John A. Aitken

Graduate Research Assistant

Self-regulation, motivation and emotion, job performance, meaning of work, statistics and research design

John Aitken is a Social Scientist in the Human Systems Integration and Analysis department at MITRE. At MITRE, John has worked in and led cross-disciplinary teams to solve a variety of problems in the public interest across federal, state, and local governments. John has led research and development for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Connect2Health Task Force’s Mapping Broadband Health in America platform to allow policymakers, researchers, healthcare providers, and the general public to intersect internet access and critical health outcomes and risk factors at the state- and county-levels. Additionally, he has contributed to a research effort designed to establish and validate caption quality metrics for accuracy and delay to improve the quality of Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals' captioned phone conversations. Finally, he has also co-led a three-year effort to measure and reduce food waste in the U.S., which included evaluating the efficacy of U.S. states' food waste reduction policies, partnering with Gallup to deploy a nationally representative survey to validate a novel household food waste measurement tool and capture the food waste attitudes and behaviors of over 9,000 households, and designing and testing household food waste reduction interventions.

John graduated from Mason with his PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology in 2024. His research has largely focused on the dynamic characteristics that comprise an employee's subjective experience of work, including topics such as: how employees perform their work over the course of a workday; how emotions fluctuate from moment-to-moment and can be regulated via just-in-time adaptive interventions; how people perceive different kinds of callings at work; and how work can be meaningful, and how the loss of work (in unemployment) can be harmful. John pairs these substantive research topics with rigorous research designs, including field experiments and daily diaries (experience sampling), and advanced analytics, including multilevel modeling, mediation and moderation analysis, polynomial regression and response surface analysis, and meta-analysis. Ultimately, his interest is in the study of dynamic elements of organizational phenomena to better understand the “lived, day-to-day experience” of workers -- and how it can be improved.

John currently lives in New Jersey with his wonderful wife and silly dog. He particularly enjoys brewing delicious coffee.

Selected Publications

Aitken, J. A., Zhu, Z., Baines, J. I., Kim, J., Kaplan, S., Dalal, R. S., Hassani, J., & Gibson, J. (in press). Emotion regulation at work: A micro-randomized trial comparing three cognitive reappraisal interventions. Occupational Health Science.

Zhu, Z., Aitken, J. A., Kim, J., Baines, J. I., Kaplan, S., Dalal, R. S., & Hassani, J. (2025). Cognitive reappraisal emotion regulation interventions in the workplace and their impact on job performance: An ecological momentary intervention approach. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 98(e70020), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.70020

Kaplan, S., Aitken, J. A., Allan, B. A., Alliger, G. M., & Zacher, H. (2025). Revisiting Keynes’ predictions about work and leisure: A discussion of fundamental questions about the nature of modern work. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 18(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2024.58

Aitken, J. A., Sprenger, S., Alaybek, B., Mika, G., Hartman, H., Leets, L., Maese, E., & Davoodi. T. (2024). Surveys and diaries and scales, oh my! A critical analysis of household food waste measurement. Sustainability, 16(3), 968. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16030968

Zhu, Z., Aitken, J. A., Dalal, R. S., & Kaplan, S. A. (2024). The promise of just-in-time adaptive interventions for organizational scholarship and practice: Conceptual development and research agenda. Organizational Research Methods, 27(4), 543–587. https://doi.org/10.1177/10944281231202740

Aitken, J. A., Cannon, J.A., Kaplan, S.A., & Kim, H. (J.) (2024). The benefits of work: A meta-analysis of the latent deprivation and agency restriction models. Journal of Business and Psychology, 39, 821–847. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-023-09920-9

Zhou, S., Aitken, J. A., & Kuykendall, L. (2024). What does your calling look like? A new complexified conceptualization of perceiving a calling. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 97(1), 27–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12459

Aitken, J. A., Keeler, K. R., Dalal, R. S., & Kriz, S. (2024). To thine own (good and bad) self be true? Trait-state voluntary work behavior misfit influences future voluntary work behavior. Journal of Business and Psychology, 39, 369–392. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-023-09892-w

