CAREERS SUPPORT AFTER THIS SEMESTER

AND AFTER GRADUATION

Speak to the Careers team over Easter and the summer term

Drop into the Career Hub (10am-4pm on weekdays, except Wednesdays – 10am-1pm),
or join the online drop-in via the MyCareers website. This is open all Easter and summer,
apart from the University closure days between 17th-22nd April.
Mock interviews and career coaching appointments are still bookable on MyCareers.

Lifelong Careers Support after graduation

After graduation, you have access to all of our support, including appointments,
drop-ins, virtual/in-person events, and our digital resources.
To access these, you will have to sign up for a graduate account on
MyCareers, after grad week. We’ll remind you of this then.
Evidence Based
Practice

Dr. John Barratt

Associate Professor In Occupational Psychology
[email protected]
 Session Objectives
• Understand what is meant by Evidence Based Practice
• Recognise the importance of Evidence Based Practice in Occupational
Psychology
• Identify the importance of Critical Thinking
• Consider Barriers to Critical Thinking
 What is Evidence Based Practice?
“Evidence-based management means translating
principles based on best evidence into organizational
practices…make organizational decisions informed by
social science and organizational research… moving
professional decisions away from personal preference
and unsystematic experience toward those based on
best available scientific evidence.”

Rousseau, D. M. (2006). Is there such a thing as “evidence-based management”?. Academy of management review,
31(2), 256-269.
 Evidence based Practice in the
real world
What is being said?
“Seasoned practitioners
sometimes neglect to seek out
“Almost anyone can (and often new evidence because they trust
does) claim to be a their own experience more than
management expert” they trust research”

“(EBP requires) an unrelenting

commitment to gather the
necessary facts to make more
informed and intelligent
decisions”

Pfeffer, J., & Sutton, R. I. (2006). Evidence-based management. Harvard business review, 84(1), 62
 Why is EBP important as an
Occupational Psychologist?
• 5 minutes in groups – why is Evidence based practice important?
Why is EBP important?
1. Decisions made based on a combination of evidence from
multiple sources yields more effective outcomes than decisions
based on a single source of evidence.
2. Forecasts or risk assessments based on the experience
of many people are generally more accurate than those based
on one person’s experience.
3. Professional judgements based on hard data or statistics
are more accurate than judgements based on individual
experience.
4. Knowledge from scientific literature is more accurate
than the opinions of experts.
5. Evaluating the outcome of a decision improves both
organisational learning and performance.
Barends, E., Rousseau, D. M. and Briner, R. B., (2009). Evidence Based Management : The Basic Principles. CEBMa Center for Evidence-Based Management.
www.cebma.org
2 minute recharge
 Steps in Evidence Based Practice
1. Ask a specific question.
2. Acquire the evidence systematically.
3. Appraise the evidence for its validity and relevance.
4. Apply the evidence into decision making process. 1. ASK

5. Evaluate the outcome of the decision taken

5. 2.
EVALUATE ACQUIRE

3.
4. APPLY
APPRAISE
 Task
You are the assistant head of recruitment at a large engineering
company that hires graduates each year. A psychometric test developer
comes to you offering you the chance to buy their ability test. They say
it leads to higher performing workers and better candidate selection.

You have to consider their pitch and then report to your superior on
whether the test is worth purchasing.
In groups discuss and create a list of the key questions you would ask the developers to get all the evidence you
need to make a decision.

• What are the key aspects you need to know?

• What evidence do you need?
• What does this mean in the context of EBP
• Any challenges to applying EBP as an OP?
 Things to question - EBP
• What ability is it measuring?
• Is it an established measure?
• Who has used the tool before? Is it in journals?
• Has it been used on engineers?
• What aspects of performance does it predict?
• What level of ability is it aimed at?
• What is the validity? (predictive, face, content).
• Reliability? Consistent over time and between people? What tests have shown this? Internal
reliability? What is the evidence?
• What is the evidence and Where is the evidence from?
• Also – what is the cost? What other products are available?

