SOME DETERMINANTS OF PSYCHOLOGISTS' EMPLOYABILITY IN ACADEMIC SETTINGS

A factor analysis of 11 variables, ferreted from the curriculum vitae (CV) of 338 applicants for the position of assistant professor of psychology, yielded four factors which were used as predictors in six stepwise multiple regression analyses in which the ratings of 92 CV's by five members of a search committee were utilized as the criteria, first collectively and then individually. The first factor which was chiefly composed of the number of publications, especially senior authorships, accounted for 16% of the total variance and was the most potent contributor to the multiple R. Comparison of the results of the single-judge analyses revealed some notable vicissitudes in the prominence of the four predictors. Relationships of the present findings to the past policy-capturing research were indicated.     

SOME DETERMINANTS OF THE REINFORCING AND PUNISHING EFFECTS OF TIMEOUT1

Some determinants of the reinforcing and punishing properties of timeout were investigated in two experiments. Experiment I began as an attempt to reduce the frequency of tantrums in a 6-yr-old autistic girl by using timeout. Unexpectedly, the result was a substantial increase in the frequency of tantrums. Using a reversal design, subsequent manipulations showed that the opportunity to engage in self-stimulatory behavior during the timeout period was largely responsible for the increase in tantrums. Experiment II was initiated following the failure of timeout to reduce the spitting and self-injurious behavior of a 16-yr-old retarded boy. Using a multiple-baseline design, the nature of the timein environment was shown to be an important determinant of the effects of timeout. When the timein environment was “enriched”, timeout was effective as a punisher. A conception of timeout in terms of the relative reinforcing properties of timein and timeout and their clinical implications are discussed.     

SOME MOTIVATIONAL DETERMINANTS OF RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN INTELLECTUAL ACHIEVEMENT1

Motivations et différences raciales dans la réussite intellectuelle. — Dans les récentes années, un certain nombre de théories de la motivation ont été proposées, qui ne sont pas sans rapport avec le problème des différences raciales dans la réussite intellectuelle aux USA. Le modèle théorique du “désir de réussite” d'Atkinson suggère que pour des noirs qui se trouvent dans des situations scolaires à prédominance blanche, la valeur du succès est forte et faible L'espoir du succès, parce que les normes blanches de réussite sont plus élevées que celles des noirs. La distinction que fait Crandall entre L'origine interne et L'origine externe de la valeur et les normes de réussite, ainsi que les travaux de Crandall et al., sur le rôle de L'approbation de la mère dans L'émergence précoce des conduites de réussite, ont des implications pour L'étude des différences selon la classe sociale et la race dans le développement des motivations intellectuelles. La faible performance des élèves noirs paraît liée à L'inadéquation des renforcements à la maison et à L'école. La privation précoce d'approbation semble entraîner la formation de schèmes, se perpétuant d'eux-mêmes, de surdépendance à L'égard du milieu social en ce qui concerne les récompenses liées à la réussite et L'établissement des normes de réussite. Un autre chercheur, Rotter, a étudié les différences apparaissant entre les groupes et entre les individus, dans la tendance à percevoir les récompenses comme contrôlées de façon interne ou externe. Les noirs, enfants et adultes, ont un sens moindre du contrôle interne. Les conceptions précédemment évoquées peuvent être unifiées et utilisées pour rendre compte de façon substantielle des données dont on dispose sur la réussite des élèves noirs dans des écoles qui pratiquent la ségrégation ou L'intégration raciale.     

THE THERAPIST'S EXPERIENCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY: SOME DIMENSIONS AND DETERMINANTS

Eleven dimensions of therapists' experiences during psychotherapy ses- sions were derived, factor analytically, for a sample of 17 therapists. These therapists completed a standard questionnaire after each of 8 or more sessions with 31 female patients. In general, the 11 dimensions reflected various experiences of (a) being helpful towards patients, (b) attempting to deal with difSicult patients, (c) making non-therapeutic responses to patients, and (d) entrapment in personally distressing situations with patients. Personal-social characteristics of patients and therapists were examined as possible determinants of therapist experience. Among other characteristics, patients' employment and marital status, diagnosis and previous treatment, influenced certain therapist experience dimensions-as did therapists' profession, marital status, and personal psychotherapy.     

THE MANAGEMENT OF FAILURE EVENTS: SOME CONTEXTUAL DETERMINANTS OF ACCOUNTING BEHAVIOR

This study sought to examine the impact upon actors' selection of strategies to manage failure events of several contextual factors: characteristics of the reproacher/actor relationship, communicative goal-orientation of the actors, severity of the failure event, character of the reproach for the failure event, and the actors' degree of expressed guilt. Results indicated that actors elected to make no response when they felt less guilt, when there was no overt reproach, when their instrumental goal (securing honoring) was unimportant, and when the failure event was a severe offense. Concessions were used when the reproachers said nothing or projected a concession, when the offense was severe, when the actors' instrumental goal was important, and when they felt guilty. Actors chose to justify their behavior in high intimate situations where their instrumental goal was less important. Refusal to account was most likely to occur when reproachers used an aggravating reproach form, when actors felt unjustly accused, and when reproachers were dominant. Excuses were fairly uniformly distributed across all contexts.     