Aitken, J. A., Kaplan, S. A., & Kuykendall, L. (2023). Going with(out) the flow at home: Daily job performance for full-time teleworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 32(5), 662–677. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2023.2211271

Aitken, J. A., Pagan, O., Wong, C., Bayley, B., Helton, W., & Kaplan, S. A. (2023). Task-related and task-unrelated thoughts in runners and equestrians: Measurement issues in evaluations of thought content. Applied Ergonomics, 110, 104011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2023.104011

Alaybek, B., Dalal, R. S., Fyffe, S., Aitken, J. A., Zhou, Y., Qu, X., Roman, A., & Baines, J. (2022). All’s well that ends (and peaks) well? A meta-analysis of the peak-end rule and duration neglect. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 170, 104149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2022.104149

Aitken, J. A.*, Torres, E. M.*, Kaplan, S., DiazGranados, D., Su, L., & Parker, S. (2021). Influence of simulation-based training on reflective practice. BMJ Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning, 7(6), 638–640. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjstel-2021-000870 (*These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Expanded Publication List

Aitken, J. A., Zhu, Z., Baines, J. I., Kim, J., Kaplan, S., Dalal, R. S., Hassani, J., & Gibson, J. (in press). Emotion regulation at work: A micro-randomized trial comparing three cognitive reappraisal interventions. Occupational Health Science.

Kim, J., Kaplan, S., Aitken, J. A., & Ponce, L. (2025). An examination of the daily relationship between job boredom and later burnout and turnover intentions along with mitigating strategies. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-07788-x

Zhu, Z., Aitken, J. A., Kim, J., Baines, J. I., Kaplan, S., Dalal, R. S., & Hassani, J. (2025). Cognitive reappraisal emotion regulation interventions in the workplace and their impact on job performance: An ecological momentary intervention approach. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 98(e70020), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.70020

Alaybek, B., Mika, G., Aitken, J. A., Hartman, R., Painter, J., Broad Leib, E. M., Plekenpol, R., Beckmann, J. S., Leets, L., Sprenger, A. (2025). Can food waste policies promote sustainability? Relationships of food date label policies with food waste and safety outcomes. Sustainability, 17(6), 2630. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17062630

Kaplan, S., Aitken, J. A., Allan, B. A., Alliger, G. M., & Zacher, H. (2025). Revisiting Keynes’ predictions about work and leisure: A discussion of fundamental questions about the nature of modern work. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 18(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2024.58

Aitken, J. A., Sprenger, S., Alaybek, B., Mika, G., (2024). Initial assessment of the efficacy of food recovery policies in US States for increasing food donations and reducing waste. Waste Management, 176, 149–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2023.12.051

Aitken, J. A., Sprenger, S., Alaybek, B., Mika, G., Hartman, H., Leets, L., Maese, E., & Davoodi. T. (2024). Surveys and diaries and scales, oh my! A critical analysis of household food waste measurement. Sustainability, 16(3), 968. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16030968

Zhu, Z., Aitken, J. A., Dalal, R. S., & Kaplan, S. A. (2024). The promise of just-in-time adaptive interventions for organizational scholarship and practice: Conceptual development and research agenda. Organizational Research Methods, 27(4), 543–587. https://doi.org/10.1177/10944281231202740

Aitken, J. A., Bone, R., Britt, M., & Leets, N. (2024). Sustainability is in the details: Empowering seafood consumers with informative labels. Maritime Studies, 23(41). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40152-024-00367-z

Kim, J.J., Kaplan, S.A., Aitken, J. A., & Ponce, L. P. (2024). Within-person dynamics of job boredom and counterproductive work behavior: A latent change score modeling approach. Affective Science, 5, 273–279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42761-024-00256-y

Aitken, J.A., Cannon, J.A., Kaplan, S.A., & Kim, H. (J.) (2024). The benefits of work: A meta-analysis of the latent deprivation and agency restriction models. Journal of Business and Psychology, 39, 821–847 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-023-09920-9

Zhou, S., Aitken, J. A., & Kuykendall, L. (2024). What does your calling look like? A new complexified conceptualization of perceiving a calling. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 97(1), 27–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12459

