Job characteristics and job satisfaction: When cause becomes consequence

Abstract The present study examined the causal influence of cues concerning an individual's own task satisfaction on subsequent task descriptions. In two separate experiments, subjects performed a laboratory task and completed a task satisfaction instrument. Subjects were then randomly told that their scores indicated either a high or low level of satisfaction. In the first experiment, in which the task was performed individually, subjects given satisfaction feedback rated the task as higher in job scope on the Job Diagnostic Survey than subjects given dissatisfaction feedback. In the second experiment, in which the task was performed in three-person groups, subjects given satisfaction feedback, as compared with those given dissatisfaction feedback, rated the group atmosphere, the physical environment, and other characteristics of the task situation as having been more positive. The results of these experiments raise serious questions about the previous causal interpretations for job characteristics—job satisfaction correlations based on cross-sectional, self-report data.