Steven G. Cole

The organizational empowerment scale

The purpose of the present research is to develop a reliable and valid scale to distinguish and measure the three environmental factors of dynamic structural framework, control of workplace decisions, and fluidity in information sharing that are conceptually related to and affect an employees perception of empowerment. By quantifying the environmental factors that facilitate empowerment through a valid and reliable scale human resource departments will be provided with information that will suggest environmental changes they can implement to improve perceptions of empowerment on the part of employees. Strengths and weaknesses of the scale developed, the organizational empowerment scale, are also discussed.

Inpatient vs outpatient treatment of alcohol and drug abusers.

The literature on inpatient and outpatient treatment of alcohol and drug abusers is reviewed. In addition, attrition as a major factor in treatment is examined. While several hypothesized advantages for both inpatient and outpatient treatment are advanced, it is pointed out that, because of methodological and situational differences among the studies, comparisons are difficult and risky to make. After suggesting that there is little evidence to cause one to tout either inpatient or outpatient treatment based on relative effectiveness, it is proposed that a flexible treatment program utilizing both inpatient and outpatient treatment with a focus on reducing attrition is most likely to maximize effectiveness.

The Zeigarnik effect and intrinsic motivation: Are they the same?

The present study focused on delineating the parameters under which intrinsic motivation leads an individual to reengage an activity from those that result in the Zeigarnik effect. In a posttask free-choice period, participants not completing the experimental task displayed more reengagement behavior than participants completing the task (the Zeigarnik effect). When participants were also provided self-efficacious performance feedback via a prearranged competitive outcome manipulation, there was no evidence of the Zeigarnik effect, while there was support for intrinsic motivation from competent self-efficacious performance feedback. Results were discussed in terms of distinguishing between intrinsic motivation and the Zeigarnik effect as sources of reengagement motivation. It was concluded that, in the presence of self-efficacious performance feedback, the competent-incompetent impression was more salient than task-completion feedback.

Integration of Affect and Cognition in Intrinsic Motivation

Abstract Research on the factors that influence intrinsic motivation has emphasized either affect states (Izard, 1977) or cognitive evaluations (Deci & Ryan, 1985) for a complete explanation of the phenomenon. Although affective and cognitive factors account for a large amount of shared variance in the prediction of intrinsic motivation, the present investigation tested the hypothesis that the two factors also contribute unique variance to the prediction of intrinsic motivation. The traditional intrinsic motivation paradigm with a puzzle-solving task was used with a sample of American University undergraduates, and both self-report and behavioral measures of intrinsic motivation were assessed. Hierarchical regressions showed that each factor was able to contribute to the prediction of the measures of intrinsic motivation in a manner independent of the other factor, especially with the self-report measure. Both the affect and cognitive approaches to intrinsically motivated behavior, therefore, are fruitful...

The Combined Treatment of Drug and Alcohol Abusers: An Overview

The literature on the combined treatment of alcohol and drug abusers was reviewed with a primary orientation toward the effect of psychological variables on treatment effectiveness. Clients, treatment staffs, and treatment strategies were considered. It was concluded that the literature on combined treatment indicates that further research on the differential effectiveness of combined versus separate treatment is unnecessary. Instead, future research should focus on examining how combined treatment can be improved, in what settings is it most appropriate, and for whom is it most effective.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment: Perceived Effectiveness of Inpatient Combined Treatment Programs

The present study did not address directly the comparative superiority of treatment approaches for combined versus separate treatment. It reflects, instead, the perceptions of staff and clients from the programs visited, the available literature, information gathered in the search for combined programs, and program processes and outcomes. The primary hypothesis generated by the study proposed that, given a receptive treatment staff, it is probable that combined treatment has the flexibility to provide treatment to both drug and alcohol abusers that is at least as effective and probably more efficient than separate treatment. Until empirical evidence that clearly delineates problems associated with combined treatment is obtaned, it was suggested that the selection of a combined or separate treatment paradigm is best determined by the needs of the community and the attitudes of the treatment staff.

Conflict and Survival in Triads

A study of conflictive behavior in a three-person laboratory game provided support for five hypotheses or principles of survival in multipolar power systems: (1) the probability of survival is maximized by having as much or more power than the combination of all potential enemies; (2) if such hegemony is not possible, the probability of survival increases and conflict decreases following a transition from a multipolar to a bipolar power system; (3) disparity of power tends to increase conflict and reduce survival probabilities; (4) if power hegemony does not exist, survival is inversely related to power; and (5) aggressive (as opposed to pacific) behavior is positively related to survival. In addition, the conflict process was found to be a function of both structural and motivational factors.

Rapid puffing as a treatment component of a community smoking program.

Twenty-six persons participated in a community smoking program, which required a

Treatment Staff Attitudes toward the Combined Treatment of Drug and Alcohol Abusers

40 contribution to the sponsoring health organization and a

Are Similarity and Attraction Related?: High and Low Prejudiced Mexican-American And White Reactions to Same and Different Race Stimulus Persons

25 refundable deposit. Clients were assigned to one of two treatment groups; one involved group discussion and rapid puffing, and the other involved group discussion only. The number of cigarettes smoked before treatment and one week, two months, and five months after treatment were determined for each client. Smoking decreased substantially following treatment in both groups and did not differ significantly between the groups across the follow-up periods. Females, however, showed significantly greater relapse in smoking following treatment than did males. Overall, approximately 15% of the clients in each group were abstinent five months after treatment.