PURPOSE

The mission of the DAC Lab is to provide
opportunities for collaborative research on the
study of Assessment Centers and Organizational
Simulation Exercises. DAC Lab research
associates/affiliates include faculty from
diverse areas (e.g., Psychology, LIR,
Management, HRM, HR Education), both in the
U.S. and abroad.

There are also opportunities for non-academic
university departments (e.g., student services),
organizations, and consulting firms to
partner with DAC Lab, both to push the method
forward as well as to take advantage of the
developmental opportunities.


OVERARCHING GOALS

1. To reach a further understanding of the effectiveness of developmental assessment centers.
2. To use developmental assessment centers as a venue for conducting research on the psychological aspects of individual development.
3 To provide organizations, colleges, and individuals an opportunity to participate in the developmental opportunities provided by DAC Lab.

Research projects draw from theories such as social judgment, group decision-
making, feedback effectiveness, goal setting, supervisory support, and
developmental motivation with the focus on determining the best way to
develop employees. In addition, the DAC Lab seeks to determine how
elements of the person (I.e., trait characteristic) interact with elements of the
situation (I.e., the nature of the exercises, evaluation, consensus, feedback,
supervisory support, etc.) in impacting the facilitation of positive change (e.g., acceptance, learning, commitment, motivation).

Research Questions Currently Being Addressed:

1. Are there behavioral dimensions that have not been used extensively in traditional ACs that may prove quite useful for DACs?
2. How might constructs traditionally construed as personality traits, attitudes, and outcomes be approached as behavioral dimensions to be assessed and developed via DACs?
3. Can the research findings on traditional ACs be generalized to DACs (e.g., what are the most appropriate dimensions? what are the most suitable exercises? who would make the best assessors?)?
4. What forms of judgment, evaluation, integration, and feedback should be used in DACs?
5. What are the psychological characteristics of individuals who do and do not benefit from participation in a DAC?