Industrial/Organizational Psychology

The concepts of "job relatedness" and "business necessity" are associated with which of the following?

A. Adverse impact

B. Truth in testing

C. Comparable worth

D. Personnel training

A. Adverse Impact

Job relatedness and business necessity are conditions that may allow a selection procedure that is having an adverse impact for members of a protected group. If a selection or other employment procedure is found to be having adverse impact, the employer may be able to continue using the procedure if he/she can demonstrate that it is job related and a business necessity

In the context of Holland's theory of vocational choice, a high degree of differentiation:

A. reflects an uncommon or unusual pattern of interests.

B. reflects a common pattern of interests.

C. increases the predictability of the person-environment interaction.

D. decreases the predictability of the person-environment interaction.

C. increases the predictability of the person-environment interaction

Holland used the term differentiation to describe the extent to which a person has clearly defined interests (high in one scale and low on all others is highly differentiated).

Person's interests and characteristics of job is important for a "good fit" for those who are highly differentiated.

The rational-economic model of decision-making views decision-makers as attempting to make:

A. satisficing decisions.

B. bounded decisions.

C. representative decisions.

D. optimal decisions.

D. Optimal decisions

The rational-economic model assumes that decision-makers are perfect and rational. The rational-economic model assumes that decision-makers will consider all possible alternatives and choose the optimal one.

A problem with bounded rationality is that decision-makers often examine possible alternatives only until a solution that meets minimal requirements is found and then stop looking for better alternatives. This is referred to as:

A. minimizing.

B. polarizing.

C. sub optimizing.

D. satisficing.

D. Satisficing

Research examining the strengths and weaknesses of various decision-making strategies has found that bounded rationality often fails because of the problem described in this question

Joshua is dissatisfied with the amount of his bonus and he believes his other co-workers received more than he did. This greatly angers him. Joshua is concerned with what type of justice?

A. Compensatory

B. Procedural

C. Corrective

D. Distributive

D. Distributive

In fairness research, there is a focus on what a person receives (distributive justice) and how perceived goods are allocated (procedural justice), and then there is the interpersonal treatment received by individuals as the justice is carried out. For the most part, organizational justice is concerned with the ways in which employees decide if they been treated fairly in their jobs and the conditions in which those determinations influence other work-related variables.

An assumption underlying process consultation is that:

A. attitude change precedes behavior change.

B. behavior change precedes attitude change.

C. motivation is a proximal and primary cause of performance.

D. motivation and performance have a reciprocal relationship.

B. Behavior change precedes attitude change

Process consultation focuses on identifying and altering the overt behaviors that are interfering with normal social processes. It is based on the assumption that behavior change is the priority and precedes attitude change.

Group decisions tend to be better than decisions made by individuals when:

A. the task requires a high degree of creativity.

B. the group is highly cohesive.

C. the group consists of members with complementary expertise.

D. the group has a directive leader.

C.

the group consists of members with complementary expertise.

The research has shown that the effectiveness of group decision-making is affected by a number of factors (e.g., groupthink, the risky shift). Not surprisingly, groups are more effective when members have different skills and knowledge.

In mediation:

A. the mediator considers the preferences of all involved parties but his/her decision or problem solution is binding.

B. the mediator makes a formal recommendation following a review of the facts, but the recommendation may or may not be accepted by the involved parties.

C. the mediator facilitates the flow of information between the involved parties and helps them progress toward an acceptable compromise.

D. the mediator provides the "final vote" that is needed to break a deadlock between the involved parties.

C. the mediator facilitates the flow of information between the involved parties and helps them progress toward an acceptable compromise.

Mediator is a neutral third party

In a study designed to evaluate the correlates of achievement motivation, a psychologist would be likely to find that, in comparison to people with a low need for achievement, people with a high need for achievement will prefer which of the following kinds of tasks?

A. Tasks of low difficulty

B. Tasks of moderate difficulty

C. Tasks of high difficulty

D. Tasks representing a range of difficulty levels

B.

Tasks of moderate difficulty

Achievement-oriented people tend to prefer moderate to moderately difficult tasks

Research investigating the impact of group heterogeneity and task performance has generally found that:

A. group heterogeneity is always preferable to group homogeneity regardless of the type of task.

B. group homogeneity is always preferable to group heterogeneity regardless of the type of task.

C. group heterogeneity is preferable on disjunctive tasks but can actually be detrimental on some other types of tasks.

D. group heterogeneity is preferable on conjunctive tasks but can actually be detrimental on some other types of tasks.

C.

group heterogeneity is preferable on disjunctive tasks but can actually be detrimental on some other types of tasks.

A good "rule-of-thumb" for answering questions is to eliminate responses that contain absolutes (e.g., "always" or "never"). Groups that are heterogeneous with regard to members' skills, experience, and other characteristics have been found to be particularly beneficial for disjunctive tasks in which only one member needs to identify the correct response or solution

Incentive/reward theory implies that which of the following is most important for ensuring worker motivation?

A. Clearly tying rewards and punishments to effective performance

B. Making jobs interesting, attractive, and satisfying

C. Explicitly linking individual goals to organizational goals

D. Allowing workers to identify their preferred benefits

B.

Making jobs interesting, attractive, and satisfying

Incentive/reward theory is broader than reinforcement theory and emphasizes the features of the job and work environment that maximize worker interest and satisfaction.

According to McGregor (1960), Theory X managers assume that:

A. employees have an inherent dislike of work and will avoid it when they can.

B. employees are inherently motivated to work and are capable of self-control and self-direction.

C. the most effective management style depends on the nature of the organizational climate.

D. the most effective management style depends on the nature of the task and certain characteristics of the employees.

A.

employees have an inherent dislike of work and will avoid it when they can.

