RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOLUTION EFFECTIVENESS RATINGS AND ACTUAL SOLUTION IMPACT IN SOCIAL-PROBLEM SOLVING

This investigation examined the validity of Solution Effectiveness Rat ings in interpersonal problem solving. In Phase 1, judges specified ob servable criteria for determining when each of 20 problems had been so lved. College students generated Solutions for these problems. Five so cially skilled college students rated effectiveness based on solution transcripts. Phase 2 employed the most effective and ineffective Solut ions for each of the ten most difficult problems. Actors role-played t he Solutions with ''Reactors.'' Each Solution role-play was classified as solving or not solving the problem, based on Reactors' behavior. R eactors rated the Social Impact of the solutions and the Realism of th e role-play. The percentage of high Effectiveness Solutions that accom plished Problem-Solving Goals was no greater than the percentage of lo w Effectiveness Solutions that accomplished Goals. However, Solutions with high Effectiveness Ratings received higher Social Impact Ratings than Solutions with low Effectiveness Ratings. The results leave the v alidity of effectiveness ratings in question. This has implications fo r problem-solving training and research.