Research Design Connection: Ramifications of Stressful Offices

by Sally Augustin, Ph.D. | August 8th, 2016

Grzywacz’s research confirms the negative repercussions of stressors in workplaces. He found that cognitive function and memory are degraded in offices with more physical hazards. Environmental hazards/stressors were broadly defined and studied using two sets of measures: “The first set of items assessed the frequency of exposure to hazardous conditions, the likelihood of injury as well as the degree of injury resulting from the exposure, if an injury occurred…The second set of items assessed exposure to environmental conditions. The list of environmental conditions included exposure to uncomfortable or distracting levels of sounds or noises; very hot or cold temperatures; extremely bright or inadequate lighting; exposure to contaminants; cramped workspace; and exposure to whole body vibrations.” Joseph Grzywacz, Dikla Segal-Karpas, and Margie Lachman. 2016. “Workplace Exposures and Cognitive Function During Adulthood: Evidence from National Survey of Midlife Development and the O*NET.” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, vol. 58, no. 6, …