Situational and Individual Determinants of Feedback Seeking: A Closer Look at the Process

The present study investigated the effects of situational (the feedback seeking context) and individual (public self-consciousness and self-esteem) determinants on the feedback seeking process (cf. Ashford & Northcraft, 1992; Northcraft & Ashford, 1990). A model was developed based on past research and theory (Ashford & Cummings, 1983; Larson, 1989; Morrison & Bies, 1991) which attempts to explicate how both situational and individual variables fit into this complicated process. Multiple measures of the seeking process were used to further our understanding in this area. Individuals′ intent to seek feedback, feedback seeking frequency, and the tendency to reconsider and modify their initial intentions were measured behaviorally over time. The importance of each of these variables was empirically demonstrated through the use of a computerized scheduling task on which individuals had the opportunity to request feedback. The results provide new insight into the feedback seeking process and have widespread organizational implications. Some new directions for feedback seeking research are also suggested.     

Situational and Dispositional Determinants of Managers' Satisfaction

This study examined the main and interactive effects on satisfaction of managers' functional position and disposition, measured by two inversely related indices of work orientation—instrumental, or desiring job security and financial rewards from work, and expressive, or desiring self-actualization and achievement from work (O'Reilly, 1977). Results indicated that both situational and dispositional factors affect satisfaction. Managers in process-oriented functions (e.g., Personnel, Sales) were significantly more satisfied than those in outcome-oriented functions (e.g., Production, Operations). Managers with strong and unambiguous orientations (high expressive/low instrumental or high instrumental/low expressive) were more satisfied than managers with strong, but potentially conflicting orientations (high instrumental/high expressive) or weak orientations (low instrumental/low expressive). There was also a personality-situation interaction, suggesting the feasibility of a congruency model in explaining managers' satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications for career choices and managerial development are discussed.     

Situational Determinants of Personal Validation of General Personality Interpretations

Groups of Ss were matched with respect to their pre-experimental opinions regarding the value of psychological tests used by trained professionals to describe personality. Ss were then given either the Rorschach, TAT, FIRO-B, or Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale and were later given identical general personality interpretations supposedly based on the test results. An analysis of variance of Ss ratings of the accuracy of the personality interpretation indicated that neither the type of test S took nor whether the personality interpretation was presented as being derived “for you specifically” or “for people in general” had differential effects on Ss' acceptance of the interpretation; all groups rated the interpretation as being between “good” and “excellent.”     

Situational Determinants of the Acceptability of Telling Lies1

It was tested whether the same factors people take into account when involved in the decision to lie apply to the evaluation of lies presented in scenarios. The scenarios represented 12 different situation categories formed by the crossing of the motive for lying (social. individualistic, egoistic), the relative importance of the situation (important matter, unimportant matter), and the closeness of the relation between the subject and the receiver of the lie (best friend, acquaintance). The acceptability of lying was evaluated from 2 perspectives (self, others) by 180 women of the general public. The results show that as the interest of the person that is lied to becomes greater, lying becomes more acceptable. As the interest of the liar becomes greater, lying becomes less acceptable. The systematically higher estimations of acceptability attributed to others indicate a false-uniqueness effect.     

Situational Determinants of Coping in Smoking Relapse Crises1

Interviews with 264 callers to a relapse prevention hotline were used to explore situational determinants of coping among exsmokers facing temptations to smoke. As hypothesized, subjects were more likely to perform cognitive and behavioral coping early in abstinence. Coping was also more likely in situations where subjects had habitually smoked. Discriminant function analyses were used to predict the performance of coping from situational variables. Cognitive coping could not be predicted. Performance of behavioral coping was predictable from six situational variables which accounted for 28% of the variance in coping performance. These situational variables also accounted for the decay of behavioral coping over time. The findings imply that individual differences play a limited role in coping performance and have implications for clinical efforts to enhance smoking cessation through coping interventions.     

A Motivational Model of Authoritarianism: Integrating Personal and Situational Determinants

We describe and test a collective security model of authoritarianism. This model sees Right Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) as directly caused by collective security motivation (CSM), which is in turn influenced jointly by personality (with its effects mediated through group identification and dangerous world beliefs) and social threat (with its effects mediated through dangerous world beliefs). Two studies tested this model using student samples—one was correlational ( N =  218), while the other included an experimental manipulation of threat using future scenarios ( N =  136). Structural equation analyses partially supported the model suggesting that CSM fully mediated the effects of threat and group identification on RWA, but only partially mediated the effect of personality, which also had important direct effects.     

