Question 1

Attribution theory attempts to explain the __________ of behavior.

Accepted Answer

Attribution theory attempts to explain the "why" of behavior by making inferences about the causes of an individual's behavior. It explores how people perceive and interpret events and how those interpretations influence their behavior and decisions.

Question 2

Coach Smith is told one of his new players is a gifted athlete. The coach immediately focuses on that player and spends additional time helping him develop his skills. As the coach expected, the player turned out to be an excellent addition to the team. This example shows the __________ effect.

Accepted Answer

The Pygmalion effect, also known as the self-fulfilling prophecy, refers to the phenomenon whereby positive expectations lead to better performance. In this example, Coach Smith's positive expectations for the gifted athlete led to him focusing on developing that player's skills, ultimately leading to the player being an excellent addition to the team.

Question 3

Mike discovers in the interview process that he and Rob, although years apart, went to the same school, were the same major and even played the same position on the school's polo team. Mike "knows" that these activities have made him the successful manager he is today and hires Rob on the spot. The hiring of Rob is an example of ___________.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the similar-to-me error, where Mike is more likely to favor Rob because they have similar backgrounds and experiences. This bias can lead to overlooking other important qualifications or skills that a candidate may have.

Question 4

Some managers may perceive that an older employee doesn't have enough energy to travel around the world overseeing various projects. This is an example of how a _____________ schema may influence decision making.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Some managers may perceive that an older...

Question 5

The behavior of others can be examined on the basis of its distinctiveness, consistency, and _______________.

Accepted Answer

The behavior of others can be examined on the basis of three dimensions, namely distinctiveness, consistency, and consensus. The distinctiveness dimension sheds light on whether the behavior is unique to a particular situation or typical of the person across different situations. The consistency dimension refers to whether the behavior is consistent across time or varies over time. Lastly, the consensus dimension relates to whether others behave similarly in similar situations or not. In this context, the given question specifically refers to the third dimension, which is consensus. Therefore, option A, consensus, is the correct choice.

Question 6

Jack is completing Mike's annual performance evaluation. Mike always is in the office first and has the coffee ready for Jack when he comes in. Jack smiles thinking what a great employee Mike is for going to the extra effort and getting in early. With little thought, Jack ranks Mike high on all performance categories. Jack's rankings may have been impacted by the _______ effect.

Accepted Answer

The halo effect occurs when a positive impression of someone in one aspect leads to an overall positive evaluation of that person. In this case, Jack's positive impression of Mike's early morning efforts with the coffee may have led to an overall positive evaluation of Mike's performance in all categories.

Question 7

The press of time, the attitudes of the people you work with, and other situational factors all influence perceptual _______________.

Accepted Answer

Perceptual accuracy can be influenced by various situational factors, including the press of time and the attitudes of the people you work with.

Question 8

Coach Smith is told one of his new players is slacker and a trouble maker. The coach immediately treats that player in a dismissive manner and the player indeed turns out to be a marginal performer. This example shows the __________ effect.

Accepted Answer

The Golem effect refers to the phenomenon where lower expectations placed upon individuals lead to poorer performance, as seen in the coach's dismissive treatment leading to the player's marginal performance.

Question 9

Perceptual groupings ____ create inaccuracies.

Accepted Answer

While perceptual groupings can be helpful in organizing information, they can also lead to inaccuracies if we group things incorrectly or make assumptions based on incomplete information. Therefore, the answer is "can."

Question 10

When managers employ a profile schema of the characteristics of good, poor, and outstanding employees they are using a _________ schema to compare present employees and job candidates.

Accepted Answer

The characteristics-based schema is a type of person-based schema, where employees and job candidates are compared against certain personality traits and characteristics that are believed to be important for success in the job. The other options (B, C, and D) are not relevant in this context.

Question 11

A department manager has a job opening that involves lots of travel. He doesn't mention it to the women in the department because he assumes that women don't want to be away from their families. Which schema is the manager applying?

Accepted Answer

The manager is applying a role-based schema by assuming that women's primary role is to stay at home and take care of their families, therefore disregarding the possibility that some women may be willing and able to travel for work.

Question 12

Carlos is being pressed to complete an assignment on time and in order to accomplish that goal is overlooking certain details and skipping activities. This is an example of __________ factors impacting perceptual accuracy.

Accepted Answer

Situational factors refer to external circumstances that can affect perception, such as time constraints or workload. In this scenario, Carlos is being pressured to complete an assignment on time, which is causing him to overlook certain details and skip activities. This suggests that situational factors are impacting his perceptual accuracy. Kinesics refers to nonverbal communication through body language, so it is not relevant in this scenario. Halo and Golem effects refer to biases in perception based on preconceived ideas about a person or situation, so they are not relevant in this scenario either.

Question 13

Bob has to conduct a press conference two days from now, so he is writing his speech and rehearsing various ways of presenting it. Which schema is Bob using?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Bob has to conduct a press conference...

Question 14

The _______ effect is form of self-fulfilling prophecy.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The _______ effect is form of self-fulfilling...

Question 15

When managers allow generalizations about their own prowess, competencies, and preferences based on a current or previous experience influence perceptions they are using a ___________ schema

Accepted Answer

The scenario described in the question relates to a self-based schema. A self-based schema is formed when individuals use their own self-concept or self-knowledge to interpret information about themselves or others. In this case, managers are drawing on their own self-assessment to make generalizations about their skills and abilities.

Question 16

The department supervisor required to have multiple demands on her attention may be an example of ______.

Accepted Answer

Divided attention refers to the ability to focus on multiple tasks or demands at the same time. In this case, the department supervisor has multiple demands on her attention, which requires her to divide her attention between different tasks or responsibilities. Selective attention refers to the ability to focus on one specific task while ignoring others, while attention distribution and attention maximization are not commonly used terms in cognitive psychology.

Question 17

Research on "similar to me" perception suggests all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

The research on "similar to me" perception suggests that knowing oneself makes it easier to see others accurately (A), one's own characteristics affect the characteristics identified in others (B), and persons who accept themselves are more likely to see favorable aspects of others (D). However, the research does not suggest that knowing others makes it easier to identify faults in oneself (C).

Question 18

Which schema would a manager most likely use when interviewing job applicants?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which schema would a manager most likely...

Question 19

Employees who _______________ capture a manager's attention more quickly.

Accepted Answer

All the choices listed can capture a manager's attention more quickly. Superior performers stand out due to their exceptional work, those who are more respected often have influence and credibility, and making forceful requests can draw immediate attention to an employee's needs or concerns.

Question 20

________________refers to the fact that people give some messages priority and put others on hold.

Accepted Answer

Selective attention is the process of deliberately focusing on certain messages while disregarding others. People tend to give priority to messages that are more relevant to their needs, interests, or goals, or that stand out in some way. This can be influenced by various factors such as the message source, message content, message context, and personal factors like mood, fatigue, or motivation. Selective attention can have a significant impact on communication effectiveness, as it affects both the sender's ability to deliver the message and the receiver's ability to comprehend and respond to it.

Quiz 4: Perceptions and Attributions