Theory X and Theory Y managers are distinguished by their different assumptions about employee characteristics. Knowing that Theory X managers have a pessimistic view of employees would have enabled you to identify this as the correct response

During the sixth week of the semester, students in an introductory psychology class meet on a Saturday morning to discuss their class project. In the first meeting, a couple of the students say they think the instructor is boring and a "bad" teacher. The other students say they disagree and that he "isn't so bad." At the end of their meeting, however, one of the students says, "Let's take a vote - how many of you agree that our instructor is one of the worst teachers you've ever had?" and every student raises his or her hand. The students' agreement about the instructor's lack of ability is an example of which of the following?

A. Social facilitation

B. Group polarization

C. The fundamental attribution bias

D. Negative framing

B. Group Polarization

In this situation, the evaluation of the instructor has become more extreme for some group members as a result of their participation in the group. Group polarization refers to the tendency of groups to make more extreme decisions than individual group members would make alone.

Question ID #11756: Job applicants complain that the biographical information blank (BIB) they are required to complete includes many items that seem entirely unrelated to their ability to do the job and argue that these items are an invasion of privacy. The concerns of these applicants suggest that the BIB lacks:

A. face validity

B. construct validity

C. social validity

D. predictive validity

A. Face Validity

The BIB items do not seem to be measuring what they are intended to measure - in other words, they are lacking face validity.

In the context of Porter and Lawler's (1968) expectancy theory, __________ refers to the belief that meeting job performance goals will lead to certain outcomes.

A. valence

B. instrumentality

C. vigor

D. expectancy

B. Instrumentality

Expectancy theory predicts that motivation is a function of three beliefs: expectancy, instrumentality, and valence. Instrumentality refers to the belief that good performance will be rewarded.

According to Janis (1972), groupthink is most likely to occur when:

A. a group is highly cohesive.

B. a group has a "laissez-faire" leader.

C. group members have low levels of organizational commitment.

D. group members are overly influenced by outside opinions.

A. a group is highly cohesive

Although Janis did not believe that high cohesiveness alone necessarily leads to groupthink, he considered it to be the primary condition

The Americans with Disabilities Act:

A. does not address the issue of drug testing.

B. permits drug testing only after a job offer has been made.

C. permits drug testing before or after a job offer has been made.

D. prohibits drug testing until after a job applicant has been hired and there is reason to suspect drug use.

C.

permits drug testing before or after a job offer has been made

drug testing is not prohibited at any time during pre-employment or employment.

Which of the following is most relevant to equity theory?

A. Rosenthal effect

B. Social comparison theory

C. Drive theory

D. The buffering hypothesis

B. Social Comparison Theory

Equity theory predicts that motivation is a function of the comparisons workers make between their own input/outcome ratio and those of workers doing similar jobs. According to equity theory, motivation is a result of our social comparisons.

Herzberg's two-factor theory classifies job security, pay and benefits, relationships with co-workers, working conditions, and company policies as:

A. quality factors.

B. quantity factors.

C. motivator factors.

D. hygiene factors.

D. Hygiene Factors

The "two factors" in Herzberg's two-factor theory are hygiene factors and motivator factors. According to Herzberg, hygiene factors contribute to dissatisfaction when they are inadequate but do not contribute to satisfaction or motivation. Hygiene factors include job security, pay and benefits, relationships with co-workers, working conditions, and company policies.

In their research on terrorist groups, McCauley and Segal (1987) found that, when people come together because of a shared grievance, their views often become increasingly extreme as they continue to interact in isolation from possible moderating influences. This finding supports which of the following?

A. Deindividuation

B. Social trap

C. Group polarization

D. Group contagion

C. Group Polarization

This question is asking about a situation in which the views of group members become increasingly extreme due to their participation in the group. Group polarization refers to the tendency of people to make more extreme decisions when acting as members of a group than they would have made as individuals.

When using equity theory to evaluate an employee's motivation, you would be most interested in which of the following?

A. The employee's level of intrinsic motivation

B. The employee's self-efficacy beliefs

C. The employee's perceptions regarding the pay and benefits received by workers performing similar work duties as the employee

D. The employee's perceptions regarding the likelihood that successful performance will be rewarded with desirable outcomes

C.

The employee's perceptions regarding the pay and benefits received by workers performing similar work duties as the employee

Equity theory proposes that a worker compares his or her input/outcome ratio to the ratio of another worker performing the same or a similar job. When the ratios seem equal to the worker, the worker is motivated to continue performing at the same level. If the ratios are unequal, this has an effect on motivation, performance, and other job outcomes.

Research about job satisfaction has most consistently found that:

A. job satisfaction is inversely related to turnover and absenteeism.

B. job satisfaction is inversely related to age.

C. job satisfaction is inversely related to education level.

D. job satisfaction levels are the same for males and females.

A.

job satisfaction is inversely related to turnover and absenteeism.

The most consistent finding is that job satisfaction is inversely related to absenteeism and turnover.

From the perspective of the situational leadership model, a "telling" leadership style is most effective when an employee is:

A. low in ability and low in willingness.

B. low in ability and high in willingness.

C. high in ability and low in willingness.

D. high in ability and high in willingness.

A.

low in ability and low in willingness.

These are the employees who need to be told what to do

The three components of a needs assessment are:

A. microsystem, macrosystem, and exosystem.

B. unfreezing, changing, refreezing.

C. worker satisfaction, worker performance, and organizational effectiveness.

D. organization analysis, task analysis, and person analysis.

D. organization analysis, task analysis, and person analysis.

A needs assessment is conducted in organizations to determine training needs. The systems approach to needs assessment involves three types of analysis: organization, task/job, and person