WGU C715 Organizational Behavior Practice Test
personality characteristics that describe an individual's behavior.
personality traits characteristics that describe an individual's behavior in a large number of
situations
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) A personality test that taps four characteristics and classifies Behavior
Big Five Model A personality assessment model that taps five basic dimensions. extraversion,
agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism.
extraversion A personality describing someone who is sociable and assertive (confident and
forceful )
agreeableness A personality that describes someone who is good natured, cooperative, and
trusting.
conscientiousness A personality that describes someone who is responsible, dependable,
persistent, and organized.
emotional stability A personality that characterizes someone as calm, self-confident, and insecure.
openness to experience A personality that characterizes someone in terms of imagination, sensitivity, and
curiosity.
core self-evaluation Bottom-line conclusions individuals have about their capabilities, competence,
and worth as a person.
Machiavellianism The degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains emotional distance,
and believes that ends can justify means.
narcissism The tendency to be arrogant, self-importance, require excessive admiration, and
have a sense of entitlement.
self-monitoring where an individual's has ability to adjust his or her behavior to external,
situational factors.
proactive personality People who identify opportunities, show initiative, take action, and persevere until
meaningful change occurs.
values Basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is
personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or
end-state of existence.
value system A hierarchy based on a ranking of an individual's values in terms of their intensity.
, WGU C715 Organizational Behavior Practice Test
terminal values Desirable end-states of existence; the goals a person would like to achieve
during his or her lifetime.
instrumental values Preferable modes of behavior or means of achieving one's terminal values.
personality Job-fit theory A theory that identifies six personality types and proposes that the fit between
personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and
turnover.
power distance where society accepts that power in institutions and organizations is distributed
unequally.
individualism where people prefer to act as individuals rather than as members of groups.
collectivism A national culture attribute that describes a tight social framework in which
people expect others in groups of which they are a part to look after them and
protect them.
masculinity where culture favors traditional masculine work roles of achievement, power, and
control.
femininity indicates little differentiation between male and female roles; where women are
treated as the equals of men in all aspects of the society.
uncertainty avoidance A national culture attribute that describes the extent to which a society feels
threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them.
long-term orientation A national culture attribute that emphasizes the future, thrift, and persistence.
short-term orientation A national culture attribute that emphasizes the past and present, respect for
tradition, and fulfillment of social obligations. people value the here and now;
they accept change more readily and don't see commitments as impediments to
change.
heredity factors determined at conception; one's biological, physiological, and inherent
psychological makeup.
Perception A process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions
in order to give meaning to their environment.
attribution theory An attempt to determine whether an individual's behavior is internally or
externally caused.
fundamental attribution error The tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate
the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the behavior of
others.
self-serving bias The tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes to internal factors
and put the blame for failures on external factors.
, WGU C715 Organizational Behavior Practice Test
selective perception The tendency to selectively interpret what one sees on the basis of one's
interests, background, experience, and attitudes.
halo effect The tendency to draw a general impression about an individual on the basis of a
single characteristic.
contrast effect Evaluation of a person's characteristics that is affected by comparisons with
other people recently encountered who rank higher or lower on the same
characteristics.
stereotyping Judging someone on the basis of one's perception of the group to which that
person belongs.
self-fulfilling prophecy A situation in which a person inaccurately perceives a second person, and the
resulting expectations cause the second person to behave in ways consistent
with the original perception.
decisions Choices made from among two or more alternatives.
problem A discrepancy between the current state of affairs and some desired state.
rational Characterized by making consistent, value-maximizing choices within specified
constraints.
rational decision-making model A decision-making model that describes how individuals should behave in order
to maximize some outcome.
Steps in the rational decision-making model 1. Define the problem. 2. Identify the decision criteria. 3. Allocate weights to the
criteria. 4. Develop the alternatives. 5. Evaluate the alternatives. 6. Select the
best alternative.
bounded rationality A process of making decisions by constructing simplified models that extract the
essential features from problems without capturing all their complexity.
intuitive decision making An unconscious process created out of distilled experience.
anchoring bias A tendency to fixate on initial information, from which one then fails to adequately
adjust for subsequent information.
confirmation bias The tendency to seek out information that reaffirms past choices and to discount
information that contradicts past judgments.
availability bias The tendency for people to base their judgments on information that is readily
available to them.
escalation of commitment An increased commitment to a previous decision in spite of negative information.
