer, and address any test anxiety through performance coaching.

Overcoming test anxiety by yourself can be difficult, especially when you’re focused on studying for the test. In just a few sessions, however, test anxiety coaching at The Performance Psychologist, LLC can significantly reduce your test anxiety that may be interfering with your exam performance.  Contact Dr. Romirowsky at www.ThePerformancePsychologist.com for more information about test anxiety services.

For those of you who are worried that your worth in the workplace is getting overlooked, there’s something simple and effective you can start doing on Monday morning.

First, ask yourself-

• How does my boss know what I’m working on?
• How does my boss know if I have too much on my plate?
• Would my boss be able to tell someone else about my work?

Many people say that their boss knows about their work because they tell their boss what they’re working on during supervision or when they ask for help on a particular project.

But what about those things that you do as part of day-to-day business?

What about those projects that you don’t complain about or need extra assistance on?

What about those great relationships you have with stakeholders or colleagues that enable you to get things done at work?

The majority of people I speak to have never taken the time and effort to ensure that they promote their worth at work.  And when I say promote, I don’t mean for you to conjure up an image of that guy who is always tooting his own horn in a meeting or sucking up to the boss. Instead I mean, the person (who may not exist yet in your workplace) who keeps their boss informed and gets their boss to magically toot their horn for them to colleagues and those important stakeholders.

So what’s the secret?

There are many ways to get yourself noticed at work and be appreciated for your contributions. I will share just one way.

Write an Activities Update

This is a simple  document where you list all the projects you’re working, have finished, or are starting this week or month (depending on the appropriate timeline). It should be a brief memo to your boss with a bullet with a status update about each project. It’s not the place to go on at length about all the issues you’re having with a colleague or vendor. It’s just a simple, effective way to keep your boss informed, to keep your contributions front and center in your boss’ mind, and to start a conversation about ways to prioritize your workload.

So block out some this Monday to write your Activities Report- most of you will be amazed by how much you’re actually working on and how long it has been since you last took stock of your portfolio.

Is your company sitting pretty? Execs out there might be sure that the one thing they don’t have to worry about these days is turnover, but I am afraid they are sadly mistaken. There is something lurking in the shadows of their board rooms and break rooms. Although execs and HR directors may believe that, for once, they have the power- they determine who gets the pink slip, while no one else would dare quit in an economic climate like this one. This feeling of power and contentment is just a facade. Employees may not be leaving in droves of their own volition, but you can be sure that the second the economy starts to show signs of turning around, they will. Why? The reason is simple, but often overlooked.
They are watching. Employees are watching how many people you laid off and how they were treated. Were they treated with respect? Were they offered benefits and a nice severance package? Were their colleagues given a change to say a proper goodbye? Were efforts made to modify job descriptions so that jobs could be salvaged? Are they still connected to your company in some positive way? These former employees go out into the community (read: your constituents) and tell people about why and how they were laid off. This consequence is usually considered by HR directors in that they include a clause in severance packages about not slandering the company. What’s often overlooked, however, are the impressions made on the current employees. These people are the eyes and ears of your organization- and they know much more than you think. They also keep in touch with former employees after comforting them while they pack up their offices. Walking out the door to a better or equivalent job may not be a readily available option today, but they’re waiting. The next moment that the economy seems to turn around, these employees will search and find a company they think treats employees better. Maybe one that cuts other expenses or even exec salaries before administrative assistants, line workers, and middle managers. So if you’re sitting pretty thinking you employees aren’t going anywhere – think again. Someone is searching careerbuilder.com this very moment.