Skip to content

Research article

Experimental Analysis of a Web-Based Training Intervention to Develop Positive Psychological Capital

Fred Luthans; James B. Avey; Jaime L. Patera

Academy of Management Learning & Education • 2008

audience: factory-internalaudience: velaBehavioral Science - Psychologybridge (3)processed in meta-factory

Abstract

Psychological capital with components of hope, self-efficacy, optimism, and resiliency has recently emerged as a core construct in taking positive psychology to the workplace. A distinguishing feature is that it is “state-like” and thus open to development. We analyze whether such psychological capital can be developed through a highly focused, 2-hour web-based training intervention. Using a pretest, posttest experimental design (n = 187 randomly assigned to the treatment group and n = 177 to the control group), we found support that psychological capital can be developed by such a training intervention.

Available formats

research_article

File instances

2

Extracted by meta-factory

Models (1)

  • Psychological Capital (PsyCap) Model

    evidence: Medium

    Positive Psychology • Performance Improvement

    Primary factors

    HopeSelf-EfficacyOptimismResilience

    Field domains

    Organizational BehaviorI-O Psychology

Instruments (1)

  • Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ)

    developer: Luthans, Avolio, and Avolio

    Constructs

    Psychological CapitalHopeEfficacyOptimismResilience

    reliability: Overall PsyCap (.93), efficacy = .92, hope = .87, resilience = .83, optimism = .77

Constructs (5)

  • Psychological Capital (PsyCap)

    PSYCAP_001

    An individual’s positive psychological state of development characterized by confidence (self-efficacy), positive attribution (optimism), perseverance toward goals (hope), and resilience in the face of adversity.

    Domains

    MotivationWellbeing & StressLearning & Development

    Linked models

    Psychological Capital Intervention (PCI) model

    PsyCap is a higher order construct comprised of hope, efficacy, optimism, and resilience.

  • Hope

    HOPE_002

    A positive motivational state based on an interactively derived sense of successful agency (goal-directed energy) and pathways (planning to meet goals).

    Domains

    MotivationWellbeing & Stress

    Linked models

    Psychological Capital Intervention (PCI) model

    Hope consists of agency and pathways components.

  • Self-Efficacy

    SEFF_003

    One’s conviction about his or her abilities to mobilize the motivation, cognitive resources, or courses of action needed to successfully execute a specific task within a given context.

    Domains

    MotivationLearning & Development

    Linked models

    Psychological Capital Intervention (PCI) model

    Efficacy development includes task mastery, vicarious learning, social persuasion, and psychological arousal.

  • Optimism

    OPTM_004

    An attribution or explanatory style where optimists make internal, stable, and global attributions regarding positive events, and external, unstable, and specific attributions for negative events.

    Domains

    MotivationWellbeing & Stress

    Linked models

    Psychological Capital Intervention (PCI) model

    Optimism can be developed through learned optimism techniques.

  • Resilience

    RESL_005

    The ability to rebound or bounce back from a setback or failure when faced with adversity.

    Domains

    Wellbeing & StressLearning & Development

    Linked models

    Psychological Capital Intervention (PCI) model

    Resilience development focuses on positive adaptation and minimizing risk factors.

Related

Source profile (V0). This page is a thin scaffold over the factory_documents registry; richer treatment lands once the source is ingested into Vela's editorial corpus.