MOB Chapter 3 - Multiple Choice
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.
a) Difficult/Synthesis
Mike went to his friend Abe's house with Nick. When the pair returned to Mike's house, Nick said, "Mike, isn't Abe's cat the brightest orange cat you've ever seen?" Mike replied, "Nick to be honest, I didn't notice anything but Abe's dog. I'm afraid of dogs and wasn't sure if he would bother me or not." Mike exhibited a. selective visual perception at Abe's house. b. visual extrapolation at Abe's house. c. focal contrast at Abe's house. d. visual objectivity at Abe's house.
a) Difficult/Synthesis
Which of the following is an instrumental value? a. clean b. self-respect c. family security d. a world of beauty
a) Easy/Knowledge
__________ is the degree to which a person is anxious, irritable, aggressive and moody. a. Neuroticism b. Extraversion c. Conscientiousness d. Openness
a) Easy/Knowledge
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
a) Medium/Analysis
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.
a) Medium/Analysis
Sherri is creative, warm and caring. Person/job fit suggests one job she might be particularly effective at is a. elementary school teacher. b. accountant. c. researcher. d. pharmaceutical sales.
a) Medium/Application
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.
a) Medium/Comprehension
When interviewing keep all of these pieces of advice in mind EXCEPT a. it is not how you dress, but how confident you are that determines your success. b. have a professional-looking résumé. c. be on time for the interview. d. practice for the interview.
a) Medium/Comprehension
The professor announced the first day of class: "Students are not good at meeting deadlines. I guarantee you that someone will email me the day after a due date and ask if I will accept a paper for partial credit." Yesterday the first paper was due in the professor's class. He just checked his email and a student inquired whether the paper could be turned in for partial credit today. This is an example of a. self-fulfilling prophecy. b. self-enhancement bias. c. self-effacement bias. d. selective perception.
a) Medium/Synthesis
Which of the following statements regarding first impressions is INCORRECT? a. First impressions are fleeting impressions. b. First impressions are resilient even in the face of contrary evidence. c. First impressions become independent of the evidence that created them. d. First impressions are stable impressions.
a) Medium/Synthesis
Which of the following statements about self-efficacy is INCORRECT? a. Self-efficacy is job specific. b. People with high self-efficacy tend to procrastinate. c. Self-efficacy is related to job performance. d. Training people to increase their self-efficacy can be effective.
b) Difficult/Analysis
When an incomplete figure appears on a sheet of paper, we are able to discern the entire figure because we a. have selective perception. b. extrapolate from the information available to us. c. visualize items in isolation. d. perceive our environment objectively.
b) Difficult/Synthesis
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.
b) Easy/Comprehension
Hofstede found that countries differ on the equality or hierarchy among people or its a. uncertainty avoidance. b. power distance. c. masculinity. d. individualism
b) Easy/Knowledge
Self-enhancement bias is a. the tendency for people to underestimate their performance, undervalue capabilities, and see events in a way that puts them in a more negative light. b. the tendency to overestimate our performance and capabilities and see ourselves in a more positive light than others see us. c. the overestimation of how similar we are to other people. d. the process with which individuals detect and interpret environmental stimuli.
b) Easy/Knowledge
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.
b) Easy/Knowledge
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.
b) Easy/Knowledge
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
b) Medium/Application
Negative affective people a. see "the glass as half full." b. experience anxiety. c. are tolerant of others' opinions. d. help their teams have lower rates of absenteeism.
b) Medium/Comprehension
People from Europe and the United States have higher levels of ___________ than that of Asia and Africa a. introversion b. extraversion c. consensus d. agreeableness
b) Medium/Comprehension
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
b) Medium/Evaluation
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.
b) Medium/Synthesis
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.
b) Medium/Synthesis
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.
c) Difficult/Application
The car was traveling very slowly on the highway in front of Ned. He turned to Sally and said, "This is ridiculous, we are never going to get there on time. That must be a woman driver in front of us!" Ned is engaging in a. false consensus error. b. self-fulfilling prophecy. c. stereotyping. d. first impressions.
c) Easy/Analysis
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.
c) Easy/Comprehension
In the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, what dimension describes those who derive their energy from inside? a. intuition b. perception c. introversion d. judgment
c) Easy/Knowledge
Low distinctiveness is characterized by a. a person in a situation, acting the same way he always does in that situation. b. a person behaving differently than he usually does in different situations. c. a person behaving this way in different situations. d. everyone else behaving in the same way.
c) Easy/Knowledge
Which of the following statements about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is INCORRECT? a. The original objective of the MBTI was to aid World War II veterans in identifying the occupation that would suit their personalities. 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 into one of sixteen types.
c) Medium/Analysis
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.
c) Medium/Analysis
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.
c) Medium/Application
Beth, Ramon and Nandini just walked out of the office where they delivered a mock commercial for a proposed client's cereal. Beth says to her co-presenters, "I'm so sorry I messed up during the presentation. I really did not mean to put up the slide with last year's cereal box on it instead of the one for this year. I know we won't get the account now, and it's all my fault." Beth is exhibiting a. self-enhancement bias. b. false consensus error. c. self-effacement bias. d. stereotypes.
c) Medium/Evaluation
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.
c) Medium/Evaluation
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. organization culture is equally important to all individuals. d. people who fit into their organization tend to be more satisfied with their jobs.
