Industrial and Organizational Psychology Commons^™

Communicating With Graphic User Interfaces: A Comparison Of Menu Selection And Menu Bypass Techniques, Monty Lee Hammontree

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study was conducted in two phases to determine design tradeoffs relating to command bar menu and bypass code-based techniques for interacting with computers. Forty eight subjects participated. In the first phase of the experiment, mouse-, chorded key-, and function key-based menu selection techniques were compared. It was found that menus were accessed much faster with spatially mapped function keys as compared to chorded key sequences or mouse inputs, and that relative to mouse inputs compatible letter keys lead to faster command selection times. Further, the function key-based technique yielded the fastest combined access and selection times, the fastest …

Determinants Of Feedback-Seeking Behaviors, Melinda J. Montgomery

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the present research was to evaluate the effects of the level of task difficulty, the value of the goal, and the amount of effort required to obtain feedback on the frequency of feedback-seeking behaviors (FSB). The design was a 2 (task difficulty) x 2 (goal value) x 2 (effort) x 3 (day) mixed model analysis of variance. Eighty undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of eight experimental conditions. Each participant played a computerized stock market game for three "days". Three types of referent feedback and three types of appraisal feedback were available. The results indicated that more …

Computer Use In The Scientific Office, Douglas L. Miller

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Over the past two decades computers in research and development organizations have become a complex and integral part of the work process. Yet to date only a handful of systematic investigations have addressed issues involving scientists' or other professionals' use of computers, and very little is known about factors influencing use (Bikson and Gutek, 1983; Blacker and Brown, 1986; Collopy, 1988; Gasser, 1986; Helander, 1985; Nickolson, 1985; Pope, 1985). As a result, this research was designed to address four objectives. The first was to develop and evaluate a descriptive model of variables influencing scientists' computer use. The second objective was …

Operator Strategies Under Varying Conditions Of Workload, Ruth Justine Arnegard

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study attempted to operationally define and measure strategic behavior in a complex multiple task environment. The Multi-Attribute Task battery was developed to simulate various aspects of flight and consisted of an auditory communication task, monitoring tasks, a tracking task, a resource management task which allowed a wide range of responding patterns, and a scheduling window which allowed operators to predict changes in workload. This battery was validated for its sensitivity to strategic behavior and baseline measures for each individual task were collected.

Twenty-four undergraduate and graduate students then performed the battery for four 64-minute sessions which took place …

The Effects Of Job Characteristics And Task Decomposition On The Estimation Of The Dollar-Value Of Performance, Robert P. Delprino

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate the influence of job characteristics and structuring aids on the accuracy and acceptance of managers' estimates of the standard deviation of job performance in dollars (i.e., SD_y). The job characteristics consisted of critical incidents of work behaviors and existing performance appraisal dimensions. The structuring aids consisted of full algorithm and partial algorithm procedures. In addition, a global estimation procedure was included in the design and served as a control condition. Participants were 96 nursing managers. Through the use of questionnaires, the managers provided dollar-value estimates of the value of low, …

The Effects Of Training And Feedback Format On Reactions To In-Basket Feedback And On In-Basket Performance, Michael G. Fedorko

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of training and feedback format on reactions to in-basket feedback and on in-basket performance. Performance was evaluated with a 2 (Training) x 3 (Feedback) x 2 (In-Basket) x 5 (Dimension) repeated measures factorial design. Reactions were evaluated with a 2 (Training) x 3 (Feedback) x 2 (Questionnaire) repeated measures factorial design. The Training factor was comprised of frame-of-reference training (designed to prepare the recipient to receive the feedback) and a control condition (a lecture on Mintzberg's managerial role classification system). The Feedback factor was comprised of written feedback, oral feedback, …

Validation Of The Human Factors Satisfaction Questionnaire, James Carlopio

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In order to predict behavior in organizations, it is important to understand and to consider both the individual employee and his/her interaction with the physical work environment. The main purpose of this research was to gather evidence of the validity of the Human Factors Satisfaction Questionnaire (HFSQ) in order to provide a tool with which employees' preceptions of several elements of their physical work environments can be measured. The physical work environment and its relationship to both organization theory and motivation theory is discussed. Evidence of the construct validity of the HFSQ was sought through the administration of the HFSQ …

Comparison Of The Efficacy Of General And Specific Performance Dimensions In An Operational Assessment Center, Wanda J. Campbell

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of three general performance dimensions and 14 specific dimensions on various aspects of rating quality.

The categorization phase of the research tested the hypothesis that categorization accuracy and reliability would be a significantly greater for the general performance dimensions than for the specific dimensions. The results provided partial support for this hypothesis.