• Challenges – Can you get hold of all this information? Time constraints? OP-Client
relationship?
EBP – Answering these creates evidence to support your recommendations
Useful Structure
 Journal tables
ABS journal ranking

http://gsom.spbu.ru/files/abs-list-2015.pdf
Bre
ak
Critical Thinking
 Critical Thinking
• Critical thinking is a key academic skill that enables you to question,
analyse, evaluate and a make judgment about what you read, heard,
say or write.
• Good critical thinking means making reliable judgment based on
reliable information.
• Applying critical thinking does not mean being negative or focussing
on faults. It means making clear judgment.
• Effective critical thinking involves questioning perceived knowledge,
rejecting non-scientific evidence and examining a range of sources of
information.
 Critical thinking

Critical Thinking is the ability to analyse the way you think and present evidence for your ideas and
arguments. It’s moving beyond simply accepting your personal reasoning as sufficient proof.

Critical Thinking is valued both in the university setting and in the professional situations you will find
yourselves in after you graduate, and is part of lifelong learning.

Critical thinking is essential for creativity and preventing narrow mindedness

Critical thinking is crucial in the real world to challenge what you are being told
 How critical thinking skills
develop?
• Develop gradually as you engage with literature and learning materials.
• Check the sources in terms of reliability/validity/ credibility.
• Don’t be afraid to ask. Asking questions is a great way to not only learn
more about a topic, but also to learn new ways of thinking about
things.
• Be open to considering different points of view and the validity of
other arguments – you just might learn something new.
• No ‘Right’ or ‘Wrong’ answers – But you must support your case with
evidence.
• Consider strengths and weaknesses of evidence and weigh them up
 What are the barriers to critical thinking?
• Discuss in groups!
 Potential barriers…

• Misunderstanding that critical thinking means being negative

• Reluctance to stand out from the norm
• Fear of being wrong
• Lack of subject knowledge to critique with
• Loafers - Wanting the answer without having to think about it
• Unconscious Bias
2 minute recharge
 Overcoming barriers

• Don’t be afraid to challenge research - Its ok to consider alternative views and ways of thinking

• Reading around subject areas helps enhance your knowledge base and improves critical thinking

• No ‘Right’ or ‘Wrong’ answers – But you must support your case with evidence

• Consider strengths and weaknesses of evidence and weigh them up

• Critical thinking requires critical reading and critical writing

 When Reading When Writing
• Is it credible? • Provide evidence
• Is it biased? • Research widely
• Does it serve its purpose? • Explain reasoning
• Does it advance knowledge or understanding? • Consider alternative perspectives, theories
• Are there any flaws? and evidence
• Develop ideas, explore links and relationships.
• Does your view support previous research?
Does it add value?
 Five steps to critical thinking
1. Assess sources
• What is the source? (web, journal, textbook) 5. Conclusion
• Is the source valid? Strengths/ Limitations • Understand how author has arrived at that
conclusion
2. Identify Bias • Argue if you agree or not
• What is the sources perspective? • Support with evidence why
• What is the authors motivation? • Question your own assumptions and bias
• Why might we disagree with what they are telling us?

3. Evaluate evidence
• What evidence does the author use?
• Is this reliable and valid?
• Is it up-to-date evidence?

4.Consider arguments
• What is the main argument?
• What evidence helps and hinders the case?
• Are they making assumptions?
• Who shares these views and who doesn’t?
 Critical thinking
applied
• Aldi overtakes Waitrose as Britain’s favourite supermarket
(Telegraph)

• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/12/aldi-overtakes-waitr
ose-britains-favourite-supermarket/

• Read and critically review this article in groups.

• Consider: Source, Evidence, Validity, Article aim, Sources of Bias
• Feedback your ideas to whole group
• Time of day of the survey? and how busy it is
• Demographic of those surveyed?
• Had they shopped at more than one?
• How are we defining value for money?
• Waitrose raised questions on how the overall scores are calculated
• What questions are asked?
• Is the sample representative?
 Additional reading
on EBP in practice
• Anderson, N. (2007). The practitioner-researcher divide revisited: Strategic-level bridges and the roles of
IWO psychologists. Journal of occupational and organizational Psychology, 80 (2), 175-183.

• Bartlett, D. & Francis-Smythe, J. (2016). Bridging the divide in work and organizational psychology: evidence
from practice. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 25 (5), 615-630.

• Briner, R. B., Denyer, D. and Rousseau, D. M. (2009). Evidence Based Management “Concept Clean up Time”?
Academy of management perspectives, 23(4), 9-32.