Question 1

The practice of 360-degree feedback is especially likely to involve

Accepted Answer

360-degree feedback typically involves collecting feedback from multiple sources, such as supervisors, peers, direct reports, and others. To ensure consistency in the feedback process and to make the feedback more objective, behavior checklists and rating scales may be used to evaluate performance across different dimensions. While democratic management style, flow, and transformational leadership may be related to performance and feedback, they are not directly tied to the practice of 360-degree feedback.

Question 2

If interviewers instantly like a job applicant because of his or her good looks,they may judge the person's complimentary remarks as indicating "polite manners" rather than "manipulative flattery." This best illustrates the impact of ________ on the interpretation of interviewees' responses.

Accepted Answer

The question is asking about the impact of interviewers' preconceptions on their interpretation of interviewees' responses. Good looks may lead interviewers to have a positive bias, causing them to interpret complimentary remarks positively as polite manners instead of negatively as manipulative flattery. The other answer choices are not relevant to the question asked.

Question 3

Scales and checklists on which supervisors indicate the extent to which a worker is productive,follows correct procedures,and attends to customers' needs are designed primarily for the purpose of improving

Accepted Answer

The scales and checklists described in the question are commonly used in performance appraisal, which is the process of evaluating an employee's job performance and providing feedback for improvement. Therefore, the purpose of these scales and checklists is to improve performance appraisal.

Question 4

Personnel selection research indicates that for all but less-skilled jobs,the quality of a job applicant's on-the-job performance is best predicted by the applicant's

Accepted Answer

Personnel selection research has consistently shown that general mental ability, also known as cognitive ability, is the strongest predictor of on-the-job performance in most job positions, particularly for those that require higher levels of complexity and problem-solving skills. Implementation intentions, leadership style, and optimism may also have some influence on job performance, but they are not as reliable predictors as general mental ability.

Question 5

Dr.MacCollum analyzes a job,scripts interview questions,and trains interviewers to ask the same questions,in the same order,to all applicants,rating each applicant on an established scale.Her work best illustrates that of a(n)________ psychologist.

Accepted Answer

Dr. MacCollum is working on analyzing job roles and interviewing candidates for job positions, which falls under the domain of personnel psychology. Personnel psychology is concerned with the recruitment, selection, training, and evaluation of employees in organizations.

Question 6

Work activities that are specifically suited to your strengths are most likely to be those associated with the experience of

Accepted Answer

The experience of flow, also known as being "in the zone," occurs when a person is fully immersed in and enjoying an activity that aligns with their strengths and skills. Therefore, work activities that elicit this experience are likely to be well-suited to an individual's strengths. 360-degree feedback, implementation intentions, and external rewards may be helpful tools for professional development or motivation, but they do not necessarily indicate a strong match between an individual's strengths and specific work activities.

Question 7

In the process of generating humanitarian reforms in a cotton mill in Scotland,Robert Owen demonstrated

Accepted Answer

Robert Owen demonstrated transformational leadership by inspiring and motivating the workers and implementing reforms for their betterment. He focused on their well-being and development, which led to increased productivity and efficiency in the cotton mill.

Question 8

Organizational psychologists are most likely to be involved in

Accepted Answer

The answer of Organizational psychologists are most likely to be...

Question 9

When performance appraisal is based only on the employee's latest behavior,which may not be indicative of her overall performance,the employer is committing

Accepted Answer

When performance appraisal is based only on the employee's latest behavior, it is known as a recency error. This can be problematic as it may not be indicative of the employee's overall performance throughout the entire performance appraisal period.

Question 10

Alonzo spends his evenings working out solutions to complex engineering problems from work.On weekends,he scours the Internet for new problems to solve.Alonzo's behavior illustrates

Accepted Answer

Alonzo's behavior illustrates flow, which is the mental state of being completely immersed in an activity and finding enjoyment and satisfaction from it. Alonzo is seeking challenges and pushing himself to overcome them, which is a key aspect of experiencing flow. The other options (360-degree feedback, implementation intentions, external rewards) do not apply to Alonzo's situation.