Individual Differences, Situational Constraints, and Police Shooting Incidents

Differences in the personal nature of police officers as well as differences among the situational constraints due to assignments are considered in an examination of the occurrences of police involvement in shooting incidents. The Poisson and negative binomial models used in accident research are considered for representing the occurrence of shooting incidents. Data were gathered from incidents in a large metropolitan police department over a 34-month period and used to test the two models. Various analyses indicate a good Poisson fit. Implications of the data are discussed.     

Effects of Situational Cues on Aggressive Behavior

Numerous situational factors are known to increase the likelihood that a person will behave aggressively. The current review addresses what is currently understood about the relationship between three theoretically relevant situational variables (the presence of weapons, alcohol cues, and exposure to media violence) and aggressive behavior. Theoretical models of aggression generally propose heightened accessibility of aggressive cognitions (i.e., priming) as a common mechanism to explain effects of these variables on aggression but differ in terms of factors that modulate whether and how activated mental content will influence behavior. Here, we discuss these factors and suggest ways in which models of priming might be integrated. We also underscore that, although aggression has been the focus of considerable research for decades, much more research is needed to better understand the psychological and biological processes that mediate effects of situational cues on aggression in humans.     

Sexual Harassment Severity: Assessing Situational and Personal Determinants and Outcomes1

The current study bridges literatures on sexual harassment, person‐environment systems, and stress and appraisal processes. Conventional wisdom equates severity of sexual harassment with type of harassment. We test this notion empirically and posit a more comprehensive model that examines both person‐ and situation‐level variables. Data came from 13,743 U.S. Armed Forces women responding to survey questions about a significant experience of sexual harassment. Multiple regression results indicate that pervasiveness of sexual harassment relates outcomes better than does type of sexual harassment. Pervasiveness and type interact to predict subjective appraisal of harassment. Additionally, according to multiple‐group structural equation models, appraisal mediates relations between pervasiveness and outcomes. Results further suggest that relations among sexual‐harassment antecedents and outcomes are consistent, regardless of the type of sexual harassment. These findings highlight the importance of examining both persons and situations when assessing sexual harassment severity.     

Differential Determinants of Young Adult Substance Use and High‐Risk Sexual Behavior1

This investigation evaluated how personality traits, self‐efficacy, and outcome expectancies differentially relate to young adult substance use and high‐risk sex. Experiments I (N= 481) and 2 (N= 73) report the development of a new questionnaire to assess self‐efficacy for substance use and sexual behavior. Experiment 3 (N= 375) tested self‐efficacy, outcome expectancies, and trait measures of social conformity and sensation seeking as correlates of substance use and high‐risk sex. Using structural equation modeling, cross‐sectional analyses revealed that positive outcome expectancies had the largest association with substance use, whereas self‐efficacy had the largest association with sexual behavior. Further, personality traits were related to substance use and sexual behavior indirectly through outcome expectancies, with social conformity also having a direct effect on behavior. When examined longitudinally, past alcohol and drug use served as the final pathway by which expectancies and personality impacted substance use, whereas past behavior, self‐efficacy, and social conformity all contributed to high‐risk sex. Results support the utility of different models for explaining, and possibly preventing, young adult substance use and high‐risk sex.     

“Not in My Back Yard”: The Situational and Personality Determinants of Oppositional Behavior1

The present study considered situational and dispositional factors underlying behavioral opposition characteristic of a “not‐in‐my‐back‐yard” (NIMBY) response to a change having adverse personal consequences. Students considered the proposition of comprehensive exams required for graduation taking effect in the near or distant future (high and low vested interest, respectively). Although both groups had similarly negative attitudes toward the idea, the high vested interest group perceived greater personal consequence and expressed greater intention to oppose the plan. From a situational‐dispositional interactionist perspective, it was the impact of the situation (perceived stake), rather than personality traits presumed to underlie a NIMBY response, that proved to be the primary determinant of oppositional behavior.     

