Affective Change at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute: Studies of Assessment and of Symbolic Racism
Abstract
Three studies of affective learning were performed at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI). Study 1 investigated the manner in which DEOMI small-group trainers categorize the non-course-content training objectives of the organization into a typology including simple behaviors, complex performance skills, complex judgment and decision skills, and performance skills, complex judgment and decision skills, and attitudes or values. Results indicated that most organizational goals are viewed as attitudes despite the face meaning of the goal statements. Study 2 examined the structure of these noncognitive training goals by performing factor analyses of peer ratings of the goal statements. Findings indicated poor interrater reliability in the peer ratings and a halo effect in which a very large first factor emerged. Two substantive factors leadership ability and racial prejudice were also found. Study 3 tested several hypotheses derived from symbolic racism theory. DEOMI students expressed their stereotypes on six value dimensions about themselves, Whites, and Blacks, and reported how they felt the other racial group stereotyped their own-group. Results indicated that Whites had overly negative ideas about how they were perceived by Blacks, and that Blacks had more positive own-group stereotypes than did Whites. In the final section of the report, the relationship of DEOMI to American society is discussed, and the establishment of a social science laboratory in the organization is suggested. Keywords: Racism; Symbolic racism; affect attitude measurement; Affective measurement; Training; Stereotypes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA207196
Entities
People
- William K. Gabrenya Jr.
Organizations
- Florida Institute of Technology