Association for Behavior Analysis International

Attitude is one of the strongest non-verbal determinants of academic and employment achievement especially in competitive settings, yet it is rarely addressed as an important behavior for applicants to focus on. Attitudes are complex circular designs since each established attitude creates a perception, which establishes an attitude, and the cycle continues. Attitude and dyadic interactions are known to be complex. Add group and panel interviews to this, and attitudes of the applicant can catapult the individual to a successful outcome, or discontinue the applicant's competition early in the process. The authors will present a behavioral analysis of an attitude, teach how to modify or change attitudes for success and effectiveness, and present cases they experienced pertaining to attitudes in academic and employment competition. Attendees will learn how to generalize the material to their own social function opportunities that can provide additional benefits to competition in their respective settings. They will learn highly effective attitudes and how to develop them for competitive job search and educational promotion situations for professionals.

Each person carries within them thoughts, feelings, and emotions that influence our behavior and which influence the way we are perceived by others. This works both ways with each interaction. This interaction (perceptions of each other and our behavior) is so very complex, and happens so quickly, that perceptions of each other are not necessarily at a conscious level and opinions about you can be formed before you even have a chance to make any corrections to your behavior. Complicating this process are antecedents that evolve into perceptions, which we learn early in life. This paper will explain (1) how you develop perceptions and attitudes, (2) how these influence your behavior, and the perception of others, and (4) how we learn which antecedents require a response and which ones do not. The paper will also teach the audience how to increase awareness of their own perceptions and how to shape, modify, or discontinue reactions to perceptions.

Positive attitudes have a strong impact on the competitive job search and promotion processes for professionals across academic, industry, not-for-profit, government, and other sectors. We have substantial evidence and experience that attitudes such as optimism, confidence, responsiveness, energy, caring, etc., can create positive perceptions and judgments in key decision-makers. At the same time we have learned that anchoring these attitudes in specific behaviors help us to understand the processes, and to develop effective attitudes/behaviors in ourselves and in others. This paper identifies several specific positive attitudes in the job search and promotion processes, with a strong emphasis on behavioral aspects. Real cases will be presented and discussed, revealing how attitudes translate in to behaviors. Attendees will learn how to change or modify existing behaviors to increase successful outcomes in academia and employment, and learn how to develop a vocabulary and create behavioral examples that will reflect strengths, experiences. Behavioral techniques presented will include SMART goals (Specific, Measureable, Action-oriented, Realistic, Time-bound).