Applied Psychology

Diurnal locus as a predictor of daytime optimum and decline in medical staff performance (Суточный локус как предиктор дневного оптимума/спада в работе медицинского персонала

by Sergei Shchebetenko

Shchebetenko, S.A., & Semyonova, P.I. (2011). Diurnal locus as a predictor of daytime optimum and decline in medical staff performance. Psychology. Journal of the Higher School of Economics, 8, 130-138. (in Russian).

The possibility of predicting performance rise/decline among medical staff during their working shift is shown in the... more The possibility of predicting performance rise/decline among medical staff during their working shift is shown in the article. Theoretical backgrounds are briefly discussed. 189 medical staff members in Perm, Russia participated in the study. A self-report 6-item Diurnal Locus Scale was invented exhibiting an acceptable internal consistency as well as its construct (CFA), discriminant (regarding Rotter’s Locus of Control Scale), and predictive validity. Diurnal locus did not correlate with participants’ gender, t(187)<1, professional status (doctor vs. paramedical personnel), t(187)=1.29, p=.2, participants’ age, r=-.05, and general internality, r=.06. Meanwhile, Diurnal Locus correlated moderately with professional internality, r=.18, p=.013, such that the higher professional internality is, more morning-oriented locus is. Of importance, diurnal locus highly significantly predicted the assessment by managers of participants performance rise/decline during their working shift, r=.52, p<.001. Finally, diurnal locus fully mediated the positive correlation between professional internal locus of control and morning performance increase/evening performance decrease, Sobel’s test, Z=.2.42, p=.03. The results and limitations are further discussed in the article.

Effective Counseling Skills: the practical wording of therapeutic statements and processes

by Daniel Keeran MSW

by Daniel Keeran, MSW, RMHC-S

Also used as a counselor training and examination manual, this book gives away the secrets of effective counselors and... more Also used as a counselor training and examination manual, this book gives away the secrets of effective counselors and therapists. The practical skills and concepts distilled in the present form, are the contributions of countless colleagues and clients who over the years have challenged the creative energies of the author. Effective Counseling Skills is designed to achieve the primary purpose of making counseling skills public knowledge in the belief that the health of society is improved when counseling is known to the most people. The style of the manual is conversational with numerous examples of the wording of therapeutic statements.

Major topic areas include an explanation of the client's personal history, suicide prevention, how to begin and deepen the counseling process, helping the client learn healthy ways of relating, moving the client from childhood to maturity, skills for healing grief, and working with couples facing issues of conflict, infidelity, addiction, and other common problems. Practical ways to build and manage a counseling practice are presented. A detailed index and table of contents make the volume easy to use as a guide for both the practitioner as well as people seeking help.

See this news release entitled "Mental Health News: Library Acquisitions Add Counseling Text To Collections" http://prlog.org/11741730

The title is also available through interlibrary loan in the US and Canada from major public and university libraries including : Howard University, University of Hawaii at Hilo, University of Manitoba, Vancouver Public Library (Canada), Dallas Theological Seminary, Bogazici Univ Library – Istanbul (Turkey), San Diego Public Library, Dixie State College of Utah, University of Louisville, University of Southern California, Texas A&M University, University of Missouri--Columbia, University of Wisconsin-Madison General Library System, Columbia University Libraries, University of Massachusetts at Boston, Hunter College Wexler Library – New York, NY, Trinity International University, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis.

View text at http://www.amazon.com/Effective-Counseling-Skills-therapeutic-statements/dp/1442177993

View article here http://ezinearticles.com/?Effective-Counseling-Skills---The-Practical-Wording-of-Therapeutic-Statements-and-Processes&id=4878216

Go here for a video presentation from the author http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aodrYDAo9xk

The utility of implicit learning in the teaching of rules

by Bjørn Sætrevik

Published in 'Learning and Instruction', 2006

The potential impact of implicit learning on education has been repeatedly stressed, though little research has... more The potential impact of implicit learning on education has been repeatedly stressed, though little research has examined this connection directly. The current paper describes two experiments that, inspired by artificial grammar learning experiments, examine the utility of implicit learning as a method for teaching atomic bonding rules to 11e12 year old school children. Two groups were given tasks that led to explicit rule learning; two other groups were given tasks that did not lead to rule learning; and a control group was trained on irrelevant stimuli. We observed an implicit learning effect, but learning was much more effective when more explicit ways of teaching were employed. These findings suggest that mere exposure to regular material is not sufficient for effective learning of rules, and that an explicit approach to instruction is advisable.

