Name: Yichen Tang
School of Psychology – Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Meeting
Date: Monday, October 13th, 2025
Time: 3 P.M.-5 P.M.
Location: Remote
Teams Link: Meeting Link
Dissertation Chairs/Advisor:
Christopher Wiese, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)
Dissertation Committee Members:
Paul Verhaeghen, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)
Mark Himmelstein, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)
Lauren Simon, Ph.D. (University of Arkansas)
Russell Matthews, Ph.D. (The University of Alabama)
Title: Developing and Validating a Framework for Measuring Quiet Quitting Intentions
Abstract: This dissertation introduces and validates a novel framework for measuring Quiet Quitting Intention (QQI)—defined as the internal, deliberate decision to withhold discretionary effort while still fulfilling formal job duties. Departing from prior behavior-focused definitions of quiet quitting, this work conceptualizes QQI as a motivational construct grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The framework distinguishes two forms of QQI: Extrinsic QQI (EQQI), rooted in externally defined standards such as fairness and role expectations, and Intrinsic QQI (IQQI), anchored in self-defined values and personal boundaries.
Across four studies, this research developed and validated a psychometrically sound QQI scale. Study 1 used expert interviews and AI-assisted item generation to create an initial item pool. Study 2 conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to establish the structure of QQI and reduce it to a 15-item measure. Study 3 tested measurement invariance across Chinese and U.S. employee samples to examine cross-cultural generalizability. Study 4 evaluated convergent and discriminant validity by situating QQI within a nomological network of theoretically relevant constructs, including job satisfaction, engagement, burnout, organizational commitment, and turnover intention.
Findings confirm that QQI is a multidimensional construct distinct from disengagement, burnout, and counterproductive behavior, and that its structure is broadly stable across cultural contexts. By clarifying the motivational basis of quiet quitting, this dissertation advances theory on employee effort regulation and offers a diagnostic tool for anticipating quiet quitting before it becomes behaviorally manifest.