Is the Political Skill Inventory Fit for Personnel Selection? An Experimental Field Study

The political skill inventory (PSI) assesses social effectiveness in organizations by self‐reports and has demonstrated strong evidence of validity. It was the purpose of this experimental field study to investigate construct and criterion‐related validity of the PSI when used under conditions of personnel selection. In the experimental group (n=102), the instructions asked job incumbents to work on the PSI, a social desirability scale, and a Big‐Five personality inventory as if they took part in a personnel selection procedure for a personally very attractive position. Additionally, they were asked to report yearly income. In the control group (n=110), job incumbents were asked to answer the items honestly. As expected, in both conditions, the PSI did not correlate with social desirability, but it correlated positively with extraversion, conscientiousness, and income, and negatively with neuroticism, thus demonstrating construct and incremental criterion‐related validity under both conditions. Implications and limitations are discussed.     

In the Netherlands the anti-Flynn effect is a Jensen effect

In this study, 63 observations of secular IQ changes (both Flynn and anti-Flynn effects) are collected from three demographically diverse studies of the Dutch population for the period 1975–2005 (representing the 1950–1990 birth cohorts), along with data on g loadings and subtest reliabilities. The method of correlated vectors is used to explore the association between Flynn and anti-Flynn effect magnitudes, both independently and together, and the g loadings of subtests. Despite a positive vector correlation the Flynn effects are not associated with the Jensen effect (r = .307, ns, N = 36), however the anti-Flynn effects are (r = .406, P = .05, N = 27). Combined, the vector correlation becomes negative but non-significant (r = −.111, ns, N = 63). Declines due to the anti-Flynn effect are estimated at −4.515 points per decade, whereas gains due to the Flynn effect are estimated at 2.175 points per decade. The N-weighted net of these is a loss of −1.350 points per decade, suggesting an overall tendency towards decreasing IQ in the Netherlands with respect to these cohorts. The Jensen effect on the anti-Flynn effect suggests that it may be related to bio-demographic changes within the Netherlands which have reduced ‘genetic-g’, despite the presence of large, parallel gains on subtests that may be relatively more sensitive to cultural-environmental improvements.     

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Abstract

A system providing prompts (verbal encouragement) at prearranged time intervals was used with a woman with total blindness and profound intellectual disability who had discontinuous performance. The woman was to transport objects from one end of a corridor to the other (a space in which orientation was not a problem) and then assemble them. Data indicated that there was a clear increase in the number of objects transported and assembled in the sessions with the prompting system. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Meta-analysis of CBT for Bulimia Nervosa: Investigating the Effects Using DSM-III-R and DSM-IV Criteria

This meta-analysis reports the effects of cognitive-behavioural treatment (CBT) on bulimia nervosa as defined by the DSM-III-R or DSM-IV criteria. In a previous meta-analysis, 26 studies were included using less strict diagnostic criteria for inclusion. The present meta-analysis only included randomized controlled studies fulfilling the DSM-III-R or DSM-IV criteria. Computer searches in MedLine, PsychLIT and references cited herein resulted in a large number articles, of which only seven fulfilled the criteria for inclusion. Effect sizes for binge eating and purging frequency were estimated using both between-group (treatment vs control) and within-group (pre- vs post-treatment) comparisons. The combined within-group effect size for binge eating was r = 0.55 ( d = 1.32) and for purging r = 0.61 ( d = 1.54). The corresponding combined effects for the between-group comparisons were r = 0.23 ( d = 0.47) and r = 0.28 ( d = 0.58), respectively. The combined probabilities for frequency of purging in between- and within-group comparisons were p = 0.00001 and p = 0.00000001, respectively. Although the number of studies included in the meta-analysis was limited, the obtained results are in line with the findings of the previous meta-analysis, and support the efficacy of CBT for the treatment of bulimia nervosa. This suggestion is also supported by the fact that in all the studies except one, comparison groups had received other active treatments.     

The role of optimism in patients with tinnitus and in patients with hearing impairment

Abstract

Optimism was investigated in a sample of audiology clinic patients, consisting of one group of tinnitus sufferers (N = 30) and one group of hearing impaired subjects not experiencing tinnitus (N = 44). Optimism was measured by the Life Orientation Test (LOT). In the tinnitus group the LOT correlated significantly with measures of tinnitus related distress and in the hearing impaired group with measures of disability and emotional reactions due to the hearing impairment. Cronbach's alphas for the measures used were generally high. Principal components analysis of the LOT confirmed earlier findings by showing two separate factors; one with the positively worded LOT items reflecting the presence of optimism and one with the negatively worded LOT items reflecting the presence of pessimism. The results indicate that dispositional optimism is an usable concept in research with audiological samples, and that optimism is related with tinnitus distress and experienced disability and emotional reactions due to hearing impairment. Further research should investigate the possible role of personality factors in tinnitus and hearing impairment.     