Rateau, P. & Weiss, K. (2011). La psychologie sociale appliquée à l'environnement. Pratiques Psychologiques, 17, 213-218

by Patrick Rateau

Lopez, A., Lassarre, D., & Rateau, P. (2011). Comparaison de deux voies d'intervention visant à réduire les ressources énergétiques au sein d'une collectivité territoriale : la dissonance et l'engagement. Pratiques Psychologiques, 17, 263-284

by Patrick Rateau

Cette recherche-action répondait à une commande du service énergie d’une communauté d’agglomération du Sud de la... more Cette recherche-action répondait à une commande du service énergie d’une communauté d’agglomération du Sud de la France visant à réduire les comportements surconsommateurs d’énergie des agents travaillant dans les piscines publiques. L’objectif était de confronter deux méthodes issues de théories psychosociales : la dissonance cognitive dans le paradigme de l’hypocrisie induite et l’engagement dans le paradigme de la soumission sans pression. Les procédures relatives aux deux méthodes, ainsi qu’une condition dite « classique », ont été assignées à trois groupes indépendants d’employés (n = 21) de trois piscines publiques. Le niveau d’intention comportementale déclarée et le changement comportemental effectif, mesuré par les factures d’électricité, constituaient les variables dépendantes. On observe que le niveau d’intention comportementale est supérieur en condition d’hypocrisie induite par rapport à une condition classique, alors que les modifications comportementales effectives sont favorisées par la soumission sans pression des approches engageantes.
Par ailleurs, il apparaît un large déterminisme des caractéristiques organisationnelles du contexte. Les conséquences théoriques et managériales de ces résultats sont discutées relativement aux limites méthodologiques imposées par le terrain.

Whistle Blowing, Religiosity, Spirituality and Integrity: Understanding the Impact of Social Dominance Orientation and Environmental Context

by Daniel Martin

Journal of Moral Organizational Psychology (Forthcoming)

Individual differences have been shown to impact whistle blowing (Miceli & Near, 1988; Mesmer-Magnus &... more Individual differences have been shown to impact whistle blowing (Miceli & Near, 1988; Mesmer-Magnus & Viswesvaran, 2005; Brinker, Dozier & Miceli, 1985). This study empirically examines previously unexplored effects on whistle blowing of a specific set of individual differences variables. These variables are religiosity, spirituality, integrity, and preference for social hierarchies. In addition, in that contextual variables can be expected to modify the impact of individual differences, we test the effects of our target independent variables in alternate organizational contexts (both academic and accounting). Analyses found weak positive relationships between whistle blowing and spirituality in an accounting scenario, with no relationship existing between religiosity and likelihood of whistle blowing in academic setting. Stronger positive relationships emerged between integrity and whistle blowing in both scenarios, with preference for maintenance of social hierarchies having a positive relationship with the accounting scenario being established. Considerations for future research and applications are offered.

The Unobtrusive Knowledge Test: Validity and Impact of Stereotype Threat

by Daniel Martin

Martin, D.E., Moore, C., Hedgspeth, C. (2009) The Unobtrusive Knowledge Test: Validity and Impact of Stereotype Threat Equal Opportunities International Vol 28, No 7

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to validate the unobtrusive knowledge test (UKT) in a minority population, and... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to validate the unobtrusive knowledge test (UKT) in a minority population, and examine its potential for limiting stereotype threat.

Design/methodology/approach – Study One: (convergent validity): UKT and Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT) scores were correlated for 131 students. Study Two: (stereotype threat) 202 minority students were placed into one of four groups based on whether or not they were given instructions to elicit stereotype threat, and whether they took the Excellence scale of the UKT or the WPT.

Findings – Correlations provided evidence of convergent validity between the Excellence subscale of the UKT and the WPT. The stereotype threat study was inconclusive, with no differences being seen in the threat/non-threat conditions for the WPT, and higher scores in the threat condition than the non-threat condition for the UKT.

Research limitations/implications – Unreliability of some scales and low correlations of others with the WPT, lessened the overall UKT's convergent validity.

