Parameters of Attention at Work (PAW36) - Construction of a Questionnaire

Abstract

Assessing occupational demands of attention plays a vital role in job analysis which is mandatory to assess and optimize person-job fit. In this article, we aim to contribute to this field by presenting a novel questionnaire, Parameters of Attention at Work (PAW36). It is a German job analysis tool (a yet untested English translation is provided) that enables the differentiated assessment and interpretation of thoroughly derived task-oriented parameters (attentional job characteristics). A stepwise construction, using a pretesting sample (N = 268) followed by the main study with German adults (N = 800), and cross-validation resulted in a final version of 36 items loading on seven subscales that reflect task-oriented attentional demands at work. Initial validation efforts indicate that the PAW36 questionnaire is a useful and generally applicable assessment tool - e.g., in the field of job analysis or job design - both for practitioners and researchers.