Browsing by Author "Hazer, John"
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Item Applicant Reactions to Structuring the Selection Interview(2013-08-14) Lombard-Sims, Danielle; Hazer, John; Williams, Jane R.; Shermis, Mark D., 1953-; Grahame, Nicholas J.Initial research on structuring the interview process investigated structure’s impact on the interview’s psychometric properties (e.g., reliability and validity). In contrast, the empirical literature has begun to consider the impact of increased interview structure on job applicant reactions to the interview and the companies that utilize them. Current research has studied the effects of interviewer characteristics on applicant reactions and the effects of different types of selection procedures on applicant fairness reactions. In addition, while studies have examined the impact of applicants’ perceived control on their reactions to selection procedures, few studies have examined this impact specifically for the employment interview. Given the widespread use of the interview in selection, this study adds to current research by focusing on applicant reactions to four elements of the interview identified as being salient to applicants (i.e., the degree to which the interviewee perceives that applicants are asked the same questions, the use of situational or behavioral type questions, controlling the use of ancillary information by the interviewer, and the degree to which questions from the applicant are controlled). In addition, this study focused on need for control as a moderator of the relationships between interview structure and fairness perceptions, recommendation intentions, and acceptance intentions. Participants consisted of 161 students voluntarily participating in three different interviewing scenarios: unstructured, semi-structured, and structured interviewing scenario. The participants completed post-interview measures asking them about their perceptions of fairness, their intention to recommend the company to others, and their intention of accepting an offer if one is made by the company. Although the hypothesized relationships between elements of structure and applicant evaluations of the interview were largely not supported, the results did indicate that student applicants perceived semi-structured and structured interviews to be fairer than unstructured interviews. In addition, the results suggest that more structured interviews may lead to lower behavioral intent to recommend the job to others or accept a job offer. Implications of the results are discussed in terms of how interview structure relates to the candidates’ perception of fairness, recommendation intentions, and acceptance intentions.Item Chronic Ethanol Drinking by Alcohol-preferring Rats Increases the Sensitivity of the Mesolimbic Dopamine System to the Reinforcing and Stimulating Effects of Cocaine(2013-08-20) Oster, Scott M.; Murphy, James M.; Rodd, Zachary A.; Goodlett, Charles R.; Kinzig, Kimberly P.; Czachowski, Cristine; Hazer, JohnAlcohol and cocaine are commonly co-abused drugs, and those meeting criteria for both cocaine and alcohol use disorders experience more severe behavioral and health consequences than those with a single disorder. Chronic alcohol (ethanol) drinking increased the reinforcing and dopamine (DA) neuronal stimulating effects of ethanol within mesolimbic regions of the central nervous system (CNS) of alcohol-preferring (P) rats. The objectives of the current study were to determine if chronic continuous ethanol drinking produced: (1) alterations in the sensitivity of the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh) to the reinforcing effects of cocaine, (2) changes in the magnitude and time course of the local stimulating effects of cocaine on posterior ventral tegmental area (pVTA) DA neurons, and (3) a persistence of alterations in the stimulating effects of cocaine after a period of protracted abstinence. Female P rats received continuous, free-choice access to water and 15% v/v ethanol for at least 10 wk (continuous ethanol-drinking; CE) or access to water alone (ethanol-naïve; N). A third group of rats received the same period of ethanol access followed by 30 d of protracted abstinence from ethanol (ethanol-abstinent; Ab). CE and Ab rats consumed, on average, 6-7 g/kg/d of ethanol. Animals with a single cannula aimed at the AcbSh responded for injections of cocaine into the AcbSh during four initial operant sessions. Cocaine was not present in the self-infused solution for the subsequent three sessions, and cocaine access was restored during one final session. Animals with dual ipsilateral cannulae aimed at the AcbSh and the pVTA were injected with pulsed microinfusions of cocaine into the pVTA while DA content was collected for analysis through a microdialysis probe inserted into the AcbSh. During the initial four sessions, neither CE nor N rats self-infused artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) or 