Drug courts routinely rely on the threat of legal sanction to motivate drug-using criminal offenders to enter and complete community-based treatment programs. In light of the high failure rates among drug court participants, what is the effect of the threat of legal sanction on program retention and completion? A quasiexperimental research design…

This study investigated the efficacy of a reflective process designed to enhance novice professionals' capacity to critically reflect on their practice. One hundred and eighteen (118) final-year behavioural science students participated in an action learning based subject that simulated the roles (e.g. client-consultant) and demands of…

As a guide to learning about other cultures, the first edition of this book used 100 critical incidents spread across 18 themes of human interaction. This edition has the same goal as the first edition, to improve formal efforts to prepare people for interaction with cultures other than their own, but it introduces a number of new incidents and…

This paper presents findings of a study that explored how principals "enacted" and "structured" the environments of their schools. Weick's theoretical framework is used to understand the cognitive process by which managers selectively construct and attend to certain features of their environment while ignoring others. Data were obtained from…

The Critical Decision Method (CDM) is a structured interview method for eliciting expert knowledge. The method was used in a study of computer programmers who were experts at debugging complex computer systems. Fifteen programmers who were identified by their supervisors as experts were asked to describe an experience in which their expertise made…

A mapping procedure was used to analyze a massive amount of narrative data which was collected from observations of the implementation of an intervention. Mapping is the procedure of locating interventions in relation to one another conceptually, as a map does physically. As the data were analyzed, classifications and groupings of interventions…

A systems model is presented which combines critical incident research techniques and systems methodology to improve individual decision-making. The model: (1) revolves around a critical incident approach to understanding personal history of decision-making in several environments such as family, educational, and vocational; (2) utilizes the…

From a sample of 442 teachers in two Northwest states, 70 percent identified critical incidents of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Significant satisfaction factors were recognition and achievement.Dissatisfaction factors were relations with students and parents, lack of achievement by students or teachers, district policy and its…

Approaches to categorizing types of adaptive response are developed, these types are explained, and the consequences for individual institutions of responses made and not made are assessed. The extent of substantive change are associated with institutional type as reflected in the Carnegie Classification System. (MLW)

The family value fugue incident appears to afflict a substantial proportion of families in this country and in Europe. A series of five incidents are presented and characteristics of these incidents as well as their effects are discussed. Suggestions for further investigation of the family value fugue incident are made. (Author)

Describes six practical ways of answering critical questions about the effectiveness of training. These evaluation methods are: (1) delayed treatment, (2) modified critical incident, (3) followup, (4) performance analysis, (5) time-series evaluation, and (6) cost-benefit analysis. (JOW)

The mentoring role at Empire State College is examined on the basis of mentors' behavior responses to mentor-defined problems. The critical incident technique was used to elicit reported and recalled incidents that either facilitated or impeded mentoring. (Author/MLW)

Summarizes types and uses of performance appraisal and arguments for and against its effectiveness. A proposal is presented for including this tool in a total program of management communication, goal-setting, and evaluation as they impact on professional development and job satisfaction rather than directly on promotions and salary increases.…

The research examined the issue of the universality of meanings of behavior-based teaching effectiveness dimensions within and across subgroups of students (classified by sex, age, and major) and a group of teachers. In general, there was low agreement within and between subgroups of categorizers. (Author/IRT)