ITEM GENERATION PROCEDURES AND BACKGROUND DATA SCALES: IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSTRUCT AND CRITERION-RELATED VALIDITY

Background data measures are one of the best predictors of job performance. Nonetheless, questions have been raised about their content and construct validity. The present effort describes a set of procedures for developing construct and content valid background data items. Data gathered in seven field studies and six laboratory studies are presented bearing on the reliability and validity of the measures constructed using these item generation procedures. Findings in these studies indicate that construct-based item generation procedures yield reliable scales evidencing both content and construct validity. Furthermore, these scales are capable of predicting performance in a variety of settings. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings for the development and validation of background data measures are discussed.     

Through the Looking Glass: The Experiences of Two Family Therapy Trainees with Live Supervision

A thorough investigation of the literature pertaining to therapy supervision reveals that supervision has never been examined from the viewpoint of the trainee. This paper examines live supervision of family therapy from that viewpoint. It suggests that live supervision is a powerful and effective tool—a tool that engenders strong emotional responses.     

PSYCHOLOGICAL CLIMATE: IMPLICATIONS FROM COGNITIVE SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY AND INTERACTIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Underlying assumptions and rationale of psychological climate are addressed from the perspectives of cognitive social learning theory and interactional psychology. Major emphasis is placed on the implications of these theoretical models for psychological climate. It is suggested that psychological climate (a) reflects psychologically meaningful, cognitive representations of situations rather than automatic reflections of specific situational events; (b) is generally more important than the objective situation in the prediction of many salient individual dependent variables; (c) is predicated on developmental experience, and frequently involves conflicting orientations generated by the preservation of valued and familiar schemas, on one hand, and openness to change in the interest of achieving adaptive and functional person-environment fits, on the other; and (d) is related reciprocally to memory, affect, and behavior in a causal model which predicts a reciprocal causation between perception and affect, and between individuals and environments. The suggestions above are employed to provide recommendations for future research.     

A PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: RESEARCH,DESIGN, INTRODUCTION AND EVALUATION1

The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze a unique and innovative appraisal and development system. The Performance Management System (PMS) is the formal vehicle used by Corning Glass Works managers to measure and improve the performance and potential for advancement of approximately 3,000 managerial and professional employees. The current design of PMS is the result of several years of research and development work by staff psychologists and personnel specialists at Corning along with applied psychological research conducted in other organizations. PMS is distinguished from most appraisal systems by the following characteristics: (1) Its emphasis on both psychometric accuracy and practical utility; (2) Its emphasis on development as opposed to evaluation; (3) Its use of ipsative measurement; (4) Its integration of results with behavior centered appraisal. This paper is comprised of an introduction, reports on the initial research, the design and introduction, the evaluation and revision of PMS, and an overall summary. The strategies, results, and problems encountered at each phase of PMS development will be described and analyzed.     

Parental Patterns of Affective Style and the Development of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

Measures of parental affective style of communication, based on direct family discussions, were obtained for a sample of 52 families of disturbed but nonpsychotic adolescents. When the variations of both parents on the measure for two different measurement contexts were combined, an accurate prediction of subsequent psychiatric status at follow-up occurred. Adolescents with at least one parent who consistently displayed a pathological affective style of communication in both a dyadic and triadic discussion developed schizophrenia-spectrum disorders as young adults. Conversely, adolescents with at least one parent who was consistently benign in affective style had healthier outcomes. Finally, more serious young adult psychopathology was noted where both parents were inconsistent in their affective style from dyadic to triadic interaction. Methodological implications for family interaction research are discussed.     

Misperceptions of Motivation of Economically Disadvantaged Employees in Work Settings

The present study was designed to assess the cross-cultural perceptions of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors for three sets of role relationships. Employers and economically-disadvantaged job trainees were asked to rate the appropriateness of various behaviors for superordinate/subordinate, subordinate/superordinate, and peer/peer relationships. Results suggest that job trainees perceived the role of a superordinate as being more punitive, more deceitful, and less friendly than the employers thought would be appropriate. The findings are discussed in light of the concept of “ecosystem distrust”.