Deck 3: Understanding People at Work: Individual Differences and Perception

Question 1

When people fit their jobs, they experience higher levels of stress.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

One tip to remember when working with people with negative affectivity is that you can change someone's personality with relative ease.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

High agreeableness is always a personality trait sought in job candidates.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Person-job fit is positively related to job satisfaction.

Question 5

Conscientiousness, more than any other personality trait, predicts how successfully a person performs a variety of jobs.

Question 6

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a very effective employee selection tool.

Question 7

Family security is a terminal value.

Question 8

People who are labeled as high social monitors can experience high levels of stress.

Question 9

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator classifies individuals on the basis of types, not traits.

Question 10

Extraverts are always model employees.

Question 11

People high in openness are more likely to start their own business than those low in openness.

Question 12

Behavior may be affected as much by what is expected of us as how we want to behave.

Question 13

Instrumental values are end states people desire in life.

Question 14

There is usually a strong relationship between good person-organization fit and high job performance.

Question 15

Applicant-matching software reduces the time required to hire candidates.

Question 16

Extraverts are happier in their work situations and perform much more effectively than introverts.

Question 17

Value orientations change dramatically as individuals age and mature.

Question 18

A risk-averse individual is generally a poor fit for a high-tech firm in a dynamic environment.

Question 19

Behavior is a function of the person and the situation interacting with each other.

Question 20

Positive affective people are absent from work less often.

Question 21

If Dan complains about his instructors being boring every time they lecture, he is demonstrating high consistency.

Question 22

Mary said, "I am quite confident in the plan I developed, as I worked quite diligently on it and I have implemented similar programs in similar settings." Mary seems to have high self-efficacy.

Question 23

Individuals with an economic value orientation tend to make more unethical choices.

Question 24

A neat, professional appearance and a firm handshake are two important aspects of an interview because of the lasting impact first impressions make.

Question 25

*Which of these is unique to Netflix when looking at the skill set of new hires?

A)seeks an Ivy League degree
B)looks for an extensive resume
C)requires previous experience in a similar position
D)seeks someone who shares the values and goals of the company

Question 26

Social monitors are especially good at evaluating the performance of other employees.

Question 27

Research on the interactionist perspective suggests

A)there is a consistent positive relationship between person-organization fit and job performance.
B)if there is a misfit between an individual and the organization, there are no extenuating circumstances that eliminate its impact.
C)organizational culture is equally important to all individuals.
D)people who fit into their organization tend to be more satisfied with their jobs.

Question 28

Research indicates that personality tests are an excellent predictor of performance.

Question 29

"It was really nothing.These things happen to me because I happen to be in the right place at the right time." This statement suggests an external locus of control.

Question 30

Proactive people understand the political environment in organizations, so they adjust quickly to new jobs.

Question 31

The USA, as a country, is considered to have high self-esteem.

Question 32

*Which of these statements is NOT part of the culture of Netflix?

A)Believe in empowering people
B)Make their corporate culture available for anyone to read and avoid misleading people
C)Believe in giving honest, relevant feedback
D)Offer benefits like free lunch and spa time

Question 33

Research suggests that when we do self-evaluations, our scores are consistently higher than the scores given us by our peers and superiors.This is an example of self-enhancement bias.

Question 34

An applicant-matching software program would suggest which of the following personality traits would provide the best person-organization fit with a Wall Street firm?

A)risk aversion
B)risk-taking
C)flexibility
D)stability

Question 35

Jacqueline is a college freshman.She loves to sleep late on weekends and assumes that college students in general prefer to sleep late.Jacqueline is making a false consensus error.

Question 36

One of the challenges of using personality tests in employee selection is that the rankings of the candidates who take the test may be affected by their ability to fake.

Question 37

*What could be an issue when hiring someone who is a good "match?"

A)End up with a candidate who is likable but not someone who can solve current and future business problems
B)Will have someone who blends in with the corporate culture
C)May not be able to place the candidate where needed
D)Won't have the proper degrees

Question 38

Findings of person-organization fit studies indicate

A)when people fit their organization, they consistently perform better.
B)when people fit their organization, they are less influential in the firm.
C)when people fit their organization, they tend to leave an organization at about the same rate as those who are organization misfits.
D)when people fit their organization, they are more committed to the organization and more satisfied with their jobs

Question 39

Self-efficacy is the degree to which people have overall positive feelings about themselves.

Question 40

Our visual perception is biased because we do not perceive objects in isolation.

Question 41

Which personality characteristic tends to lead to effectiveness in jobs with a lot of opportunities to interact with others?

A)openness
B)conscientiousness.
C)extraversion
D)agreeableness

Question 42

Which of the following statements about the personality trait agreeableness is accurate?