Practical implications – The need to develop measures of intelligence not subject to adverse impact is clear, and the results of the current research provide justification for further research establishing the properties of the UKT as a selection tool.

Originality/value – This paper offers new evidence of the usefulness of the UKT as a measure of cognitive ability for minority populations, and raises questions about the impact of stereotype threat on the UKT test.

Plagiarism, Integrity, and Workplace Deviance: A Criterion Study

by Daniel Martin

Martin, D.E., Rao, A., Sloan, L. R. (2009) Plagiarism, Integrity, and Workplace Deviance: A Criterion Study Ethics and Behavior Vol 19, No 1, 36-51

Plagiarism is increasingly evident in business and academia. While links between demographic, personality, and... more Plagiarism is increasingly evident in business and academia. While links between demographic, personality, and situational factors have been found, previous research has not used actual plagiarism behavior as a criterion variable. Previous research on academic dishonesty has consistently used to self-report measures to establish prevalence of dishonest behavior. In this study we use actual plagiarism behavior to establish its prevalence, as well as relationships between integrity-related personal selection and workplace deviance measures. This research covers new ground in two respects: 1) That the academic dishonesty literature is subject to revision using criterion variables to avoid self bias and social desirability issues, 2) We establish the relationship between actual academic dishonesty and potential workplace deviance/white collar crime.

Culture and Unethical Conduct: Understanding the Impact of Individualism and Collectivism on Actual Plagiarism

by Daniel Martin

Martin, D.E. (2012) Culture and Unethical Conduct: Understanding the impact of individualism and collectivism on actual plagiarism Management Learning

This criterion study examined the impact of the cultural dimensions of individualism and collectivism on actual... more This criterion study examined the impact of the cultural dimensions of individualism and collectivism on actual plagiarism in working business students. Given globalization of business and recent business scandals, furthering our understanding of international ethics remains critical. Business students are the potential employees, managers and leaders of organizations in the future. In this study we focus on one form of unethical conduct by business students, i.e. actual plagiarism, and seek to determine the link between this behavior and cultural values of individualism/collectivism and associated stereotypes of Asian/Caucasian students. Our findings suggest that individualists plagiarize more than collectivists, and that no significant differences in plagiarism exist between Asian and Caucasian students, contrary to popular beliefs. The implications of these findings for scholars and managers are discussed.

Measuring Cognitive Aptitude Using Unobtrusive Knowledge Tests: A New Survey Technology

by Daniel Martin

Legree, P. J., Martin, D.E. & Psotka, J. (2000). Measuring cognitive aptitude using unobtrusive knowledge tests: A new survey technology. Intelligence. Vol.28, No. 4, 291-308

Five knowledge tests and one implicit-reasoning task were developed to be: (1) exceptionally short, (2) correlated... more Five knowledge tests and one implicit-reasoning task were developed to be: (1) exceptionally short, (2) correlated with general cognitive aptitude, (3) unobtrusive, i.e., appear similar to attitudinal survey items as opposed to maximal performance measures, and (4) without formally "correct" 23 answers. The intent was to design scales that could be administered in non-proctored environments to directly measure general cognitive aptitude while avoiding the possibility that participants could use references to provide "good"' answers. The five knowledge tests used a Likert format to assess knowledge in verbal and practical domains, and were scored by computing distances between examinee and reference ratings. The implicit-reasoning task appeared to be a series completion "game"' that required a dichotomous response. The scales were administered to 288 Air Force recruits and were validated against the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). Individual unobtrusive knowledge scales and ASVAB tests were substantially correlated with sample correlations ranging to .39 and population correlation estimates to .66 after correcting for range restriction. Two sets of factor scores, which were separately derived from the unobtrusive test battery and the ASVAB, were highly correlated in our sample, .54, yielding a population correlation of .80 after correcting for range restriction. This technology is important because few paper- or Internet-based surveys, and virtually no mail-based surveys accurately measure general cognitive aptitude, while many of these surveys address important social issues and commercial questions that could be better understood given an unobtrusive but accurate estimate of general cognitive aptitude.

