Chapter 2: Personality

Question 1

Personality

Answer 1

The relatively stable set of psychological characteristics that influences the way an individual interacts with their environment.

Question 2

Why Do We Care About Personality?

Answer 2

Personality helps predict behaviour
Personality can help match people to the job

Question 3

Approaches to Personality Research

Answer 3

1. Dispositional approach
2. Situational approach
3. Interactionist approach

Question 4

Dispositional approach

Answer 4

individuals possess stable traits or characteristics that influence their attitudes and behaviours.
Individuals are predisposed to behave in certain ways (i.e., they act according to their personality)

Question 5

Situational approach

Answer 5

characteristics of the organizational setting influence people’s attitudes and behaviour.
Individuals are likely to behave in similar ways when in a specific situation.

Question 6

Interactionist approach

Answer 6

Individuals’ attitudes and behaviour are a function of both dispositions

Question 7

Trait activation theory

Answer 7

In weak situations, roles are loosely defined, there are few rules and weak reinforcement and punishment contingencies.
o Personality has the strongest effect in weak situations.

In strong situations, the roles, rules, and contingencies are more defined.
o Personality has less of an impact in strong situations.

Question 8

The Five-Factor Model of Personality: “The Big Five” (OCEAN)

Answer 8

1. Conscientiousness
2. Agreeableness
3. Neuroticism (Emotional Stability)
4. Openness to Experience
5. Extraversion

Question 9

Conscientiousness

Answer 9

The degree of organization, dependability, thoroughness, and achievement-oriented activities that a person exhibits is a measure of reliability.

Low: Unreliable, unorganized, unpredictable
High: Perseverance, responsible, organized, diligent, dependable
Positively related to job performance for most jobs

Question 10

Agreeableness

Answer 10

The ability to get along with others; degree of courtesy, trust, cooperation, and tolerance that a person exhibits.

Low: Focused on own needs, less need to be liked by others, irritable, suspicious, inflexible
High: Forgiving, good natured, cooperative, warm, trusting
Positively related to performance in service jobs
Too much or too little can negatively affect performance in certain situations

Question 11

Neuroticism (Emotional Stability)

Answer 11

Inability to handle stress; lack of emotional stability (e.g., emotional swings)

Low Neuroticism: Calm, self-confident, secure, content about themselves and their place in the world
High Neuroticism: Anxious, insecure, sensitive, angry, depressed
A minimum threshold of emotional stability is necessary for job performance

Question 12

Openness to Experience

Answer 12

The capacity to entertain new ideas and to change as a result of new information; creative, original, open-minded

Low: Cautious, narrow-minded
High: Curious, imaginative, playful, artistic
Positively related to training proficiency

Question 13

Extraversion

Answer 13

The quality of being comfortable with relationships; degree of sociability

Low: Reserved, quiet, solitary
High: Gregarious, assertive, talkative, expressive
Positively related to performance when job requires social interaction

Question 14

Locus of Control

Answer 14

= A set of beliefs about whether one’s behaviour is controlled mainly by internal or external forces

High external control: behaviour determined by fate, luck, powerful people
High internal control: behaviour determined by self-initiative, personal actions, free will

Question 15

Self-Monitoring

Answer 15

The extent to which people observe and regulate how they appear and behave in social settings and relationships

Question 16

Self-Esteem

Answer 16

The degree to which a person has a positive self-evaluation.
Behavioural plasticity theory = People with low self-esteem tend to be more susceptible to external and social influences than those who have high self-esteem.

Question 17

positive and negative affectivity

Answer 17

positive affectivity = propensity to view the world, including oneself and other people, in a positive light
negative affectivity = propensity to view the world, including oneself and other people, in a negative light

Question 18

Proactive behaviour

Answer 18

Taking initiative to improve current circumstances or creating new ones.

Question 19

Proactive personality

Answer 19

A stable personal disposition that reflects a tendency to take personal initiative across a range of activities and situations and to effect positive change in one’s environment

Question 20

General self-efficacy (GSE)

Answer 20

general trait that refers to an individual’s belief in their ability to perform successfully in a variety of challenging situations

Question 21

Core self-evaluations (CSEs)

Answer 21

a broad personality concept that consists of more specific traits that reflect the evaluations people hold about themselves and their self-worth.
- consists of: self-esteem, general self-efficacy, locus of control, and neuroticism