The aggregation phase of the research tested the following hypotheses: (1) rating accuracy would be greater when relevant behaviors were displayed with high frequency than when they were displayed with low frequency; (2) rating accuracy would be greater …

Hemispheric Effects Of Verbal Information Processing On Single And Dual Task Performance, Gwendolyn Lorell Pearson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Several theories have been proposed to predict performance when operators time share tasks. The Hemispheres as Resources Model suggests tasks will be performed efficiently together if each hemisphere allocates resources to one task. The Task Hemispheric Integrity Principle predicts the best dual task performance will be found when the shortest processing route is maintained. The purpose of the present study was to test the single and dual task performance predictions of these two models. The concurrent performance of two verbal tasks was used to compare the importance of ear of attention, hemisphere of processing, response hand and gender on task …

An Application Of The Investment Model For Examining The Effects Of Commitment, Self-Efficacy, And Goal Difficulty On Performance, Brian J. Kaufman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This research was designed to test the presumed effects of commitment, self-efficacy, and goal difficulty level on task performance. The investment model of commitment was used to experimentally manipulate commitment levels. Eighty subjects served as their own controls. For a computer typing task, performance baseline was established, then subjects performed additional trials under various commitment-to-study, commitment-to-job, and goal difficulty conditions. Seven hypotheses were tested. Analyses were conducted to determine main effects of commitment-to-study, commitment-to-job, commitment-to-goals and interaction effects among experimental conditions.

Performance score differences were significant for speed, but not accuracy across high and low commitment levels, supporting the hypothesis …

Retirement And Re-Entry Decision-Making: A Faculty Perspective, Seth Zimmer

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Universities are faced with an aging workforce and threatened with deficits in number and quality of replacements for retirees. New policies and programs affecting retirement and workforce re-entry are taking shape. This points to the need for research on the factors used by faculty members in the retirement decision-making process.

Faculty are somewhat unique in that their university roles and responsibilities often allow them to be professionally active simultaneously in other settings. The usual concept of retirement becomes somewhat blurred where faculty members are concerned.

The decision of when to retire and whether or not to re-enter the workforce must …

The Influence Of Perceptions Of Labor Turnover On Stayers' Organizational Commitment, Ellen Ruth Simmons

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study seeks to explain how perceptions of turnover rate affect the organizational commitment (OC) of stayers in an organization as a function of their beliefs as to why turnover has occurred. It examined the attributions of classified employees at Old Dominion University (ODU) about the causes of turnover. Participants were asked to indicate whether they perceived ODU's turnover to be high or low and which of three possible reasons was the most likely cause of co-worker's turnover (i.e., "People most often leave because they are dissatisfied with their jobs", "People most often leave to take a more attractive job …

The Effects Of Life Stress And Risk-Taking Style On Risk Perception And Driver Performance, Christine B. Philput

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the effects of risk-taking style, stress level, and highway environment on driver performance. In Phase I, 50 subjects were assessed for risk-taking style and stress level. In Phase II, the same subjects were presented with slides of traffic situations that varied in terms of risk of accident. This was a paired comparison task in which they rank-ordered ten highway sites, producing a measure of subjective risk. No significant relationships were identified between these subjective risk judgments and objective data regarding those sites (accidents and fatalities), though this is most likely due to problems with the slide presentation. …

Accuracy Of Performance Measurement: An Investigation Of Training Method And Amount Of Practice, Salvatore J. Cesare

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of training method and amount of practice-and-feedback on the accuracy of performance ratings and behavioral observation. This research was a 3 x 3 factorial ANOVA design. Training method was comprised of frame-of-reference, cognitive modeling, and a no-training control group. Practice-and-feedback consisted of 0, 1, and 3 practice trials. Undergraduates (N = 99) were randomly assigned to one of nine experimental conditions. Each participant viewed and rated 7 videotaped interview simulations. The results for performance ratings indicated that (a) frame-of-reference training produced the most accurate ratings for elevation, differential elevation, and …

Causal Analysis Of Disengagement Among Paid And Volunteer City Employees, Margaret Carson Zimmerman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This multivariate test of the full Mobley, Griffeth, Hand, and Meglino (1979) model of turnover used 184 volunteer and 202 paid workers employed as firefighters, library workers, and rescue squad workers. It addressed the issue of whether the motives and behaviors of volunteers could be accommodated by the same model that normally would be applied to paid workers. Little research exists on the characteristics of volunteer workers, and their worth and manageability are commonly denigrated. The study of volunteers is similar jobs to paid workers might reveal much about the disengagement process since the need to maintain a source of …

Assessing Soccer Referee Performance Using Work Sample And Conventional Testing Methods, Robert L. Kuhnle

