Psychology Commons^™

Improving The Accuracy Of Performance Evaluations: A Comparison Of Three Methods Of Performance Appraiser Training, Jerry Willard Hedge

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Researchers in the area of rater training have relied almost exclusively on rater error measures to assess training effectiveness. A reduction in rater tendency to commit these errors subsequent to training is viewed as evidence that these raters have become more accurate in rating their employees. This assumed relationship between rater errors and rating accuracy has recently been questioned. This uncertain relationship between psychometric errors and accuracy was the focus of the current research effort. Supervisory personnel were trained under one of three training programs (psychometric error training, observation training, or decision-making training). Halo, leniency, range restriction and accuracy measures …

The Effects Of Task Experience, Goal Setting, And Knowledge Of Results On Performance And Task-Goal Attributes, Edward Scott Wright

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Two laboratory studies were conducted to determine the relationships between task-goal attributes and the necessary and sufficient conditions for goal setting and knowledge of results (KR) to influence task performance. The first study tested the effects of task experience and goal setting on performance of an arithmetic computation task. Perceived goal difficulty, effort, expectancy of goal attainment, and goal acceptance were assessed with a questionnaire. The results demonstrated that only goals influenced effort and perceived goal difficulty, while task experience and goals influenced expectancy of goal attainment and goal acceptance. The relationships between these variables indicated that as effort and …

An Attributional Analysis Of The Expectancy Component Of Motivation Theory, John Edward Mathieu

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Many modern work motivation theories are based at least in part on individuals’ subjective expectancies regarding successful job performance. However, the antecedent conditions and developmental process inherent in these formulations have yet to be specifies clearly. The present study utilizes the components of Social Learning Theory and Attribution Theory to examine these conditions in a laboratory setting. Experimental and correlational techniques were used to explore the relative contributions of both state and trait variables on causal attributions. Differences among causal attributions rated on relevance versus quantity were illustrated. Additionally, the underlying processes relating causal attributions, affective responses and future expectancy …

Causal Modeling Of Organizational Commitment, Karin E. Klenke-Hamel

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This research was designed to develop a model of organizational commitment by establishing a causal network among three individual characteristics--tenure, work motivation, and job satisfaction--two organizational/structural variables--decentralization and formalization,--and two job facets--the job characteristic model and job stress--as determinants of commitment.

The proposed model was tested on male and female samples represented by five occupational groups ranging from blue collar to professional workers. Successive iterations of a path analytic technique indicated that across the five occupational categories, job satisfaction was the single most important determinant of organizational commitment. However, if the facets of job satisfaction were examined more closely, important …

An Analysis Of The Relationships Between Environmental Stimuli Personality Variables And Levels Of Burnout In Intensive Care Nurses, Catherine Via Cauthorne

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The syndrome of burnout is characterized by the development of negative self-perceptions and behaviors designed to protect oneself from emotional distress in a worker as a result of painful emotional stress generated by interactions between psychological demands from the work environment, personality needs of the worker, and the worker's self-perceived difficulty in meeting these demands and needs. The contributions of both environmental characteristics and personality traits to burnout levels were examined in a group of 45 intensive care nurses. Tests used included the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, a data questionnaire, the Survey of Organizations, and the Maslach Burnout …

The Relationship Between Job Characteristics And Job Satisfaction For Engineers And Engineering Students, Sherry L. Hoy

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

A modified version of Hackman Lawler's job characteristics model was used to investigate the relationships between pre-employment perceptions of job characteristics and expectations tor job satisfaction in a sample of 111 engineering students. In lieu of a longitudinal designs a sample of 86 professional engineers were accessed as a comparison group. The independent variables included in the study were: (a) the six job characteristics in the Job Characteristics Inventory (variety autonomy task identity, feedback dealing with others and friendship opportunities) (b) three measures of job satisfaction from the short-form of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (general, intrinsic and extrinsic) and (c) …

Burnout Among Elementary And Secondary Special Education Teachers In Self-Contained And Resource Classrooms, Pamela Knox Jones

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The goals of the present study were threefold: (1) to determine if there is a difference in the degree of reported burnout between elementary and secondary special education teachers, (2) to determine if there is a difference in the degree of reported burnout between self-contained and resource special education teachers, and (3) to identify the characteristics inherent in the role of special education teachers that best predict the presence of burnout. Ninety-three subjects from three school systems responded to a 16-item Likert scale describing potential correlates of

burnout, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and a demographic data sheet. Type of class, …

The Effects Of Naloxone And Interstimulation Interval On Post-Ictal Depression In Kindled Seizures, Michael Frederick Jarvis