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).     

Self‐Ratings of Political Skill in Job Application: A within‐ and between‐subjects field experiment

Political skill is the ability to understand others and use that knowledge to influence others to act in ways that enhance one's personal and/or organizational objectives. The Political Skill Inventory ( Ferris et al., 2005 ) assesses this talent, and has potential for use in personnel decision making. However, central organizational stakeholders are concerned about the distortion of self‐rating scores in job application; consequently, we examined the effects of a job application situation on self‐ratings of political skill in a field experiment with 205 job incumbents. The findings showed consistently that the relationship of self‐ratings of political skill and job performance ratings by supervisors (ρ=.30, p<.01) were not distorted in job application. Implications and limitations are discussed.     

Angstzustände bei Patienten mit schweren Persönlichkeitsstörungen

States of anxiety are very common problems in patients with severe personality disorders. All phenomena of anxiety can be observed. In this connection a continuum of the severity of impairment of structural personality organisation can be postulated. In many cases proper anxiety disorders exist as comorbid disorders. Anxiety is esteemed to be the central affective problem of borderline patients. In spite of these relations, states of anxiety in patients with personality disorders are often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. For the treatment of neurotic anxiety disorders (for example panic disorders), there exist disorder-specific therapy manuals that proceed from behavioural as well as psychodynamic perspectives. Nevertheless, for the treatment of anxiety states in personality disordered patients, the techniques that focus heavily on symptomatology appear often contraindicated. In our opinion, treatment of these typically severe anxieties must be contained within a therapeutic framework, which essentially takes into account the personality organisation of this group of patients. Such treatment makes special demands on the therapist for working with transference and countertransference processes. From a disorder-specific psychodynamic perspective recommendations are given for psychotherapy.     

Some Personality Correlates of Business White-Collar Crime

On présente dans cet article les résultats de la première étude transversale européenne portant sur les dimensions de la personnalité en relation avec les délits financiers commis par les cols blancs. Ce travail est un prolongement de la recherche de Collin & Schmidt (1992) sur les délits des cols blancs aux Etats‐Unis. Les données ont été récoltées auprès de 150 cadres en poste dans des sociétés commerciales allemandes et de 76 délinquants en col blanc anciennement cadres. Les répondants ont rempli des échelles papier crayon mesurant l’hédonisme (l’Echelle de Valeurs de Schwartz), le sens des responsabilités (NEO‐FFI), le narcissisme (DSM‐III‐R), la désirabilité sociale (Crowne & Marlowe), et le self‐control comportemental. L’analyse de régression logistique montra que 69% de la variance était commune aux deux groupes. Le délit financier commis par un col blanc dépend du sexe (les hommes sont surreprésentés), d’un faible self‐control comportemental, d’un hédonisme élevé, d’un fort narcissisme et d’un sens des responsabilités affirmé quand la désirabilité sociale est statistiquement contrôlée. Ce résultat concernant le sens des responsabilités est toutefois en contradiction avec l’interprétation que Collins et Schmidt donnent de leurs travaux (1993). On peut supposer que les délinquants en col blanc haut placés combinent malhonnêteté et sens des responsabilités élevé. In this paper the results of the first cross‐sectional study in Europe examining personality correlates of white‐collar crime in business are presented. This study is an extension of Collins and Schmidt's (1993 ) research on white‐collar crime in the United States. The data were obtained from 150 managers currently active in German corporations and 76 white‐collar criminals who formerly held such positions. Participants filled out paper and pencil scales measuring hedonism (Schwartz Value Scale), conscientiousness (NEO‐FFI), narcissism (DSM‐III‐R), social desirability ( Crowne & Marlowe, 1960 ), and behavioral self‐control. The logistic regression analysis accounted for 69 per cent of the variance between the two groups. Business white‐collar crime is predicted by gender (males higher rates than females), low behavioral self‐control, high hedonism, high narcissism, and high conscientiousness after statistically controlling for social desirability. The results concerning conscientiousness, however, contradict the interpretation of findings reported by Collins and Schmidt (1993 ). It is argued here that high‐ranking white‐collar criminals in business combine low integrity with high conscientiousness.