Independent Variable (IV)

• Concept: Police officers’ feelings of burnout
• Definition: A psychological state characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced professional efficacy.
• Operationalization:
  • Measure: Burnout Assessment Tool – Checklist (BAT-C) and Job Diagnostic Index (JDI)
  • Scale: BAT-C: 45-item self-report questionnaire with subscales for emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced professional efficacy. JDI: 72-item self-report questionnaire with subscales for job satisfaction, work pressure, and work-related stress.
  • Scoring: BAT-C: Sum scores for each subscale, with higher scores indicating greater burnout. JDI: Sum scores for each subscale, with lower scores indicating greater job satisfaction and lower work pressure.

Dependent Variable (DV)

• Concept: Difficulty concentrating on the job
• Definition: Hindrances or impairments of executive and cognitive functioning that affect the ability to focus and maintain attention.
• Operationalization:
  • Measure: Stroop Color-Word Test, N-Back Task, Cognitive Reflection Test, Iowa Gambling Task, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale
  • Procedures:
    • Stroop Color-Word Test: Participants are instructed to name the color of the ink in which a word is printed, ignoring the word itself. This measures cognitive interference and selective attention.
    • N-Back Task: Participants are presented with a series of letters or numbers and must indicate whether the current stimulus matches the one presented N steps back in the sequence. This measures working memory capacity.
    • Cognitive Reflection Test: Participants are presented with three problems that have an intuitive but incorrect answer and a less intuitive but correct answer. This measures the ability to suppress impulsive responses and engage in deliberate thinking.
    • Iowa Gambling Task: Participants make a series of choices between risky and safe decks, aiming to maximize their winnings. This measures decision-making under uncertainty and the ability to delay gratification.
    • Barratt Impulsiveness Scale: Participants complete a self-report questionnaire to assess impulsivity, including tendencies to act without thinking, seek out immediate gratification, and experience difficulty controlling impulses.
  • Scoring: Stroop Color-Word Test: Time taken to complete the test and error rate. N-Back Task: Number of correct responses at each level of N. Cognitive Reflection Test: Number of correct answers to the three problems. Iowa Gambling Task: Net score reflecting the balance between risky and safe choices. Barratt Impulsiveness Scale: Sum score across all items, with higher scores indicating greater impulsivity.

This operationalization provides a clear and systematic approach to measuring both the independent variable (police officers’ feelings of burnout) and the dependent variable (difficulty concentrating on the job). By using validated instruments and standardized procedures, the study will be able to collect reliable and meaningful data that can be used to test the hypothesis that burnout is associated with impaired cognitive functioning in police officers.