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Navy Results from the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) Survey: Importance of the Contact Hypothesis

Navy Results from the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) Survey: Importance of the Contact Hypothesis. David L. Alderton, PhD and Paul Rosenfeld, PhD ; Navy Personnel Research, Studies, and Technology (NPRST/BUPERS-1) LCDR Tatana M. Olson, PhD Chief of Naval Personnel (N1Z)

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Navy Results from the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) Survey: Importance of the Contact Hypothesis

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  1. Navy Results from the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) Survey: Importance of the Contact Hypothesis David L. Alderton, PhD and Paul Rosenfeld, PhD; Navy Personnel Research, Studies, and Technology (NPRST/BUPERS-1) LCDRTatanaM.Olson, PhD Chief of Naval Personnel (N1Z) Defense Equal Opportunity and Management Institute (DEOMI) 8th Biennial Research Symposium 6-8 December 2011 The opinions expressed are those of the authors which are not official and do not represent the views of the U.S. Navy or the Department of Defense.

  2. Comprehensive Review Working Group (CRWG) Leadership • On March 2, 2010, the Secretary of Defense created the Comprehensive Review Working Group (CRWG) to investigate the impacts of a repeal of §654 of Title 10 of the United States Code, commonly known as the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) law Department of Defense General Counsel Jeh Johnson and Army General Carter Ham were co-chairs

  3. Background (1 of 2) • Part of the review involved a survey of service members and spouses focusing on: • Readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion, recruiting, retention • CRWG Service Member Survey was the largest scientific survey ever conductedwith U.S. military • 399,856 service members (active and reserve) • 150,186 member spouses • Main survey findings have been extensively detailed, less is known about service-level analyses

  4. Background (2 of 2) • In October 2010, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff directed each Service Chief to independently assess potential impacts from a repeal of DADT • For survey assessment, each service was asked to provide a small team to conduct service-level analyses • Authors of this presentation analyzed Navy Service Member and Spouse survey results, did supplemental analyses on Navy-specific data, and were part of the assessment team that briefed CNO • Analyses helped support CNO’s testimony (3 Dec 10) to the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) recommending the law be repealed

  5. High Level Results:All Services

  6. Topics and Structure • Principle concern was effect of repeal on retention • Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; high OPTEMPO • Additional areas of concern from repeal • Job satisfaction, morale, unit cohesion, unit effectiveness, and unit readiness • Question structure for topics of concern (e.g., morale) • Early: Morale in current unit • Later: Morale in unit they served in where they thought there was a gay or lesbian • Last: Predicted effect on morale in unit after DADT repeal with an openly serving gay or lesbian • Focus today is on the hypothetical or “prediction” question (If DADT is repealed…)

  7. Retention Effects: All Services • “Retention Index” created from percent saying “leave sooner” minus “stay longer” (predicted losses) • Overall expected retention loss was 11% • Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard all at 6% • Marine Corps most negative, followed by Army

  8. Areas of Concern: All Services • Assessed with “If DADT is repealed and you are working with a service member who said they were gay or lesbian” on 5-point scale: very positive to very negative, or unsure • Entries are sum of negative and very negative • Personal performance would be least affected • For other areas, Marine Corps expected worse effects, followed by Army; Navy expected the least • Except MC, 70-85% expected positive or neutral effects

  9. Navy Specific Results

  10. Navy Specific Results • 21,527 Sailors completed the survey • “Negativity Index”: sum of negative and very negative responses to 21 prediction questions about the effects of repeal on cohesion, effectiveness, readiness, leadership, recruiting, & retention • Overall Navy negativity was 20.2% (80% no/positive effect) • Female, minority, and younger were less negative • No differences between enlisted, officer; majorcommunities

  11. Navy Occupational Groups • Broad community groups (sub, aviation) revealed no differences, but other services found combat arms more negative • Grouped officers and enlisted into meaningful occupational groups • 17 officer groups (e.g., Special Operations, Pilots, Supply, Nurses) • 16 enlisted groups (e.g., Special Operations, Aviation Aircrew, Security, Culinary) • Separation into occupational groups revealed notabledifferences in expected retention losses and negativity index values

  12. Officer Occupational Groups • Officer Sample • 7,406 • Retention Index • 5.9% • Negativity Index • 21.1% • Sorted by Retention Index • Special Operations worse • Nurses, JAG least

