Temporal Persistence of Attitudes Induced Through Required Training.

TLDR: This paper used a semantic differential questionnaire to examine the persistence of changes in racial attitudes induced via a required training course for supervisors at a large military installation and found that a general, but small, positive change in attitude was observed immediately following the course and subsequently decayed over a twelve to thirteen-week period.

Abstract: A posttest-only control group design procedure was used with a semantic differential questionnaire to examine the persistence of changes in racial attitudes induced via a required training course for supervisors at a large military installation Overall, a general, but small, positive change in attitude was observed immediately following the course This attitude change subsequently decayed over a twelve- to thirteen-week period Surprisingly, a "sleeper effect" seemed to emerge four to five weeks after the training session, resulting in significant, but short-term, positive attitude changes The sleeper effect emerged in the absence of previously postulated conditions for its occurrence, such as close interaction of participants and reward systems to encourage behavior consistent with the changed attitudes

Figures

Figure 5. Attitudes Toward Blacks.

Table 3. Composite Score Ranks of Sixty-four Individual s' Attitudes Toward "Latino's."

Table 4. Wilcoxon Rank Sum Comparison; Control and Indicated Groups.

Figure 1. Over-all Ethnic Attitudes. 4>N)

Table 1. Mean Attitude Scores and Number of Subjects,

Figure 2. Attitudes Toward American Indians.

Full text

The temporal persistence of attitudes
induced through required training
Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic)
Authors Driskill, John Dee, 1939-
Publisher The University of Arizona.
Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material
is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona.
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Download date 30/05/2022 09:06:58
Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/554792

THE TEMPORAL PERSISTENCE OF ATTITUDES INDUCED
THROUGH REQUIRED TRAINING
by
John Dee Driskill
A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the
DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT '
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
In the Graduate College
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
1 9 7 4

STATEMENT BY AUTHOR
This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of re
quirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is
deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers
under rules of the Library*
Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special
permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made*
Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of
this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the
major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judg
ment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholar
ship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained
from the author.
SIGNED
APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR
This thesis has been approved on the date shown below:
, DAVID A. TANSIK
Associate Professor of Management

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ...................... v
LIST OF TABLES .......................... vi
ABSTRACT .... ................. vii
CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION . .
..................
. . . 1
Purpose and Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Ethnic Attitudes Defined ....
.............
... 4
2. REVIEW OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH ............... 6
Persistence, Decay and the .Forgetting Curve ..... 7
Reiman's Conditions for Persistence . . . . . . „ . . 10
The Compliance Process ... ......... 12
The Identification Process . ..... . . ,. ..... 16
The Internalization Process
.......
........ 21
Conclusions .......
...............
..... 25
3. M E TH O D OL OG Y
...........
28
Subjects and Design . . . .
.........
29
The Measuring Instrument ............... 33
Procedures ............
.................
.36
Analysis
.........
38
4. RESULTS . . .
..........
................ 40
Kruskal-Wallis Test R e s u l t s
..............
40
Wilcoxon Rank Sum Two Sample Test Results . . . . . . 53
5. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS . '
.........
. . 56
Implications for Management ............. 58
iii

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS--Continued
Page
APPENDIX A: RESEARCH DIFFICULTIES .
..........................
61
APPENDIX B: THE QUESTIONNAIRE .
.......
.
. 65
APPENDIX C: QUESTIONNAIRE INFORMATION . .... . . ... . . . . . 77
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
.........
83