Individual differences and task structure in the performance of a behavior setting: an experimental evaluation of...

Barker's theory of "undermanning" has attracted interest for its potential applications to a variety of problems in community psychology, although to date little attention has been given to mediating factors such as individual differences and the organizational structure of the setting task. The present study crossed two levels each of manning, task structure, and manipulated "competence" over 56 independent replications of a laboratory-based behavior setting. Direct observations of subject behavior confirmed that participants in undermanned settings worked harder, held more different positions, performed more difficult and more important jobs, and spent more time in the task-related areas of the setting, than did subjects in over-manned groups. However, interactions with the task and competence factors attenuated several of the manning effects, and undermanning's hypothesized influences on the subjective experiences of setting occupants were not found.