Characteristics of Alcoholism Among Catholic Sisters: Results of a National Survey

In this article the author reports results from a national survey of recovering alcoholic Catholic Sisters, describing their addiction history, treatment, and the role of the community.     

REACTANCE AND INTENTIONALITY ATTRIBUTIONS AS DETERMINANTS OF THE INTENT TO FILE A GRIEVANCE

Experimental studies were conducted in two unions to examine the effects of perceptual variables–namely, reactance and intentionality attributions–on the intent to seek redress from management action. Participants responded to a series of vignettes, each of which described a management action (formal punishment, informal warning, promotion denial) taken against an employee. The vignettes varied systematically in terms of the perceived threat to worker freedom posed by the action and the degree to which the action was motivated by a dispositional rather than an environmental attribution. Both studies demonstrated that greater threat and dispositional attributions provoked stronger intent to file a grievance. Implications of the findings were discussed for investigating and screening grievances.     

KIRKPATRICK'S LEVELS OF TRAINING CRITERIA: THIRTY YEARS LATER

Kirkpatrick's model (1959a, 1959b, 1960a, 1960b) of training evaluation criteria has had widespread and enduring popularity. This model proposed four "levels" of training evaluation criteria: reactions, learning, behavior, and results. Three problematic assumptions of the model may be identified: (1) The levels are arranged in ascending order of information provided. (2) The levels are causally linked. (3) The levels are positively intercorrelated. This article examines the validity of these assumptions, the frequency of each level in published evaluation studies, correlations from the literature in regard to Assumptions 2 and 3, and implications for the researcher and training manager.     

A FIELD STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATIONAL FEEDBACK ENVIRONMENT AND PERFORMANCE

This field study used the Job Feedback Survey (Herold & Parsons, 1985) and performance data gathered from multiple sources to examine the relationship between the perceived organizational feedback environment and performance. Regression analyses indicated that, while holding the other feedback variables constant, feedback from supervisory and organizational sources was related to reported job performance while feedback from peers and self was not. Most of the unique variance in performance explained by feedback was also accounted for by feedback from organizational and supervisory sources. Negative expressions from organizational/supervisory sources (e.g., the supervisor expressing anger, the company communicating dissatisfaction with poor performance) were related to lower performance, and positive job changes initiated by these sources (e.g., increasing responsibility, assignment to special jobs) were related to higher performance. Higher performers did not receive more feedback than lower performers but did receive more total positive feedback. Supplemental issues, possible explanations, and implications of the findings are discussed.     

RECONSIDERING THE EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW: A REVIEW OF RECENT LITERATURE AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

Literature since the last comprehensive review of research on the employment interview is summarized, and suggestions for future studies in this area are described. Major changes in findings regarding the validity of the interview, the impact of applicant sex, and the effect of interviewer characteristics/behavior on applicant reactions, as well as other issues, are reported. Contrary to the widely held belief that the interview has low validity, recent research indicates at least modest validity for this selection tool. Conversely, the effect of the campus interview on applicant reactions has been seriously questioned. Researchers are urged to examine several areas in social psychology, including the literature on attitudes-intentions-behavior, the elaboration likelihood model, and theories of discrimination to achieve greater understanding of the employment interview.     

Physical fitness, body image, and locus of control in college freshman men and women

This study examined the relations among physical fitness, body image, and locus of control. The Hall-Physical Fitness Test Profile, the Winstead and Cash Body Self-relations Questionnaire (BSRQ) and the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale were administered to 243 freshmen. Women were significantly more positive about their physical appearance than men. Men were more positive about their physical fitness than women. Men were more physically fit than women. Men and women scoring in the internal direction viewed the physical fitness domain of their body image positively. Unlike men, internally oriented women had more positive perceptions of the health aspect of their body image. Physically fit men and women had positive attitudes toward the physical fitness component of their body image. Physically fit men differed from physically fit women in that men were more internal and held more positive attitudes toward the physical health dimension of their body images.     

Aversiveness of denatonium saccharide and quinine in grasshopper mice Onychomys leukogaster

The responses toward denatonium saccharide and quinine by three rodent species differ from those exhibited by humans. This study measured the relative aversiveness of these two compounds in grasshopper mice (Onychomys leucogaster) to determine if this species responded similarly to or differently from these other rodents. In a choice test, the mice clearly preferred quinine over denatonium saccharide at concentrations of 1/10,000 and 1/50,000, but only marginally preferred quinine at a concentration of 1/1000. When denatonium or quinine was paired with toxicosis, both suppressed drinking at concentrations from 1/10,000 to 1/50,000, but only denatonium suppressed drinking at 1/100,000. Neither compound suppressed drinking at 1 part in million. Grasshopper mice perceived denatonium saccharide as more aversive than quinine in both experiments. Such a response resembled the behavior of humans more than that of the other three rodents previously tested.     

Relation of cognitive operational performance to comprehension and production of dimensional adjectives

This study compared normal developing children, aged 34 to 51 mo., on comprehension and production of relative dimensional adjectives using object manipulations in a close elicitation procedure and on Piagetian operational tests of conservation of continuous quantity, length, reversibility and seriation. Analysis indicated a significant difference on the expressive language performance of the transitional and the concrete operational children over the preoperational children, but no significant differences occurred between the first two groups. Children who performed better on seriation were significantly better on expressive language performance. Children classified as operational for length performed better on all language measures than those classified as nonoperational. Reversibility and conservation of a continuous quantity did not differentiate children.     

Stereotypical beliefs about overweight and smoking and decision-making in assignments to sales territories

This study examined job bias associated with business students' role-playing as sales managers who assigned trainees to sales territories. Personal characteristics of being extremely overweight and being a heavy smoker were studied. Research participants were given a personnel record (training record) of a sales trainee and asked to make a sales territory assignment decision; three vacant territories were also described. The participants were told to assign the trainee to one of the territories or to indicate a preference to not have the recruit assigned to any territory within the role-playing manager's region. Analysis indicates that a sales recruit described as extremely overweight was less likely to be assigned to an important or desirable sales territory and more likely to be assigned to an undesirable territory or not selected at all for an assignment within a sales region. Those described as heavy smokers were similarly treated but to a lesser degree. Overweight saleswomen were discriminated against more than overweight salesmen.