0.1 mM cocaine into the AcbSh. CE, but not N, rats self-administered 0.5 mM cocaine into the AcbSh, whereas both groups self-infused concentrations of 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, or 8.0 mM cocaine. When cocaine access was restored in Session 8, CE rats responded more on the active lever and obtained more infusions of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, or 4.0 mM cocaine compared to N rats. Microinjection of aCSF into the pVTA did not alter AcbSh DA levels in N, CE, or Ab rats. Microinjections of 0.25 mM cocaine into the pVTA did not significantly alter AcbSh DA levels in N animals, moderately increased DA levels in CE rats, and greatly increased DA levels in Ab rats. Microinjections of 0.5 mM cocaine into the pVTA modestly increased AcbSh DA levels in N animals, robustly increased DA levels in CE rats, and did not significantly alter DA levels in Ab rats. Microinjections of 1.0 or 2.0 mM cocaine into the pVTA modestly increased AcbSh DA levels in N animals but decreased DA levels in CE and Ab rats. Overall, long-term continuous ethanol drinking by P rats enhanced both the reinforcing effects of cocaine within the AcbSh and the stimulatory and inhibitory effects of cocaine on pVTA DA neurons. Alterations in the stimulatory and inhibitory effects of cocaine on pVTA DA neurons were not only enduring, but also enhanced, following a period of protracted abstinence from ethanol exposure. Translationally, prevention of chronic and excessive alcohol intake in populations with a genetic risk for substance abuse may reduce the likelihood of subsequent cocaine use.Item Ecological momentary assessment versus traditional retrospective self-reports as predictors of health-relevant outcomes(2013-09-05) Zielke, Desiree Joy; Stewart, Jesse C.; Rand, Kevin L.; Williams, Jane R.; Cyders, Melissa A.; Hazer, JohnEcological momentary assessment (EMA) has been asserted by proponents of the technique as being superior to standard paper-and-pencil measurements in terms of the reliability and validity of the information obtained; however, this claim has not yet been fully evaluated in the literature. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to evaluate one aspect of this assertion by comparing the utility of EMA and retrospective measures of depressive symptoms in predicting health-relevant biological and behavioral outcomes. It was hypothesized that (1) the EMA measure will have better predictive utility when examining objective sleep quality (a biological outcome), and that (2) the retrospective measure will have better predictive utility when examining blood donation intention (a behavioral outcome). Ninety-six undergraduate females participated in this 2-week study. Depressive symptoms were measured momentarily and retrospectively using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). The biological outcome was assessed by actigraphy, whereas the behavioral outcome was measured via a self-report questionnaire. Unfortunately, it was not possible to fully test these hypotheses due to the failure to observe relationships between the predictor variables and the outcomes. The reported results, although limited, did not provide support for the hypotheses. Supplemental analyses revealed a moderate to high amount of shared variance between the EMA and retrospective measures, a similar extent of random error in both measures, and potentially a greater degree of systematic error in the retrospective measure. Due to the paucity of literature examining the claim of superior reliability and validity of EMA versus retrospective measures, as well as the failure of the current study to evaluate this assertion sufficiently, it appears that this claim remains unfounded. Therefore, suggestions for future research are provided.Item The Effect of the Rater's Implicit Person Theory on the Performance Evaluations of Male and Female Managers(2013-03-06) Bendapudi, Namrita; Williams, Jane R.; Hazer, John; Ashburn-Nardo, LesliePrevious research has found that the clarity of information provided to raters about women managers’ performance affects ratings of their competence, likeability, and overall evaluation. The current study sought to contribute to this literature by examining whether individual differences of raters can explain the reason for differential performance evaluations of male and female managers, despite them both performing equally. For this purpose, the current research extended the findings of Heilman and colleagues by replicating their methodology while introducing a moderator variable, the rater’s Implicit Person Theory (IPT). The IPT differentiates people into either entity theorists (that is, those who believe that behavior is trait-based and therefore fixed and stable) and incremental theorists (those who believe that behavior is situationally mediated and hence, changeable). Specifically, it was proposed that the effects found in the previous