Dysphoria and decision making: Limited information use for evaluations of multiattribute targets.

The hypothesis was that dysphoric relative to nondysphoric individuals use less available, relevant information in decision making because of reduced attentional resources. Dysphoric and nondysphoric Ss evaluated 70 jobs, each of which was described in terms of 5 dimensions (e.g., friendliness of co-workers); there were 5 possible values for each dimension. In both studies, dysphoric relative to nondysphoric Ss used a smaller subset of information, yet did not simplify what information was used and did not combine the information in a more simple manner. The limited information use was not due to dysphoric Ss' systematically ignoring certain dimensions and was evident in both initial and final portions of the task. Dysphoric Ss spent as much time and reported using as much information and investing as much effort as nondysphoric Ss. Reported effort alone was related to actual information use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of subsequent performance on evaluations of previous performance.

Tested the hypothesis that subsequent performance levels would bias the recall and evaluations of a ratee's previous level of performance with 183 undergraduates, who rated 3 videotaped lectures in either immediate or delayed rating conditions. The 1st videotape depicted an average level of performance and was followed by either 2 good lectures or 2 poor lectures. A significant performance level?×?time of rating interaction was found, in which memory-based ratings were biased in the direction of subsequent performance (i.e., when there was a delay between observation and rating, Ss who had seen an average lecture followed by good lectures rated that average lecture more favorably than did Ss who had seen that same lecture followed by poor lectures). It is suggested that raters are biased in favor of recalling behaviors that are consistent with their general impression of a ratee and that subsequent performance may systematically alter the rater's recall of the ratee's previous behavior. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of previous performance on evaluations of present performance.

In Study 1, 82 undergraduates viewed 3 videotaped lectures presented by the same lecturer. Ss in the good-performance condition viewed 2 good lectures, followed by a lecture of average quality. Ss in the poor-performance condition viewed 2 poor lectures, followed by the same average lecture. Results show significant contrast effects both for ratings of the frequency of several critical behaviors and for performance evaluations. Ss in the poor-performance condition assigned more favorable behavior ratings and higher performance evaluation ratings to the 3rd (average) lecture than did Ss in the good-performance condition. In Study 2, 71 Ss were used to test the hypothesis that memory biases were responsible for the contrast effects observed in Study 1. Ss viewed the same videotapes but rated the 3rd tape from memory the day after viewing the tape. Results show weak, nonsignificant contrast effects, suggesting that memory biases were not sufficient to explain the results of Study 1. (45 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The cost of search for multiple targets: Effects of practice and target similarity.

With the use of X-ray images, performance in the simultaneous search for two target categories was compared with performance in two independent searches, one for each category. In all cases, displays contained one target at most. Dual-target search, for both categories simultaneously, produced a cost in accuracy, although the magnitude of this dual-target cost was affected by the nature of the targets. When target feature sets shared values, accuracy in dual-target search was equivalent to that in the less accurate of the two single-target searches. However, when targets comprised different feature sets, accuracy in dual-target search was lower than in either single-target search. These results held after practice. In conclusion, dual-target search performance depends on the target representations required for search. When combined representations contain conflicting values within the most informative feature dimensions, then there is a cost in performance. When target representations share features, the search can be guided by the common values so that resources are not wasted on irrelevant distractors. The implication is that security screener performance might be improved by specializing in searching for threat categories that share features. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of schemata on both encoding and retrieval of information from prose.

The reported studies provide a direct test of whether an activated schema can influence both the initial encoding and the subsequent retrieval of information from prose. One hundred twenty-seven undergraduates either read (Experiment 1) or listened to (Experiment 2) slightly modified versions of Pichert and Anderson's home-buyer/burglar passage. Subjects in both experiments received a perspective at the time of encoding, received a perspective at the time of testing, or did not receive a perspective. Subjects were further subdivided in terms of the type of test that they received: One-half of the subjects provided a replication of previous research in that they were instructed to recall everything they could remember; the other subjects took a Sentence Verification Technique test on the passage. Results of the two experiments supported the conclusion that schema activation exerts an influence on retrieval processes but not on encoding processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of normative information on task performance.

