Brian K. Miller

Confirmatory factor analysis of the equity preference questionnaire

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the factor structure of the equity preference questionnaire (EPQ).Design/methodology/approach – Individual level data are collected from two samples (n1=382, n2=455) and subjected to confirmatory factor analysis of an a priori two‐factor structure for equity sensitivity. Sample two is randomly split and one half subjected to structural equation modeling.Findings – Superior fit in both samples is found for a two‐factor structure compared to a one‐factor structure. Additionally, in sample two empathy, positive affectivity, and feminine gender role identity related differentially to the factors of entitlement and benevolence.Research limitations/implications – Samples are comprise of college students. However, the average level of full‐time work experience (sample one 45.6 percent > 1 year, sample two mean 23.57 months) is large and the racial groups in sample two are diverse (76 percent non‐white). Additionally, the data are collected cross‐se...

Measurement of academic entitlement.

Members of Generation Y, or Millennials, have been accused of being lazy, whiny, pampered, and entitled, particularly in the college classroom. Using an equity theory framework, eight items from a measure of work entitlement were adapted to measure academic entitlement in a university setting in three independent samples. In Study 1 (n = 229), confirmatory factor analyses indicated good model fit to a unidimensional structure for the data. In Study 2 (n = 200), the questionnaire predicted unique variance in university satisfaction beyond two more general measures of dispositional entitlement. In Study 3 (n = 161), the measure predicted unique variance in perceptions of grade fairness beyond that which was predicted by another measure of academic entitlement. This analysis provides evidence of discriminant, convergent, incremental, concurrent criterion-related, and construct validity for the Academic Equity Preference Questionnaire.

Dominance analysis of two measures of organizational justice

Purpose – This article aims to examine the criterion‐related validity of two sets of commonly used measures of organizational justice.Design/methodology/approach – Regression‐based dominance analysis is used on self‐report data provided by 214 working college students.Findings – The three‐dimension measure of organizational justice by Moorman was compared to the four‐dimension measure of Colquitt in the prediction of Colquitts own outcomes. Results suggest that Moormans measures may dominate Colquitts measures on some outcomes.Practical implications – Practitioners are urged to give renewed consideration to Moormans scales when predicting outcomes, as it appears that this three‐factor measure of organizational justice may outperform the four‐factor measure in some instances.Social implications – Organizations may find Moormans parsimonious representation of justice more useful than Colquitts version for explaining the nuances of perceptual differences regarding fairness and justice in the workplace....

Factors Influencing the Inflation of Task Performance Ratings for Workers With Disabilities and Contextual Performance Ratings for Their Coworkers

Contrary to many myths regarding their potential performance, workers with disabilities generally receive performance ratings similar to their nondisabled coworkers. However, their ratings possibly may be inflated above their actual performance levels. In a laboratory experiment, we constrained the performance of a worker with a disability to an extremely low level and assessed the effects of helping behavior, presence and type of disability in the worker, and the perceived attributions of controllability of the disability on task performance ratings for the workers with disabilities and on contextual performance ratings for their coworkers. We found that the perception that a worker is not responsible for the onset of a disability and that having any disability, regardless of type, artificially inflates task performance ratings. We also found inflated contextual performance ratings for coworkers who work with persons who are perceived as being responsible for the onset of their own disability.

Dispositional correlates of perceived work entitlement

Purpose – Drawing on an equity theory framework, the purpose of this paper is to examine the degree to which dispositional correlates – Machiavellianism and Protestant work ethic (PWE) – predict perceived work entitlement in employed persons. Design/methodology/approach – In two independent samples (n=270 and n=214), currently employed participants completed self-report surveys. Multiple regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to assess common method variance and provide evidence of construct validity. Findings – In Study 1, a general measure of Machiavellianism was positively related to perceived work entitlement, but PWE was not significantly related to the criterion. In Study 2, three sub-scales of Machiavellianism, as well as a different measure of the PWE, were positively related to perceived work entitlement. However, the fourth sub-scale of Machiavellianism was negatively related and therefore in the opposite direction of that which was h...

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Scales for Diagnosing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (SCALES)

The diagnostic criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have evolved over time with current versions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, (4th edition), text revision, (DSM-IV-TR) suggesting that two constellations of symptoms may be present alone or in combination. The SCALES instrument for diagnosing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. For both the home and school versions, a two-factor structure comprising items designed to measure inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity showed best fit to the data. A three-factor model splitting the hyperactivity and impulsivity items onto separate factors resulted in similar fit, but with a correlation between these two factors of .94 on both versions of the instrument. The two-factor structure is preferred, lending support for the DSM-IV-TR criteria.

The Impact of Seasonality on Changes in Body Weight and Physical Activity in Mexican-American Women

This 12-month, longitudinal panel study examined seasonal variability in body weight and physical activity in Mexican-American women. Fifty-nine women (20 to 63 years of age) were measured five times at intervals of three months between March 2010 and March 2011. Complete data were collected for all measures at all times on 36 women. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance with follow-up univariate repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that body weight increased on average by 1.36 kg (p < .01), with the greatest increase occurring during the fall (+0.80 kg). Changes in vigorous-intensity aerobic activity were statistically significant, with the greatest increase occurring in the spring (+51.99 min/week) and the greatest decline occurring in the fall (–30.11 min/week). Significant changes were observed in muscle-strengthening activity during the summer (–32.38 min/week). Moderate-intensity aerobic activity remained relatively stable. The decline in muscle-strengthening activity during the summer and subsequent decline in vigorous-intensity aerobic activity in the fall likely led to the observed increase in body weight during the fall. Thus, weight management interventions should consider the time of year when Mexican-American womens physical activity declines and include strategies specifically designed to prevent weight gain during the fall season.

A Domain-Specific Validation of the Core Self-Evaluations Scale

Core self-evaluations have been recently proposed as indicating positive self-concept and as being predictive of various forms of subjective well-being. In an effort to further validate the Core Self-Evaluations Scale (CSES), structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed in three independent samples of university students to examine the extent to which scores on the Core Self-Evaluations Scale predicted two measures of university satisfaction. Good fit was found for models that also controlled for status in college, student major, class satisfaction, life satisfaction, college grade point average, and overall grade fairness. Statistically significant relationships corrected for attenuation by SEM between scores on the Core Self-Evaluations Scale and university satisfaction range from .24 to .37.