Question 11

When meeting job applicants,employers often discount the influence of varying situations on applicants' behaviors and presume that what they observe applicants do and say reflects the applicants' enduring personality traits.This most clearly contributes to

Accepted Answer

The scenario described in the question is an example of the interviewer illusion, which occurs when interviewers presume that what they observe in a job candidate is a reflection of their true personality traits, rather than taking into account situational factors. This can lead to biased hiring decisions, as interviewers may overlook qualified candidates who may not perform well under interview conditions.

Question 12

To predict effectively the job success of various applicants for a specific work position,psychologists would recommend the development of

Accepted Answer

Structured interviews are recommended by psychologists for predicting job success as they are based on a standardized set of questions and evaluations, ensuring consistency in the assessment of all candidates. This method reduces the influence of personal biases and increases the objectivity of the evaluation process. Flow, task leadership, and human factors psychology are not directly related to the task of predicting job success.

Question 13

A business setting in which workers have regular opportunities to do what they do best and perceive that they are part of something significant is one that promotes

Accepted Answer

The description of a business setting in which workers have regular opportunities to do what they do best and perceive that they are part of something significant aligns with the concept of employee engagement. 360-degree feedback, implementation intentions, and unstructured interviews are not directly related to this specific aspect of the work environment.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a performance appraisal method?

Accepted Answer

Strengths-based selection is actually a recruitment and selection tool, not a performance appraisal method. The other options (checklist, graphic rating scale, behavior rating scale) are all common and valid methods of appraising employee performance.

Question 15

Paul is seldom absent from work.However,an illness the previous week forced him to miss work for a day,and his supervisor evaluated his performance less positively than was warranted.This best illustrates the supervisor's vulnerability to

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates the recency error, which occurs when the most recent information about an employee's performance influences the evaluation more strongly than earlier performance. In this case, Paul's one day of absence due to illness can result in his supervisor evaluating his overall performance less positively than it actually is.

Question 16

Engaged employees are likely to

Accepted Answer

Engaged employees are those who feel connected to their work and company, have a clear understanding of what is expected of them, and are motivated to do a good job. Therefore, knowing what is expected of them at their workplace is a characteristic of engaged employees.

Question 17

Mr.Walters has many years of experience as a personnel officer for a large corporation.He does not review most job applicants' reference files because he is confident of his ability to predict their future work performance based on his direct face-to-face conversations with them.Mr.Walters' confidence best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The interviewer illusion refers to the tendency to overestimate the ability of an interviewer to predict future job performance based on their impression of the candidate in the interview. Mr. Walters' confidence in his ability to do so suggests that he may be falling prey to this illusion.

Question 18

Carlos is so friendly and likable that his job supervisors and co-workers often appraise his work skills and performance more positively than is actually warranted.This best illustrates evaluators' vulnerability to

Accepted Answer

Halo errors refer to the tendency for one favorable characteristic of a person or product to influence an evaluator's overall judgment or rating. In this scenario, Carlos's likable personality may be influencing his supervisors and co-workers to rate his work skills and performance more positively than they actually are, resulting in a halo error.

Question 19

Unstructured interviews provide a ________ predictor of on-the-job performance than aptitude tests and a ________ predictor of on-the-job performance than job knowledge tests.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Unstructured interviews provide a ________ predictor of...

Question 20

Full and clear communication regarding Kelsey's effectiveness as a customer service manager is enhanced by the performance appraisals she periodically receives from fellow managers,subordinates,customers,and her supervisor.This best illustrates the value of

Accepted Answer

The scenario suggests that Kelsey receives feedback from various sources, including fellow managers, subordinates, customers, and supervisor. This type of feedback is called 360-degree feedback, and it is a method of obtaining a comprehensive insight into an employee's job performance from multiple perspectives. Therefore, the best choice in this scenario is C- 360-degree feedback.

Quiz 18: Psychology at Work