The Impact of Report of Investigation Writing Style on the Assessment Times, Impressions, Perceptions and Preferences of Adjudicators
Abstract
This report examines the effect of style of written communication on processing of information and readers' perceptions of the writer. Forty senior adjudicators from four sites reviewed two cases containing significant derogatory information. The reports of investigation (ROIs) were written in two styles: high- and low-impact. High-impact reports were designed to facilitate information processing through structural and stylistic features such as lists, bullets, active verbs and subject-verb-object sentence construction. The results show that adjudicators prefer a high-impa ROI for its presentation of information, ease of reading, remembering and applying adjudication criteria, and limited amount of re-reading. With the high-impact ROI adjudicators also formed a more favorable impression of the quality of investigation and the competence of field agents. There was no evidence of a shorter reading time for high-impact ROIs.... Written communications, Decision-making processes, Organizational norms, DIS Special agents, Personnel security adjudication, Readers' perceptions of report writers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA265748
Entities
People
- James E. Suchan
- Mark Laviolette