Showing papers by "American Institutes for Research published in 1997"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that creativity and innovation are key requirements for the growth and adaptation of organizations and review a series of articles, appearing in this issue, about how we might encourage creativity in the workplace.
Abstract: In a dynamic global economy, creativity and innovation are essential requirements for organizational success. Creativity, unfortunately, has not always been seen as playing an important role in the design and structure of organizations. In this article, we argue that creativity and innovation are key requirements for the growth and adaptation of organizations. Subsequently, we review a series of articles, appearing in this issue, about how we might encourage creativity and innovation in the workplace. Some potentially useful directions for future research are discussed along with the methodological issues likely to arise as we seek to understand creativity in the workplace.
107 citations
TL;DR: The biopsychosocial characteristics of newly recovering substance abusers that are relevant to smoking cessation are described and it is suggested that there are notable differences between abusers and nonabusers that may contribute to abusers' greater difficulty in quitting smoking.
50 citations
1 Jan 1997
18 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluated potential revisions to the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and the data analyzed were collected from trainees in 17 U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy jobs.
Abstract: This investigation evaluated potential revisions to the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). The data analyzed were collected from trainees in 17 U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy jobs ...
16 citations
TL;DR: Think-aloud protocols, in which users verbalize their thoughts while interacting with an IVR script to perform specified tasks, provide an effective and economical assessment of the target audience's ability to use a proposed system.
Abstract: Interactive voice response (IVR) systems, which require people to respond on a telephone keypad to a series of aural prompts, are becoming increasingly widespread. Because writing or reading information is quite different from listening to it, guidance based on testing with actual users is particularly crucial to successful development of a usable IVR system.
7 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors asked drivers to take pictures of their trucks and group them into various categories, such as text only, top view, side view, horizontal orientation, vertical orientation, showing accident, showing near accident, and miscellaneous.
Abstract: taking pictures of their trucks. When asked if we worked for the federal or state government, we assured the drivers that we did not. We also told them that our pictures would not include their license plate numbers or any other identifying marks on the trucks. We did not attempt to get a proportional sample of the warning signs and construct a frequency distribution of the signs. Instead, we wanted to get one or two examples of each of the signs so that we could group them into various categories. We discuss these categories and the signs' characteristics in the following section. Our goal was to determine the elements of a warning sign that we believed best communicated the hazard. We grouped the pictures into several categories so that the differences between the signs would be more apparent. These categories were text only, top view, side view, horizontal orientation, vertical orientation, showing accident, showing nearaccident, and miscellaneous. We asked five other human factors researchers in our office to inspect the pictures, provide comments on the different warning approaches, and choose either the single warning sign that they believed best communicated the hazard or the elements from several signs that we could combine into one \"best\" warning sign. During the task, the researchers did not refer to written human factors warnings guidelines; we asked them to react to the signs based on their professional knowledge.
TL;DR: According to a model of problem construction as mentioned in this paper, problem construction ability, active engagement in problem construction, and the presence of diverse and inconsistent cues influence creative problem solving, but our understanding of the underlying process is limited.
Abstract: Problem construction has been suggested as the first step in creative problem solving, but our understanding of the underlying process is limited. According to a model of problem construction (Mumford, Reiter-Palmon, & Redmond, 1994), problem construction ability, active engagement in problem construction, and the presence of diverse and inconsistent cues influence creative problem solving. To test these hypotheses, 195 undergraduates were asked to solve 6 real-life problems and complete a measure of problem construction ability. Active engagement in problem construction was manipulated by instructions to the participants. Cue consistency was manipulated by the information presented in the problem situation. The quality, originality, and creativity of the solutions were evaluated. Results indicated that problem construction ability was related to higher quality solutions as well as solutions rated as more original. Problem construction ability also interacted with cue consistency such that individuals wit...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider how peoples' creative problem solving efforts are influenced by characteristics of the organizations in which they work and describe organizational variables that might help or hinder effective application of these processes.
Abstract: In this article, we consider how peoples' creative problem solving efforts are influenced by characteristics of the organizations in which they work. We begin examining the situations which call for creative problem solving at work. We then consider the kinds of processes people must apply to solve these problems. Additionally, we describe certain organizational variables that might help or hinder effective application of these processes.' Some conclusions-are drawn concerning how these variables act to influence creative problem solving at work. The implications of these observations for future research are discussed.