A comparison of the work needs,attitudes, and preferences of professional accountants at different career stages

Although the concept of career stages has played an increasingly important role in vocational psychology, little research exists on career stage differences among professionals. In the present study, a sample of male professional accountants (N = 764) at different career stages were compared with respect to their work needs, work attitudes (intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction, organizational and professional commitment), and vocational preferences. Accountants at different stages were found to differ significantly in their needs, work attitudes, and the extent to which they fit the Conventional type in Holland's model. In particular, accountants over the age of 60, in the preretirement stage of their career, when compared to their younger counterparts, reported significantly lower levels of job satisfaction but higher levels of organizational and professional commitment, and they demonstrate weaker higher-order needs but stronger security needs.     

Comprehension of complex sentences in children at three levels of cognitive development

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between level of cognitive development and the comprehension of complex sentences in children. Twenty males and 20 females at the preoperational and concrete operational levels of cognitive development who were attending regular first-, fourth-, and seventh-grade classes served as subjects. Four examples each of parallel and nonparallel function forms of center-embedded and right-branching sentences served as stimuli within an object-manipulation task. The sentences were also described in terms of those containing a reversed word order clause, a clause with a role change (nonparallel function), neither, or both. Preoperational children could interpret sentences containing neither reversed word order nor role change as well as concrete operational children. Concrete operational children providing identity and reversibility arguments during conservation tasks had a significantly higher accuracy rate on sentences containing either role change or reversed word order than preoperational children. Concrete operational children providing reversibility, identity, and compensation arguments had a significantly higher accuracy rate on sentences containing role change and both role change and reversed word order than any other group of children. Preoperational children were noted to rely heavily on the use of word-order strategy to decode the sentences. Reliance on this strategy decreased as cognitive level advanced.     

Rule identity classification of name and shape stimuli

Displays consisting of two names, two shapes, or a name printed inside a shape, were classified by the report “Yes” if both components were ‘compact’ (square or cirle combinations) or if both were ‘elongated’ (ellipse and oblong combinations). Displayswhich did not conform to this rule were classified by the report “No”. An analysis of “Yes” RTs indicated that name-name combinations were classified rapidly at a physical identity level, but relatively slowly at the rule identity level. “No” RTs to name-name displays were significantly slower than RTs to shape-shape or name-shape displays. However, “No” RTs were not delayed when the display components were visually similar. These results are discussed in relation to some current theories about the semantic representation of object names.     

Evaluation of Guidance Programs: Call the Question

Difficulties of time, counselor qualifications, appropriateness of the evaluating criteria, and concern for a positive impact on education confront those who attempt to evaluate guidance programs. These obstacles have been overcome in some programs. The notion that evaluation is on a priority level equal to that of other guidance practices is a most important concept. Evaluation may lead to improvement of the qualify of the impact of guidance programs on the educational setting. Also, evaluation should help counselors define more clearly their role in the public schools.     

Testing hypotheses regarding rape: Exposure to sexual violence,sex differences,and the “normality” of rapists

Three hypotheses on the subject of rape were addressed empirically. The first concerns the effects of exposure to sexual violence on reactions to rape. Males and females were first exposed to either a sadomasochistic or a nonviolent version of the same sexual passage and then to a portrayal of rape. Responses to the rape showed interactions between gender and previous exposure: In comparison to males who had read the nonviolent version, males exposed to the sadomasochistic story were more sexually aroused to the rape depiction and more punitive toward the rapist whereas females evidenced differences in the opposite direction. Simple effects analyses for each gender, however, yielded significant differences for the punitiveness measure only and for males only. In addressing the second hypothesis, gender differences were found in the perception of rape. Third, the assertion that rape may be an extension of normal sexual patterns was explored. Subjects were found to believe that a high percentage of men would rape if assured of not being punished and that a substantial percentage of women would enjoy being victimized. While both genders shared these beliefs, very few women believed that they personally would derive pleasure from victimization. Surprisingly, more than half of the males indicated some likelihood that they themselves would rape if assured of not being punished. The association between this self-report and general attitudes toward rape revealed a pattern that bears striking similarity to the callous attitudes often held by convicted rapists.     

Freedom,foreknowledge, and betting

Certain kinds of prediction, foreknowledge, and future-oriented action appear to require settled future truths. But open futurists think that the future is metaphysically unsettled: if it is open whether p is true, then it cannot currently be settled that p is true. So, open futurists—and libertarians who adopt the position—face the objection that their view makes rational action and deliberation impossible. I defuse the epistemic concern: open futurism does not entail obviously counterintuitive epistemic consequences or prevent rational action.