A Multi‐Source,Multi‐Study Investigation of Job Performance Prediction by Political Skill

Political skill is a social effectiveness construct with a demonstrated capacity to predict job performance. However, because performance prediction research in this area to date has made exclusive use of self‐reports of political skill, and due to frequent distrust of self‐ratings of constructs in important personnel decisions, there is a need to investigate how multiple alternative sources of political skill and job performance measures relate, thus raising both theoretical and methodological issues. In three studies, employing a triadic data collection methodology, and utilising both cross‐sectional and longitudinal designs, this research tested the hypotheses that employee political skill, measured from the perspective of employees' assessor A, will positively predict job performance rated by assessor B (i.e. Hypothesis 1a), and vice versa, that employee political skill measured by assessor B will predict job performance ratings measured by assessor A (i.e. Hypothesis 1b).     

Once More Unto the Breach,My Dear Friends,Once More

Philosophical Studies -     

Body-image disturbances and bulimia nervosa: An empirical analysis of recent revisions of the DSM-III

In the recent revision of the DSM-III, the diagnosis of bulimia nervosa includes the criterion of persistent overconcern with body shape and weight, which may be conceptualized as a form of body-image disturbance. The new diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa include only those who exhibit a binge-purge eating patern, excluding binge-eaters who, in the older DSM-III, receive a diagnosis of bulimia. This study was conducted to investigate body-image disturbances in bulimia nervosa and simple bulimia (i.e., binge-eating without purging). The experimental design included two control groups, obese and normal subjects, in order to determine whether the binge-eater had body-image disturbances different form those of normal and overweight samples. The study evaluated 596 subjects (417 normals, 109 bulimia nervosa subjects, 50 binge-eaters, and 30 obese subjects) in terms of perception of current body size and selection of ideal body size. Results indicated that the bulimia nervosa group selected a current body size larger than that selected by normals and an ideal body size smaller than that chosen by normals. However, bingeeaters did not differ from the obese control group on either current or ideal body size. These results are discussed in terms of the recent debate regarding the diagnosis of bulimia nervosa and sociocultural influences upon body-image disturbances.     

The influence of unionization on job satisfaction and work perceptions

Unionized and nonunionized processing employees were compared on their perceptions of job characteristics and different facets of satisfaction. In addition, the relationship between job characteristics and job satisfaction were compared for unionized and nonunionized samples. Jobs generally were not significantly different in relation to job challenge for the two groups, but nonunionized employees reported higher levels of some satisfaction measures. The correlations between job characteristics and job satisfaction were stronger in the unionized sample. Implications of the present results and suggestions for further research are discussed.This article is based on research presented at the meeting of the Industrial Relations Research Association at Chicago, December, 1987.The author would like to thank James Martin for his help on this project.     

The development of antisocial behaviour patterns in childhood and adolescence

A developmental model of antisocial behaviour is presented in this paper. Arguments and evidence are presented for the position that although many factors such as parent criminality, social and economic disadvantage, child temperament, and marital discord systematically affect the development of antisocial child behaviour, their influence is mediated by the extent to which they disrupt day-to-day parenting practices. Particularly, it is argued that irritable, ineffective discipline and poor parental monitoring are the most proximal determinants of the early development and maintenance of antisocial behaviour. The implications of this model for prevention and intervention in child conduct problems are discussed, using examples of promising clinical work that focuses on direct parent training.     

Developmental changes in understanding the influence of emotion upon cognitive performance and motivation

In the light of recent research concerned with children's understanding of mind, a study was conducted in order to test the hypotheses (a) that only older children (i.e., 8-year-olds) would understand that emotional states can influence cognitive performance, but (b) that both older and younger children (i.e., 5- and 8-year-olds) would understand its influence upon cognitive motivation. Children were explicitly questioned about the consequences for cognition and motivation of negative affect. Results based on children's predictions and justifications provided substantial support for the hypotheses.Sincere thanks are extended to the teachers and children of Hillside Infant and Junior Schools and Frithwood Primary School, Northwood, Middlesex. We wish also to express our gratitude to two anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier version of this paper.