Date of Award
4-1988
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Dale Brethower
Second Advisor
Dr. Jack Michael
Third Advisor
Dr. Alyce Dickinson
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
A simulated work environment was utilized to study the effects of group incentive plans on individual performance on an assembly task. The subjects in the study were college students who worked in groups of a small size, a medium size, or a large size. A reversal design was utilized in which the first condition was an individual incentive condition, the second was a group incentive condition, and the final was the return to an individual incentive condition.
The results showed: (a) individual performance did not significantly change when individuals were switched from an individual to a group incentive plan; (b) overall productivity did not differ as a function of group size; and (c) the degree of individual performance changes from the individual to the group incentive condition did not differ as a function of group size. However, the results showed that the range of performance was greatest for the smallest groups and variability decreased as the group size increased.
Recommended Citation
Stoneman, Karen Geralyn, "The Effects of Group Incentive Plans on Individual Performance" (1988). Masters Theses. 1189.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1189