Self-description as a predictor of rate of promotion of junior Foreign Service Officers

Abstract

An experiment to determine relationship between responses to an attitude, interests, and background questionnaire, and rate of promotion of Foreign Service Officers. Ss, who had completed an 89-item questionnaire May 1958, were divided first into an experimental group (N = 20) and a cross-validation group (N = 49), and then into high and low groups on the basis of promotions as of January 1961. Of the scales developed from previous studies, only the Social Isolation one proved to be useful. However, 2 new elements, Optimism and Self-Potency, proved to be effective measures for predicting the criterion. A correlation of .60 was found between the combined scores on these 3 elements and speed of promotion for the cross-validation group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1962 American Psychological Association.