Although third-party meta-perception--one's perception of how another person perceives a third person--plays an important role in how people pick up social cues about others, it has received virtually no attention in the organizational behavior literature. In this thesis, we investigate the significance of third-party meta-perception to the interpersonal processes involved in socialization. Integrating uncertainty reduction theory with research on heuristic information processing, we develop a new theory of third-party meta-perception. Our theory suggests that at an early stage of socialization, person's perceptions of how a significant other (e.g., leader or mentor) perceives the traits of an interacting target will affect the assessment of the ability and integrity of that target. We develop two models to examine our theory. Model 1 describes the initial interaction between a newcomer and a coworker and examines the newcomer's perceptions of how a leader perceives the coworker. We propose that newcomer's third-party meta-perceptions of the coworker's agentic qualities (agency; e.g., competence, efficiency, and cleverness) and communal qualities (communion; e.g., sincerity, honesty, and fairness toward others) based on the leader's view have an indirect positive influence on the newcomer's feedback and information seeking from the coworker through perceptions of the coworker's ability and integrity. Model 2 describes the initial interaction between a leader and a newcomer, and examines the leader's perception of how a mentor perceives the newcomer. We propose that leader's third-party meta-perceptions of the newcomer's agency and communion based on the mentor's view have an indirect negative influence on the leader's directive behavior and an indirect positive influence on the leader's delegating behavior toward the newcomer through the leader's perceptions of the newcomer's ability and integrity. We also propose that the effects of third-party meta-perception are contingent on team size. Using four-wave longitudinal data on 439 newly hired employees and their supervisors at four companies, we find support for the hypothesized indirect impact of third-party meta-perceptions on feedback and information seeking in Model 1, and support for the hypothesized indirect impact of third-party meta-perceptions on delegating behavior in Model 2. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings of the thesis are discussed.

Although third-party meta-perception--one's perception of how another person perceives a third person--plays an important role in how people pick up social cues about others, it has received virtually no attention in the organizational behavior literature. In this thesis, we investigate the significance of third-party meta-perception to the interpersonal processes involved in socialization. Integrating uncertainty reduction theory with research on heuristic information processing, we develop a new theory of third-party meta-perception. Our theory suggests that at an early stage of socialization, person's perceptions of how a significant other (e.g., leader or mentor) perceives the traits of an interacting target will affect the assessment of the ability and integrity of that target. We develop two models to examine our theory. Model 1 describes the initial interaction between a newcomer and a coworker and examines the newcomer's perceptions of how a leader perceives the coworker. We propose that newcomer's third-party meta-perceptions of the coworker's agentic qualities (agency; e.g., competence, efficiency, and cleverness) and communal qualities (communion; e.g., sincerity, honesty, and fairness toward others) based on the leader's view have an indirect positive influence on the newcomer's feedback and information seeking from the coworker through perceptions of the coworker's ability and integrity. Model 2 describes the initial interaction between a leader and a newcomer, and examines the leader's perception of how a mentor perceives the newcomer. We propose that leader's third-party meta-perceptions of the newcomer's agency and communion based on the mentor's view have an indirect negative influence on the leader's directive behavior and an indirect positive influence on the leader's delegating behavior toward the newcomer through the leader's perceptions of the newcomer's ability and integrity. We also propose that the effects of third-party meta-perception are contingent on team size. Using four-wave longitudinal data on 439 newly hired employees and their supervisors at four companies, we find support for the hypothesized indirect impact of third-party meta-perceptions on feedback and information seeking in Model 1, and support for the hypothesized indirect impact of third-party meta-perceptions on delegating behavior in Model 2. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings of the thesis are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to enhance understanding of leisure experiences by applying an organizational approach to the sociology of leisure. This organizational approach, used mainly to study work and occupations, consists of a conceptual framework derived from social systems theory and structural functionalism. The sensitizing concepts used from this framework were recruitment, socialization, and identity. In this study, I focused on the leisure group of clog dancers. My research questions, derived from this approach, include (1) How do clogging groups recruit their members? (2) How are people socialized into their role as cloggers and group members? (3) Do cloggers form a special identity because of this activity? Twenty cloggers were interviewed for this study. All of the dancers were white, and all but one were female. Most of the dancers were married, and their ages ranged from 20 to 69 years. All of the dancers have clogged for at least four years, and half of the dancers have been clogging for 10 or more years. Their educational levels covered a wide spectrum, from less than high school to Master's degrees. Occupational status and income level also varied widely. Through concept-driven interviews, the dancers indicated what they believed were important aspects of their leisure experiences. A majority of the dancers stated that they were recruited through social networks or by media influence. They experienced both formal and informal socialization in learning dance steps and how to perform as a team player in front of an audience. Finally, the dancers believed that they held a special identity because of their talents as a clogger. While each dancer derived different meanings from his/her identity as clogger, this identity appeared to be salient and psychologically central for all of the dancers interviewed. / Master of Science