study would be stronger when the rater possessed an entity theory as opposed to an incremental theory. In doing so, this research attempted to provide an understanding of why male and female managers might be given different ratings, all other things being equal. Analyses revealed results that were consistent with, as well as some that were quite inconsistent with, previous findings. Rater IPT was found to have a significant effect on ratings provided by male participants but not those of female participants. Other findings and implications are discussed and limitations and future research directions are stated.Item The Effects of Job Characteristics on Citizenship Performance(2012-08-27) Cavanaugh, Caitlin Maureen; Hazer, John; Williams, Jane R.; Devine, Dennis J. (Dennis John)The study of job performance has been a high priority for organizational researchers and practitioners alike. Models of performance have acknowledged that it is affected by both individual differences and environmental factors and also that behaviors outside the job description, called citizenship performance, have value. Despite these acknowledgements, researchers have placed much more emphasis on understanding the influence of individual differences (rather than environmental characteristics) on citizenship performance. Counter to the emphasis on individual differences, the current study sought to evaluate the relationships between environmental characteristics and citizenship performance in the context of the Job Characteristics Model (JCM) and to determine whether the relationships could be both theoretically and empirically understood. Additionally, the relative importance of the environmental variables in the JCM were evaluated and compared to well-known individual difference predictors of citizenship performance. Finally, the current study sought to provide initial evidence for different patterns of relationships between the JCM variables and the three facets of citizenship performance. Undergraduate students employed for at least 20 hours per week were recruited for participation (n = 379) in a cross-sectional study, and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and regression. Generally, model tests revealed that the JCM as configured performed poorly, though the variables did predict citizenship performance. When job satisfaction was added as another mediator in the model, results were slightly better. Regarding incremental validity, JCM variables were able to explain variance above and beyond the individual difference variables, providing additional support for the importance of the environment in understanding behavior. One implication of this is that practitioners may be able to justify changes to the work environment in an effort to increase citizenship performance. Future research should continue to explore the environment’s effects on citizenship.Item The empathizing-systemizing theory and adolescents with autism spectrum conditions(2013-08-29) Williams, Carrie; McGrew, John H., 1953-; Johnson, Kathy E.; Stewart, Jesse C.; Rand, Kevin L.; Hazer, JohnThe empathizing-systemizing (E-S) theory states that individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) can be identified by a deficit in empathy (social skills, communication skills, and theory of mind) and a propensity for systemizing (islets of ability, obsessions with systems, and repetitive behavior). This theory has been tested in various contexts, but never with adolescents between the ages of 12 and 16. The EQ-A (Empathizing Quotient for Adolescents) and the SQ-A (Systemizing Quotient for Adolescents) were administered to 47 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 16 who had been diagnosed with ASC and 97 adolescents with no reported physical or mental disorders to discover differences in empathizing and systemizing. To test the specific elements and predictions of the E-S theory, the EQ-A was divided into a set of three subscales derived by conceptually mapping items to factors corresponding to the concepts theoretically underlying the scale. The SQ-A was divided into subscales using factor analysis. It was found that all four subscales resulting from the factor analysis on the SQ-A were associated with obsessions with systems. A weak positive correlation was found between the SQ-A and the EQ-A. Although the EQ-A was able to differentiate significantly between individuals with an ASC and those without, the SQ-A was not. In addition, although the EQ-A and EQ-A subscales scores correlated with similar subscales scores of the GARS-2 (a well-validated existing autism screening test), the SQ-A and its subscales did not. Implications for the E-S Theory are discussed.Item An Empirical Test of the Dimensionality of Self-Control(2013-08-23) Tunze, Chloe Ann; Rand, Kevin L.; Cyders, Melissa A.; Rexroth, Daniel F.; Stewart, Jesse C.; Ashburn-Nardo, Leslie; Hazer, JohnMinimal attention has been devoted to examining the