Organisational Behaviour Motivation and Learning

Q: What is the definition of "Personality"?

A: A relatively enduring pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting that characterizes a person's response to their environment.

Q: What are the three main categories of personality theories discussed?

A: Trait, Psychodynamic, and Socio-cultural theories.

Q: What is a "trait" in personality theory?

A: A relatively enduring personal characteristic used to predict and understand behaviour.

Q: What is the key difference between Gordon Allport's "central traits" and "secondary traits"?

A: Central traits are the core characteristics that form the basic foundation of personality, while secondary traits are more peripheral and less consistent.

Q: What is Raymond Cattell known for in personality theory?

A: Developing the "16 Personality Factor Questionnaire" (16PF) to define core personality traits.

Q: What are the "Big 5" personality dimensions?

A: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism (often remembered by the acronym OCEAN).

Q: According to Bandura (1999), what is a major limitation of trait theory?

A: It is unrealistic to expect general personality measures to predict behaviour across all different situations and circumstances.

Q: According to Sigmund Freud's psychodynamic theory, what are the three components of personality?

A: The Id (primitive instincts), the Ego (mediates between Id and reality), and the Superego (internalized morals and values).

Q: What is the role of the Ego, according to Freud?

A: To mediate between the unrealistic demands of the Id and the external real world.

Q: What is the main focus of sociocultural theories of personality?

A: They root personality in social experience, communities of practice, and relationships.

Q: What does the Social Cognitive Approach (or social-learning approach) emphasize?

• A: The development of personality through people interacting with a social environment that provides learning and experiences.

Q: According to Julian Rotter, what two factors influence behaviour?

A: Expectations and the reinforcement value (the value placed on the outcome).

Q: What is "Locus of Control" and which type is associated with workplace success?

A: A person's belief about what causes the good and bad outcomes in their life. A strong internal locus of control (believing you control your outcomes) is associated with success.

Q: What does the Phenomenological Approach stress?

A: The individual's own perception and interpretation of their circumstances.

Q: What is Abraham Maslow best known for?

A: His hierarchy of needs, which proposes that human motivation moves from basic physiological needs towards higher levels of "self-actualization".

Q: According to Anthony Giddens, what is the difference between "Personal Identity" and "Social Identity"?

A: Personal identity is constructed through social relations (e.g., gender, race). Social identity is about 'belongingness' to social groups (e.g., occupation, feminist).

Q: What is John Holland's "Personality/job fit model"?

A: A theory that emphasizes aligning an individual's personality type with congruent work environments and occupations.

Q: What are Holland's six personality types?

A: Realistic, Investigative, Social, Conventional, Enterprising, Artistic.

Q: What two key properties should a personality test have?

A: It should be reliable (consistent) and valid (it measures what it claims to measure).

Q: What are the three basic features of human perception?

A: It is selective, subjective, and largely automatic.

Q: What is the difference between "top-down" and "bottom-up" processing in perception?

A: Top-down processing is led by existing knowledge or expectations. Bottom-up processing is led by external sensory data.

Q: What is a "schema" (plural: schemata)?

A: Inter-related cognitions ("knowledge packets") that allow us to quickly interpret the world. They are often automatic.

Q: What is a "stereotype" in the context of perception?

A: A generalized schema about individuals or groups.

Q: What is the "Psychological Contract" in employment relations?

A: The unwritten, perceptual set of expectations that employees have about what they will receive (e.g., promotion, job security) in return for their work and commitment.

Q: How are emotions defined?

A: Multicomponent response tendencies that unfold over relatively short time spans, linked to specific action tendencies.

Q: According to Fredrickson's Broaden-and-Build Theory, what is the effect of positive emotions?

A: They broaden people's momentary thought-action repertoires (e.g., encourage play, exploration) and build enduring personal resources over time.

Q: According to the same theory, what is the effect of negative emotions?

A: They narrow the focus of attention and lead to specific action tendencies (e.g., fear leads to the urge to escape).

Q: What is one potential favorable outcome of negative emotions mentioned?

• A: They can make people more realistic and critical in their thinking, known as the "sadder but wiser" effect.

Q: What is Daniel Goleman's definition of Emotional Intelligence (EI)?

• A: "The capacity for recognising our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.

Q: What are the four components of Goleman's EI model?

A: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management.

Q: According to the research cited, if a person lacks self-awareness, what are their chances of having self-management and social awareness?

A: Much reduced (only a 4% chance).

Q: What are the four stages in the cycle for developing Emotional Intelligence?

A: Thinking, Sensing/Experiencing, Self-Reflection, and Doing.