Question 1

Mood contagion refers to the:

Accepted Answer

Mood contagion refers to the phenomenon where one person's mood can spread to others. This can occur through nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions or body language, or through verbal communication. For example, if someone is in a bad mood and expresses negativity, it can bring down the mood of those around them. Similarly, if someone is in a positive mood and expresses enthusiasm, it can boost the mood of those around them.

Question 2

Peter has been working night shifts for about six months now, and owing to this, his performance level has decreased significantly. Benjamin, his manager, thinks that Peter has become complacent and is trying to avoid work. Which of the following would best describe Benjamin's behavior?

Accepted Answer

Benjamin is making a fundamental attribution error by assuming that Peter's decrease in performance is due to his personal traits (complacency, laziness) rather than considering the situational factors (working night shifts) that may be affecting his behavior.

Question 3

In a team meeting, Simon, the manager, was cheerful and happy. Everyone in the room felt good, and the meeting seemed to conclude in no time at all. Which of the following best describes the situation?

Accepted Answer

Mood contagion refers to the spreading of emotions from one person to another, and in this situation, Simon's cheerful and happy mood seems to have positively affected everyone in the room, making them feel good as well.

Question 4

Leopold regularly gets into arguments with his colleagues due to excessive stress at work. He also engages in physical confrontations. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Leopold's behavior of getting into arguments and physical confrontations is indicative of workplace rage, which is an extreme form of work-related stress. It can lead to negative consequences for both the individual and the organization.

Question 5

Julia, a manager at a logistics company, found that her subordinate, Olivia, frequently missed her deadlines for projects. When asked for an explanation, Olivia responded saying that she had to meet unrealistic deadlines. Olivia's co-workers have similar workloads and deadlines, but they always finish their work on time. Olivia has arrived at the conclusion that her deadlines are unrealistic mostly because of _____.

Accepted Answer

Olivia's conclusion that her deadlines are unrealistic, despite evidence that her coworkers manage similar workloads and deadlines effectively, is indicative of her self-serving bias. This bias leads individuals to attribute their failures to external factors rather than their own shortcomings.

Question 6

Maria works for a children's magazine. She worked hard and did intensive research to write an article. When her boss criticized her article, she felt very upset for some time. This feeling experienced by Maria is an example of a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

The feeling experienced by Maria is an example of an emotion. Emotions are intense feelings that are directed at someone or something. In this case, Maria felt upset after being criticized by her boss for her hard work. Emotions are often fleeting and can be influenced by a variety of factors.

Question 7

Which of the following is a difference between an emotion and a mood?

Accepted Answer

Emotions are specific, targeted feelings that are usually activated by a particular event or object, while moods are more generalized and longer lasting states of mind that are not necessarily tied to a specific stimulus. Therefore, choice E is the correct option as it clearly differentiates between emotions and moods.

Question 8

Rose has a Type A personality and works for a software company. Her company has been receiving fewer projects lately, so she spends most of her time at work doing nothing. She is most likely to _____.

Accepted Answer

Rose is most likely to pay little attention to her tasks because she has a Type A personality and is not challenged by her current work situation.

Question 9

Steven was ordered by his boss, Michael, to shred some incriminating documents that might have led to a lawsuit against their company. Steven obeyed Michael and shredded the documents. From the given information, it is likely that Steven has a (n) _____ personality.

Accepted Answer

Steven's willingness to follow orders to engage in potentially unethical behavior suggests that he may have an authoritarian personality, which is characterized by a tendency to submit to authority figures and adhere to traditional values.

Question 10

Vincent is a project manager at a software development firm. One of Vincent's best employees, Brian, is considering leaving the company because he wants to pursue his passion of photography. Vincent's bosses want him to manipulate Brian into staying, but Vincent refuses to do so and allows Brian to make his own decisions. From this information, it can be said that Vincent has a (n) _____ personality.

Accepted Answer

Vincent's refusal to manipulate Brian into staying shows that he values individual autonomy and respects his employees' decisions. This aligns with the characteristics of a low-Mach personality, which prioritize collaboration and ethical behavior over personal gain or manipulation.

Question 11

Giselle felt very good when she reached her office on time and completed her tasks before her deadline. This positive feeling spilled over onto her coworkers because she interacted with them in a very cheerful manner. This is an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

This scenario demonstrates mood contagion, which is the transfer of moods and emotions from one person to another. Giselle's positive mood spilled over onto her coworkers and affected their own moods and behaviors. Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognize and manage emotions in oneself and others, and while Giselle's behavior may demonstrate some elements of emotional intelligence, it is not the focus of this specific scenario. Organizational citizenship refers to behaviors that go beyond what is required in a job description, and while Giselle's behavior is positive, it does not necessarily go above and beyond what is expected in her role. Eustress refers to positive stress that motivates and energizes an individual, and while Giselle may have experienced eustress from completing her tasks on time, this is not as directly related to her interaction with her coworkers. Self-serving bias refers to the tendency to attribute success to internal factors and failure to external factors, and while Giselle may have some self-serving bias in feeling good about her accomplishments, this is not the primary focus of the scenario.

Question 12

Which of the following is true of moods?

Accepted Answer

Moods are generalized positive and negative feelings that are not necessarily directed toward a specific person or situation, and they can last for a prolonged period of time.

Question 13

Briefly explain the concept of impression management.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly explain the concept of impression management....

Question 14

Desmond is a shrewd manager, but he tends to be dishonest and takes advantage of people. He doesn't care about manipulating people as long as goals are achieved. Which of the following terms best represents Desmond's description?

Accepted Answer

Desmond's behavior is characteristic of someone with a high Mach personality. Machiavellianism is a personality trait characterized by a focus on achieving goals and manipulating others to achieve those goals, even if it involves being dishonest or taking advantage of people.

Question 15

Which of the following refers to job burnout?

Accepted Answer

Job burnout is characterized by physical and mental exhaustion resulting from prolonged stress at work, making option E the correct answer.

Question 16

George has been working long hours for several weeks now. His work is very stressful. As a result, his efficiency is decreasing, and his health is deteriorating. Which of the following best describes George's condition?

Accepted Answer

George's condition is consistent with job burnout, which is characterized by physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged exposure to stressful work situations. This can lead to decreased efficiency, reduced work satisfaction, and health problems.

Question 17

Michael comes across as a friendly personality. His bold and confident voice impresses Timothy, the marketing manager of Goldwyn Inc., during an interview. Owing to these attributes, Timothy hires him assuming that he will be a hard-working and smart employee. Timothy's assumption is a result of the _____.

Accepted Answer

Timothy's assumption is a result of the halo effect, which occurs when an individual's positive impression of someone in one area leads to an overall positive evaluation of that person. In this case, Michael's friendly personality and confident voice led Timothy to assume that he will be a hard-working and smart employee, even though he may not have evidence to support that assumption.

Question 18

Which of the following is true of eustress?

Accepted Answer

Eustress is a positive form of stress that motivates and energizes individuals to work towards achieving goals. It encourages diligence in one's work and can improve performance. Options A, B, D, and E are incorrect as they describe negative forms of stress such as distress, burnout, and mental fatigue.

Question 19

Which of the following is true of strain?

Accepted Answer

Strain refers to the negative consequences of job stress, such as physical or psychological symptoms. It is generally considered dysfunctional and not helpful for employees. None of the other options accurately reflect the nature of strain.

Question 20

Which of the following is true of emotions?

Accepted Answer

Emotions are typically responses to specific events or stimuli, making them clearly targeted rather than generalized or undirected.

Quiz 15: Individual Behavior