Evaluation of Coworker Turnover Outcomes and Its Impact on the Intention to Leave of the Remaining Employees

The study examined the effect of several personal and situational variables upon stayers' intention to leave, subsequent to the departure of a coworker. These effects were hypothesized to be mediated by the stayers' evaluation of outcomes of the departure. Police officers filled questionnaires prior to and within one month subsequent to turnover of a coworker. The theoretical model was tested via hierarchical multiple regression. Negative and positive evaluations were independent: They were differentially associated with the predictor variables and they varied in their effect upon the criterion measure. The mediation hypothesis was not supported; the negative evaluation of departure outcomes was indeed predicted by the independent variables but it was not associated with the intention to leave subsequent to a coworker's departure. Positive evaluation, on the other hand, was not predicted by the independent variables but was significantly and positively correlated with the criterion measure. Contrary to the hypothesis, stayers who perceive coworkers' departure as more positive show a stronger tendency to leave.     

Student self-selection for specializations in engineering

The general hypothesis that students self-selecting themselves for different occupational fields differ in relevant values and interests was tested for specializations within engineering. Industrial engineers were found to be different in work values and in their image of their subfield from students of other engineering specializations. The study concludes that in terms of type of student selecting engineering, the profession cannot be treated as an undifferentiated entity. It is suggested that in future research engineering students may be regarded as relatively homogenous with respect to work values only if their area of specialization is duly considered.     

The Applicability of the Door-in-the Face Technique when Established Behavioral Customs Exist

The applicability of the door-in-the-face technique was tested in a monetary donation context where established behavioral standards exist, and where the target person has standards by which to judge the legitimacy of the solicitor's demand. Based on the proposition that exaggerated initial requests might discredit the solicitor and thereby halt the give-and-take process, it was expected that (a) with legitimate initial requests, the probability of compliance with a request would be greater when preceded by a larger request than if presented alone; and that (b) with illegitimate initial requests, the probability of compliance with a second request would be smaller when preceded by a larger request than if presented alone. On the national collection day for the Association for the Rehabilitation of the Mentally Handicapped, 400 subjects were asked to contribute IL 10, 15, or 20. In the experimental groups, these amounts were preceded with requests for larger sums which were judged previously by a pretest to be considered legitimate or illegitimate. In the control groups, subjects were asked to contribute the same amounts, but no larger amounts were first requested. The replicability of the door-in-the-face technique has been proven with requests for which established customs exist. However, the technique was only effective with legitimate initial requests. With initial requests that were previously judged as unreasonable, the technique had a "boomerang effect" and suppressed compliance.     

Concurrent task effects on memory encoding and retrieval: Further support for an asymmetry

Several studies have demonstrated that divided attention at encoding significantly reduces memory performance, whereas divided attention at retrieval affects memory performance only minimally. However, the possibility exists that retrieval processes have shown such resilience because the concurrent tasks used have often not been very demanding. To assess this possibility, we used independent manipulations of the concurrent task during either encoding or retrieval that included stimulus-response compatibility and participant- versus experimenter-controlled pace. In addition, we manipulated the distribution of practice that the participants received with the primary and the concurrent tasks. The results replicated and extended those recently reported by Rohrer and Pashler (2003), indicating that although memory performance is negatively affected by divided attention at retrieval, especially with noncompatible stimulus-response mapping in the concurrent task, this effect was much smaller than that at encoding, in line with the asymmetry notion. Furthermore, experimenter versus participant control of the concurrent task had no effect on memory retrieval. Finally, under conditions of equal practice with both the memory and the concurrent tasks, memory retrieval was affected only to a small degree. In contrast to encoding processes, the processes involved in retrieval accuracy appear, in many cases, to be less interrupted by divided attention, although this protection requires substantial resources.     

Jewish Attitudes toward Intermarriage

This paper explores attitudes toward intermarriage among American Jews. After an introduction of the basic findings about attitudes toward intermarriage in the general sample, we present the differences between the major American Jewish denominations in this respect. A correspondence analysis of intermarriage attitudes and the denominational factor shows the typical attitude profiles characterizing groups according to current denomination and the denomination in which they were raised. We then go on to show how much of this denominational effect is related to the influence of Jewish education, age, and marital status on attitudes toward intermarriage. Finally we consider all three sets of factors together in a multiple regression analysis of attitudes toward intermarriage, in order to determine the net or independent effects of each of these influencing factors. We show that intermarriage attitudes are a compromise between two forces: the strength of Jewish identity, as reflected in denominational affiliation, and Jewish education; and the exigencies of the mate selection process, as reflected in age, marital status, and proximity to other Jews. Data are based primarily on the 1991 New York Jewish Population Survey.     

Signal Detection Models with Random Participant and Item Effects

The theory of signal detection is convenient for measuring mnemonic ability in recognition memory paradigms. In these paradigms, randomly selected participants are asked to study randomly selected items. In practice, researchers aggregate data across items or participants or both. The signal detection model is nonlinear; consequently, analysis with aggregated data is not consistent. In fact, mnemonic ability is underestimated, even in the large-sample limit. We present two hierarchical Bayesian models that simultaneously account for participant and item variability. We show how these models provide for accurate estimation of participants’ mnemonic ability as well as the memorability of items. The model is benchmarked with a simulation study and applied to a novel data set. This research is supported by NSF grants SES-0095919 and SES-0351523, NIH grant R01-MH071418, a University of Missouri Research Leave grant and fellowships from the Spanish Ministry of Education and the University of Leuven, Belgium.     

Introduction to the special section on prevention science: From generic rules to differential adaptations

Prevention science as an interdisciplinary specialty is addressed in this introduction to the special section of the journal. The six papers that comprise the special section are briefly summarised, especially noting the global regions that are represented, that is, Europe, Middle East, New Zealand and South America. Attention to the importance of differential adaptations of prevention interventions developed in one region, country or locale but implemented in another is emphasised. The Guest Editors reflect on the importance of developing cross-national collaborations to further the advance of prevention science globally.