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Three experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of naloxone hydrochloride on the seizure parameters (after discharge and motor seizure thresholds and durations) and post-ictal depression in kindled seizures. In Experiment 1, eight male hooded rats were exposed to four naloxone doses {2, 5, 10 mg/kg and a saline control) during a threshold testing procedure. In this factorial design, naloxone was found to have no effect on either the basic seizure parameters or post-ictal depression. Experiment 2 examined the effects of both naloxone dosage and inter­ stimulation interval (ISI) on kindled seizures. Eight male hooded rats were exposed to factorial …

Examination Of The Self-Starvation Phenomenon, Elizabeth Woodard Pitts

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Rats on restricted feeding schedules are able to maintain a stable body weight by reducing activity output. It has been found, however, that if rats on restricted feeding schedules are given access to activity wheels, activity increases and food intake decreases which results in severe gastric ulceration and death. The present study re-examined results which suggested food palabability (wet versus dry chow) was a significant factor in self-starvation. In addition, all prior research examining the self-starvation phenomenon (with only one exception using hamsters) fed nocturnal rodents during the normally non-active light portion of their daily cycle. The results indicated that …

The Effects Of Rater-Ratee Discrepancies And Interview Processes On Appraisal Effectiveness, Scott I. Tannenbaum

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Forty-two performance appraisal interviews, at two urban hospitals, were examined to assess the relative effects of rater-ratee discrepancies and interview processes on appraisal effectiveness. This study attempted to improve on the methodology of previous research by: using multi-item scales, incorporating hierarchical regression analyses, and requesting completion of post-interview questionnaires within 24 hours of the interview. Discrepancy between self-ratings and supervisor's initial evaluations were collected prior to the interview. In addition, nurses' perceptions of the interview processes and appraisal effectiveness were measured via a post-interview questionnaire. It was found that discrepancies affected subsequent interview processes, which in turn were related to …

Victim-Defendant Relationship And Juror Attitudes Towards Rape As Mediators Of Attribution Of Responsibility For Rape, Robert L. Fauber Jr.

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study attempted to examine the effect of specific information about the prior relationship between victim and defendant on subjects' attributive behavior in a case of rape, as well as the relative power of subjects' general attitudes towards rape in predicting their decisions in ambiguous vs. more clear-cut cases. Seventy-two (72) male and seventy-two (72) female undergraduate subjects read one of three written accounts of a rape case in which the sexual component of the prior victim-defendant relationship was varied. They were then asked for their judgements about the responsibility of both the victim and defendant for the rape, …

Incidental And Intentional Recall Of Item Names And Spatial Locations, Lois Ann Scovel

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Recent studies have indicated that there are no differences between the incidental and intentional recall of spatial location; whereas, intentional recall is superior to incidental recall of verbal information. In order to examine the variables that affect recall, second graders, fifth graders and adults were instructed to learn the location or the name of seven highly discriminable or less discriminable objects presented in a spatial array. Analysis of names recalled indicated that high discriminability enhanced recall, and that intent to learn facilitated recall, particularly for adult males. Recall increased with age, and females recalled more names than did males. Analysis …

Lithium Chlorine-Induced Food Aversions In The Toad (Bufo Americanus), Paul R. Vaughan

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This research established that a strong and persistent food aversion can be produced in the toad (Bufo americanus), using lithium chloride­ prey pairings. No previous study has reported taste-illness aversions in amphibians. The first of three experiments established this aversion learning and also suggested that prior "safe" exposures to a prey had little effect on subsequent aversive conditioning to that food (mealworm). No effect on general eating behavior as measured by response to another prey object (cricket) was observed in the initial study. The second experiment tested the effectiveness of five different dosages of a hypertonic LiCl solution (.5 M …

Reciprocal Self-Disclosure In Mixed-Race And Same-Race Dyads, David Roger Sholis

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Sixty-four male teenage residents (32 white, 32 black) of a juvenile detention home were exposed to intimate self-disclosure from an experimental confederate posing as a volunteer at the facility. Subjects were assigned to one of eight conditions which varied subject race (white or black), confederate race (white or black), and content of confederate disclosure (depression or substance abuse). Following the confederate's disclosure, each subject revealed in return and then completed a questionnaire measuring various dimensions of attraction to the confederate. Subjects disclosed more intimately and gave higher ratings of liking, trust, and similarity to same-race partners. Also, black subjects reported …

The Relationship Of Cognitive Complexity-Simplicity To Occupational Role Perception, Raymond Boetcher