This is a single case study of the socialization of a woman in the public school superintendency at the end of the 20th century. It is a description of the forces that come to bear on her behavior as the chief executive of a school system. Socialization is a continuous process of adaptation to and personalization of one's environment. Further, it is believed to be a process that occurs throughout one's professional career and life and not a fixed, end state; therefore, one's career is embedded within one's socialization for life. A model is proposed which represents female socialization as dynamic role creation through the responses of accommodation and role personalization as they are affected by the interaction of organizational, community, and personal forces. These forces are communicated through the transmittal processes of formal policies, networking, and mentoring. The unique experiences of this superintendent are explored to see if these forces of influence appear in this situation. Data collected through interviews and document reviews were coded and then analyzed with a matrix. Seven categories of subjects were interviewed, so this study not only provides the perspectives of the superintendent but also those of her spouse, secretary, current and former colleagues in the central office, a building-level administrator, current and former members of the school board, and community residents. Documents from the news media, records of school board meetings, and division publications provided information about the total experiences of this superintendent. / Ed. D.

Despite budding research on parent-child discrepant perceptions of a child’s psychosocial functioning, the potential difference in individual perception of coping socialization is unclear. Further, literature suggests the onset of various impulse-control disorders occurs around middle childhood. Thus, the current study used a phenomenological approach and thematic analysis to examine perspectives of coping socialization, identify intended take away messages, and examine the perceived impact of inconsistent understanding of the interaction. Results indicated both parents and children use verbal and physical cues to understand one another during coping socialization and that their lab discussion was representative of their typical interactions. Themes emerged regarding parents’ intention to help their child develop personal values, understand the impact of emotions, and provide solution driven coping strategies. Lastly, parent-child dyads endorsed negative outcomes associated with discrepant take away messages. The current study highlights the importance of continued qualitative research in discrepant parent-child perceptions of coping socialization.

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Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to risky health behaviors (e.g., alcohol, substance use), chronic health conditions (e.g., diabetes, cancer), higher medical costs, and early death. Children exposed to trauma are seven times more likely to develop a substance use disorder in adolescence or adulthood compared to those who were not exposed. However, not all children who experience ACEs will grow up to have detrimental outcomes. One aspect of parenting that may be particularly relevant for promoting risk or resilience in the context of adversity is parental emotion socialization (ES). Despite the established link between ACEs and substance use, no research, to date, has examined whether ES serves as a risk or protective factor in the context of ACEs and subsequent substance use. As such, the present study aims to fill this gap by examining ES as a moderator of the relationship between ACEs and substance use. Participants (N=550, age M=20.4, SD=4.7) were recruited from SONA systems: a university operated online platform where students may choose to voluntarily participate in a variety of self-report research studies in exchange for course credit or extra credit. The present project comes from a larger study called the Religion, Emotions and Current Health (REACH) study. Retrospective measures regarding the participants' adverse childhood experiences and their parent’s emotion socialization behavior include The Adverse Childhood Experiences Survey (ACEs) and The Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale (CCNES). Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) was used to assess for current substance use. All analyses will be conducted using the R package for statistical computing. Bivariate correlations will be examined for all variables using Pearson’s correlation coefficient method. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis will be implemented to determine if parental emotion socialization moderates the relationship between childhood adversity and substance use. The estimated multiple regression formula, ( Y) ̂= i + b1X + b2M + b3XM + ey; where Y ̂ = outcome (i.e., current substance use), X = the predictor variable (i.e., ACEs), M = primary moderator variable (i.e., parental emotion socialization from childhood), and b3XM= interaction will be applied with R’s base lm(Y~X*Z) function. The proposed study will test two main hypotheses: 1) ACEs from childhood will act as a predictor for current substance use in adulthood (as reflected in the literature) 2) ES will act as a moderator on the relationship between ACEs and substance use; however, the nature of this interaction will vary depending on the type of ES behaviors. Specifically, the link between ACEs in childhood and substance use in early adulthood will be exacerbated by a childhood marked by high levels of non-supportive ES; whereas, the link between ACEs in childhood and substance use in early adulthood will be lessened (buffered) by a childhood marked by high levels of supportive ES.

This study examines how family socialization and religiosity are associated with young men's intention to someday become a father. Data from the National Survey of Families and Households are used to measure the influence of family connection, family regulation, family psychological autonomy and public and private religiosity on young men's fatherhood intentions. Family connection and private religiosity are associated with young men's fatherhood plans.

Street teams are grassroots efforts built from the ground up by people who have a vested interest in promoting a band or event. They are also made up of people who are passionate about what they do. This study investigated the socialization process of street team members from the investigation stage to obtaining full membership. It also identified the outcomes of socialization. In this study, 15 street team members were interviewed and observations were made at concerts and street team events over an 11-month period. Results indicated that although there are similarities in the socialization process among street team members, they actually belong to three different types of street teams.