Date of Award

4-1991

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Dale Brethower

Second Advisor

Dr. John Nangle

Third Advisor

Dr. Alyce Dickinson

Keywords

occupational safety, behavior modification, behavior incentives

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

The effects of a performance-based lottery system on the accident rates of mail carriers were examined. Two hundred and eight mail carriers in five United States Postal Service facilities participated. The experimental design consisted of a multiple-baseline with reversal. In addition, the accident rates for the intervention period were compared to the accident rates for the same period of time during the preceding two years.

A Safety Bingo game served as the lottery system. If an accident did not occur in a work unit during the day, a bingo number was drawn. The bingo game continued until either a bingo or an accident occurred. When a subject won a bingo game, he/she immediately received an award certificate and selected a prize which was received approximately two weeks later. If an accident occurred in the unit, the bingo game was stopped and a new game begun.

An analysis of the results of the multiple-baseline with reversal experimental design suggested that accident rates were not affected by the Safety Bingo Game. However, a comparison of the accident rates during intervention with the accident rates from the same period of time in two preceding years revealed decreased accident rates in four of the five facilities. Because of seasonal differences between implementation and termination of the game, the multiple-baseline with reversal design may not have permitted a realistic evaluation of the effects of the intervention.

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