dimensionality of self-control. The present study tested a multidimensional model of self-control in which dimensions were based on the nature of the behavior required (i.e., persistence, initiation, cessation, or prevention). A total of 336 undergraduates completed measures of self-control and psychological well-being. Seventy-four of these participants completed behavioral self-control tasks representing the proposed subtypes. Participants’ GPAs were obtained from the Registrar. Stop self-control was inversely related to previously-validated measures of persistence (β = -.61, p = .010) and prevention (β = -.56, p = .040) self-control and demonstrated differential predictive ability of persistence and prevention compared to the other proposed subtypes. Initiation self-control was inversely related to life satisfaction (β = -.35, p = .012) and demonstrated differential predictive ability of life satisfaction compared to stop self-control. These results were interpreted with caution due to inadequate power and questionable validity of several of the behavioral self-control tasks. Both handgrip persistence (r = -.25, p = .033) and blinking prevention (r = -.29, p = .023) were associated with depression. These pairwise correlations were not significantly different from each other, suggesting that no conceptual distinction should be made between persistence and prevention self-control. Confirmatory factor analyses of self-report data revealed that items clustered based on domain rather than on type of behavior required for self-control exertion. Thus, the structure of self-control remains unclear. Limitations of the present study and implications for future research are discussed.Item Exploring Potential Pharmacologic Treatments for Alcoholism: Can the Use of Drugs Selective for the µ-, δ-, and κ- Opioid Receptors Differentially Modulate Alcohol Drinking?(2013-07-12) Henderson, Angela Nicole; Czachowski, Cristine; Grahame, Nicholas J.; Stewart, Robert; Kinzig, Kimberly P.; Hazer, JohnNaltrexone (NTX) is clinically efficacious at attenuating alcohol intake in non-abstinent alcoholics and, to a lesser extent, craving, independent of intake. While generally regarded as a non-selective opioid antagonist, NTX has been shown to have concentration dependent selectivity with lower doses (< 1.0 mg/kg) selective for the mu receptor and doses exceeding 1.0 mg/kg capable of binding to delta and kappa receptors. Like the mu system, the delta receptor system has also been implicated in mediating the rewarding effects of EtOH. In contrast, the role of the kappa system is less clear though recent evidence suggests that kappa activation may mediate EtOH aversion. Thus, the present study sought to evaluate the effects of both mu-selective and non-selective doses of naltrexone, the selective delta antagonist naltrindole (NTI), and the selective kappa agonist U50,488H (U50) in a paradigm that procedurally separates the motivation to seek versus consume a reinforcer to assess whether these receptor-selective drugs differentially affects these behaviors in both selected (alcohol-preferring P rats) and non-selected (Long Evans) rats, and whether these effects are specific to EtOH. Rats were trained to complete a single response requirement that resulted in access to either 2% sucrose or 10% EtOH for a 20-min drinking session. In three separate experiments, rats were injected (using a balanced design) with either vehicle or 1 of 3 doses of drug: U50 (IP; 2.5, 5.0, or 10.0mg/kg), NTI (IP; 2.5, 5.0, or 10.0 mg/kg), low NTX (SC; 0.1, 0.3, or 1.0 mg/kg) or high NTX (SC; 1.0, 3.0, or 10.0 mg/kg) on both consummatory and appetitive treatment days. Following either a 20 (U50), 15 (NTI), or 30 minute (NTX) pretreatment, rats were placed into an operant chamber and intake (consummatory) or lever responses (appetitive) and response latencies were recorded. The results showed that overall: U50, NTI, and NTX attenuated intake and responding for sucrose and EtOH. Independent of reinforcer, LE rats were more sensitive to U50’s effects on intake while P rats were more sensitive to the effects on seeking. P rats reinforced with EtOH were more sensitive to NTI’s effects on intake and seeking than all other rat groups. P rats were more sensitive overall to lower doses of NTX than LE rats and lower doses of NTX were more selective in attenuating EtOH responding vs. sucrose. Higher doses of NTX suppressed intake and responding across both lines and reinforcers. These results demonstrate that craving and intake may be differentially regulated by the kappa, delta, and mu opioid receptor systems as a function of “family history” and suggest that different mechanisms of the same (opioid) system may differentially affect craving and intake.Item The impact of personality, informal roles, and team informal role configuration on team effectiveness(2011-03-09) Caughlin, David E.; Devine, Dennis John; Hazer, John; Ashburn-Nardo, LeslieAs organizations