A)People high in agreeableness tend to exhibit strong aggressive behavior.
B)All occupations look to hire people who are high in agreeableness.
C)People high in agreeableness tend to be less effective at providing constructive criticism.
D)People high in agreeableness have

Question 43

Study findings on personality indicate

A)we are more emotionally stable and more organized between the ages of 20 and 40.
B)personality is the primary predictor of work behavior.
C)although personality impacts us during our youth it has no lasting consequences for us.
D)although it is interesting information, employee personality has relatively little impact on placing individuals in jobs.

Question 44

People who exhibit the Big 5 personality characteristic of openness would be most likely to work in which of the following firms?

A)an entrepreneurial start-up in the high tech industry
B)a large discount retailer like Wal-Mart
C)a large fast food franchise
D)a small business that makes cardboard boxes

Question 45

Maurice is described as "very curious.He has very original thoughts.He is a bright young man with a very creative flair." Maurice exhibits the personality trait of ____________.

A)extraversion.
B)agreeableness.
C)conscientiousness.
D)openness.

Question 46

Jennifer complains to her friends every Friday night about the stresses and hassles of her job.Each week she tells them she is going to leave her company even though she has been working there for five years.Jennifer is likely to be

A)high in conscientiousness.
B)high in neuroticism.
C)low in agreeableness.
D)high in extraversion.

Question 47

Which instrumental value is most likely to be prevalent in Wall Street brokers?

A)forgiveness
B)ambition
C)obedience
D)imagination

Question 48

Choosing a job that offers health care as part of its benefit package over a position that pays more but has no such health care might reflect the job seeker's concern about

A)inner harmony.
B)imaginative.
C)family security.
D)self-respect.

Question 49

__________ is the degree to which a person is anxious, irritable, aggressive and moody.

A)Neuroticism
B)Extraversion
C)Conscientiousness
D)Openness

Question 50

Which of the following is an instrumental value?

A)clean
B)self-respect
C)family security
D)a world of beauty

Question 51

Removing your hat during the playing of The National Anthem in the United States is an example of the value of ________________.

A)benevolence.
B)security.
C)tradition.
D)universalism.

Question 52

The relatively stable feelings, thoughts, and behavioral patterns a person has is

A)values.
B)personality.
C)self-esteem.
D)conscientiousness.

Question 53

Early experiences are important influences over dominant values.If Sharon was raised by an aunt because her parents had both died when she was ten, she most likely would see what value as central to her life?

A)an exciting life
B)security
C)self-respect
D)forgiveness

Question 54

Lauren takes a personality survey and finds she strongly exhibits the trait of agreeableness.She might be described as being

A)organized, punctual, systematic and dependable.
B)nice, tolerant, sensitive and kind.
C)outgoing, talkative, and sociable.
D)curious, creative and original.

Question 55

Across a variety of occupations and jobs, what is the one personality trait that most uniformly predicts how high a person's performance will be?

A)conscientiousness
B)extraversion
C)agreeableness
D)openness

Question 56

Values change over the generations, evolving in response to historical contexts.Which of the following statements is true regarding values of different generations?

A)Generation Xers (born between 1965 and 1979) are very group-oriented.
B)Generation Xers (born between 1965 and 1979) see work as central in their lives.
C)Generation Xers (born between 1965 and 1979) don't care what they do for work, they just want money.
D)Generation Xers (born between 1965 and 1979) have to feel that their personal goals align with organizational ones before they work toward company goals.

Question 57

Which of the following statements about values is true?

A)Values impact the individual, but not how they work.
B)Values are not very stable; they change over short periods of time.
C)Values affect the decisions people make, but have little impact on their behavior.
D)Values are developed early in life and remain stable over a lifetime.

Question 58

Empathy is to agreeableness as sociability is to ______________.

A)neuroticism.
B)conscientiousness.
C)openness.
D)extraversion.

Question 59

__________ is a terminal value.

A)Broad-minded
B)Inner harmony
C)Forgiving
D)Obedient

Question 60

According to Rokeach, which of the following is not accurate about values?

A)Values are grouped into terminal and instrumental categories.
B)Values are hierarchically ordered.
C)Values are shaped late in life.
D)Values are relatively stable over time.

Question 61

To work effectively with an individual with a high level of negative affectivity,

A)recognize that you can change someone's personality if you give feedback.
B)let them vent without limits.
C)ask them for specific examples of what the problem is.
D)challenge them; they are seldom right about anything on which they voice a complaint.

Question 62

Which of the following statements regarding the Big 5 personality traits is true?

