PSYC 3309 Exam Questions and Answers Solved Correctly Rated A+
What is I-O Psychology and what is its objective? - Answers -Specialty area within psychology that
studies human behaviour in work settings
-Application of psychological principles, theory & research to work settings
-Objective: increase satisfaction and performance of individuals --> increase effectiveness of
organisation
What is the difference between the terms Industrial and organisational? - Answers -Industrial:
management perspective, efficiency focussed, job design, selection, training and performance appraisal
-Organisational: developed from human relations, concerned with enhancing wellbeing in the workplace
What are 3 different roles of I-O psychologists - Answers -Scientists: examine behaviour (individual &
group) through research
-Consultants: apply scientific knowledge to the solution of problems at work
-Teachers: train students in research and application of I-O Psych.
What are 3 main applications of I-O psychology - Answers -Personnel Psychology (human resources):
recruitment, training, selection, performance appraisal, promotion, transfer, termination.
-Organisational Psychology: Emotion & motivation, attitudes, fairness, stress, leadership, teams and
work design (how do characteristics of worker match characteristics of work?)
-Human factors (engineering psychology): study cognitive capabilities & limitations of humans in work
environments, design tools, automation, info display, shift work, machine controls & safety
What is the scientist-practitioner model? - Answers -Using research to address problems and issues
-Use of scientific method
-Evidence based
-Implementing controls
-Valid (test what set out to test) & reliable (consistency of measurement)
-Ethics involved (anonymity, confidentiality)
Who are 3 figures in the history of I-O Psychology? - Answers -Hugo Munsterberg (experimental
psychologist): interested in design of work and personnel selection
-Walter Dill Scott: studied salespeople & psych. of advertising
-Frederick W. Taylor: scientific principles can be used to increase work efficiency & productivity
,Explain the Hawthorne Studies - Answers -Elton Mayo & colleagues
-Study impact of lighting on productivity to identify optimal illumination
-result: doesn't matter, productivity increases when workers are being watched/assessed
-Phenomenon of the knowledge of being observed and productivity increasing = the Hawthorne effect
List some negatives of the I-O psych industry today - Answers -Wide use of techniques/constructs with
unknown or uncertain validity
-Too many I-O psychs are technicians (as opposed to scientists/scientist practitioners)
-Tendency to use available solutions rather than ones that suit the needs of the situation
What multicultural issues arise in the workplace/I-O psychology - Answers -Work brings together people
of different cultures & nationalities --> need to understand how people differ in ways they view the
world
-Theory of cultural influence
--> Individualism/collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/femininity, long vs.
short term orientation = All differ across organisation
What do scientists set out to do? & What are 3 broad types of research with regards to work behaviour?
- Answers -Disprove theories/hypotheses
-Eliminate all possible explanations except one
Types of research:
-Describe work behaviour (training & development)
-Explain work behaviour (performance appraisal)
-Predict work behaviour (recruitment & selection)
What are the 10 steps of the research cycle? - Answers 1) Identification of problem area- basic & applied
research
2) Preliminary information collection
3) Theoretical framework- schematic diagram (show relevant variables, relationship between them,
direction of each & why they are hypothesised)
4) Hypothesis
5) Research design
,6) Sampling
7) Data collection
8) Analysis & interpretation
9) Refinement of theory (for basic research)
10) Implementation of theory (for applied research
What is a mediator? - Answers The explanation between the predictor & the outcome.
E.g. "supervisor support leads to student satisfaction"
--> Mediator is the self efficacy that comes with supervisor support.
--> helps to explain the influence of the IV on the DV
What is a moderator? - Answers A moderator changes the relationship between two variables.
E.g. "supervisor support leads to student satisfaction"
--> Moderators are organisational support, research culture, equipment and resources
What are the 2 types of reliability? - Answers -Test-retest reliability: Results should be the same every
time the same group is tested (e.g. result of intelligence test now should be the same 2 weeks later)
-Inter-rater reliability: Can calculate various statistical indices to show the level of agreement among
raters (values in .7-.8 rage represent reasonable reliability)
What is criterion-related validity and what are the two validity designs under it? - Answers -Criterion-
related validity: correlate test score (predictor) with performance measure --> resulting in correlation =
validity coefficient
---Predictive validity: time lag between collection of test data & criterion data
---Concurrent validity design: no time lag between collection of test data & criteria
What are the 2 time horizons that research can be done over? - Answers Cross sectional and longitudinal
What are the 2 types of sampling? - Answers -Probability (elements in population have equal probability
of being selected) & non probability (not equal e.g. convenience/quota)
What is the difference between statistical significance and statistical power? - Answers Significance:
confidence that result is not due to chance
Power: likelihood of finding a statistically significant difference when a true difference exists
, What are the 5 fundamental assumptions in applying individual differences models in organisational
settings? - Answers 1) Adults have a variety of attributes that are stable over time
2) People differ with respect to the attributes
3) The attributes can be measured
4) Relative differences remain after training
5) Different jobs require different attributes
What are the 8 varieties of individual differences? - Answers 1) Abilities
2) Psychomotor/sensorimotor
3) Personality
4) Orientation- values & interests
5) Emotional/affective dispositions
6) Skills
7) Knowledge
8) Competencies
List types of assessments of individual differences - Answers CV, interview, references, work sample, job
knowledge tests, physical tests, ability tests, personality tests, job try-outs, assessment centres,
graphology
What are the horns & halo effects? - Answers When an interviewer judges an interviewee and lets one
of the first few traits cloud judgment over the rest. E.g. find out a positive trait first and see the person
as positive.
What is the current best practice for employment strategies/understanding whether someone is right
based on individual differences? - Answers -Reliable and valid measurement of human attributes
-Often: relying on psychometric tools
What is a psychometric test? What are the 5 elements of psychometric tests? - