Frank Sistrunk

Evaluation Of Job Analysis Methods By Experienced Job Analysts

The article discusses a research on job analysis methods being used by experienced job analysts. Job analysis is a process wherein jobs are subdivided into elements through the application of a for...

The Effects of Perceived Ability and Impartiality of Mediators and Time Pressure on Negotiation

This study provided empirical clarification of the effects of factors presumed in the negotiation literature, but not clearly demonstrated, to be central to the negotiation process. One hundred and forty subjects participated in a simulated labor-management negotiation to determine the effects of perceived ability and impartiality of a mediator and time pressure on negotiation. Results showed that negotiators utilizing a mediator perceived to be high in ability gained more money, were influenced to a greater extent, and perceived the mediator as more powerful and favorable than negotiators with a mediator perceived to be low in ability. Also, negotiators bargaining with a high perceived-ability mediator ended with more money, were more influenced, and indicated more satisfaction than controls. Finally, time pressure produced more contract settlements in the high time-pressure situation than in the low time-pressure situation.

Two Processes of Conformity Demonstrated by Interactions of Commitment, Set, and Personality

Summary It was argued in this paper that the appropriate theoretical posture in conformity at the present time is not further proliferation of theoretical concepts, but conservative synthesis from a number of theories to two generic ideas which may be supported empirically. The position was taken that conforming behavior was to be understood only in terms of the concerted interaction of both personal and situational variables. An empirical investigation was reported which described the development of a scale designed to measure the personal predispositions to respond in service of the two major conforming functions. Data were reported on the interaction of persons selected on the basis of this instrument with the manipulated situational variables of goal set and publicness of commitment. The results showed that conformity occurred in an informational manner, in a normative manner, or occurred not at all, depending on its functional relevance under various combinations of persons and situations.

Reassurance: a mechanism by which the presence of others reduces anxiety.

Summary The current investigation was designed to test the hypothesis that reassurance is at least one mechanism by which the presence of others reduces anxiety. In two separate experiments Ss (female undergraduates n = 38 and n = 40, respectively) waited to participate in an anxiety provoking shock experiment with two Cs. In one condition the Cs were reassuring and in the other they were not. Results of both experiments showed anxiety reduction only when the Cs were reassuring. Birth order differences could not be found; nor could the results of Experiment 2 confirm the hypothesis that reassurance causes people cognitively to re-evaluate the anxietyarousing situation.

A comparison of the socially influenced behavior of college students and college-age dropouts

Patterns of yielding to social influence by educational dropouts and college students contrasted the major theoretical processes of influence. Typical informational social influence was demonstrated by the college students with low yielding on easy and high yielding on difficult tasks. The significant interaction of educational background and task difficulty that was displayed by a factorial analysis of variance design was produced by extremely high yielding of the dropouts on easy tasks and indicated a pattern of behavior interpreted as normative social influence.

Parole and Probation Caseload Size Variation: The Florida Intensive Supervision Project

The widespread emphasis upon early release of convicted felons and misdemeanants led to investigation of the effects of variation in level of supervision of offenders subsequent to release. The authors describe a project in the State of Florida which included varying intensity of supervision for selected groups of probationers and parolees. The results indicated success in implementing the variations in supervision intensity; that is, the process measures were favorable. However, the product measures involving offender behavioral adjustment did not show clear advantages for either level of supervision intensity. Interpretations of the results depend heavily upon an understanding of the complexity of the justice system as well as the complex interaction of the behavioral causes.

Pattern Perception Among Brazilians as a Function of Pattern Uncertainty and Age

Ratings of pattern goodness and of pattern preferences were made by 96 Brazilian subjects for each of 50 stimulus patterns of known pattern uncertainty. Equal numbers of male and female subjects were used in each of four age groups (9-10, 13-14, 17-18, 20-21). Ratings of pattern goodness were highly correlated with pattern uncertainty for all groups, with results very similar to those previously obtained with subjects in the United States. The youngest group showed more variability among patterns equivalent by reflection and/or rotation than did the older groups, consonant with the U. S. data. However, the two younger Brazilian groups showed even higher variability than the comparable U.S. subjects. The development of equivalency under such transformations occurred later for Brazilian as compared to U. S. students. Pattern preference was similar for all ages, and like that in the U. S., reflected preference for the least uncertain patterns.

Liberals, conservatives, and conformity

Patterns of conforming behavior were compared for Ss empirically contrasted as conservatives, moderates, or liberals on a politically based Thurstone-type scale. In a split-plot factorial analysis-of-variance design, liberalism-conservatism of the Ss and political identification of the influence sources were employed as between-Ss variables, while task difficulty operated as a within-Ss variable. The finding of major interest was that conservatives conformed more than moderates who conformed more than liberals. Further analysis revealed that, in general, conservatives were conformen, liberals were independent, and the conformity of moderates was dependent on the nature of the judgmental task.

Conditioning and extinction of conforming behavior

Comparisons were made of the conformity conditioning of four experimental groups: conformers reinforced for conformity, conformers reinforced for nonconformity, independents reinforced for conformity, and independents reinforced for nonconformity. Both conforming and independent Ss were conditioned and extinguished to nonconformity by the reinforcement treatment, but neither was conditioned to greater conformity. It was concluded that further empirical description and analysis of social conformity in conditioning terms may be warranted.

Interactions of source prestige, goal set, and task difficulty in conforming behavior

The variables of task difficulty, prestige of the source of influence, and goal set were manipulated together within a factorial analysis of variance design. Pressures to conform to judgments of others were exerted through a paper-and-pencil conformity instrument. All three main effects were significant and each variable entered into at least one significant interaction effect with each other variable. The results displayed mutual facilitation, interference, and interaction of factors in shaping the conforming behavior and were interpreted in terms of informational and normative processes.