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

A game simulation consisting of game segments filmed from two camera angles, a behavioral event interview (BEI), a written test, and a physical performance test battery were compared for testing college soccer referees as linesmen. A content-oriented strategy (Alba & Dickinson, 1985) was used to prepare the tests. Sixty-one referees from two testing sites were assigned to one of two conditions of physical demand and one of three experience groups. Strong evidence of criterion-related validity was found for the game simulation from the press box camera angle when game simulation scores were compared with peer ratings and assessment scores. Mixed …

The Effects Of Training Strategies On Assessor Behavior And The Accuracy Of Assessment Center Consensus Ratings, Todd A. Baker

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of four training strategies (e.g., part, whole, individual, and team) on the accuracy of performance ratings and the occurrence of interactive behaviors in consensus meetings. The results were analyzed using a 2 x 2 factorial ANOVA design. Part and whole training strategies were directly compared with one another. Team and individual training strategies made up the other direct comparison. Undergraduates (N = 108) were randomly assigned to four training conditions. The subjects were grouped into teams of three assessors. In these teams the assessors needed to exchange information about assessee …

Principles Of Design For Complex Displays: A Comparative Evaluation, Sharolyn Ann Converse

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study examined the main and interactive effects of information format, information density, principle of information grouping, orientation of the airspeed scale, and task type on response time (RT) and accuracy in a decision making task. Forty-eight college students viewed static displays of primary flight instruments and signaled responses to the displays by pressing keys on the computer keyboard. Three levels of task type were employed. In the current state estimation task, subjects were required to determine whether each individual instrument reading was within prespecified limits. In the future state estimation task, subjects were required to attend to the …

Performance Appraisal Ratings As A Function Of Source Of Ratings And Purpose Of The Appraisal, Richard J. Tannenbaum

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of purpose of appraisal ratings and source of appraisal ratings on four dependent measures: leniency, halo, variability, and construct validity. The purpose factor was comprised of four different levels: merit pay, performance improvement, research only, and no defined appraisal purpose. The rating source factor was comprised of two different levels: incumbent self-ratings, and supervisor ratings. One hundred and nineteen nursing assistants provided the self-ratings, and 39 nurses provided the supervisor ratings. Both sets of ratings were made using a 13-dimension graphic-type rating scale. Analysis of variance procedures were used to test the effects of appraisal …

Preschoolers' And Third Graders' Sorting Preferences And Strategic Knowledge Of Taxonomic Associative And Perceptual Organizational Strategies, Helene Ann Hembrooke

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated strategic use and metamemory concerning taxonomic, associative, and perceptual organizational strategies. Preschool and third grade children were asked to sort stimuli which varied orthogonally along three dimensions; taxonomically, associatively, and perceptually. Free recall was assessed. Each child also completed one of two metamemory tasks; a paired comparison or a peer teaching task. The order of the memory/metamemory tasks was counterbalanced within age groups. The results showed that older children sorted by taxonomic and associative attributes while younger children exhibited no sorting preference. Older children recalled significantly more pictures, although no significant age differences in recall clustering were …

Natural Language Human-Computer Dialogue: Menu-Based Natural Language And Visual Performance, Jeffrey John Hendrickson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study was conducted to determine design principles for menu-based natural language (MBNL) interfaces and to provide evidence for the nature of visual search processes with menu-based systems. The effects of window size, window activity, and query length were investigated. Window size was manipulated as a between-subjects variable with three levels representing a sixteen-item window size, an eight-item window size, and a four-item window size. Window activity was manipulated as a within-subjects variable with two levels representing single active and multiple active windows. Query length was manipulated as a within-subjects variable with three levels representing one-, two-, and three-item …

Investigation Of Display Issues Relevant To The Presentation Of Aircraft Fault Information, Donald Mark Allen

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study investigated the effects of different display, hypothesis presentation, information presentation, and parameter presentation styles on pilot performance. It was hypothesized that performance would be maximal using picture-based displays, presenting hypothesis information as a composite, showing only out-of-tolerance parameter information, and when parameter information was displayed as a bargraph. The results of the study indicated that pilot performance was best when employing picture- and text-based displays, when fault hypotheses were displayed as composites. There were no differences in response times when picture- and text-based displays were compared. Subjects' performances were best when hypotheses were displayed as composites compared …

Dynamic Allocation Of Responsibility Between Operators With Different Models Of System Information Using Computer-Mediated Communication, Michele Terranova

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This research focused on the effectiveness of two operator teams for dynamic control of a process simulation. The responsibility for system optimization and failure detection was shared by the operators through computer-mediated communication. System information was displayed to both operators by one of three mental models of the systems: an alphanumeric/separable representation, a graphic/integral system representation, or both representations. The following team-display configurations were used: primary operator with graphic display, support operator with alphanumeric (GRAL); primary operator with alphanumeric display, support operator with graphic (ALGR); both operators with alphanumeric displays (BOAL); both operators with graphic displays (BOGR); and both operators …

Job Satisfaction Among Female Employees As Predicted By Work Friendships, Melinda Jan Montgomery

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to predict job satisfaction among female employees using social environment variables which relate to work friendships. The predictor variables used were target persons perceived job satisfaction level, breadth of workplace friendships, frequency of interaction, friendship quality, and the interaction of friendship and quality.