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present research investigates the relationship of cognitive complexity-simplicity to consensus in occupational role perception between subordinate and. supervisor. The research literature indicates that role consensus for specified positions is seldom found, and. that such disparities are well-documented for various educational roles. A sample of elementary school teachers and their immediate supervisors from three southeastern Virginia school systems were administered the Role Dimension Profile Scale in order to measure the importance of various behavioral role statements. Average ratings per role dimension were computed and difference scores were obtained. for each individual teacher and his or her supervisor. Teachers were divided …

The Relationship Between Attributional Style And Learned Helplessness In Interpersonal Situations, Hedy L. Weinberger

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

An initial investigation was done to assess the relationship between attributional style and learned helplessness in an interpersonal situation. Forty female subjects were given the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ) at the beginning of the semester and were called a month or more later to participate in a dating experiment. The subjects gave attributions for rejection and acceptance for the dating situations as well as their expectations for being accepted by each man. Depressive affect was measured at the beginning of the experiment, after the first rejection and after they were to assume a second rejection or acceptance. The ASQ was …

Polydipsia's Contribution To The Temporal Discrimination Of Rats In The Development Of Fixed Interval Behavior And As A Function Of Fixed Interval Length, Linda Griffith Cruser

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

A two-phase experiment was undertaken to study the contribution of polydipsia, excessive water drinking, to the temporal discrimination of rats on fixed internal schedules of 60, 120, 180, and 300 seconds. In the first phase of the experiment, the timing accuracy of 12 rats who had access to water was compared to 12 rats who had no water. The rats were trained for 25 sessions on an FI 60-second schedule. In early sessions, before polydipsia was fully developed, no differences emerged between the timing accuracy of the water and no-water groups. As the amount of water drunk by the water …

Disidentification And Volitional Activation: New Approaches To The Treatment Of Cigarette Smoking, Paul Donley Lidstrom

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Two previously untested humanistic treatment strategies adopted from Assagioli's psychosynthesis were evaluated for effectiveness in reducing cigarette smoking. Forty subjects were assigned to four treatment conditions arranged in a 0 X 3 (Treatment X Time) repeated measures factorial design. The four treatment groups consisted of a disidentification group, a volitional activation group, a combined treatment group, and a maximally effective placebo controls Smokers were seen in small groups for five 30 minute treatment sessions in the course of a week. All groups showed significant reductions from baseline smoking rates at 1-week and 6-week followups. At 1-week followup, the disidentification group …

How Young Children Perceive Their Teachers: A Developmental Study, Mary Meta Lowe

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This is a developmental study of how young children perceive their teachers. The primary aims of the study are: 1) to provide a developmental picture of elementary school children's perceptions of their teachers, and 2) to determine the accuracy of teachers' awareness of the perceptions of the children. Instrumental to these primary aims are two subordinate objectives: 1) to construct a scale of reactions to teacher characteristic behaviors that are understandable for young children and yet meaningful to adults, and 2) to test the utility of the scale for obtaining measures of affect. Within each of two schools, approximately 15 …

Self-Starvation Of Rats In Running Wheels As A Function Of Activity-Food Interval And Food Consistency, Ingrid Kalwas Stephens

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Rats under restricted food schedules are generally capable of maintaining stable body weights by reducing energy output. However, if they are given access to running wheels, they fail to respond with this adaptive strategy. Instead, they show an increase in activity and a paradoxical decrease in caloric intake, leading to the development of stomach ulcers and death. Since food-yoked controls kept in standard cages remain ulcer-free and survive, the formation of stomach lesions appears to be due to the combination of increased energy expenditure and insufficient food intake. The present study attempted to attenuate this self-starvation effect by providing more …

The Ability Of Young Children To Recognize Facial Photographs Of Young Children, Young Adults, And Senior Citizens, Barbara Bell Bruff

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

A review of the literature on facial recognition including a description of its development from birth to old age, hypothesized reasons for its unique development, and factors which affect it, reveals the need for facial recognition studies involving the young child. Twenty children (10 males, 10 females) at each of three ages (3, 5, and 7 years) were presented with 30 pictures of persons of both sexes from three age groups (3-7, 18-25, and 50 years and above). A testing procedure followed in which each child was asked to pick out the test picture from a photo album page with …

The Effect Of Tone Frequency Spacing On Perception Of Order In Repeating Tone Sequences, James Raymond Comstock Jr.

