Question 1

Using a single attribute to develop an overall impression of a person or situation is called:

Accepted Answer

The halo effect refers to the cognitive bias where our overall impression of a person influences how we feel and think about their character. This typically occurs when a single attribute, especially a positive one, affects our overall perception of the person or situation.

Question 2

Singling out for attention those aspects of a situation or attributes of a person that reinforce or are consistent with one's beliefs, values or needs is termed:

Accepted Answer

Selective perception involves focusing on specific elements of a situation or person that align with one's existing beliefs, values, or needs, while ignoring others that don't. This cognitive bias allows individuals to process information in a way that reinforces their preconceptions.

Question 3

A man has lunch with his boss (also a man) and is considered to be on his way up in the organisation. A woman has lunch with her boss (a man) and is thought to be having an affair. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

This scenario exemplifies gender stereotyping, where behaviors are interpreted differently based on the gender of the individuals involved, leading to assumptions that reinforce traditional gender roles and biases.

Question 4

Your boss is a very effective public speaker. You assume that she is also skilled at written communication. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The halo effect is a cognitive bias where our overall impression of a person influences how we feel and think about their character. In this case, because your boss is effective at public speaking, you assume she is also skilled at written communication, which is an example of the halo effect.

Question 5

Which statement is NOT true regarding the win-win conflict management style?

Accepted Answer

The win-win conflict management style focuses on finding a solution that fully satisfies the concerns of all parties, rather than making trade-offs where each party gives up something. This style aims for a solution where no one has to compromise on their key interests, which is different from a scenario where trade-offs are made.

Question 6

Which of the following statements does NOT correctly describe the impact of perception on interpersonal communication?

Accepted Answer

People often have differing perceptions of the same thing due to their unique experiences, backgrounds, and biases, making statement C incorrect.

Question 7

Two recent graduates with computer science degrees applied for a job in computer programming. Both had similar qualifications and had received awards for academic excellence at their respective universities. One of the applicants was deaf. The hiring manager decided to not offer the job to the deaf person because of concerns about how he would perform. What type of stereotyping has affected the manager's perceptions?

Accepted Answer

The manager's decision was influenced by ability stereotyping, as the decision was based on assumptions about the applicant's abilities due to their deafness, rather than their actual qualifications or performance.

Question 8

Suppose that a manager begins a program of job enrichment because she enjoys responsibility and challenges and assumes that her employees do also. This manager is practising:

Accepted Answer

The manager is practicing projection, which is the tendency to attribute one's own characteristics, beliefs, or attitudes to others. In this case, the manager assumes that because she enjoys responsibility and challenges, her employees do as well. Projection involves seeing one's own traits in others, even if they might not actually share those traits.

Question 9

Stereotypes in the workplace include all the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Behavioral stereotypes are not an exception; they are a type of stereotype that can occur in the workplace. However, the question asks for what is NOT included in workplace stereotypes, and all the other options (racial and ethnic, age, gender, and ability stereotypes) are common forms of stereotypes in the workplace.

Question 10

Which of the following statements is NOT a guideline for providing constructive feedback?

Accepted Answer

Feedback should be manageable and actionable, not overwhelming. Providing feedback in large doses can be counterproductive, as it may overwhelm the receiver and make it difficult for them to focus on actionable items.

Question 11

Perceptual distortions include all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Paranoia is not considered a perceptual distortion in the context of organizational behavior or psychology. Instead, it is a mental condition characterized by delusions of persecution, unwarranted jealousy, or exaggerated self-importance, typically elaborated into an organized system. Perceptual distortions like stereotyping, projection, perceptual selectivity, and halo effects relate to the ways in which individuals inaccurately perceive or judge others in the workplace or social settings.

Question 12

Assigning one's personal attributes to another individual is an instance of:

Accepted Answer

Projection is a defense mechanism in psychology where an individual attributes their own thoughts, feelings, and motives to another person. This is exactly what is described in the question.

Question 13

When an observer blames another person's performance failures or problems more on internal factors relating to the individual than on external factors related to the environment, the observer is:

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error occurs when an observer attributes another person's behavior too much to internal characteristics and not enough to external circumstances. This error overlooks the situational factors that might affect someone's behavior.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding conflict and conflict resolution?

Accepted Answer

Managers can often redirect conflict resolution toward constructive outcomes, contrary to the statement in option B. Effective conflict resolution strategies and skills enable managers to guide the process in a way that addresses the underlying issues and promotes positive outcomes, rather than allowing the conflict to end destructively.

Question 15

Functional or constructive conflict occurs when conflict is:

Accepted Answer

Functional or constructive conflict occurs at moderate levels, where it can facilitate creativity, problem solving, and healthy competition without leading to the negative consequences of high levels of conflict.

Question 16

The process through which people receive, organise, and interpret information from their environment is called:

Accepted Answer

Perception is the cognitive process that enables individuals to interpret and make sense of the information they receive from their environment, involving the organization and interpretation of sensory information to understand the world around them.

Question 17

Which of the following items does NOT accurately characterise attribution?

Accepted Answer

Attribution involves understanding the causes behind behaviors or events, and this process can vary significantly from person to person. Choice C is incorrect because it suggests that people perceive things in the same way, which contradicts the individual differences in attribution processes.

Question 18

Identifying an individual with a group or category and then linking oversimplified attributes of the category or group back to the individual is the perceptual distortion mechanism of:

Accepted Answer

This describes stereotyping, where individuals are identified with a group and then assumed to have the generalized characteristics or attributes commonly associated with that group, often in an oversimplified manner.

Question 19

The type of conflict that stimulates employees to work toward greater work efforts, cooperation, and creativity is __________ conflict.

Accepted Answer

Functional conflict is considered beneficial for organizations as it encourages greater work efforts, cooperation, and creativity among employees.

Question 20

Helen is practising active listening but she can't remember the last step. What is it?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Helen is practising active listening but she...

Quiz 14: Communication and Interpersonal Skills