Scholarly Work - Psychology

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/3455

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    Absent autonomy: Relational competence and gendered paths to faculty self-determination in the promotion and tenure process
    (2018-09) Skewes, Monica C.; Shanahan, Elizabeth A.; Smith, Jessi L.; Honea, Joy C.; Belou, Rebecca M.; Rushing, Sara; Intemann, Kristen; Handley, Ian M.
    This research examines ways in which men and women university faculty sought self-determination in the promotion and tenure (P&T) process. Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2012) research tends to view autonomy as the central factor in self-determination, taking priority over other psychological needs of relatedness and competence. The P&T process occurs within a context that inherently limits autonomy, providing a unique opportunity to examine experiences of relatedness and competence when autonomy is constrained. We used a qualitative research strategy with a matched case study design to explore how individuals experience the constructs of SDT (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) within the P&T process. Our project focuses on faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) departments undergoing P&T review at one university. Women faculty in STEM were compared with men faculty at the same rank and in similar departments concurrently going through P&T review. Findings showed that men reported experiencing self-determination via informational competence whereas women approached self-determination through relational competence. Creating a level playing field for faculty navigating the P&T process requires being attuned to different paths to self-determination, fostering relationships between faculty, and clarifying policies and procedures.
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    Not Merely Experiential: Unconscious Thought Can Be Rational
    (2017-07) Garrison, Katie E.; Handley, Ian M.
    Individuals often form more reasonable judgments from complex information after a period of distraction vs. deliberation. This phenomenon has been attributed to sophisticated unconscious thought during the distraction period that integrates and organizes the information (Unconscious Thought Theory; Dijksterhuis and Nordgren, 2006). Yet, other research suggests that experiential processes are strengthened during the distraction (relative to deliberation) period, accounting for the judgment and decision benefit. We tested between these possibilities, hypothesizing that unconscious thought is distinct from experiential processes, and independently contributes to judgments and decisions during a distraction period. Using an established paradigm, Experiment 1 (N = 319) randomly induced participants into an experiential or rational mindset, after which participants received complex information describing three roommates to then consider consciously (i.e., deliberation) or unconsciously (i.e., distraction). Results revealed superior roommate judgments (but not choices) following distraction vs. deliberation, consistent with Unconscious Thought Theory. Mindset did not have an influence on roommate judgments. However, planned tests revealed a significant advantage of distraction only within the rational-mindset condition, which is contrary to the idea that experiential processing alone facilitates complex decision-making during periods of distraction. In a second experiment (N = 136), we tested whether effects of unconscious thought manifest for a complex analytical reasoning task for which experiential processing would offer no advantage. As predicted, participants in an unconscious thought condition outperformed participants in a control condition, suggesting that unconscious thought can be analytical. In sum, the current results support the existence of unconscious thinking processes that are distinct from experiential processes, and can be rational. Thus, the experiential vs. rational nature of a process might not cleanly delineate conscious and unconscious thought.
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    ADVANCE Project TRACS Charrette Posters 2014
    (2014-04) Smith, Jessi L.; Burroughs, Beth; Handley, Ian M.; Stoop, Chatanika
    These posters, presented in 2014, show data on recruiting new female faculty hires, job satisfaction, baseline indicators, and opinions on existing programs.
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    ADVANCE Project TRACS Charrette Posters 2015
    (2015) Smith, Jessi L.; Handley, Ian M.; Honea, Joy; Shanahan, Elizabeth A.; Skewes, Monica C.; Belou, Rebecca M.
    These posters, presented in 2015, show data on recruiting new female faculty hires, job satisfaction, baseline indicators, and opinions on existing programs.
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    ADVANCE Project TRACS Charrette Posters 2016
    (2016-04) Belou, Rebecca M.; Shanahan, Elizabeth A.; Skewes, Monica C.; Handley, Ian M.; Rushing, Sara; Honea, Joy
    These posters, presented on April 26, 2016, show data on recruiting new female faculty hires, job satisfaction, baseline indicators, and opinions on existing programs.
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    Now Hiring! Empirically Testing a Three-Step Intervention to Increase Faculty Gender Diversity in STEM
    (2015-11) Smith, Jessi L.; Handley, Ian M.; Zale, Alexander V.; Rushing, Sara; Potvin, Martha A.
    Workforce homogeneity limits creativity, discovery, and job satisfaction; nonetheless, the vast majority of university faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are men. We conducted a randomized and controlled three-step faculty search intervention based in self-determination theory aimed at increasing the number of women faculty in STEM at one US university where increasing diversity had historically proved elusive. Results show that the numbers of women candidates considered for and offered tenure-track positions were significantly higher in the intervention groups compared with those in controls. Searches in the intervention were 6.3 times more likely to make an offer to a woman candidate, and women who were made an offer were 5.8 times more likely to accept the offer from an intervention search. Although the focus was on increasing women faculty within STEM, the intervention can be adapted to other scientific and academic communities to advance diversity along any dimension.
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