personality characteristics that describe an individual's behavior.
personality traits characteristics that describe an individual's behavior in a large number of
situations
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) A personality test that taps four characteristics and classifies Behavior
Big Five Model A personality assessment model that taps five basic dimensions. extraversion,
agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism.
extraversion A personality describing someone who is sociable and assertive (confident and
forceful )
agreeableness A personality that describes someone who is good natured, cooperative, and
trusting.
conscientiousness A personality that describes someone who is responsible, dependable,
persistent, and organized.
emotional stability A personality that characterizes someone as calm, self-confident, and insecure.
openness to experience A personality that characterizes someone in terms of imagination, sensitivity, and
curiosity.
core self-evaluation Bottom-line conclusions individuals have about their capabilities, competence,
and worth as a person.
Machiavellianism The degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains emotional distance,
and believes that ends can justify means.
narcissism The tendency to be arrogant, self-importance, require excessive admiration, and
have a sense of entitlement.
self-monitoring where an individual's has ability to adjust his or her behavior to external,
situational factors.
proactive personality People who identify opportunities, show initiative, take action, and persevere until
meaningful change occurs.
values Basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is
personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or
end-state of existence.
value system A hierarchy based on a ranking of an individual's values in terms of their intensity.
, WGU C715 Organizational Behavior Practice Test
terminal values Desirable end-states of existence; the goals a person would like to achieve
during his or her lifetime.
instrumental values Preferable modes of behavior or means of achieving one's terminal values.
personality Job-fit theory A theory that identifies six personality types and proposes that the fit between
personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and
turnover.
power distance where society accepts that power in institutions and organizations is distributed
unequally.
individualism where people prefer to act as individuals rather than as members of groups.
collectivism A national culture attribute that describes a tight social framework in which
people expect others in groups of which they are a part to look after them and
protect them.
masculinity where culture favors traditional masculine work roles of achievement, power, and
control.
femininity indicates little differentiation between male and female roles; where women are
treated as the equals of men in all aspects of the society.
uncertainty avoidance A national culture attribute that describes the extent to which a society feels
threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them.
long-term orientation A national culture attribute that emphasizes the future, thrift, and persistence.
short-term orientation A national culture attribute that emphasizes the past and present, respect for
tradition, and fulfillment of social obligations. people value the here and now;
they accept change more readily and don't see commitments as impediments to
change.
heredity factors determined at conception; one's biological, physiological, and inherent
psychological makeup.
Perception A process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions
in order to give meaning to their environment.
attribution theory An attempt to determine whether an individual's behavior is internally or
externally caused.
fundamental attribution error The tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate
the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the behavior of
others.
self-serving bias The tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes to internal factors
and put the blame for failures on external factors.
, WGU C715 Organizational Behavior Practice Test
selective perception The tendency to selectively interpret what one sees on the basis of one's
interests, background, experience, and attitudes.
halo effect The tendency to draw a general impression about an individual on the basis of a
single characteristic.
contrast effect Evaluation of a person's characteristics that is affected by comparisons with
other people recently encountered who rank higher or lower on the same
characteristics.
stereotyping Judging someone on the basis of one's perception of the group to which that
person belongs.
self-fulfilling prophecy A situation in which a person inaccurately perceives a second person, and the
resulting expectations cause the second person to behave in ways consistent
with the original perception.
decisions Choices made from among two or more alternatives.
problem A discrepancy between the current state of affairs and some desired state.
rational Characterized by making consistent, value-maximizing choices within specified
constraints.
rational decision-making model A decision-making model that describes how individuals should behave in order
to maximize some outcome.
Steps in the rational decision-making model 1. Define the problem. 2. Identify the decision criteria. 3. Allocate weights to the
criteria. 4. Develop the alternatives. 5. Evaluate the alternatives. 6. Select the
best alternative.
bounded rationality A process of making decisions by constructing simplified models that extract the
essential features from problems without capturing all their complexity.
intuitive decision making An unconscious process created out of distilled experience.
anchoring bias A tendency to fixate on initial information, from which one then fails to adequately
adjust for subsequent information.
confirmation bias The tendency to seek out information that reaffirms past choices and to discount
information that contradicts past judgments.
availability bias The tendency for people to base their judgments on information that is readily
available to them.
escalation of commitment An increased commitment to a previous decision in spite of negative information.
