Procrastination and Impatience

There is a large body of literature documenting both a preference for immediacy and a tendency to procrastinate. O'Donoghue and Rabin (1999a,b, 2001) and Choi et al. (2005) model these behaviors as the two faces of the same phenomenon. In this paper, we use a combination of lab, field, and survey evidence to study whether these two types of behavior are indeed linked. To measure immediacy we had subjects choose between a series of smaller-sooner and larger-later rewards. Both rewards were paid with a check in order to control for transaction costs. To measure procrastination we use the subjects' actual behavior in cashing the check and completing tasks on time. Our results lend support to the hypothesis that subjects who have a preference for immediacy are indeed more likely to procrastinate.

The Effects of Automation Transparency and Reliability on Task Shedding and Operator Trust

Because automation use is common in many domains, understanding how to design it to optimize human-automation system performance is vital. Well-calibrated trust ensures good performance when using imperfect automation. Two factors that may jointly affect trust calibration are automation transparency and perceived reliability. Transparency information that explains automated processes and analyses to the operator may help the operator choose appropriate times to shed task control to automation. Because operator trust is positively correlated with automation use, behaviors such as task shedding to automation can indicate the presence of trust. This study used a 2 (reliability; between) × 3 (transparency; within) split-plot design to study the effects that reliability and amount of transparency information have on operators’ subjective trust and task shedding behaviors. Results showed a significant effect of reliability on trust, in which high reliability resulted in more trust. There was no effect of transparency on trust. There was no effect of either reliability or transparency on task shedding frequency or time to task shed. This may be due to high workload of the primary task, restricting participants’ ability to utilize transparency information beyond the automation recommendation. Another influence on these findings was participant hesitance to task shed which could have influenced behavior regardless of automation reliability. These findings contribute to the understanding of automation trust and operator task shedding behavior. Consistent with literature, reliability increased trust. However, there was no effect of transparency, demonstrating the complexity of the relationship between transparency and trust. Participants demonstrated a bias to retain personal control, even with highly reliable automation and at the cost of time-out errors. Future research should examine the relationship between workload and transparency and the influence of task importance on task shedding

Corporations: Manufacturing Psychopaths?

The impact & harms of white-collar offenses (corporate crime) on society are severe, & cost society many times what violent offenses do. I argue the occurrence of corporate crime is a function of corporate culture and environment (Organizational Strain). According to some analyses, there is an increased prevalence of psychopathic personalities in corporate management positions. To study this, I analyzed data collected from 203 managers & executives at seven corporations with employees numbering 150 to 40,000 - using the Psychopathic Personality Inventory Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). I then conducted content analysis on independent biographies of four prominent, criminal CEO\u27s to track the emergence of psychopathic personality traits. I posit that corporations not only attract primary psychopaths, but may foster the emergence of psychopathic traits in non-psychopaths as well (i.e. secondary psychopathy ). My research focuses on the emergence of psychopathic traits in corporate management (secondary psychopathy), & suggests a theoretical basis for this happening

Investigating the Effects of the Mission Status Graphics Polar Star Display on Failure Detection Time and Situation Awareness for Mission and System Monitoring in General Aviation Aircraft

For years, the aviation industry has been under severe scrutiny over the safety of flight when cockpit automation is over relied on and when it is under utilized. This double-edged sword raises the question of situation awareness in aviation. With the recent boom in cockpit automation and advanced avionics some fear that the pilots are being put outside the loop . Unfortunately, humans are notoriously poor monitors of reliable systems over time. However, research is currently being conducted into a new form of display that has the ability to group a myriad of aircraft mission and system status information onto one display, thereby providing pilots with a clear and concise view of the big picture, in one glance. This display utilizes a regular geometric shape generated on a polar graphic plot to indicate whether all monitored parameters are within acceptable limits. Dubbed Mission Status Graphics, the regular geometric shape will warp to a non-symmetrical form indicating that a mission or system parameter has exceeded its normal operating range. NASA Langley Research Center is currently investigating this display system for application to commercial aircraft cockpits; however, it is believed that general aviation flight safety and pilot situation awareness could also benefit from the addition of this display in future cockpit designs

A descriptive study of the communication performance of Native American and Anglo college students in the selection interview

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of Kansas, Communication Studies, 1988

Transformational Relationships: Re-framing Impact in Faith-Based Social Service Organizations

Theories of change and logic models are the industry standard foundation for impact evaluation. However, half of all nonprofits do not use these models due to resource constraints or the perception that their work does not fit into a model. This is especially true in relationship-based programs, such as those in faith-based social services. This Capstone examines the influence of relationship theory on a faith-based organization’s impact. The research methodology included deductive, action-based research with a foundational literature review focused on nonprofit planning and evaluation theory and social science theory. Then a total of 6 expert interviews were conducted, 3 with faith-based program directors and 3 with evaluation professionals. Finally, a hermeneutic approach was used to cycle between synthesis and analysis, comparing data from literature and expert interviews, and conceptualizing new models. While the context of the research is faith-based, the models are general enough to be applied to a diverse number of organizations. The findings demonstrate that relationship theory does have implications for how their theory of change and logic models are formed and how impact is subsequently evaluated. Relational Cultural Theory is identified in the literature and supported in the expert interviews as the theoretical foundation for the Transformation Relationship theory of change. Traditional linear logic models are challenged with the presentation of a cyclical model that is more reflective of the iterative process of Transformational Relationships. The resulting levels of impact are described as a spiral of impact with implications for individual, group and societal impact. Evaluation is re-framed with suggestions that include blending qualitative and quantitative methodology, integrating the evaluation process into the relationship, and re-framing donor expectations around what relationship-based impact evaluation looks like. This Capstone lays the foundation for additional research in surveying a larger sample of faith-based social service organizations to inform the Transformational Relationship model, develop relationship-based evaluation tools (proxies, tests, surveys) for use in programs, and an examination of how Transformational Relationships contribute to collective impact