  13. Enlisted Occupational Groups • Enlisted Sample • 13,532 • Retention Index • 5.8% loss • Negativity Index • 20.1% • Sorted by Retention Index • Special Operations worse • Culinary least

  14. Contact Hypothesis • Occupational differences in the Navy and combat arms differences in other services likely reflect many factors • Internal culture, working conditions, deployment living conditions • But, there may be another explanation • Gordon Allport’s (1954/1979) “Contact Hypothesis” • Allport believed contact between two groups reduced prejudice, especially within certain conditions • Equal status, common goals, friendship potential, and support from authority • Original Allport focus was on racial prejudice, but contact hypothesis works for other minority groups • Mental, physical disabled; sexual orientation

  15. Service with Gay/Lesbian Member • DADT survey allows an indirect evaluation of the contact hypothesis • Respondents were asked about service with gay or lesbian member • 36% were currently serving; Navy highest and MC lowest • 69% had a gay/lesbian coworker at some time • Service ordering by gay coworker reflects retention and negativity indices

  16. Officer Occupational Groups and Currently Serving with Gay/Lesbian • 30.6% currently serving • Low of 13% for Special Operations • High of 49% for Nurses • Small unit field deployed (SO, Civil Eng) had lowest percent serving • Medical groups had highest percent serving

  17. Enlisted Occupational Groups and Currently Serving with Gay/Lesbian • 48.1% currently serving • Low of 10% for Special Operations • High of 62% for new Sailors • Small unit field deployed (SO, SeaBee) had lowest percent serving • Medical and Culinary had highest percent serving

  18. Navy Occupational Groups and Contact Hypothesis • Across officer and enlisted groups • r=.80 (p<.001) Retention and Negativity Indices • More negative effects expected from repeal, the higher the expected retention loss • r=-.43 (p<.01) Retention and % serving with gay • Lower % serving with gay/lesbian, the higher the expected retention loss • r=-.60 (p<.001) Negativity and % serving with gay • Lower % serving with gay/lesbian, the more negative effects were expected from repeal • As expected from the contact hypothesis • Those currently serving with a gay or lesbian Sailor expected fewer negative effects and were less likely to say they would leave service early

  19. Research Literature • Finding that contact with gay/lesbian Sailors reduced expected loss and anticipated negative effects is supported by priorresearch • Herek & Glunt (1993) survey: contact alone predicted attitudes toward gay men better than any demographic or social psychological variable • Pettigrew and Tropp (2006) meta-analysis: contact hypothesis is valid and largest effects emerge for contact between heterosexual and homosexual groups • Smith, Axelton, & Saucier (2009) meta-analysis of contact hypothesis and sexual orientation: uniformly strong effects for reducing prejudice from contact between heterosexual and homosexual groups

  20. Summary and Conclusions • Navy survey results indicate that increased contact with homosexuals moderated expected negative effects from a repeal of DADT • Following the 20Sep11 repeal, Sailors will be more likely to know homosexual members and negative attitudes should moderate across time • Pre-repeal training, consistent communications, and strong leadership should facilitate the transition and reduce incidents • Certain occupational groups may face greater challenges and warrant additional attention

  21. Limitations • Focus was on large groups so results are average expectations and may not hold for all individuals • Answers were for hypothetical questions since DADT had not been repealed - no one had experience, there were no guidance or regulations, thus the linkage between attitudes and behavior is tenuous • Under DADT, service members were not revealing if they were gay or lesbian; so those who said they were serving (or had served) were basing it upon beliefs • Contact with an actual and/or openly homosexual member may produce different results

  22. References • Allport, G. W. (1954/1979). The nature of prejudice (unabridged, 25th anniversary edition). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. • Herek, G. M., & Glunt, E. K. (1993). Interpersonal contact and heterosexuals’ attitudes toward gay men: Results from a national survey. Journal of Sex Research, 30, 239–244. • Pettigrew, T. F. & Tropp, L. R. (2006). A Meta-Analytic Test of Intergroup Contact Theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(5), 751–783. • Smith, S. J., Axelton, A. M., Saucier, D. A. (2009). The Effects of Contact on Sexual Prejudice: A Meta-Analysis. Sex Roles, 61(3-4), 178-191. • Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell reports and documents available online: http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2010/0610_dadt/

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