Thirty-seven female faculty members and 88 female staff employees at Old Dominion University served as subjects. The subjects were asked to complete the Communal scale {Clark, 1986), selected sections of the Acquaintance Description Form (Wright, 1969, 1974), and the work-in-general scale from the Job Descriptive Index on a co-worker considered …

The Influence Of Direct Versus Indirect Observation, Candidate Report Format, And Assessor Training On The Accuracy Of Assessor Ratings, Rudolph L. Johnson Jr.

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Within the assessment center method, assessors' preliminary evaluations of candidates' performance are typically based on information obtained through direct observation of the candidate's performance in the situational exercise, or on another assessor's report of that performance. This variation is somewhat disconcerting, however, in that its impact on assessor ratings remains largely unstudied. The primary focus of the present study was to assess the differential effects of observation type (i.e., direct observation, dimension-specific report, narrative report) on various measures of rating accuracy. In addition, the present study investigated cognitive modeling as an assessor training strategy, and its impact on rating accuracy. …

Factors Affecting The Efficacy Of Rater Training: Information Type And Mode Of Presentation, Todd A. Silverhart

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In order to enhance the quality of performance ratings, researchers have directed their efforts towards training raters to evaluate performance more accurately. The purpose of the present study was to examine two factors that may affect the efficacy of rater training for improving the accuracy of performance ratings. One factor was the type of information that was presented during training (target score information, behavioral rationale for target scores, or a combination of target score and behavioral rationale). The second factor was the mode in which information was presented during training (feedback or feedforward). In addition to assessing the unique contribution …

Socialization For Professionals An Analysis Of The Process, Influencing Elements, And Outcomes, Catherine Via Cauthorne-Lindstrom

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the process of socialization of professionals in their educational setting and in work organizations after graduation from college. The purpose was twofold: to test an expectancy-based process model of socialization for its ability to predict commitment and retention intentions in both environments, and to identify differences in individuals' cognitive structures and value systems manifested at different points in the socialization process. Additionally, points of conflict between professional and organizational socializations were explored.

Subjects were 154 nurses and 190 teachers. For each of these professions, four subgroups were sampled: (I) students entering the professional phase of education; (II) …

The Influence Of Rater Training, Scale Format, And Rating Justification On The Quality Of Performance Ratings By Three Rater Sources, Steven B. Woods

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The primary focus of the present study was to examine systematically the influence of rater training, scale format, and rating justification on the quality (i.e., convergent and discriminant validity, halo, leniency) of ratings exhibited by three rater sources (i.e., self, peer, observer). Ninety-one undergraduate students participated in a videotaped role play exercise and returned at a later time to take part in a three-hour rating session. These individuals provided self- and peer ratings. Forty-five advanced undergraduate students participated in a similar rating session and provided observer ratings. Convergent validity, discriminant validity, and halo were tested with the multitrait-multimethod analysis of …

The Implications Of Varying Levels Of Task Automation On Workload, Micheline Y. Eyraud

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study investigated the effects of the addition of automation on task workload. Utilizing a modified secondary task paradigm, the workload which was imposed by three different levels of automation, selected from the continuum of automation on each of two primary tasks, was assessed by comparing performance on a secondary task which remained unaided in all conditions. The levels of automation under investigation in the present study were manual, intermediate, and total aiding. The primary tasks selected for investigation were a sensory-decision making task and compensatory tracking task. A long-term memory task was chosen as the secondary task. It …

The Development Of A Paper-And-Pencil Measure Of Complex Cognitive-Perceptual Aptitude, Don Michael Mcanulty

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The primary purpose of the present research was a develop a complex aptitude test to assess individual differences in multiple cognitive and perceptual abilities that are required for helicopter pilot training. The paper-and-pencil test was designed to provide measures of both static and dynamic (i.e., learning) ability under different levels of complexity. The secondary research purpose was to develop a battery of eight psychometric tests to assess other abilities that are required for helicopter pilot training. Test prototypes were produced and administered to small samples of subjects. The tests were then revised into an experimental battery that required approximately 7 …