A)Individuals high in extraversion are model employees.
B)Individuals high in openness seek feedback on what they are doing and thus adjust to their jobs more quickly.
C)Conscientiousness is related to how well employees get along with others.
D)Individuals high in neuroticism tend to be better performers.

Question 63

Which of the following statements is true with regard to research on individual differences?

A)Teams dominated by positive affective people experience higher levels of absenteeism.
B)People with a low openness trait are more likely to start their own business.
C)Agreeable people are less likely to engage in change-oriented communication.
D)Social monitors are rated as lower in performance.

Question 64

Self-esteem is

A)the belief that one can perform a specific task successfully.
B)the degree to which a person has overall positive feelings about him or herself.
C)the degree to which people feel accountable for their own behaviors.
D)the inclination to change the status quo.

Question 65

Negative affective people

A)see "the glass as half full."
B)experience anxiety.
C)are tolerant of others' opinions.
D)have lower rates of absenteeism.

Question 66

Which of the following statements about self-efficacy is accurate?

A)Self-efficacy is a global evaluation of one's self.
B)People with high self-efficacy tend to procrastinate.
C)Self-efficacy is negatively related to job performance.
D)Training people to increase their self-efficacy can be effective.

Question 67

All of the following statements regarding personality testing in employee selection are correct EXCEPT:

A)job interviewers are very adept at assessing conscientiousness in candidates, so the personality test is not really needed in employee selection.
B)there are mixed feelings as to whether candidates' faking responses on personality tests is a serious problem.
C)self-reporting measures of personality may not be the best way to measure personality.
D)personality is a better predictor of job satisfaction than job performance.

Question 68

Which of the following would be considered a sound piece of advice to help build your self-confidence?

A)Set challenging, not impossible goals.
B)Ignore negative advice, especially when it comes from a negative person.
C)Take a self-inventory.
D)all of the above.

Question 69

Marissa always seems to know who to talk to in her organization to get things done.When her immediate supervisor seemed less than enthusiastic about her proposal, she made sure to mention it to the manager in another department who shared it with his boss.Marissa was just approached about implementing her proposal.Marissa seems to have

A)low self-efficacy.
B)a proactive personality.
C)low self-esteem.
D)an internal locus of control.

Question 70

Self-monitoring is

A)the degree to which a person has overall positive feelings about himself.
B)the extent to which a person is capable of monitoring his/her actions and appearance in social situations.
C)the belief that one can perform a specific task successfully.
D)a person's inclination to fix what is perceived as wrong, change the status quo, and use initiative to solve problems.

Question 71

Which of the following statements about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is accurate?

A)The original objective of the MBTI was to determine whether World War II veterans would successfully readjust to civilian life after the military.
B)The MBTI relies on types, not traits.
C)The MBTI is a very effective tool to use in making selection decisions.
D)The MBTI classifies people based on observing their behavior.

Question 72

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, what dimension describes those who would like to have clarity and closure?

A)thinking
B)feeling
C)intuition
D)judgment

Question 73

Individuals with an internal locus of control

A)have an inclination to change the status quo.
B)believe that what happens to them is their own doing.
C)understand what the situation demands and act accordingly.
D)feel that things happen to them because of luck.

Question 74

All of the following are accurate about those with a proactive personality EXCEPT:

A)they have higher levels of performance in their firms.
B)they adjust to new jobs quickly.
C)they may try to change things others are not willing to let go.
D)they often have

Question 75

Ned keeps saying to his coach, "I am really concerned that I won't be able to remember the plays when you put me in.Maybe you should play someone else." Ned seems to be demonstrating

A)low openness to experience.
B)low self-monitoring.
C)a proactive personality.
D)low self-efficacy.

Question 76

John said, "If I just hadn't had that argument with my girlfriend last night, I wouldn't have been so upset and I would have done much better on my finance exam." John exhibits

A)high internal locus of control.
B)high self-esteem.
C)high self-monitoring.
D)high external locus of control.

Question 77

High social monitors

A)tend to be more successful in their careers.
B)tend to experience lower levels of stress.
C)are very accurate at conducting performance evaluations.
D)are more committed to their companies.

Question 78

Which of the following statements about positive and negative affectivity is correct?

A)Positive affective people see the "glass as half empty".
B)Negative affective people in power tend to find mutually agreeable solutions to problems.
C)Positive affective people experience nervousness.
D)When negative affective people comprise a team, there tends to be less cooperation among members.

Question 79

Which of the following is a dimension by which individuals are grouped in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)?

A)seeing/hearing
B)organized/disorganized
C)extraversion/intraversion
D)emotional instability

Question 80

In the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, what dimension describes those who derive their energy from inside?

A)intuition
B)perception
C)introversion
D)judgment