Abstract:
The thesis deals with the theoretical and empirical aspects of professional intuitive self regulation. Two focal questions are: 1) Can professional intuitive self regulation be trained, and if so, how? 2) How could occurring effects of such training be evaluated?
The theoretical part starts with a multi-disciplinary definition of the term “intuition”. The next chapter combines different theories of explanation (tacit knowing, subliminal perception/information processing, affect logic, somatic marker and the concept of transversal reason) to a first sketch of a multidisciplinary theory of intuition, followed by an overview of the empirical research and an evaluation of the existing non-scientific literature on training of intuition.
The empirical part presents the basic study and the experimenting evaluating study. The basic study consists of episodic expert interviews (a combined type of interview developed for this thesis) with n=13 human resource consultants and a qualitative-quantitative online survey with n=86 further consultants. From the results of the study and the information from training-literature a training design for human resource consultants was developed that was carried out and evaluated with n=5 participants. Data collection concerning direct pre-post-measurements (self developed questionnaire) and follow-up measurements over a period of sixth months after the training session in the occupational setting (goal attainment scaling). The results have shown that goal attainment scaling can be used in evaluating the training of intuitive competencies. A part from problems concerning the conduction of the study, difficulties within the method (e.g. altering goals) became obvious, for which concepts of solution where developed. Of the 86 participants of the online study 74% would have opted for the opportunity of further training professional intuitive self regulation, which indicates interest in the development of this competence in human resource consultants. Several aspects of the training of intuitive self regulation crystallized as important: subjective theories, approach to and perception of intuition, ways to deal with intuition and influential factors on professional intuitive self regulation. Furthermore, several specific and unspecific core competencies in the development of professional intuitive self regulation were identified.
The thesis concludes with a concept of an “ideal training” of professional intuitive self regulation.