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Continuous Learning: Choosing and Allocating Resources to Strengths and Weaknesses

Halper, Leah R.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1427828223

Abstract Details

2015, Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, Industrial/Organizational Psychology (Arts and Sciences).
Individuals are continuously learning and improving over a lifetime. This continuous, self-directed learning can be very important for individual career success because organizations improve through the continuous learning of the employees. Yet, there is little research about how individuals choose between multiple domains. This study investigates how individuals use beliefs about their relative strengths and weaknesses to allocate resources to learning. To develop a set of hypotheses, the literatures on self-regulation, motivation, learning, and goal orientation are reviewed. Specifically, the role flexibility context of individuals, meaning how much control individuals have over which roles relevant to a particular task are most important, was hypothesized as an important predictor of learning choice. Anticipated relative improvement, or the belief in which area may improve more in a certain amount of time, was also hypothesized as a predictor and hypothesized to interact with learning goal orientation. Participants (N = 171) were assigned to either a high role flexible or a low role flexible condition and were given the chance to choose to study either a relative strength or a relative weakness. Logistic regression analyses were conducted. Role flexibility condition was a significant predictor. Anticipated relative improvement also predicted study topic choice. The predicted interaction between relative improvement and goal orientation did not relate to study topic choice. Limitations and future research are discussed in terms of construct, internal, and external validity.
Jeffrey Vancouver, PhD (Advisor)
Rodger Griffeth, PhD (Committee Member)
Kimberly Rios, PhD (Committee Member)
Organizational Behavior; Psychology
Learning; goals; resources; role flexibility; learning curves; anticipated relative improvement

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Halper, L. R. (2015). Continuous Learning: Choosing and Allocating Resources to Strengths and Weaknesses [Master's thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1427828223

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Halper, Leah. Continuous Learning: Choosing and Allocating Resources to Strengths and Weaknesses. 2015. Ohio University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1427828223.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Halper, Leah. "Continuous Learning: Choosing and Allocating Resources to Strengths and Weaknesses." Master's thesis, Ohio University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1427828223

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1427828223
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© 2015, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.