The Repeated Evaluation Technique (RET). A method to capture dynamic effects of innovativeness and attractiveness

Innovativeness is defined as ‘originality by virtue of introducing new ideas’. Thus, innovative designs often break common visual habits and are evaluated as relatively unattractive at first sight (Leder & Carbon, 2005 ). In most empirical studies, attractiveness is measured only once. These measures do not capture the dynamic aspects of innovation. This paper presents a dynamic procedure, the Repeated Evaluation Technique (RET), that improves the validity of attractiveness evaluations. RET simulates time and exposure effects of everyday life. Using RET, we investigated the appreciation of different car designs varying in innovativeness and curvature. While the mere exposure theory (Zajonc, 1968 ) would predict a general increase of liking in increasing exposure, RET revealed dissociate effects depending on innovativeness. Only innovative designs showed an increase in attractiveness. Low innovative designs were rated as being relatively attractive in the beginning, but did not profit from elaboration due to RET. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A family-focused randomized controlled trial to prevent adolescent alcohol and tobacco use: The moderating roles of positive parenting and adolescent gender

Four years of longitudinal data from 2,153 families with a 5th- or 6th-grade preadolescent participating in a family-focused pediatric primary-care-based prevention program were used to examine whether prevention effects were moderated by positive parenting and/or adolescent gender. Alcohol and tobacco use, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems were examined. Although findings revealed no main effect of the prevention program, positive parenting and adolescent gender were moderators of internalizing problems and adolescent gender was a moderator of externalizing problems. Clinical implications and future directions for research are discussed.     

Existential considerations for contemporary career counseling

This article was written to remind career counselors of the potential depth and subjective impact of both unemployment and employment transitions. An existential framework is used in discussing today's world of work, previous and contemporary career counseling models, existential theory in career counseling, and existential considerations for career counselors. Results from 3 research projects are discussed in light of I. D. Yalom's (1980, 1998) 4 existential themes. Using quotations from participants, the authors move beyond theoretical ideas and underscore the real‐life importance of including the individual's larger subjective perspective when engaging in career counseling. Implications for practice are discussed.     

The Effect of Feedback Packaging on Ratee Reactions1

In performance‐feedback situations, reactions to the rater have been examined rarely. A clearer understanding of what causes negative reactions toward raters might be used by them to better control feedback outcomes without having to distort the feedback message. In Study I, ratee reactions to the packaging of feedback messages were examined in a laboratory experiment. A legitimizing statement included in the feedback message resulted in more positive reactions to the rater than when no such statement was presented. In addition, the use of less personal feedback language resulted in more positive reactions to the rater than when more personal language was used. Neither legitimization statement nor type of language significantly impacted reactions to the feedback message or perceptions of performance, indicating that they did not distort the feedback message. In Study 2, a laboratory observation, the use of more personal language by the rater was related negatively to ratee confidence in rater judgment and rater likability. More research on feedback packaging, with the goal of training raters in how best to convey the feedback message, is needed.     

Disorganized infant attachment and preventive interventions: A review and meta‐analysis

Infant disorganized attachment is a major risk factor for problematic stress management and later problem behavior. Can the emergence of attachment disorganization be prevented? The current narrative review and quantitative meta‐analysis involves 15 preventive interventions (N = 842) that included infant disorganized attachment as an outcome measure. The effectiveness of the interventions ranged from negative to positive, with an overall effect size of d = 0.05 (ns). Effective interventions started after 6 months of the infant's age (d = 0.23). Interventions that focused on sensitivity only were significantly more effective in reducing attachment disorganization (d = 0.24) than interventions that (also) focused on support and parent's mental representations (d = ?0.04). Most sample characteristics were not associated with differences in effect sizes, but studies with children at risk were more successful (d = 0.29) than studies with at‐risk parents (d = ?0.10), and studies on samples with higher percentages of disorganized attachment in the control groups were more effective (d = 0.31) than studies with lower percentages of disorganized children in the control group (d = ?0.18). The meta‐analysis shows that disorganized attachments may change as a side effect of sensitivity‐focused interventions, but it also illustrates the need for interventions specifically focusing on the prevention of disorganization.     

ISLAM AND SCIENCE: CONTRADICTION OR CONCORDANCE

Abstract. Many question whether Islam and science can be compatible. In the first six hundred years of Islam, Muslims addressed all fields of knowledge available to them with unprecedented zeal and contributed immensely to the knowledge that became the precursor of the Renaissance in Europe. The Tatar invasion in the thirteenth century and the total destruction of Baghdad, the Muslim capital of knowledge and science, followed by the crusades, the ensuing hostility between East and West, and Western colonialism of Muslim countries led to a distrust of all knowledge emanating from the West. Such distrust closed the doors to ijtihad, a dynamic method in Islamic jurisprudence for addressing change, new demands, and new acquired knowledge, even though the Qur'an challenges Muslims to think, contemplate, understand, comprehend, and examine everything around them—tasks that bring humankind closer to God as they find methods to apply God's laws of justice and equity to the benefit of all humankind. Islam is the religion of yusr (ease) and not ‘usr (hardship). The creation of the world was for human benefit and use. Innovation for such beneficial use and application is a must.     

Demand for Certified Human Resources Professionals in Internet‐Based Job Announcements

We tested empirically whether potential employers require and/or prefer human resources (HR) professionals who hold an HR certification. We analyzed each of 1873 HR job announcements available over a 1‐week period on http://monster.com , http://hotjobs.yahoo.com , http://careerbuilder.com , and http://shrm.org . Results showed that only nine (i.e., .48%) job announcements stated that there was a requirement and only 70 (i.e., 3.73%) job announcements stated that there was a preference for job applicants with any type of HR certification. In spite of the low overall demand for certified HR professionals, results indicated that the demand is slightly higher for jobs posted on http://shrm.org , certain job titles (e.g., HR Director, HR Generalist), HR specialty areas (e.g., employee relations, general HR), industries (e.g., manufacturing), and for jobs requiring more years of HR job experience. Overall, results suggest that the field of HR needs to do a better job of gathering evidence about validity, utility, and lack of adverse impact regarding the use of certification in selection and assessment decision making. Once this evidence is collected, employers may perceive HR certification as a more critical signal of a job applicant's future contributions.