Task-specific Experiences Research Articles

A Case Study of an Ignored Facet: Metacognitive Experiences

Metacognitive experiences, which may have distinctive characteristics at each instance, help relate metacognitive knowledge and strategies and translate them into deliberate actions. This study aims to examine task-specific metacognitive experiences and individuals’ strategic planning performance. 187 volunteering participants were provided with four different tasks with compatible demands and asked to develop a strategic plan for their choices. Simultaneously, they were asked to complete the Metacognitive Experiences Questionnaire before and after their task completion. Task selection reasons were coded thematically, and performance was coded regarding the complexity of strategic planning. Findings confirmed that performance did not vary across any tasks, reasons, and class levels. However, the data did not fit theoretical questionnaire of Metacognitive Experiences, and an exploratory factor analysis produced a three-factor solution. In this study, task specific metacognitive experiences may be represented by metacognitive estimates, feelings, and judgments, and they explained 59.5% of the variance. Post-task correctness and confidence judgments were significant predictors, and those judgments pertain to self-assessment. However, while correctness judgments may facilitate performance, confidence may impose false adequacy judgments implying the Dunning-Kruger effect.

Second language anxiety in conversation and its relationship with speakers’ perceptions of the interaction and their social networks

AbstractSecond language (L2) researchers have long acknowledged the role of language anxiety in communication processes, such that learners with greater language anxiety tend to be less willing to engage in communication. However, little research has explored links between L2 speakers’ perceptions of conversation and dynamic measures of anxiety. Therefore, this study measured 60 L2 English speakers’ galvanic skin response (a physiological index of anxiety) during conversation. After the conversation, speakers evaluated themselves and their partner in terms of speech fluency and comprehensibility, engagement, and anxiety, and responded to trait-anxiety and social network questionnaires. Correlational analyses explored relationships between speakers’ trait-anxiety, social network characteristics, self- and peer-perceptions and five levels of physiological response during conversation. Findings revealed that high arousal during interaction was related to speakers’ negative self-perceptions of speech fluency and negative perceptions of their partner’s engagement. Implications are discussed regarding state-anxiety as triggered by partner- or task-specific experiences.

New Evidence on International Transferability of Human Capital

Abstract This article sheds new light on the portability of human capital. We estimate the returns to source country experiences, viz., general, occupation-specific, and task-specific experiences, using data from the New Immigrant Survey (NIS), conducted in 2003. While the “returns to general experience” has been discussed in the literature, we are not aware of any previous attempt to estimate the returns to source country occupation-specific and task-specific experiences. Our estimates show that even though the returns to source country general experience is negligible, returns to source country occupation-specific experience is economically and statistically significant. We also find that returns to source country abstract (specifically analytical) task-specific experience is substantial and significant. Our results are robust to inclusion of source country wage, which may reflect unobservable characteristics that influence wages. We explore whether returns to work experience vary by income level in the source country or by an immigrant’s skill level.

Multicultural R&D team operations in high-tech SMEs: Role of team task environment and individual team members’ personal experiences

This paper analyzes how team task environment and individual team members’ personal experiences influence multicultural research and development (R&D) team operations in small and medium sized enterprises. Based on qualitative data from multiple R&D team operations in five Finnish software firms, the findings revealed that team task environment is significantly influenced by the Nordic egalitarian organizational culture. The team task environment appears to be more dominant in multicultural R&D teams than anticipated in earlier research. To some extent, this mitigates the influences of culture on multicultural R&D team operations. However, results also show that individual team member personal experiences comprise of task specific as well as cultural (international) experiences emanating from being a member of a multicultural team. Together, these two components have a positive influence on R&D operations, yet intriguingly, task specific experiences resonate with task variability and task analyzability, while cultural experiences tend to influence task interdependence.

Shared Team Experiences and Team Effectiveness: Unpacking the Contingent Effects of Entrained Rhythms and Task Characteristics

This study explores the conditions under which shared team task-specific (STTS) experiences in crew-based arrangements may negatively influence team effectiveness. We suggest that the entrained rhy...

Critical event recognition: An extended view of reflective learning

This inductive case study extends existing reflective learning theory by introducing the concept of critical event recognition. We define this as the cognitive process through which individuals conclude that they are facing a critical learning point that demands a change of thoughts and actions. Extant theory has described reflection and learning as processes of interaction among an individual’s various experiences and has emphasized that critical events are important for these processes. Yet, theory has largely ignored how learners develop task-specific cognitions from such critical events when they lack previous task-specific experiences to which they can relate the reflection. This study proposes an extended perspective on reflective learning by shedding light on event recognition and by illustrating how cognitive development may progress when the individual has little prior experience with which to integrate the reflection from critical events.

Self-Assessed Tactical Skills in Elite Youth Soccer Players: A Longitudinal Study

Self-assessed tactical skills were investigated among 191 youth soccer players from ages 14 through 18 playing in different field positions. On a yearly basis, all players completed the Tactical Skills Inventory for Sports with scales for attacking and defensive situations and for declarative and procedural knowledge. A model to assess whether tactical skills change over time in each field position was developed using multilevel analysis. The models indicated that defenders and midfielders did not improve their tactical skills, whereas attackers increased their tactical skills from ages 14 to 18 years. The representing part of tactical skills for defenders is Acting in Changing Situations, for midfielders Positioning and Deciding, whereas Knowing About Ball Actions was the qualifying factor for attackers. Possible explanations for these differences in tactical skills among elite youth soccer players are the selection procedures at a younger age and task-specific experiences.

A Framework and Survey Evidence to Inform The Use of Novice Auditors as Research Participants

Expectations for novice auditors have increased in recent years. However, few studies examine novice auditors, possibly due to challenges associated with the justification of less experienced research participants. This study develops a participant selection framework from prior research and provides survey evidence to inform the use of novice auditors as participants. After consideration of the research question and theory, our framework recommends researchers consider proposed participant characteristics including 1) task-specific experience, 2) task knowledge and/or knowledge structures, and 3) institutional knowledge prior to the use of novice auditors as participants. The framework also highlights design modifications that could enable researchers to use novices. Survey evidence from 104 recent audit interns on task-specific, formal learning, and institutional experiences informs researcher evaluation of the three participant characteristics in our framework. This study facilitates the use of novice auditors in research to inform policy and practice, reducing the need for costly experienced participants.