Sara E. Branch

Person and Thing Orientations: Psychological Correlates and Predictive Utility

Individuals differ in their orientation toward the people and things in their environment. This has consequences for important life choices. The authors review 15 studies on Person and Thing Orientations (PO-TO) using data from 7,450 participants to establish the nature of the constructs, their external correlates, and their predictive utility. These findings suggest that these two orientations are not bipolar and are virtually independent constructs. They differentially relate to major personality dimensions and show consistent sex differences, whereby women are typically more oriented toward people and men more oriented toward things. Additionally, these orientations influence personal preferences and interests. For university students, PO and TO uniquely predict choice of major and retention within thing-oriented fields (e.g., science and engineering).

Advice in Interaction: Quantity and Placement of Problem-Solving Behaviors

Prior research has given insufficient attention to the effects of interaction behavior on responses to advice. We drew on theories of advice evaluation and supportive communication to propose hypotheses about the influence of problem-focused behavior (advice, planning, offers, and requests) and its interactional placement for advice outcomes. After naturalistic support interactions with friends, advice recipients (N = 165) completed measures of advice quality, intention to implement advice, advisor helpfulness, and conversational satisfaction. The interactions were coded for quantity of advice, offers, plans, and requests. Advice, planning, and requests affected outcomes in theoretically relevant ways. Findings are discussed with respect to improving theory, and practical implications for advisors.

Paths of Resistance An Interpretive Analysis of Trajectories in Less Satisfying Advice Interactions

Social scientists and conversation analysts have both focused on advice as a key form of support and influence, but neither have adequately connected patterns of verbal behavior in advice interactions to recipients’ reduced satisfaction with advice. We address this concern with an interpretive discourse analysis of naturalistic “troubles talk” between college student friends. Transcripts (N = 48) were selected for analysis from a larger study of supportive interactions because the recipients in these interactions reported the advice as less satisfying on one or more dimensions, relative to the other advice recipients in the study. Our analysis explicates four trajectories of advice and resistance that characterize these interactions: sustained resistance, advisor persistence, irrational resistance, and contesting the problem. We discuss theoretical and pragmatic implications of these trajectories, including probable influences of the “friend” role on advising interactions, and the responsibility of both advisors and recipients for producing and preventing dissatisfaction with advice.

The Influence of Emotional Support Quality on Advice Evaluation and Outcomes

This study extends theories of advice and emotional support by examining how emotional support provided during an interaction influences the evaluation of advice received during that interaction. Participants (n = 228) discussed a current problem with a friend, completing measures of advisor characteristics prior to the interaction, and assessments of advice messages and outcomes immediately after. Transcripts were coded for the quality (verbal person centeredness) of emotional support provided. Emotional support quality influenced advice outcomes through recipients’ perceptions of advice politeness and content. The findings recommend improvements to theory and research on advice, emotional support, and supportive interaction.

The Influence of Acceptance Goals on Relational Perceptions

ABSTRACT We examined whether relational perceptions (social involvement, relational value, interaction experience) differ depending on interaction acceptance goals (establish, maintain, or repair). Results indicated that relational perceptions were more positive in the maintain condition compared to the establish condition, which in turn was more positive than the repair condition. The data also supported a moderated mediation model: the indirect effects of social involvement and relational value on the relationship between acceptance goals and participant’s interaction experience were contingent on self-esteem. These findings identify boundary conditions that influence the impact of acceptance goals on how much people experience an interaction positively. The findings provide an integrated framework outlining the potential relationship between acceptance goals, relational perceptions, interaction experience, and self-esteem.

Motivations for Pursuing an Engineering PhD and Perceptions of its Added Value: A U.S.-based Study

Engineering doctor of philosophy (PhD) holders possess expertise that is vital to addressing society’s grand challenges, but the dismal number of U.S. citizens pursuing the degree suggests many are not convinced of its value. There are few studies that have explored what motivates people in other disciplines to pursue a PhD, and not many of these were in the context of engineering. In this study, forty engineering PhD holders working in academia and industry in the U.S. described their motivations for earning an engineering PhD and the perceived added value of possessing the degree. The results of this study indicate that the motivations for pursuing an engineering PhD relate to career aspirations, prior success in graduate school, the influence of others, and intrinsic factors. Participants’ discussions about the added value of an engineering PhD manifests itself in the form of career outcomes, attributes and skills, and positive responses from others. Few participants described the “added value” of a PhD as neutral or having limitations. Both motivational and added value factors vary by employment sector. The findings of this study have implications for engaging more students in pursuing doctoral engineering studies — both in U.S. institutions and doctoral engineering programs around the world.

Recommendations for engineering doctoral education: Design of an instrument to evaluate change

In recent years, many studies and reports have highlighted concerns and problems with engineering doctoral degree recipients. Criticisms have come from professionals in both industry and academia, as well as from current and former Ph.D. students. Given the dissatisfaction of a variety of stakeholders, there have been calls from professional societies, disciplinary bodies and federal agencies to improve doctoral granting programs across the U.S. and to educate Ph.Ds. who are equipped with skills and attributes necessary to meet the highly-competitive and rapidly changing 21st century workforce [1, 2]. Within this context, this study focuses on the perspectives of working professionals from both academia and industry. Preliminary findings were obtained from one-on-one interviews with forty engineering Ph.D. holders who are from industry and/or academia. They recommended practical measures for engineering doctoral students to obtain desired characteristics upon graduation. Using the preliminary results, the work in progress precludes the design of an instrument to evaluate on-going changes to different aspects of doctoral education. The instrument will serve as a useful tool to understand the degree and scope of changes in engineering doctoral program. Portions of the instrument informed from these recommendations are provided.