Ch 2: Perception, Personality, & Emotions

perception

the process where individuals organize and interpret their impressions in order to give meaning to their environment

attribution theory

theory that when we observe what seems like atypical behaviour by an individual, we attempt to determine whether it is internally or externally caused

distinctiveness

behavioural rule that considers whether an individual acts similarly across a variety of situations

consensus

behavioural rule that considers whether everyone faced with a similar situation responds in the same way

consistency

behavioural rule that considers whether the individual has been acting in the same way over time

fundamental attribution error

tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgements about the behaviour of others

self-serving bias

tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes to internal factors while putting the blame for failures on external factors

selective perception

people’s selective interpretation of what they see based on their interests, background, experience, and attitudes

halo effect

drawing a general impression of an individual on the basis of a single characteristic

contrast effects

concept that our reaction to one person is often influenced by other people we have recently encountered

stereotyping

judging someone on the basis of one’s perception of the group to which that person belongs

heuristics

judgement shortcuts in decision making

self-fulfilling prophecy

concept that proposes a person will behave in ways consistent with how they are perceived by others

personality

sum of total ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with others

personality traits

enduring characteristics that describe an individual’s behaviour

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

personality test that taps four characteristics and classifies people into 1 of 6 types b

big five personality model

model proposing that five basic personality dimensions underlie all others and encompass most of the significant variation in human personality

big five personality traits

conscientiousness, emotional stability, extraversion, open to experience, agreeableness

conscientiousness

personality factor that describes the degree to which a person is responsible, dependable, persistent, and achievement oriented

emotional stability

personality dimension that characterizes someone as calm, self-confident, and secure (positive) vs. nervous, depressed, and insecure (negative)

extraversion

personality factor that describes the degree to which a person is sociable, talkative, and assertive

open to experience

personality factor that describes the degree to which a person is imaginative, artistically sensitive, and curious

agreeableness

personality factor that describes the degree to which a person is good-natured, cooperative, and trusting

dark triad

group of negative personality traits consisting of Machiavellianism, narcissim, and psychopathy

Machiavellianism

degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains emotional distance, and believes that ends can justify means

narcissim

tendency to be arrogant, sense of self-importance, require excessive admiration, and have a sense of entitlement

psychopathy

tendency for a lack of concern for others and a lack of guilt or remorse when one’s actions cause harm

core self-evaluation

bottom-line conclusion individuals have about their capabilities, competence, and worth as a person

self-monitoring

personality trait that measures an individual’s ability to adjust behaviour to external, situational factors p

proactive personality

person who identifies opportunities, shows initiative, takes action, and perseveres until meaningful change occurs

situational strength theory (4 C’s)

theory indicating that the way personality translates into behaviour depends on the strength of the situation which comes in terms of four elements:

• clarity

• consistency

• constraints

• consequences

affect

broad range of feelings that people experience

emotions

intense feelings that are directed at someone or something

moods

feelings that tend to be less intense than emotions and that lack a contextual stimulus

moral emotions

emotions that have moral implications

emotional labour

when an employee expresses organizationally desired emotions during interpersonal interactions

felt emotions

individual’s actual emotions

displayed emotions

emotions that are organizationally required and considered appropriate in a given job

surface acting

hiding one’s inner feelings to display what is expected

deep acting

trying to modify one’s true inner feelings to match what is expected

mindfulness

objectively and deliberately evaluating the emotional situation in the moment

affective events theory (AET)

model that suggests that workplace events cause emotional reactions on the part of employees, which then influence workplace attitudes and behaviours

emotional intelligence (EI)

ability to detect and manage emotional cues and information