Workload, Risks, and Goal Framing as Antecedents of Shortcut Behaviors

Abstract

Purpose Shortcut behaviors are methods of completing a task that require less time than typical or standard procedures. These behaviors carry the benefit of increasing efficiency, yet can also carry risks (e.g., of an accident). The purpose of this research is to understand the reasons individuals engage in shortcut behaviors, even when doing so is known to be risky. Design/Methodology/Approach We present two laboratory studies (N = 121 and N = 144) in which participants performed an air traffic control simulation. Participants could improve efficiency by taking shortcuts; that is, by sending aircraft off the prescribed flight paths. This design allowed for direct and unobtrusive observation of shortcut behaviors. Findings Individuals who were told that efficiency was an obligation tended to believe that shortcut behaviors had utility for managing high workloads, even when the risks associated with shortcuts were high. Downstream, utility perceptions were positively related to actual shortcut behavior. Implications Although communicating risks may be used to help individuals balance the ''pros'' and ''cons'' of shortcut behaviors, goal framing is also important. Subtle cues indicating that efficiency is an obligation can lead to elevated perceptions of the utility of shortcut behaviors, even when knowing that engaging in shortcut behaviors is very risky. Originality/Value Past research has provided limited insights into the reasons individuals sometimes engage in shortcut behaviors even when doing so is known to be risky. The current research speaks to this issue by identifying workload and obligation framing as antecedents of the decision to take shortcuts.

The impact of goal progress velocity on affect while pursuing multiple sequential goals.

“…Yet, completing a task rapidly may not always be beneficial. Indeed, individuals sometimes sacrifice accuracy or safety to complete tasks rapidly (e.g., Beck, Scholer, & Schmidt, 2017; Brumby, Cox, Back, & Gould, 2013; Förster, Higgins, & Bianco, 2003). Thus, individuals may also need to carefully consider the tasks needing to be completed and identify which tasks can be done rapidly and which tasks require more deliberate (and slow) behaviors.…”

Goal progress velocity as a determinant of shortcut behaviors.

“…Participants only received feedback regarding their performance and bonus payments at the end of the study, rather than after completing each individual block. This was done because the effects of SCBs are often not immediately apparent, yet being told that using SCBs has resulted in a negative outcome can have strong effects on subsequent SCBs (Beck, Scholer, & Schmidt, 2017). On average, participants earned $4.15 ( SD = $0.95) across the five blocks.…”

“…Importantly, in Beck, Scholer, and Schmidt's (2017) study, the deadline remained constant across trials, meaning high workloads created a need for individuals to work rapidly. Thus, these results provide indirect evidence that individuals use SCBs to regulate velocity during goal pursuit.…”

“…Yet, SCBs could result in "near misses," which carried financial penalties. Beck, Scholer, and Schmidt (2017) found that during trials when there was a large number of aircraft to land (i.e., high workload), participants perceived shortcuts as more useful (i.e., to have high utility), relative to trials when there were fewer aircraft to land. In turn, utility perceptions predicted the degree to which participants actually engaged in SCBs.…”

Simulation Theory Applied to Direct Systematic Observation

“…Observation as a means of gathering data has been and is still present across disciplines and contexts related to psychological processes, including clinical psychology ( Langer et al, 2016 ), work-related behaviors ( Beck et al, 2016 ), family interactions ( Dishion et al, 2016 ), social competence in childhood ( Vaughn et al, 2016 ), sports ( Castañer et al, 2016 ), primatology ( Dolado et al, 2016 ), and ethology in general ( Pasquaretta et al, 2016 ). Observation is also the most frequently used means for gathering data in single-case designs in which the behavior of individuals usually takes place in free-operant contexts ( Pustejovsky, 2015 ).…”