Aitken, J. A., Keeler, K. R., Dalal, R. S., & Kriz, S. (2024). To thine own (good and bad) self be true? Trait-state voluntary work behavior misfit influences future voluntary work behavior. Journal of Business and Psychology, 39, 369–392. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-023-09892-w

Aitken, J. A., Kaplan, S. A., & Kuykendall, L. (2023). Going with(out) the flow at home: Daily job performance for full-time teleworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 32(5), 662–677. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2023.2211271

Aitken, J. A., Pagan, O., Wong, C., Bayley, B., Helton, W., & Kaplan, S. A. (2023). Task-related and task-unrelated thoughts in runners and equestrians: Measurement issues in evaluations of thought content. Applied Ergonomics, 110, 104011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2023.104011

Zhou, S., Aitken, J. A., Mceachern, P. J., & McCauley, R. (2022). Data from 990 public real-world job advertisements organized by O*NET categories. Journal of Open Psychology Data, 10(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.5334/jopd.69

Alaybek, B., Dalal, R. S., Fyffe, S., Aitken, J. A., Zhou, Y., Qu, X., Roman, A., & Baines, J. (2022). All’s well that ends (and peaks) well? A meta-analysis of the peak-end rule and duration neglect. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 170, 104149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2022.104149

Kaplan, S. A.*, & Aitken, J. A.* (2021). Considering the attainment of work’s latent benefits under a basic income policy. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 14(4), 577–581. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2021.114 (*These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Aitken, J. A., Kaplan, S. A., Pagan, O., Wong, C., Sikorski, E., & Helton, W. (2021). Affective forecasts for the experience itself: An investigation of the impact bias during an affective experience. Current Psychology, 42, 10581–10587. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02337-8

Aitken, J. A.*, Torres, E. M.*, Kaplan, S., DiazGranados, D., Su, L., & Parker, S. (2021). Influence of simulation-based training on reflective practice. BMJ Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning, 7(6), 638–640. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjstel-2021-000870 (*These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Courses Taught

MPS Program: PSYC641 Foundations of Organizational Psychology

Undergraduate: PSYC231 Social Psychology, PSYC300 Statistics Lab, PSYC333 Introduction to I/O Psychology, PSYC435: Personnel Training and Development

Education

Ph.D. Industrial/Organizational Psychology, George Mason University, 2024 (Advisor: Seth Kaplan)

M.A. Industrial/Organizational Psychology, George Mason University, 2022

B.A. Psychology and History, The College of New Jersey, 2019

Recent Presentations

Aitken, J. A., Sprenger, A., Mika, G., & Alaybek, B. (2024, July 28–30). Challenges and solutions in measuring household food loss and waste for use in policy analysis [Poster]. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, New Orleans, LA, United States.

Kantor, L. (Chair), Aitken, J. A., Muth, M., & Roe, B. E. (2024, July 28–30). Cluster analysis of motivations to reduce household food waste [Symposium]. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, New Orleans, LA, United States.

Aitken, J. A., Baines, J. I., Wonders, M. E., Kaplan, S. A., Clark, J. E., & Kim, J. (2024, April 17–20). A meta-analysis of the within-person relationship between affect and job performance [Poster]. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Chicago, IL, United States.

Aitken, J. A., Kim, J., Baines, J. I., Zhu, Z., Hassani, J., Dalal, R. S., & Kaplan, S. A. (2024, April 17–20). A moral perspective on the self-regulation of counterproductive work behavior [Poster]. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Chicago, IL, United States.

Nottingham, A. W. (Co-Chair), Wonders, M. E. (Co-Chair), Aitken, J. A., Putka, D., Ratwani, K., Scott, J. C., & Tucker, J. S. (2024, April 17–20). Innovations in the research and practice of job analysis [Panel discussion]. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Chicago, IL, United States.

Aitken, J. A., Kim, J., Ponce, L., Farrar, S., Kaplan, S., & Merlo, K. (2023, April 19–22). Delineating the performance consequences of affective states versus emotion episodes [Poster]. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Boston, MA, United States.