The Validity of Landfield's Measure of Personal Construct Ordination

The correlation coefficient appropriate in a fourfold situation resulting from the crossing of two dichotomous variables depends on whether the dichotomies are true or arbitrary. Almost all sources dealing with the fourfold situation discuss only the pure cases (both dichotomies true or both dichotomies arbitrary). The mixed case (one dichotomy true and the other arbitrary), introduced at least four decades ago and accompanied in more than one source with the wrong formula for the coefficient, is reintroduced in this study. In addition, a correction for unequal sample size respecting the true dichotomy is presented.     

A comparison of factor scores under conditions of factor obliquity

Six different methods of computing factor scores were investigated in a simulation study. Population scores created from oblique factor patterns selected from the psychological literature served as the bases for the simulations, and the stability of the different methods was assessed through cross-validation in a subject-sampling model. Results from 5 evaluative criteria indicated that a simplified, unit-weighting procedure based on the factor score coefficients was generally superior to several unit-weighting procedures based on the pattern or structure coefficients. This simplified method of computing factor scores also compared favorably with an exact-weighting scheme based on the full factor score coefficient matrix. Results are discussed with regard to their potential impact on current practice, and several recommendations are offered.     

INTRAORGANIZATIONAL EMPLOYEE NAVIGATION AND SOCIALLY DERIVED OUTCOMES: CONCEPTUALIZATION,VALIDATION, AND EFFECTS ON OVERALL PERFORMANCE

Intraorganizational employee navigation (IEN) is conceptualized as a means of better understanding how the organizational actor proactively works across their firm's internal environment in the execution of their jobs. Navigation is argued to be a precursor to the employee's overall performance through a class of mediating variables labeled “socially derived outcomes,” which are variables inside the organization that are bestowed upon the employee as a result of them first engaging in proactive behavior (e.g., IEN). Two studies are reported. Study I sees IEN psychometrically validated versus a range of existing proactive behaviors and individual traits (discriminant, nomological, and criterion‐related validity) with a heterogeneous sample of 704 employees. Study II then tests a model relating IEN to performance through six mediating “socially derived outcomes” by leveraging data from 2 Fortune 500 firms. The results of Study II show that IEN significantly impacts multiple measures of the employee's overall performance through mediating effects brought about by key socially derived outcomes, such as the employee's “manager alignment.” The contributions, broader implications, and limitations of the research are then put into context.     

CASPER: A personal computer package for exploring psychometrics

CASPER is a psychometrics software package suitable for instructional and research applications with IBM-PC-compatible computers. CASPER lets the user simulate or directly enter psychometric data. Numerous statistical analyses, file handling procedures, and graphics are included Analyses include factor analysis, multiple regression, correlation/partial correlation, moments analysis, reliability analysis, and item analysis.     

Development of associative and perceptual interference

In a choice reaction-time letter-identification task, the temporal development of perceptual and associative interference was studied with visual displays containing identical, irrelevant, or response-incompatible noise letters. Using the methods of variable-criterion theory, it was determined that perceptual interference is complete very early and has no effect on the shape of the function for the growth of associative strength. Associative interference begins later, gradually increases to a maximum, and then declines to zero at long latencies. In experiments with speeded performance, it was also found that the growth of excitatory strength for errors contains the same nonmonotonic process as for correct responses, but in reverse form. In addition, it was observed that the discriminability of the target stimuli affects the rate of growth of associative strength for the correct response. Analyses of individual differences in theoretical parameters indicate information-processing patterns similar to those reported for simple auditory tasks.