80 undergraduates volunteered for a work simulation project requiring them to place ice cream labels on lids for pint ice cream containers. Normative information for Ss was presented either on a wall chart or by having on the table the actual work completed by a previous S. There was a relevant and an irrelevant chart (individual performance of 5 people vs aggregated weekly performance for 5 wks) and relevant and irrelevant completed works (lids completed by a previous S vs computer cards sorted by S in a previous experiment). 20 Ss performed in each of the 4 cells formed by crossing the chart and actual work conditions. Results show that actual work information had a significant positive effect on performance, while the chart did not. It is suggested that normative information results in some degree of arousal that is translated into increased attention to one's performance. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

From rarity to evaluative extremity: Effects of prevalence information on evaluations of positive and negative characteristics.

Experiments showed a scarcity principle in evaluative judgments such that the identical characteristic is evaluated more extremely the lower its perceived prevalence. In Study 1, Ss evaluated a fictitious medical condition that was described as either beneficial or detrimental to health and as occurring in either 30% or in one half of 1% of a test population. The condition was evaluated more extremely—as a more positive health asset or a more negative health liability—in the low-prevalence than in the high-prevalence conditions. Study 2 demonstrated the same effect in self-evaluations and with a different manipulation of perceived prevalence. Ss were told that they actually had the fictitious medical condition, that it was either beneficial or detrimental to their health, and either that they were the only 1 of 5 Ss who had it or that 4 of the 5 did. Low-prevalence Ss exhibited more extreme evaluative, affective, and behavioral reactions to the medical condition than did high-prevalence Ss. The origins and validity of the scarcity principle are discussed, as are its implications for uniqueness theory, reactance theory, and social evaluation theories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of mental health and reactance-reducing information on offenders' compliance with court-mandated psychiatric evaluations.

Using psychological reactance theory, we examined the effects of 3 educational interventions on the appointment-related behaviors of offenders who were mandated by court to participate in psychiatric evaluations. A posttest-only control group design was used to determine the effects of type of information received on 120 probationers' preappointment requests for additional information, appropriate cancellation of appointments, and compliance with referrals. Ss were provided minimal information, basic mental health information, reactance-reducing information, or a combination of basic mental health and reactance-reducing information. Results indicate that type of information received affected Ss' compliance. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examining age differences in performance of a complex information search and retrieval task.

This study examined age differences in performance of a complex information search and retrieval task by using a simulated real-world task typical of those performed by customer service representatives. The study also investigated the influence of task experience and the relationships between cognitive abilities and task performance. One hundred seventeen participants from 3 age groups, younger (20–39 years), middle-aged (40–59 years), and older (60–75 years), performed the task for 3 days. Significant age differences were found for all measures of task performance with the exception of navigational efficiency and number of problems correctly navigated per attempt. There were also effects of task experience. The findings also indicated significant direct and indirect relations between component cognitive abilities and task performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of preparatory information on enhancing performance under stress.

Research conducted largely in medical and clinical settings suggests that receiving preparatory information prior to a stressful event can reduce negative responses to stress. Although results within this domain have been promising, little research has examined the efficacy of preparatory information on enhancing performance in a more applied task environment. This study examined the effect of preparatory information on reducing stress reactions and enhancing performance on a realistic decision-making task. Results indicated that those who received preparatory information prior to performing under high-stress conditions reported less anxiety, were more confident in their ability to perform the task, and made fewer performance errors than those who received no preparatory information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Peer reviewer evaluations and evaluations of peer reviewers: Effects of theoretical orientation.

Investigated the effects of both provider and reviewer theoretical orientation on the evaluation of treatment in the context of document-based peer review and on the consequent evaluation of the reviews themselves. 141 staff members from 35 university counseling centers were assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups, each of which received different combinations of client problems (depression and anxiety) and provider theoretical orientation (psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral); each S reviewed 2 sets of treatment documents composed of 2 of the 4 treatment combinations. There was no relationship between quality of review and theoretical orientation of the reviewer or treatment provider and no relationship between theoretical orientation and reimbursement recommendations. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Target entitativity: Implications for information processing about individual and group targets.

