PROCEDURAL CONSTRAINT AND TASK PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Persons or groups assigned to certain tasks are typically required to follow institutionally originated rules of action or constraints that limit the range of their task behavior. Ordinarily these procedural rules are based on general experience with the task situation and are designed to guard against serious errors: however they have the secondary effect of reducing the potential for superior enterprise or discretion on the part of the performing agent. The question of practical importance concerns the specific conditions that militate in favor of either increased or decreased superordinate control. The purpose of the investigation is to develop a laboratory methodology for studying this problem. The general task condition used was an abstract maze in which subjects had to select a path between designated points. An attempt was made to produce experimental analogues of 'visibility,' or task information accessible to the subject, and environmental 'bias,' or general favorability for exploratory behavior.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1964
Accession Number
AD0613532

Entities

People

  • Susan Goldberg
  • Thornton B. Roby

Organizations

  • Tufts University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Air Force
  • Analogs
  • Analysis Of Variance
  • Buildings And Structures
  • Classification
  • Contractors
  • Contracts
  • Environment
  • Experimental Design
  • Frequency
  • Government Procurement
  • Governments
  • Instructions
  • Task Performance And Analysis
  • United States
  • Visibility

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  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Organizational Psychology.
  • Theoretical Analysis.