Semester 1 Flashcards
(115 cards)
Organizational Behavior Definition
- A social arrangement for achieving controlled performance in pursuit of collective goals
- The systematic study of the behavior of individuals and groups in organisational settings
Research Methods
- Correlational research - relationship between 2 variables (e.g verbal ability & performance)
- Longitudinal studies - repeated observations of variables over time
- Experimental studies - manipulates one variable (independent) and measures the effects on dependent variables whilst holding all other variables constant
Describe the Cycle of Theory & Research
- Theory - an explanation of how and why variables are related to each other.
- Involves empirical data collection and analysis
- Test outcomes influence views & revised theories
- Cycle - Theory>Hypothesis>Research>Correlational research OR Experimental research>Outcome»Theory
Theory for explaining behaviour
- Kurt Lewin’s famous formula of 1931
- B = f(P,E)
- Behavior is a function of the person and environment
- Lewin claims that the best way to understand behavior is to use the Cycle of Theory.
The definition of Spearman’s ‘g’
(general mental ability)
- Influential definition - “a very good general mental capability that involves the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and learn from experience”
The idea behind Spearman’s ‘g’
(general mental ability)
- Idea - The ‘g’ factor underlies all specific cognitive abilities such as verbal, numerical, spatial abilities and problem solving
- Measured via any test batteries of specific cognitive abilities
Explanation of One General Intelligence & Measures of Intelligence
- One GMA factor can explain the correlations among different specific cognitive abilities
- The first statistical test of human intelligence by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon was early 20th century (Contemporary intelligence tests)
- Modern intelligence tests are of this type. A combination of verbal comprehension, word fluency, numeric and spatial intelligence. (standardized conditions)
The idea of Spearman’s ‘g’ and how it links to job performance
- Test of Spearman’s ‘g’ idea using factor analysis:
- Empirical result: extraction of one strong overall factor underlying specific aspects (idea of G as one underlying factor has empirical support)
- Meta-analytic support: strong correlation between GMA & job performance
- GMA also predicts training success/income
- Job complexity strengthens positive GMA performance relation
- Person with high GMA learns more job knowledge and faster
Thurstone’s Primary Mental Abilities (1938)
- Intelligence - a set of PMA’s all rather independent of one another
- PMAs - verbal comprehension, word fluency,numerical ability, spatial visualization, reasoning, perceptual speed, associative memory
-Produces intelligence profiles as opposed to a single IQ score
- Used in clinical & organisational assessment (Weschler’s intelligence scale)
- PMA structure is compatible with hierarchical GMA structure
- However, this can be resource intensive
Critical evaluation of Spearman’s ‘g’ and Thurstone’s PMA
- Link between intelligence and success is robust
- Specific cognitive abilities predict performance better when matched to job demands
- Tests a ‘maximum performance paradigm’ (the best you do under test conditions, not everyday life) so motivation is important
- GMA & specific abilities predict task performance (but do they predict other outcomes such as helping & extra role behaviors?)
- Potential bias against certain ethnic groups
Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences
- Idea: All intelligences are completely independent
1. Linguistic
2. Spatial
3. Logical-mathematical
4. Musical
5. Bodily-kinaethetic
6. Interpersonal
7. Intrapersonal
Critical Evaluation of Multiple Intelligences
- No measure was developed by Gardner
- No systematic research to test his theory
- Incompatible with well established concept of ‘g’
- Empirically, several intelligences have high inter correlations and thus are not independent
- key cognitive abilities not covered by the theory
- Textbooks often present MI as biased
- Best to conceptualize MI as talent, skills or competence
Emotional Intelligence Definitions
- “the ability to monitor one’s own and other people’s emotions, to discriminate between different emotions and label them appropriately, and use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.” (Colman, 2006)
- As ability - “the ability to carry out reasoning about emotions and the ability to use emotions and emotional knowledge to enhance thought.”
Emotional Intelligence (Mayer et al., 2000; 2008)
- Extends traditional intelligence models and addresses individuals’ ability to perceive, process and manage emotions and emotional information effectively.
- Measure - Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale (MEIS) which is a performance based measure.
- Assessing emotions scale - assesses how effectively respondents identify, understand, regulate and harness emotions in themselves and others.
Critical Evaluation of Emotional Intelligence
- Important for jobs with emotional demands
- Measurement issues for ability EI (scoring)
- Faking measurements in self-reported EI can be problematic for selection
- There is some evidence of EI predicting job performance
- EI concepts are too broad and lack coherent definition (Golemans)
- Limited data across jobs to compare. emotional task analysis
Personality definitions
- “Characteristics of the person that account for
consistent patterns of experience and action”
(Pervin, Cervone, & John, 2004) - “a relatively stable and consistent set of
traits that interact with environmental factors
to produce emotional, cognitive and
behavioural responses” (Hughes & Batey, 2017)
Sources of personality differences
- Genetic inheritance
2.Family experience
3.Culture - Life experience
Definition of a Trait
” a dimension upon which people differ psychologically. Traits are stable over time.”
(Arnold et al. 2010 p715)
Definition of Factor Analysis > personality factors
“Factor analysis is a statistical technique used to identify key factors that underlie relationships between variables.”
seeks to discover if the observed variables (e.g., ratings on
trait adjectives or personality items) can be explained in terms of a smaller number of variables called factors (e.g., personality factors).
Trait Theories: The Big 5
(Costa &McCrae, 1992)
OCEAN
- Openness to experience - like working with ideas and possibilities, ready to re-examine attitudes and values.
- Conscientiousness - highly organised and thorough in one’s approach to tasks, a desire to do well.
- Extraversion - quantity and intensity of energy directed outwards into the social world, outgoing, assertive
- Agreeableness - being helpful to others, mindful of others’ feelings, preferring cooperation over competition, kind, sympathetic
- Neuroticism - prone to worry and self-doubt, highly affected by their emotions in stressful situations
The Big 5 Personality Dimensions
- On a continuous scale shown by normal distribution of each trait
- 5 factors are relatively independent of each other
- Widely accepted for many years
- Hierarchical, global & facet levels
- Be aware that there are sub facet levels too.
Psychometric Criteria: Critical Evaluation of tests
- Reliability: consistent accurate measurement; few measurement errors.
- Criterion-related validity: the strength of relationship between a predictor (e.g., personality/intelligence test, interview) and the criterion (e.g. effective work behaviours)
- Content validity: covers representative behaviours/indicators of a construct
→ expert judgement needed - Construct validity: Does an instrument measure what it intends to measure. Expected relations to (theoretically) similar constructs/measures.
→ correlations & factor analyses (CFA, EFA)
Define Criterion-related validity
the strength of relationship between a predictor (e.g., personality/intelligence test, interview) and the criterion (e.g. effective work behaviours)
Define Content validity
Covers representative behaviours/indicators of a construct
→ expert judgement needed