EXPLORATIONS ON THE CONCEPT OF SELF ESTEEM

La plupart des recherches relatives à L'estime de soi postulent, comme base de L'image de soi et du moi idéal, des qualités et des critères qui sont valables dans les secteurs dominants du monde occidental, principalement les Etats-Unis. Mais d'autres recherches suggèrent que dans des cultures non occidentales, les qualités de base du moi idéal pourraient largement différer des modèles occidentaux. En conséquence, les instruments de mesure de L'estime de soi qui peuvent être adéquats dans une culture donnée, peuvent ne pas L'être ailleurs. L'auteur propose un questionnaire qui porte sur les points suivants: quelles sont les qualités que le sujet considère comme les plus importantes pour L'estime de soi; dans quelle mesure le sujet considère-t-il qu'il possède ces qualités; jusqu'à quel point le sujet pense-t-il que les autres considèrent qu'il possède ces qualités? L'auteur pose en hypothèse que le contexte d'une culture donnée, sous ses aspects culturels proprement dits, mais aussi professionnels et autres, affecte les critères sur lesquels se fonde L'estime de soi, et également le degré d'estime qui correspond à ces divers critères. Des recherches exploratoires qui ont été réalisées à Malte, au Nigeria, en Inde, en Grande-Bretagne et au Canada, à L'aide de ce questionnaire, apportent quelque confirmation à cette hypothèse.     

THE SOUNDNESS OF SUPERVISORY RATINGS AS PREDICTORS OF MANAGERIAL SUCCESS

A model of career development is presented. Using this model, three types of validity, empirical, content, and construct, are considered for supervisors' rating of non-managers as a predictor of success as managers. As denned in the Uniform Guidelines and the professional literature, all three are inapplicable to this prediction situation. Characteristics of a sound rating system are suggested.     

IDENTIFYING DETERMINANTS OF RETENTION DECISIONS1

Variables from five domains—demography, social background, service history, satisfaction, and performance—were used in a discriminant analysis approach to distinguishing three groups of naval personnel: Those eligible to reenlist who do, those eligible who do not, and those not eligible. Discriminant weights were derived from a sample of 642 first-term enlisted men and cross-validated on a sample of 628. The results indicated that both pre-service characteristics (demography and social background) and in-service experiences (service history, satisfaction, and performance) contributed importantly to prediction of attrition/retention. Potential usefulness of this method, including implications for better understanding and control of manpower turnover were discussed.     

SOURCE-RELATED DETERMINANTS OF PERCEIVED JOB SCOPE

The effect of manipulating source competence, locus of control, and social cues on perceived job scope was examined in an experimental study. A total of 185 business students participated in a 2×2×2×2 factorial research design. The design partitions were: task level (enriched versus unenriched), social cues (positive versus neutral), source competence (high versus low), and locus of control (high versus low). Subjects were screened on a locus of control measure such that those either in the upper or lower third score range were eligible to participate. A three-way interaction was found, involving source competence × social cues × locus of control on perceived job scope. The results of this study are discussed in terms of the Social Information Processing Approach (SIPA) to task design.     

MANAGERIAL USE OF DISMISSAL: ORGANIZATIONAL-LEVEL DETERMINANTS

Although much variation exists across organizations in the use of dismissal, little is known about the source of this variation. This study examines organizational-level determinants of the willingness of managers to attempt dismissal. Using survey data from HR managers, we measured organizational-level factors likely to be associated with the expected costs and benefits of dismissal. We then examined how these factors affect the willingness of line managers from corresponding organizations to attempt dismissal. As hypothesized, the results indicate that in most cases where threats to just cause were present, informal norms, disciplinary procedure restrictiveness, and appeal system characteristics all affected dismissal. Also, as was expected, where just cause for dismissal could unquestionably be established, dismissal was significantly influenced by informal norms but not by disciplinary procedure restrictiveness or appeal system characteristics. Finally, little consistent support was found for the hypothesized relationships between dismissal and human capital investment, performance pressures, monitoring costs, and labor market conditions.     

DETERMINANTS OF PERFORMANCE ON DOUBLE CLASSIFICATION TASKS

Two groups of children, median ages 6–7 and 8–7, were presented with objects examplifying three combinations of two dichotomous attributes, and asked to indicate the remaining combination. Keeping objects covered vs. uncovered at the time of the test response had generally little effect. Labelling was consistently superior to perceptual matching, apparently because the latter involved a search process. The errors in the labelling condition consisted mostly in naming an object identical to or different in both attributes from those given, reflecting perhaps an inability to break down the impression of the objects into independent attributes.