DISPOSITIONAL INFLUENCES ON TRANSFER OF LEARNING IN MULTISTAGE TRAINING PROGRAMS

The training effectiveness literature has paid little attention to the potentially dynamic interaction of individual differences with various phases of training in determining ultimate training success. This study investigates the role of individual differences in explaining the transfer of learning from 1 phase of training to another among pilot trainees in a multistage, aviation training program. Using 3 of the Big Five factors (Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, Openness to Experience), the results showed these measures to contribute to the prediction of the number of hours it took for trainees to attain their private pilot's license. Significant interactions between some of these measures and success on an earlier, simulator phase of the training program were also found. The results are discussed in terms of both the role of individual differences in training research as well as the broader issue of transfer of learning between phases of training.     

Cultural, Gender, and Socioeconomic Contexts in Therapeutic and Social Policy Work

The contention of this paper is that the context of social and therapeutic problems is critical to their resolution, and that many of them stem from historical and structural injustice. It focuses on the contextual issues of cultural, gender, and socioeconomic equity as providing important insights into authentic notions of social inclusion and well-being, and encourages therapists, service providers, researchers, and policy makers to take responsibility to ensure that these injustices are addressed, and become part of the public discourse about the sources and solutions of endemic social problems. Critique and deconstruction of institutional power in our public, private, and voluntary services is encouraged in a manner that honors diversity and enables sensitive therapy, other forms of service delivery and policy making that genuinely reflect the range of cultural, gender, and socioeconomic experiences of citizens.     

An Assessment of the Effect of Vocational Exploration on Career Decision Making

The researchers assessed the effect of a vocational exploration assignment on the career decisiveness of college students who said that they were career decisive. The results of the study showed decision shifting in the treatment group but not in the control group. The researchers concluded that career indecisiveness relates to a lack of clarity regarding how personality needs can be satisfied in a career choice.     

OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS IN FORMAL GROUPS: AN EXAMINATION OF STRESS LEVEL AND STRESS TYPE

Several studies have found an inverted U-shaped relationship between stress and performance levels for individuals. The present study determined whether such a relationship exists between stress and the perceived effectiveness of formal organization groups. Analysis of data from four firms provided no support for the existence of such a relationship. Instead, a negative relationship between stress and perceived organizational effectiveness was found. The results suggest that the type of stress moderates the stress and effectiveness relationship. Dysfunctional stress was the dominant type of stress in all four firms. Further, the level of dysfunctional stress provided a better explanation of variations in effectiveness levels than total stress levels.     

PEP: An Enabling Program for CETA-zen Employment

The “Personal Employment Program” (PEP) is a 4 week training and development experience that enables CETA participants to secure unsubsidized employment.     

In the Field: The Evaluation of an Employee Assistance Program

This article presents the results of an evaluative study of an employee assistance program sponsored by the Russell Corporation, an apparel manufacturing firm. Its results suggest that the program is beneficial in terms of both productivity enhancement and humanitarianism.     

Effectiveness of the GATB and Counseling Combined: Reducing Vocational Training Dropout Rates

Seventy-three male vocational trainees, aged 16 to 22 years, were assigned to one of two groups. The 36 trainees in Group 1 were assigned to a particular vocational course consistent with their GATB profiles and received 3 or more counseling sessions. The 37 trainees in Group 2 received neither prescreening nor counseling sessions but were assigned to their courses because of personal interest and in order to fill vacancies. A phi coefficient of .69, significant at the .01 level, between the combination preparation procedures (prescreening and counseling) and graduation from vocational course was obtained. Further analysis suggests that the combination of counseling and prescreening may reduce dropout rate to a greater extent than prescreening alone.     

Systematic desensitization: a technique worth trying

Systematic desensitization is a limited form of behavior therapy used in the treatment of anxiety attached to specific objects or situations. The principles underlying the technique as developed by Wolpe and others are described briefly in this article. The author also relates his experiences in using a modified form of systematic desensitization in a public school setting with counselees whose success and development are hampered by test anxiety and fear of public speaking.