use more and more work teams, selecting and assembling effective teams is becoming increasingly important. Past research and theory has demonstrated that informal roles serve as a critical linking mechanism between individual-level characteristics such as personality and team-level effectiveness. The present study builds upon this area of research and theory by testing the individual-level link between personality and informal roles and the team-level link between team informal role configuration and team effectiveness. These links were tested using a sample of 152 undergraduate students participating in 38 teams of four. The teams engaged in an information-sharing business simulation where the goal was to generate the highest possible profits across two simulated business years. At the individual level, the Big Five personality dimension Agreeableness positively and significantly correlated with the adoption of the Communicator role, while the relationship between Conscientiousness and the Contractor role approached significance. With regard to the team level, a positive relationship was found between the number of Completer roles performed within a team and the level of team effectiveness for the first simulated business year, and the relationship between the total number of informal roles performed within a team and team effectiveness in the first simulated year was found to be marginally significant. Using a criterion profile analysis approach, two criterion patterns were identified in which optimal informal role configuration patterns yielded high levels of team effectiveness. Overall, results from this study lend some support to the demonstrated links between personality and informal roles and informal role configuration and team effectiveness, which have important implications for organizational selection and employee development.Item Parents Served by Assertive Community Treatment: A Needs Based Assessment(2013-08-29) White, Laura Morgan; McGrew, John H., 1953-; Salyers, Michelle P.; Rollins, Angela; Hazer, JohnAssertive Community Treatment (ACT) represents an effective treatment for individuals with severe mental illness. Though studies estimate that as many as half of all people with severe mental illness are parents, little is known about consumers receiving ACT services who are parents. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to 1) estimate the prevalence of parent ACT consumers, 2) identify current ACT team policies and practices for treating parent consumers, and 3) examine the perspective of parent consumers served by ACT teams. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed via two separate studies. In study 1, eighty-two ACT providers from 76 teams across the United States and Canada were surveyed to determine the prevalence of parent ACT consumers, ACT team policies for identifying the parental status of consumers, treatment services available for parent consumers, and provider attitudes about parent consumers. Providers estimated roughly 21.6% of ACT consumers were parents. Less than half of providers (46.3%) reported formally asking about parental status during intake and only 20.7% providers belonged to ACT teams that provide special programs/services designed for parent consumers. The majority of providers (75.6%) reported negative or mixed attitudes about parents with severe mental illness. In study 2, seventeen parents with severe mental illness being served by ACT teams were interviewed about parenting, the relationship between parenting and severe mental illness, parenting needs, and suggestions for improved treatment services for parents. All parents were able to identify at least one positive aspect of parenting and most parents (76.5%) also identified negative aspects of parenting. Loss of custody emerged as a significant parenting problem, with the majority of parents (88.2%) experiencing loss of custody at least once. Given the difficulties of being a parent and having to manage a severe mental illness, parents expressed interest in several parent-focused treatment services, including family therapy, parenting skills, communication skills training, resources/finances for children, and social support groups with peers. When asked about overall satisfaction with ACT services, most participants with adult children (87.5%) reported having no unmet parent-related needs and high satisfaction (4.63 out of 5) with ACT services, whereas parents with young children (77.8%) reported having numerous unmet parenting needs and low satisfaction (3.78 out of 5) with ACT services. Thus, the age of participants’ children was a significant factor, indicating that the ACT treatment model may not be adequately serving parents of young, dependent children. Overall, findings suggest the need for more attention and focus on parent consumers, including formal identification of consumers’ parental status and improved parent-related treatment services and support