Uniform Guidelines, Spirituality, and Predictors of Ethical Workplace Behaviors

by Daniel Martin

Martin, D.E., Margolin, J. (2012) Uniform Guidelines, Spirituality, and Predictors of Ethical Workplace Behaviors Journal of Law, Business & Ethics

Spirituality provides descriptions that represent relevant psychological phenomena which can be discretely measured.... more Spirituality provides descriptions that represent relevant psychological phenomena which can be discretely measured. Because of the requirements of the 1978 Federal Uniform Guidelines, the relationship between spirituality and job-related traits and characteristics need to be well understood in the event they are used for decisions affecting personnel . The merit of any metric associated with performance must be established through a validity study (Uniform Guidelines, Sec. 60-3.2 Scope. B, 2000). Accordingly, we consider the construct validity of the aforementioned measures in the context of the uniform guidelines. As hypothesized, religiosity and spirituality instruments are independent of measures commonly used for personnel selection purposes or measures of workplace deviance. We also establish the impact of gender on the measures and provide implications for recruitment and selection.

Moral Competency Inventory Validation: Content, Construct, Convergent and Discriminant Approaches

by Daniel Martin

Martin, D.E., Austin, B. (2010) Validation of the Moral Competency Inventory Measurement Instrument: Content, Construct, Convergent and Discriminant Approaches Management Research Review. Vol. 33, 6

Purpose: Our research fulfills three purposes: 1) introduce practitioners to the appropriate use of measures of... more Purpose: Our research fulfills three purposes: 1) introduce practitioners to the appropriate use of measures of unethical behavior; 2) evaluate the use of integrity related assessments for use in personnel selection; and 3) determine the validity of the MCI instrument using standard validation procedures.

Methodology: Content, construct, convergent and discriminant approaches are applied to establish the relative validity of the assessment tool.

Findings: The results of the MCI purport to align with one’s moral values and behaviors. We establish face validity of the MCI measure, but fail to establish: 1) an appropriate simple factor structure, 2) convergent validity, 3) discriminant validity, and 4) support for the lack of impact of demographic factors on the purported measure of Moral intelligence.

Research limitations: An acceptable but constrained (working students) sample was used in the validation.

Practical implications: Researchers and practitioners should be familiar with psychometric principles to ensure the use of valid tools in a predictive and defensible manner. New measures can be developed, but should be validated before used for developmental or personnel decision making purposes.

Originality/value: 1) The lack of validity associated with the MCI instrument is established; 2) Researchers and practitioners are exposed to considerations in the appropriate use of measures of unethical behavior, and 3) exposed to several previously validated integrity related assessments for use in personnel decision making.

Brought into the Fold: Influence and Persuasion in a Conversional Religious Setting

by Daniel Martin

Martin, D.E. (2000). Brought into the Fold: Influence and Persuasion in a Conversional Religious Setting. Skeptic Vol. 8 No. 2, 56

This study explored the use of influence techniques upon introduction of individuals to a conversional religion (The... more This study explored the use of influence techniques upon introduction of individuals to a conversional religion (The Church of Scientology). The researcher used the Participatory Research paradigm to investigate four aspects of influence (liking, social proof, authority and reciprocation, Cialdini, 1994) in an overriding Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty, R., Cacioppo, J., 1986) framework. Findings supported hypothesis of use of influence techniques for the financial benefit of the organization. The implications of these findings for the future studies of influence were discussed.

Ethnicity, Acculturation, and Plagiarism: A Criterion Study of Unethical Academic Conduct

by Daniel Martin

Martin, D.E., Rao, A., Sloan, L. R. (2011) Ethnicity, Acculturation, and Plagiarism: A Criterion Study of Unethical Academic Conduct. Human Organization. Vol 70(1)

Ethics have received increased attention from the media and academia in recent years. Most reports suggest that one... more Ethics have received increased attention from the media and academia in recent years. Most reports suggest that one form of unethical conduct – plagiarism – is on the rise in the business schools. Stereotypes of Asian students as being more prone to plagiarize are frequently found in the literature, though not concretely substantiated. This study used a behavioral criterion to examine the relationships among ethnicity, acculturation, and plagiarism in a sample of 158 undergraduate and graduate students. Significant differences in plagiarism behavior were found based on level of student acculturation, but not ethnicity. Considerations and implications for training and managing international students and workers are discussed.

