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Articles 1 - 13 of 13

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Psychophysically Derived Work Frequencies Associated With Roof Shingling Operations Involving Change In Grade, Sang Dae Choi Dec 2003

Psychophysically Derived Work Frequencies Associated With Roof Shingling Operations Involving Change In Grade, Sang Dae Choi

Dissertations

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of roof slope on psychophysical roof shingling frequency. Twelve healthy males (21-30 years old) were used as participants. Experiment one was designed to determine Maximum Acceptable Roof Shingling Frequency (MARSF) for a workday period using psychophysical methodology. Results indicate that 198 shingles/hr is an acceptable roof shingling frequency for a workday. Furthermore, 2 hours is an acceptable testing period (equivalent to the workday). Postural sway and physiological variables support these findings. Experiment two was designed to study the effect of slope (18°, 26°, and 34°) on MARSF. Experiment two indicates …


Swat Team Composition And Effectiveness, Deanna Marie Putney Aug 2003

Swat Team Composition And Effectiveness, Deanna Marie Putney

Doctoral Dissertations

A field study examined team effectiveness in relation to group composition in thirty-four (34) Specialized Weapons and Tactical (SWAT) Teams. Data collection during a five-day, work-focused, SWAT team competition and included judges’ ratings of team performance, a questionnaire among team members and leaders to assess individual personality traits conscientiousness and agreeableness, and perceptions of team performance, norms, and conflict. Hypotheses derived from current research and theory. Results showed that the team maximum conscientiousness score correlated positively with member-rated team performance, as predicted. Team average and minimum conscientiousness correlated with leader-rated team viability; whereas, only the maximum conscientiousness team score correlated …


Identifying The Dimensions Of Integrity: A Confirmatory And Discriminant Validity Analysis, Arlene Pace Green Jul 2003

Identifying The Dimensions Of Integrity: A Confirmatory And Discriminant Validity Analysis, Arlene Pace Green

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

While Integrity tests have demonstrated significant predictive and concurrent validity, the meaning and structure of integrity test scores are not well understood. The purpose of the present investigation was to empirically verify the results of a previous study that used an inductive method to define integrity and identify its constituent dimensions (Green, 1999). Specifically, the present investigation used item analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, discriminant validity analysis, and an analysis of social desirability to test the validity of the five integrity dimensions identified by Green (1999): Concern for Others, Conscientiousness, Emotional Control, Fairness, and Honesty. Results confirmed that Integrity acts as …


Using Protocol Analysis To Help Determine The Behavioral Function Of Conducting Safety Observations, Alicia M. Alvero Jun 2003

Using Protocol Analysis To Help Determine The Behavioral Function Of Conducting Safety Observations, Alicia M. Alvero

Dissertations

Recent research endeavors have demonstrated the existence of an observer effect . In other words, conducting safety observations increases the safetyperformance of the observer, and may result in safety-related verbalizations. The purpose of this study was to help determine whether observers make self-verbalizations regarding their safety performance and whether these reports are functionally related to safety performance. In order to answer these questions two experiments were conducted using both protocol analysis and the silent dog method. Protocol analysis is used by cognitive scientists to analyze thethoughts of a person as they perform a task, and the silent dog method allows …


Modeling The Decision Process Of A Joint Task Force Commander, John Anthony Sokolowski Apr 2003

Modeling The Decision Process Of A Joint Task Force Commander, John Anthony Sokolowski

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The U.S. military uses modeling and simulation as a tool to help meet its warfighting needs. A key element within military simulations is the ability to accurately represent human behavior. This is especially true in a simulation's ability to emulate realistic military decisions. However, current decision models fail to provide the variability and flexibility that human decision makers exhibit. Further, most decision models are focused on tactical decisions and ignore the decision process of senior military commanders at the operational level of warfare. In an effort to develop a better decision model that would mimic the decision process of a …


An Analysis Of The Relationships Between The Perceived Organizational Climate And Professional Burnout In Libraries And Computing Centers In West Virginia Public Higher Education Institutions, Arnold R. Miller Jan 2003

An Analysis Of The Relationships Between The Perceived Organizational Climate And Professional Burnout In Libraries And Computing Centers In West Virginia Public Higher Education Institutions, Arnold R. Miller

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between the perceived organizational climate and professional burnout in libraries and computing services units in West Virginia higher education. Research questions were defined to investigate the differences between libraries and computing services units in the perceived organizational climate, professional burnout, organizational climate vs. burnout, demographics vs. organizational climate, demographics vs. burnout, and the combined effects of demographics and organizational climate upon burnout. The Work Environment Scale (WES) Form R, third edition, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) HSS, third edition, and a demographic questionnaire measured the organizational climate, burnout, and demographics. …


