Adelheid A. M. Nicol

Emotional intelligence and leadership in adolescents

We tested the validity of two measures of emotional intelligence (EI) and we investigated the relation between EI and leadership in 191 adolescents (M=14.33 years) attending a 3-week military training camp. A scale by Schutte et al. [Personality and Individual Differences 25 (1998) 167] assessed primarily the intrapersonal aspect of EI, whereas selected items from the Weisinger [Emotional intelligence at work (1998) Dan Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass] scale measured primarily the interpersonal aspect. Participants were also rated by their peers and junior leaders on the Weisinger items. Leadership was assessed using a peer nomination system for task-goal and socio-emotional orientation [Schneider, Ehrhart, & Holcombe (in press) Leadership in adolescence: comparing peer and teacher perspectives and correlates, Leadership Quarterly]. Both measures, but especially the Schutte et al. scale, correlated with social desirability, suggesting problems of discriminant validity. Scores on the Schutte et al. scale did not correlate with any peer nominations, indicating questionable convergent validity. In contrast, scores on the Weisinger scale (self-report) correlated with peer nominations of socio-emotional leadership and task-goal leadership. However, the lack of correlation between the self-rated and the other-rated versions of the Weisinger scale is a concern.

Emotional intelligence and prosocial behaviors in adolescents.

The relationship between emotional intelligence and prosocial behaviors and sex differences in 134 adolescents involved in a 6-wk. training camp run by the military was investigated. They were asked to evaluate themselves on emotional intelligence and randomly chosen peers evaluated them on prosocial behaviors, indicated by organizational citizenship behaviors, a measure used in work organizations. Ratings of emotional intelligence significantly correlated with scores on two of the five organizational citizenship behavior factors: Altruism (r = .25, p<.01) and Civic virtue (r = .24, p < .01). The girls scored somewhat, but not significantly, higher than the boys on Emotional Intelligence, Altruism, Conscientiousness, and Civic virtue, an observation which might be explored further.

The structure of the French personality lexicon

The structure of the French personality lexicon was investigated. Self‐ratings on the 388 most frequently used French personality‐descriptive adjectives were obtained from 415 French‐speaking people. The scree plot of eigenvalues indicated six large factors. In the varimax‐rotated six‐factor solution, the four largest factors, in order of size, corresponded fairly closely to the Big Five dimensions of Agreeableness, Emotional Stability, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness. The fifth factor was similar to the Honesty dimension found in several other languages. The sixth factor was defined by Imagination‐related terms, but not by Intellect‐related terms. Solutions involving one to five factors were also investigated and correlations between the factors that emerged from these different solutions are presented. The results are discussed in relation to other lexical studies of personality structure. Copyright

Right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation in a Canadian military sample

Three studies examined the role of self-selection and military socialization on the development of right-wing authoritarianism (RWA; Altemeyer, 1998) and social dominance orientation (SDO; Pratto, Sidanius, Stallworth, & Malle, 1994). The first study compared students who had applied to join a military officer training program with those who had not applied. The second study, a cross-sectional design, compared first-year and final-year military and civilian university students. The third study was a longitudinal study that examined changes on the measures over a period of 4 years. The results from Study 1 demonstrated that students who applied to join the military had lower SDO scores than students who did not apply to join the military. Study 2 revealed higher SDO scores for 4th-year military students compared to 1st year; no differences were found for the civilian samples. Finally, the longitudinal study revealed increases in SDO for military students. In the three studies, no significant increases were observed with RWA. The findings from this research suggest a renewed examination is required of civilian and military differences regarding RWA and SDO. Furthermore, military socialization, and not self-selection, can potentially explain why the military score high on SDO. These results suggest that military and/or educational training experiences could increase SDO scores.

Validity Evidence for the Different Item Styles of Overt Honesty Measures

Overt honesty measures have been shown to be multidimensional. The multidimensionality of those tests rests, in part, on the different kinds of item styles that make up the measures such as items referring to admissions of dishonesty, temptations to be dishonest, and rationalizations about dishonest behavior. The purpose of the study presented here was to determine the extent to which these item styles measure the same underlying construct by examining their intercorrelations and their differential ability to predict actual dishonest behaviors. The results suggest that the different item styles found in overt honesty measures may not be measuring the same construct.

Overt honesty measures predicting admissions an index of validity or reliability

Honesty questionnaires are often validated against a paper-and-pencil criterion in which respondents are asked to admit to past incidents of dishonesty. However, substantial overlap in the methods of assessment and in item content between predictor and criterion suggest that it is not validity that is being assessed, but rather a form of reliability. In this study, the relations between two overt measures of honesty (the Phase II Profile and the Workplace Productivity Questionnaire) and an admissions criterion were evaluated. The results suggest that the strong correlations between the Phase II Profile and the admissions criterion (r = −.67) and between scores on the Workplace Productivity Questionnaire and the admissions criterion (r = −.62) may be largely due to overlapping item content.

Predictors of Military Training Performance for Officer Cadets in the Canadian Forces

Officer cadets of the Royal Military College of Canada attend military occupation training during the summer months of their university education. The final grade they receive after completion of this training is kept in their permanent record and may be used to help determine their eligibility for obtaining leadership positions at the military college and to aid in their initial assignment once they graduate. The purpose of the research presented here was to examine the influence of various variables in predicting this military occupation classification phase training grade. Measures of commitment (e.g., affective, continuance, and normative commitment toward the Canadian Forces or military occupation), locus of control, and physical fitness were taken before officer cadets left for training. Normative commitment to military occupation and locus of control each significantly predicted the grade received on completion of summer military training.

Evidence of Reliability and Validity for the Universal Orientation Scale

The relationships of Universal Orientation with Right-Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation were examined in two studies. Undergraduate students from various universities completed three measures. 314 participated in Study 1 and 461 participated in Study 2. Scores on the Universal Orientation scale correlated weakly with those on the Right-Wing Authoritarianism scale (r = −.14 for both samples) and moderately with the Social Dominance Orientation scale (r = −.50 for Sample 1 and r = −.36 for Sample 2). Low Cronbach alphas for the Universal Orientation scale (α = .68 for the first sample and α =.60 for the second sample) suggest the scale requires revision.

The Moderating Role of Alienation on the Relation between Social Dominance Orientation, Right-Wing Authoritarianism, and Person-Organization Fit

Right-Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation have been found to be related with Person-Organization fit. This study examined whether alienation also plays a role in the relation between Person-Organization fit and these two socio-political attitudes. Measures of Right-Wing Authoritarianism, Social Dominance Orientation, alienation, and Person-Organization fit were given to a sample of Officer Cadets (N = 99; M age = 22.8 yr., SD = 5.4). The findings suggest that when individuals felt alienated, Social Dominance Orientation and Right-Wing Authoritarianism were not related to Person-Organization fit. When alienation was low, Social Dominance Orientation and Right-Wing Authoritarianism interacted to predict Person-Organization fit. Therefore, feelings of alienation can influence the perception of fit within an organization and the relation between perception of fit with Social Dominance Orientation and Right-Wing Authoritarianism.

Using Gaming to Make Statistics Fun

ABSTRACTIn using a survey and asking students to play an online game in a statistics class, students gain first-hand experience generating their own data and conducting some statistical analyses. The instructor can use the data throughout the course to present a variety of important concepts and statistical procedures such as scales of measurement, measures of central tendancy, variance, z-scores, t-tests, correlational analyses, chi-square test of independence, and multiple regression analyses.