Predicting Individual Score Elevation in an Applicant Setting: The Influence of Individual Differences and Situational Perceptions

Previous research has indicated that applicants can increase their scores on non‐cognitive measures by half of 1 standard deviation (e.g., Rosse, Stecher, Miller, & Levin, 1998 ; Viswesvaran & Ones, 1999 ). Two influential factors have been proposed to influence this elevation: individual differences and situational influences (e.g., Douglas, McDaniel, & Snell, 1996 ). The current study examined how individual differences and motivation (expectancy theory) predicted individual response elevation from a general to a job applicant context using a conscientiousness measure. Results indicated that elevation was primarily predicted by emotional stability, instrumentality, and the interaction between expectancy and instrumentality. Practical implications and future research directions are discussed.     

个体经验和线索提示对焦虑共情的影响

通过考察经验水平和线索提示对他人焦虑共情的影响特点,揭示有经验者低共情的原因和提高共情的方法。结果发现:(1)有经验组的焦虑共情得分显著低于正在经验组;(2)详细线索条件下被试的共情得分显著高于概括线索条件下被试的得分;(3)详细线索条件下,经验匹配被试的焦虑共情显著高于经验不匹配被试。研究表明,在一般情境和简单线索条件下有经验被试对他人没有高的焦虑共情,但详细线索提示可以唤醒情绪记忆,显著提高有经验被试的共情水平。     

Situational and Individual Influences on Judgments of Hostile Environment Sexual Harassment1

The current research examines the judgment processes of third-party evaluators of sexual harassment situations. Four situational variables were hypothesized to influence ratings of situation appropriateness and judgments of sexual harassment. The evaluator's gender and personality also were hypothesized to influence both ratings. Participants were 73 male and 51 female undergraduate students. Results indicated that behavior severity and victim response significantly influenced ratings. The frequency of the behavior influenced appropriateness ratings, but interacted with behavior severity for harassment judgments. The effects of the gender of the evaluator were mediated by the evaluator's level of tolerance for harassment. The effects of the power relationship and rater personality were not significant.     

Determinants of Money Management Behavior

Financial debt continues to rise, especially among college students, indicating a need for behavioral research to develop more effective money-management interventions. This study examined social psychological variables relevant to money management decision making among college students. Attitude, affect, perceived ability, and past experience were found to influence money-management behavior (i.e., maintaining a budget). We also examined an attitude model of money management and found 9 variables (e.g., normative influence, perceived barrier, perceived control) that determined attitudes toward maintaining a budget. The relevance of our findings to debt prevention is discussed.     

Reflective and Impulsive Determinants of Consumer Behavior

This article describes a dual‐system model of consumer behavior. This model is based on the assumption that all human behaviors are a joint function of reflective and impulsive mechanisms. Those mechanisms have different principles of operation but contribute to the act of buying. However, the relative contribution of impulsive and reflective processes depends on personal and contextual circumstances. The operation and interaction of the 2 systems at different stages of information processing is described and applied to the dynamics of consumer behavior, with a special emphasis on impulse buying.     

特质性与情境性成就目标定向对目标调节的影响

将209名初中生被试分为掌握、表现-接近与表现-回避三种特质性成就目标定向,随机分配在掌握定向与表现定向这两种情境性成就目标要求之下,依次阅读一系列10个同质性材料并回答一道位于每段材料之后并与该材料首句信息相关的选择题,根据被试完成每次任务的阅读时间与答题正确率,考察被试的实际目标定向以及目标调节变化过程。结果表明,特质性成就目标定向对学业成绩具有显著的预测作用,但在特定任务情境下,情境性目标要求掩盖了特质性目标的作用,而且,情境性表现目标的被试比情境性掌握目标的被试更快地调节目标以适应实验任务所隐含的实际目标线索。     

Gender‐Related Psychological Characteristics and Situational Determinants of Psychophysiological Stress Reactivity1

This study examined the influence of gender‐related psychological characteristics and situational demands on physiological and affective responses to stressful tasks. While physiological and affective responses were monitored, 44 medical students (26 men, 18 women) performed an emotion‐oriented speech task and an action‐oriented speech in a counterbalanced design. Conventionally masculine instrumental and feminine expressive characteristics were measured using the Personal Attributes Questionnaire. Systolic blood pressure and respiratory reactions to the action‐oriented task were positively associated with expressivity. Expressivity was also associated with greater subjective tension during the action‐oriented task, and with perceptions of greater task difficulty. The results are consistent with the notion that physiological and affective stress reactions in men and women are determined in part by traditionally gender‐related psychological characteristics, with greater reactions when the situational demands are not congruent with preferred modes of behavior.