Persuasive Behavior As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Strategic Behavior And Leadership Effectiveness, Daniel Rojas Vieira Jan 2003

Persuasive Behavior As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Strategic Behavior And Leadership Effectiveness, Daniel Rojas Vieira

Theses Digitization Project

Based on the notion that leader behaviors are mutually facilitative on their effects on leader effectiveness, this study tested the hypothesis that Persuasive behaviors enhance the predictive relationship between Strategic behaviors and Leadership Effectiveness. Persuasive was hypothesized to act as an enhancer based on the notion that the leader's ability to influence others and develop followership can enhance the impact of a leader's ability to set strategy, provide direction, make decisions and plan on perceived effectiveness.


An Examination Of The Perceptions Held Towards Older Workers: A Comparison Of Information Technology And Non Information Technology Companies, Robin Liane Tuck Jan 2003

An Examination Of The Perceptions Held Towards Older Workers: A Comparison Of Information Technology And Non Information Technology Companies, Robin Liane Tuck

Theses Digitization Project

The focus of this thesis is to examine perceptions held towards older workers across industries. The perceptions of Human Resource personnel and hiring managers recruiting for Information Technologist were compared to the perceptions of Human Resource personnel and hiring managers recruiting for various other positions.


The Relationship Between Person-Organization Fit, Attribution Theory, And Psychological Contract Violations Within Organizational Settings, Sarah Elizabeth Phillips Jan 2003

The Relationship Between Person-Organization Fit, Attribution Theory, And Psychological Contract Violations Within Organizational Settings, Sarah Elizabeth Phillips

Theses Digitization Project

This study makes an attempt at bridging the theory between the constructs of person-organization (P-O) fit and psychological contract violations, through attribution theory.


Construct Validation Of Common Format Biodata Within The Public Sector, James Foster Baxter Jan 2003

Construct Validation Of Common Format Biodata Within The Public Sector, James Foster Baxter

Theses Digitization Project

Biographical data inventories (biodata) have one of the best predictors of job performance criteria for over 100 hundred years. Similarly, CommonFormat Biodata (CFB) inventories have also demonstrated their ability to predict certain performance criteria. There are two common themes and tow common sub-themes typically associated with CFB intruments, Education, experience, time, and specificity respectively. The major purpose of this paper was to employ a confirmatory factor analysis strategy to construct and validate a CFB inventory.


Examining The Equivalence Of Rater Groups In 360-Degree Feedback For Use In Leadership Development, Amy Fitzgibbons Jan 2003

Examining The Equivalence Of Rater Groups In 360-Degree Feedback For Use In Leadership Development, Amy Fitzgibbons

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study assessed the seldom-considered aspect of measurement equivalence across the three most common rater groups in 360-degree feedback systems. The graded response model for polytomous items was used to assess differential functioning of items and tests and applied to an archival data set of 664 ratees to determine the equivalence of peer, subordinate, and supervisor ratings of four leadership competencies. The results indicate that the leadership competencies were invariant across the three rater groups. The results and conclusions produced are discussed with practical implications in mind.


An Examination Of Personality As A Predictor Of Guard Behavior In A Virtual Environment, Jean M. Catanzaro Jan 2003

An Examination Of Personality As A Predictor Of Guard Behavior In A Virtual Environment, Jean M. Catanzaro

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Military personnel need access to realistic training tools that can provide a safe environment in which to acquire skills that will generalize to real world tasks. A virtual environment (VE) is one such tool. The focus of the present study was to evaluate a VE as a training tool for military guards. The first goal was to examine the potential of VE technology to provide effective training for standing watch at a military checkpoint. The second goal was to study a set of personality traits that might predict performance. Participants completed the NEO Personality Inventory and were trained to perform …


Proactive Personality And The Big Five As Predictors Of Motivation To Learn, Jonathan E. Turner Jan 2003

Proactive Personality And The Big Five As Predictors Of Motivation To Learn, Jonathan E. Turner

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In an environment of changing psychological contracts, corporate downsizing, and increases in alternative self-paced training delivery channels, motivation to learn is believed to represent a key variable in employee self-development that distinguishes employees who will thrive from those who will not. Predicting this variable, then, becomes an important step in managing workforce development and helping employees help themselves. Therefore, the efficacy of relevant personality characteristics as predictors of motivation to learn was investigated. Proactive personality and the Big Five factors of personality were hypothesized to be predictive of motivation to learn. These personality variables are relevant because they have been …