Traffic Crash Involvement: Experiential Driving Knowledge and Stressful Contextual Antecedents

by Daniel Martin

Legree, P. J., Martin, D.E., Medsker, G. (2003). Tacit Driving Knowledge, Emotional Intelligence and Accident Risk: Traffic Safety Implications. Journal of Applied Psychology. Vol 88(1), Feb 2003, 15-26.

Researchers have rarely examined stressful environments and psychological characteristics as predictors of driving... more Researchers have rarely examined stressful environments and psychological characteristics as predictors of driving behavior in the same study. The authors hypothesized that (a) safer drivers more accurately assess physical and emotional traffic hazards and (b) stress and emotional states elevate crash risk. The hypotheses were evaluated with procedural and declarative tacit driving knowledge tests requiring assessment of emotional and contextual hazards and with accident reports describing crash antecedents, including stressful events and environmental conditions. Analyses identified separate driving knowledge factors corresponding to emotional and contextual hazards that were significantly related to the crash criteria. Accident report analyses show that stress significantly elevates at-fault crash risk. The results demonstrate the importance of experiential knowledge acquired without instruction (procedural or tacit knowledge) and provide safety recommendations.

Crowd disasters: A socio-technical systems perspective

by Rose Challenger

Schizophrenia and Violent Offending: The importance of co-morbid diagnoses

by Alexander Richards

Submitted in part fulfillment of the MSc Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, June 2011. Unpublished.

Patients with schizophrenia have long been associated with having increased rates of violent offending behaviour in... more Patients with schizophrenia have long been associated with having increased rates of violent offending behaviour in comparison to control groups. With a large number of studies documenting increased risk of violent offending behaviour and lower risk levels in committing other types of crime, this paper intends to evaluate the wider context that a diagnosis of schizophrenia may have on criminal and offending behaviour. An appraisal of studies both supporting and opposing the view that schizophrenic patients are more violent than control groups will be followed by the dissection of the studies that deconstruct the diagnosis of ‘schizophrenia’ as being the headline for a condition that can include a number of other co-morbid diagnoses.

This paper will conclude that the inflated rate of violent offending behaviour by schizophrenic patients with drug/alcohol abuse problems, who began offending prior to the onset of any schizophrenic symptoms are massively out of proportion to the offending behaviours of schizophrenic patients with no co-morbid diagnoses or dependencies, who began offending after experiencing the symptoms of schizophrenia. Criticisms of studies evaluating criminal activity in schizophrenic patients are pointed at their seeming unwillingness to deconstruct ‘schizophrenia’ and the tendency to make blanket statements about violence levels across schizophrenic groups with varying drug/alcohol problems and histories of childhood offending.

It is asserted that future studies looking to evaluate whether schizophrenic patients are more likely to commit violent crime should take into account co-morbid diagnoses and dependencies and whether the patients had a criminal history prior to experiencing schizophrenic symptoms.

Designing for interaction in research environments: A case study

by Thom Baguley

Lansdale, M., Parkin, J. K., Austin, S. & Baguley, T. (2011). Designing for interaction in research environments: A case study. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 31, 407-420.

Graduate researchers are an essential part of higher education (HE) in terms of its contribution to knowledge and the... more Graduate researchers are an essential part of higher education (HE) in terms of its contribution to knowledge and the wider economy, but how the work environment influences behaviour and productivity in this work domain is poorly understood. Nevertheless, building programmes continue with a detectable trend towards more open office designs. Beyond issues of cost-efficiency, this reflects a popular belief in the significance of face-to-face interaction to research productivity. Using a combination of subjective and quantitative methods, this case study investigates the validity of this claim and how a redesigned environment impacts upon work practices and collaboration within a community of researchers. Although the new environment was judged favourably by occupants and managers, analysis suggests a less positive behavioural response. Contrary to expectation, we conclude that providing open plan environments is not sufficient to produce more collaborative practices in HE. We argue that this would require changes in the organisational structure, the reward structure for individual and team-driven tasks, and the firm policing of the management of change.

Análisis conductual aplicado al manejo de animales.

by German Gutierrez

Gutiérrez, G. (1999).  Alamoc.  Asociación Latinoamericana de Análisis y Modificación del Comportamiento, 26, 8-9.

Investigación básica y aplicada en Psicología: Tres modelos de desarrollo.

by German Gutierrez

[Basic and applied research in psychology: Three models of development]

Gutiérrez, G. (2010). Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 19, 125-132.