Personality

Question 1

Define personality

Answer 1

The relatively stable set of psychological characteristics that influence the way an individual interacts with their environment and how they feel, think, and behave

Question 2

What is our measure and understanding of personality based on?

Answer 2

How we communicate with other people

Question 3

Is personality a result of nature or nurture?

Answer 3

Nature and nurture work together. The development of a person is a result of both nature and nurture, and people are changing and developing over time

Question 4

What is the difference between personality and the situation? (Give an example)

Answer 4

If someone isn’t normally a grumpy person but is always grumpy in class because it’s in the morning and they’re not a morning person. They are grumpy at the situation, not because it’s who you are

Question 5

What is the dispositional approach?

Answer 5

The idea that “people are who they are” because there is something genetic about them that won’t change, and it helps to predict their behaviour

Question 6

How does the dispositional approach affect hiring?

Answer 6

Businesses can hire people cased on specific characteristics and be confident that they will behave in certain ways. Eg. if you think that extraverts make good leaders, you would narrow your search and test candidates for extraversion

Question 7

What is the situational approach?

Answer 7

The idea that a person’s personality will not be stable across different situations, and can only be explained by the situation they are in

Question 8

How does the situational approach affect businesses?

Answer 8

Anyone could be a great leader given the right circumstances. Companies would want to adjust their work environment so that they person in the position can perform well

Question 9

What is the interactionist approach?

Answer 9

The theory that behaviour is a function of both dispositions and the situation

Question 10

What is the most widely accepted approach to OB?

Answer 10

Interactionist approach

Question 11

Describe a strong situation

Answer 11

Where there are clearly defined roles, strong behavioural norms, many external constraints on behaviour

Question 12

Describe the role of personality in a strong situation

Answer 12

Personality has less influence

Question 13

Describe a weak situation

Answer 13

Loosely define roles and rules, few external constraints on behaviour

Question 14

Describe the role of personality in a weak situation

Answer 14

Personality has more influence

Question 15

What are the implications of personality on jobs?

Answer 15

Different jobs will be good fits for different people depending on their personality. There is no one best personality for all jobs

Question 16

What is the one personality trait that predicts best across all jobs?

Answer 16

Conscientiousness

Question 17

What is the Five-Factor Model of Personality?

Answer 17

The five basic but general independent dimensions that describe personality

Question 18

What are the five basic personality types?

Answer 18

1. Extraversion
2. Emotional Stability
3. Agreeableness
4. Conscientiousness
5. Openness to Experience

Question 19

Describe the traits of extraversion

Answer 19

Sociable and talkative vs. withdrawn and shy

Question 20

Describe the traits of emotional stability

Answer 20

Stable and confident vs. depressed and anxious

Question 21

Describe the traits of agreeableness

Answer 21

Tolerant and cooperative vs. cold and rude

Question 22

Describe the traits of conscientiousness

Answer 22

Dependable and responsible vs. careless and impulsive

Question 23

Describe the traits of openness to experience

Answer 23

Curious and original vs. dull and unimaginative

Question 24

For what jobs is extraversion important?

Answer 24

Jobs that require interpersonal interaction and where being sociable, assertive, energetic, and ambitious is important for success

Question 25

For what skills is emotional stability (neuroticism) important?

Answer 25

Persons high on emotional stability will have more effective interactions with co-workers and customers as they tend to be more calm and secure

Question 26

For what jobs is agreeableness important?

Answer 26

Jobs that involve interaction and helping, teamwork and cooperation, "civility behaviours," nurturing/mentoring others, and counseling

Question 27

For what is conscientiousness most important?

Answer 27

Important for job performance on most jobs given the tendency towards hard work and achievement

Question 28

For what jobs is openness to experience important?

Answer 28

Jobs that involve learning and creativity given the tendency to be intellectual, curious, and imaginative

Question 29

What are some of the adjectives that describe extraversion?

Answer 29

Bold, energetic, extraverted

Question 30

What are some of the adjectives that describe introversion?

Answer 30

Bashful, quiet, shy, talkative, withdrawn

Question 31

What are some of the adjectives that describe emotional stability?

Answer 31

Relaxed

Question 32

What are some of the adjectives that describe neuroticism?

Answer 32

Envious, fretful, jealous, moody, temperamental, touchy

Question 33

What are some of the adjectives that describe high agreeableness?

Answer 33

Cooperative, kind, sympathetic, warm

Question 34

What are some of the adjectives that describe low agreeableness?

Answer 34

Cold, harsh, rude, unsympathetic

Question 35

What are some of the adjectives that describe high conscientiousness?

Answer 35

Efficient, organized, practical, systematic

Question 36

What are some of the adjectives that describe low conscientiousness?

Answer 36

Careless, disorganized, inefficient, sloppy

Question 37

What are some of the adjectives that describe high openness to experience?

Answer 37

Complex, creative, deep, imaginative, intellectual, philosophical

Question 38

What are some of adjectives that describe low openness to experience?

Answer 38

Uncreative, unintellectual

Question 39

What does conscientiousness predict?

Answer 39

Important for most jobs, strongest predictor of overall job performance across all occupations

Question 40

What does extraversion predict?

Answer 40

Good predictor of overall job performance, especially influential in social interactions

Question 41

What does neuroticism (emotional stability) predict?

Answer 41

Good predictor of overall job performance, especially influential in social interactions

Question 42

What does openness to experience predict?

Answer 42

Good predictor of success in jobs involving learning and creativity

Question 43

What does agreeableness predict?

Answer 43

Good predictor of success in jobs requiring cooperative interactions

Question 44

Define Locus of Control

Answer 44

A set of beliefs about whether one's behaviour is controlled mainly by internal or external factors

Question 45

What do people believe if they have an internal locus of control?

Answer 45

The opportunity to control their own behaviour resides within themselves

Question 46

What do people believe if they have an external locus of control?

Answer 46

External forces determine their behaviour

Question 47

Are internals or externals more satisfied with their jobs?

Answer 47

Internals are more satisfied with their jobs, earn more money, and achieve higher organizational positions. They also perceive less stress, cope with stress better, and engage in more careful career planning

Question 48

Define self-monitoring

Answer 48

How people observe and regulate how they appear to other people

Question 49

Describe high self-monitors

Answer 49

They take great care to observe and control the images that they project. They show concern for socially appropriate behaviour and social cues, and regulate their behaviour and self-presentation accordingly. They gravitate to jobs that require role-playing and use of self-presentation skills

Question 50

Define self-esteem

Answer 50

The degree to which a person has a positive self-evaluation

Question 51

Describe people with high self-esteem

Answer 51

People with high self-esteem have favourable self-images

Question 52

Describe people with low self-esteem

Answer 52

People with low self-esteem have unfavourable self-images

Question 53

What is behavioural plasticity theory? What's it's connection to self-esteem?

Answer 53

The extent to which human behaviour can be altered by environment factors. People with low self-esteem tend to be more susceptible to external and social influences than those who have high self-esteem

Question 54

Define positive affectivity

Answer 54

People who experience positive emotions and moods and view the world in a positive light

Question 55

Define negative affectivity

Answer 55

People who experience negative emotions and moods and view the world in a negative light

Question 56

Describe proactive personality

Answer 56

Reflects a tendency to behave proactively; to search for and identify opportunities, show initiative and take action, and persevere until they bring about meaningful change

Question 57

Define general self-efficacy

Answer 57

An individual's belief in his or her ability to perform successfully in a variety of challenging situations (a motivational trait rather than an affective trait)

Question 58

What are the four components of core self-evaluations?

Answer 58

1. Self-esteem 2. General self-efficacy 3. Locus of control 4. Emotional stability