d) Difficult/Evaluation
Which of the following statements about attribution is correct? a. Attributions depend only on consensus, distinctiveness and consistency. b. When faced with poor performance, one punishes the person more if we make an external attribution. c. If someone's failure is due to internal causes, we feel empathy and offer help. d. If we make an external attribution to someone's goal achievement, we are less likely to reward the individual.
d) Difficult/Synthesis
Values a. encompass the relatively stable feelings, thoughts, and behavioral patterns a person has. b. are initial thoughts and perceptions we form about people, which tend to be stable and resilient to contrary information. c. are generalizations based upon a perceived group characteristic. d. refer to stable life goals people have, reflecting what is most important to them.
d) Easy/Knowledge
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 difficulty making friends.
d) Medium/Analysis
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.
d) Medium/Analysis
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.
d) Medium/Analysis
Which of the following statements regarding individual differences and ethics is true? a. People with an economic value orientation tend to make more ethical choices. b. Employees with internal locus of control make more unethical choices. c. We tend to underestimate how ethical we are. d. How we make attributions in a given situation will determine how we respond to others' actions.
d) Medium/Analysis
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.
d) Medium/Application
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.
d) Medium/Evaluation
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.
d) Medium/Synthesis
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 the result of accumulation of life experiences.
d) Medium/Synthesis
The relatively stable feelings, thoughts, and behavioral patterns a person has is a. values. b. personality. c. self-esteem. d. conscientiousness.
b) Easy/Knowledge
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
a) Difficult/Synthesis
Which of the following statements regarding the Big 5 personality traits is NOT 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 career success. d. Individuals high in neuroticism tend to create unfair work climates if they become managers.
a) Difficult/Synthesis
Internal attribution a. is the belief that a behavior is caused by the internal characteristics of a person. b. is the causal explanation given for an observed behavior. c. explains someone's behavior by referring to the situation. d. is the tendency to attribute failures to the situation while attributing successes to internal causes.
a) Easy/Knowledge
Person/job fit is the a. degree to which a person's skill, knowledge, abilities and other characteristics match the job demands. b. degree to which a person likes an organization. c. degree to which a person's values, personality, goals and other characteristics match those of the organization. d. degree to which a person's attitude matches the culture of the work group.
a) Easy/Knowledge
The interactionist perspective suggests a. behavior is a function of the person and the situation interacting with each other. b. behavior is solely a function of the person's personality. c. behavior is solely a function of the situation. d. behavior is not predictable and can not be profiled.
a) Easy/Knowledge
Which of the following is NOT a dimension by which individuals are grouped in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator MBTI? a. seeing/hearing b. thinking/feeling c. extraversion/intraversion d. judgment/perception
a) Easy/Knowledge
Which instrumental value might surveys find to be prevalent in Wall Street brokers? a. forgiveness b. ambition c. obedience d. imagination
b) Difficult/Application
Jennifer complains to her friends every Friday night about 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.
b) Difficult/Evaluation
Which of the following statements regarding the universality of personality traits is correct? a. There is no difference in the dominant personality trait in countries the world over. b. In regions that suffered from infectious diseases, openness to experiences is less dominant. c. The five-factor model of personality traits is not universally useful. d. The presence of democratic values in a culture is associated with introversion.
b) Difficult/Evaluation
Among the limitations associated with using personality tests in employee selection is a. candidate inability to understand the purpose of the personality test. b. candidates faking their answers. c. candidates refusing to take personality tests. d. finding that performance cannot be predicted by personality testing.
b) Difficult/Synthesis
__________ is a terminal value. a. Broad-minded. b. Inner harmony. c. Forgiving. d. Obedient.
b) Easy/Knowledge
Which of the following statements about the personality trait agreeableness is FALSE? a. People high in agreeableness tend to exhibit strong helping 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 are very likeable and get along well with others.
b) Medium/Analysis
Person/organization fit is the a. degree to which a person's skill, knowledge, abilities and other characteristics match the job demands. b. degree to which a person likes an organization. c. degree to which a person's values, personality, goals and other characteristics match those of the organization. d. degree to which a person's attitude matches the culture of the work group.
c) Easy/Knowledge
Which of the following is not a key factor in understanding what kind of attributions we make? a. consistency b. distinctiveness c. perception d. consensus
c) Easy/Knowledge
Internal attribution occurs with a. low consensus, high distinctiveness, and high consistency. b. high consensus, high distinctiveness, and high consistency. c. low consensus, low distinctiveness, and high consistency. d. high consensus, low distinctiveness, and high consistency.
c) Medium/Analysis
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
c) Medium/Analysis
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
d) Easy/Knowledge
Empathy is to agreeableness as sociability is to ______________. a. neuroticism. b. conscientiousness. c. openness. d. extraversion.
d) Medium/Comprehension
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 the mid-1960s and 1980s are very group-oriented. b. Generation Xers born between the mid-1960s and 1980s see work as central in their lives. c. Generation Xers born between the mid-1960s and 1980s don't care what they do for work, they just want money. d. Generation Xers born between the mid-1960s and 1980s have to see a congruence between personal goals and organizational ones before they work toward company goals.
d) Medium/Evaluation
Which of the following is NOT 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. Act confident only when you feel confident.
d) Medium/Evaluation