AN EXPERIMENTAL EXAMINATION OF IMPLICIT STRESS THEORY

Implicit theories lead individuals to make assumptions about one trait based on their knowledge of another trait. This study experimentally examined Implicit Stress Theory under conditions of high and low perfo rmance information. The objective was to test for evidence of Implicit Stress Theory in ratings of effectiveness, commitment, and burnout. R esults indicated moderate support for Implicit Stress Theory such that raters evaluated employee burnout and commitment as higher when the e mployee was perceived to be working under stressful conditions. Intere stingly, the data suggested stronger support (based on the proportion of variance explained) for an Implicit Performance Theory such that in formation regarding good performance was associated with higher levels of commitment and less burnout than poor performance.