Date of Award

Fall 11-16-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Tilman Sheets

Abstract

One of the most common typologies of workplace stressors is the challengehindrance framework (Cavanaugh et al., 2000). Challenge stressors are job demands that are perceived by employees as obstacles to be overcome to learn and achieve (LePine et al., 2005). Conversely, hindrance stressors are job demands that are perceived by employees as unnecessarily thwarting personal growth and goal attainment (LePine et al., 2005). While useful, Cavanaugh et al.’s tendency to label stressors as one or the other categorically was later disputed, in that there is more variability in how stressors are experienced than Cavanaugh et al. described (Webster et al., 2011). For example, Webster et al. (2011) found that workload demands can be experienced as both a challenge and a hindrance. As a result, scholars have been calling for a shift in focus from the type of stressor as in the challenge-hindrance framework to a more appraisal-based approach that acknowledges individual differences in how stressors are appraised (rather than assuming a priori appraisal as challenge or hindrance; Liu & Li, 2018; Ma et al., 2021; Mazzola & Disselhorst, 2019; O'Brien & Beehr, 2019; Prem et al., 2017). In line with the recent research investigating various individual-difference variables, this dissertation proposes that an individual’s frame of mind (i.e., motivational state) may differentiate whether and how the job demand is experienced. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between motivational state and the experience of workload demands as a challenge and/or a hindrance. The hypothesized relationships between motivational state and the experience of workload as a challenge or a hindrance, after accounting for the role of overall workload and task efficacy, were not supported. The observed relationships were significant but in the opposite direction to those hypothesized. The results of this study contribute to the literature by providing an investigation of an additional explanatory variable for understanding under which circumstances a given individual experiences job demands as a challenge and/or hindrance.

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