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The "stream" hypothesis states that the order of repeating tone sequences in which the tones are closely spaced in frequency is easier for subjects to report, than is the order of sequences in which the tones are widely spaced. To permit a partial replication of prior tests of this hypothesis in the present experiment, a uniformly-spaced-narrow condition (sinusoidal waves spaced at intervals of 1/4 octave), and a uniformly spaced-wide condition (intervals of 1 1/8 octave), were used. Two additional conditions were created to test the hypothesis that a large frequency separation, or "gap," between the highest or lowest tone in …

Effects Of Practice On The Rate Of Gain Of Information In A Paper And Pencil Task, Dennis Howard Jones

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Investigations into the effects of practice on choice reaction time (CRT) performance and the rate of gain of information have produced confusing and often contradictory results. This seems to stem from the fact that (1) a small number of subjects were utilized and (2) there were an insufficient number of experimental conditions. In the present experiments, the author has developed a Reaction Time Battery (RTB) that allows a large group of subjects to be tested efficiently and economically. Using three levels of stimulus uncertainty (1, 2, or 3 bits) factorial to two levels of S-R compatibility (low and high), Experiment …

Figural Identity Effects On The Perception Of Apparent Movement Produced By A Bistable Multielement Motion Display, Don Michael Mcanulty

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study investigated the effect of figural identity, and its interaction with temporal presentation variables, on the perception of apparent movement when the preservation of figural identity did not conflict with the perception of a change in stimulus location. The tachistoscopic presentation of bistable multielement motion displays permitted the analysis of the type of motion perceived (either one element or the group of elements), rather than the probability of perceiving motion, which eliminated the conflict between the figural preservation and locational displacement of the stimuli. Twelve subjects nested in each of three stimulus configuration ensembles (N = 36) were …

Effects Of Sleep Loss On Information-Processing In An Absolute Judgment Task As A Function Of Task Difficulty, Frieda O'Steen Carlton

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The effects of 36 hours of sleep loss on information-processing were assessed in an absolute judgment task. Of the 24 subjects employed, 12 served in the sleep-loss (experimental) and control conditions, respectively. All subjects were tested individually for a total of ten sessions; the control group was tested on ten consecutive days, whereas the experimental subjects were tested every four hours over a 36-hour period of sleep loss, and at a recovery session following approximately 12 hours of rest and recovery. The task required subjects to make absolute judgments of the size of two small circles of light and to …

The Retention And Maintenance Of An Information Processing Skill, Jerry Willard Hedge

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In the performance of most skilled activities, there are definite limits to the proficiency attainable by an individual. These limits and how they affect the retention and maintenance of a skill are of major interest to performance-- assessment research. While much is known about verbal and motor skill retention, very little research has focused on the long~term retention and maintenance of information processing skills. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the extent to which the information processing skills involved in a typical choice reaction time (CRT) task are retained and maintained over periods of two to eight …

The Effects Of An Alternative Training Program And Increased Rates Information On Halo Error And Accuracy, Robert J. Jones

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Cognitive And Behavioral Effects Of Participant Modeling: A Comparison With An Equally Credible Placebo, Bruce Dennis Etringer

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Thirty-eight snake phobic subjects were given one session of either participant modeling, an initially equally credible placebo treatment, or experienced a no-treatment control condition. Both the subjects in the participant modeling and placebo treatments showed significant changes on both behavioral and self-report indices, with the participant modeling subjects evidencing significantly greater improvement across conditions. Between group differences were not obtained at a four week follow-up, possibly as a result of shortness of treatment and differential attrition. Although initially equal across treatments, credibility increased significantly for the participant modeling group and stayed virtually the same for the placebo group. Differential concepts …

The Effects Of Stimulus Flooding Procedures With Acrophobia: A Test Of Nonspecific Treatment Effects, Gil Krawitz

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Twenty acrophobics recruited from the community and 11 undergraduate student acrophobics were assigned randomly to either a stimulus flooding condition or a placebo control condition.

Initially, care was taken to ensure that the treatments were not significantly different on the dimensions of treatment credibility and generated expectancy for improvement. Additional

measures of expectancy for improvement and treatment believability were taken during and after treatment. Results indicated that neither treatment was significantly different on any of the expectancy measures or on behavioral and self'-report measures of outcome performance. Furthermore, subjects' belief in the efficacy of treatment was significantly correlated with improvement …

The Use Of Picture-Symbol Pairings To Demonstrate Fading In Preschoolers Of Normal Intelligence, Donna Edwards Slaughter

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Forty preschoolers were exposed to one of four groups in which the manner of presenting a stimulus, which consisted of a picture and a symbol, was varied. In the Standard (Std.) group, picture and symbol were ~f equal visibility, while the picture gradually became less visible over successive trials in the Fade· Picture Out (FPO) group. The Increase Symbol Size (ISS) group had the picture remain clearly visible and the symbol gradually increase in size while the Fade Picture Out-Increase Symbol Size (FPO-ISS) group had both the picture become less visible and the symbol increase in size over trials. A …