When organizational climate is unambiguous, it is also strong

Several recent studies have addressed the topic of climate strength--the degree to which there is agreement among an organization's members regarding the practices and policies as well as the shared values that characterize the organization. To further investigate antecedents of climate strength, the authors used data from the GLOBE Project, totaling 3,783 individuals from 123 organizations. The authors hypothesized that they would find greater climate strength in organizations with climates reflecting mechanistic as opposed to organic organizational forms. Although the authors did in fact find such a trend, they also unexpectedly uncovered significant and strong nonlinear effects, such that climates that are clearly mechanistic or clearly organic have strong climates, with weaker climates emerging for organizations with more ambiguous climates. These findings provide interesting new avenues to pursue in understanding the origins of climate strength.     

Interpersonal communication in the health professions: A focus on training

The field of Health Psychology has enjoyed a prodigious growth over the past 15 years. The interpersonal dynamic of the practitioner-patient relationship is one of the areas which has been illuminated thereby accentuating its contribution to effective levels of health care. This paper examines the concepts of interpersonal communication and communication skill. The contribution of skilful communication by health workers to the success with which they discharge their professional duties is considered and present standards of practice critically assessed. Specific areas of inadequacy are identified and possible causative factors postulated. Amongst such factors would appear to be a relative neglect of the interpersonal dimension of the work of the health practitioner during training. A case is made for increased attention being devoted to promoting this facet of professional competence. The major thrust of the paper develops this theme by elaborating a systematic and structured framework for instruction, Communication Skills Training, as an approach to promoting interpersonal efficiency in the health care context.     

Determinism and locality in quantum systems

Models of the EPR-Bohm experiment usually consider just two times, an initial time, and the time of measurement. Within such analyses, it has been argued that locality is equivalent to determinism, given the strict correlations of quantum mechanics. However, an analysis based on such models is only a preliminary to an analysis based on a complete dynamical model. The latter analysis is carried out, and it is shown that, given certain definitions of locality and determinism for completely dynamical models, locality implies, but is not implied by, determinism. Further, it is suggested that a local deterministic model has not been ruled out by Bell's theorem. It is suggested that such a model could naturally deny the independence of initial complete states from the settings of the apparatuses (a crucial assumption in the derivation of Bell's inequality).     

The central tendency effect in stimulus generalization: Effects of establishing a “preexperimental” frame of reference

An experiment was performed to test the hypothesis that in a voluntary generalization task subjects encode the training stimulus (TS) in relation to the adaptation-level (AL) prevailing at the time of TS presentation. If so, then during a subsequent generalization test the point of maximal generalized responding should bear this same relationship to the AL of the generalization test series. To test this hypothesis, three major groups of subjects (n = 80) were given preexposures with dim lights (low preexperimental AL group), bright lights (high preexperimental AL group), or no preexposure (control group). Next, half of each group was exposed to a TS and a subsequent generalization (recognition) test including this brightness and four others. The other half of each group was exposed to the same TS and subsequent generalization stimuli, but their task was to rate the stimuli on a 7-point bright-dim scale. This provided AL measures which could be correlated with generalization performance in the comparable generalization groups. The preexposure condition was successful in producing the expected low or high preexperimental ALs, as reflected in different ratings of the TS when it was presented. Furthermore, these effects persisted throughout testing, as evidenced in ALs (i.e., rating scale midpoints) which reflected the preexposure condition. Finally, the difference between the point of maximal generalized responding and the AL of the generalization test series was highly and significantly correlated with the difference between the original rating of the TS and scale midpoint. This supports the maj or experimental hypothesis of the study.     

Some effects on generalization gradients of tandem schedules

The relationship between training conditions and stimulus generalization gradients was examined using tandem schedules of reinforcement. Schedules were selected so that frequency of reinforcement and rate of responding were varied somewhat independently of each other. A peak-shift in the generalization gradient was obtained when extinction had been associated with one of the stimuli. No comparable peak shift was obtained when there were equal response rates in the training stimuli even with dissimilar frequencies of reinforcement. The data imply that response rates at the end of training, rather than reinforcement frequency per se, determine the characteristics of the generalization gradient.     

Study Preregistration: An Evaluation of a Method for Transparent Reporting

Study preregistration promotes transparency in scientific research by making a clear distinction between a priori and post hoc procedures or analyses. Management and applied psychology have not embraced preregistration in the way other closely related social science fields have. There may be concerns that preregistration does not add value and prevents exploratory data analyses. Using a mixed-method approach, in Study 1, we compared published preregistered samples against published non-preregistered samples. We found that preregistration effectively facilitated more transparent reporting based on criteria (i.e., confirmed hypotheses and a priori analysis plans). Moreover, consistent with concerns that the published literature contains elevated type I error rates, preregistered samples had fewer statistically significant results (48%) than non-preregistered samples (66%). To learn about the perceived advantages, disadvantages, and misconceptions of study preregistration, in Study 2, we surveyed authors of preregistered studies and authors who had never preregistered a study. Participants in both samples had positive inclinations towards preregistration yet expressed concerns about the process. We conclude with a review of best practices for management and applied psychology stakeholders.