Exam 8: Learning and Decision Making

A slot machine is an example of

Research has consistently shown that fixed reinforcement schedules lead to higher levels of performance than variable schedules.

________ is when an unwanted outcome is removed following a desired behavior.

________ are simple, efficient rules of thumb that allow us to more easily make decisions.

________ knowledge is typically learned by employees only through experience.

Pamela's sales have been slipping for the last four quarters, but this has not adversely affected her performance ratings. As her boss, Paul, observes, "Things are tough all over, and especially in that northeastern territory where she's working. I do not think anybody else could have done any better, given the same situation." This indicates ________ attribution.

In general, ________ should be the most common forms of reinforcement used by managers to create learning among their employees.

In ________ a specific consequence follows each and every occurrence of a desired behavior.

Applied Dynamic Systems, a large international technology provider, has just transferred Darrell to China. His supervisor has informed him that he will be involved in a knowledge transfer, which most likely means that

People with a performance-avoid orientation focus on demonstrating their competence so that

Whenever there is an errand to run around lunchtime, Abdul always volunteers. His boss thinks this is because Abdul is a highly motivated, ambitious worker, but in fact something quite different is happening: Abdul has a crush on a young woman from the same office complex who always eats her lunch in the courtyard, so those lunchtime errands give him a chance to see her and, if he is lucky, talk to her. The boss is subject to the

Although Hal did not win the drawing for the statewide lottery, which sells thousands of tickets, he is much more confident of winning the drawing for the nationwide lottery, which sells millions of tickets. The reason is that whereas he bought just one ticket for the statewide game, he bought ten tickets for the nationwide one. Hal's reasoning is an example of

Nicole is spending this week working alongside Ed, a senior manager at the company. She has been instructed to follow his every move, and she soon discovers that Ed not only has years of experience but also a great deal of knowledge-so much so that, as she comes to realize over the course of the week, he does not even know how much he knows. This situation is best described as an example of

Company meetings tend to run long because Dmitri invariably raises irrelevant points that get everyone off track discussing something that has nothing to do with the business at hand. He seems to enjoy this, but Sandra, his manager, finds it extremely annoying. Without Dmitri knowing it, she has instructed the others to remain silent the next time he tries to get everyone talking about something unrelated to the discussion. In an effort to change Dmitri's behavior, Sandra is using the contingency of reinforcement known as extinction.

How important is learning? Discuss the relationships among learning, job performance, and organizational commitment.

In her job as a research analyst for a stock brokerage, Caroline spends a lot of time at her computer. Today her boss told her, "Find out everything you can about the textile industry in the Philippines," and she immediately sat down and typed a few words into a search engine. Soon she had a dossier on the subject, gleaned from her research on the Internet. The information Caroline acquired in this way is an example of ________ knowledge.

Those with a performance-prove orientation focus on demonstrating their competence so that others will not think poorly of them.

Compare and contrast rational decision making and bounded rationality.

________ is when an unwanted outcome follows an unwanted behavior.

Transfer of training can be fostered if organizations create an environment that can support the use of new skills-that is,