It is hypothesized that perceptions of entitativity (i.e., seeing social targets as possessing unity and coherence) have important implications for how one organizes information about, and forms impressions of, individual and group targets. When perceivers expect entitativity, they should form an integrated impression of the target, resulting in on-line judgments. However, when perceivers expect little entitativity, they should not process target-relevant information in an integrative fashion, resulting in memory-based judgments. Although many factors affect perceptions of entitativity, the current study focused on expectations of similarity and behavioral consistency. It was predicted that in general, perceivers expect greater entitativity for individual than group targets. However, when explicitly provided with similar expectancies of entitativity, information processing would be similar for both individual and group targets. Two experiments supported these predictions, using recall, memory-judgment correlation, and illusory correlation measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of bilateral eye movements on the retrieval of item, associative, and contextual information.

Two experiments are reported that investigate the effects of saccadic bilateral eye movements on the retrieval of item, associative, and contextual information. Experiment 1 compared the effects of bilateral versus vertical versus no eye movements on tests of item recognition, followed by remember-know responses and associative recognition. Supporting previous research, bilateral eye movements enhanced item recognition by increasing the hit rate and decreasing the false alarm rate. Analysis of remember-know responses indicated that eye movement effects were accompanied by increases in remember responses. The test of associative recognition found that bilateral eye movements increased correct responses to intact pairs and decreased false alarms to rearranged pairs. Experiment 2 assessed the effects of eye movements on the recall of intrinsic (color) and extrinsic (spatial location) context. Bilateral eye movements increased correct recall for both types of context. The results are discussed within the framework of dual-process models of memory and the possible neural underpinnings of these effects are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of anonymity on student evaluations of faculty performance.

Studied the main and interactive effects of anonymity and professor on student ratings of faculty performance. Ratings of faculty performance were obtained from 244 undergraduates in 7 classes using a 20-item rating form with Positive Item Total (PIT) and Negative Item Total (NIT) subscales. Results show main effects for professor for both the scales. Hypothesized main effects for anonymity were insignificant for both the PIT and NIT scales. The Anonymity?×?Professor interaction was marginally significant for the PIT scale, but not for the NIT scale. Implications for practices associated with the collection of rating data from students are discussed. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Presentation modality and indirect performance information: Effects on ratings, reactions, and memory.

The authors investigated whether raters integrate indirect (second-hand) information from an employee's co-worker with their direct observations when completing performance evaluations. Performance levels of direct and indirect information and presentation modality (auditory vs. textual) were manipulated (N=220). Results showed that indirect information was perceived to be of highest utility when the performance levels of the direct and indirect information were consistent. Confidence in performance ratings was lowest when the indirect source delivered negative performance feedback that was contrary to the rater's own positive observations. Indirect information was only reflected in the performance ratings when direct observations were positive. There was a significant 3-way interaction between performance level of the direct information, performance level of the indirect information, and presentation modality on memory for performance incidents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of information on stereotype development in performance appraisal and interview contexts.

Investigated the development of stereotypes via information processing by presenting 120 male and 120 female undergraduates with information about 2 groups of hypothetical company employees. The percentage of favorable to unfavorable information and the amount of information were varied prior to ratings of the groups and individual members of the groups. The hypothesis that the distinctiveness in amount and favorability of information would result in differential stereotypes about the 2 groups was not confirmed. The hypothesis that ratings of individual members of the groups would differ from group perceptions was supported. Sex differences, contrast effects, and factors affecting a rater's overall impression were also found. Implications for personnel practices are discussed. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Determinants of perceived fairness of performance evaluations.

217 middle managers from 3 industrial groups responded to an open-ended questionnaire in which they described the determinants of particularly fair or unfair performance appraisals. By Q-sort procedure, the responses were categorized and combined to yield 7 distinct determinants of fairness in performance evaluations. Ratings of the perceived importance of these determinants were factor analyzed, revealing 2 distinct factors—Procedural and Distributive determinants. The implications of the determinants are discussed with respect to existing research and theory on justice in organizations. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)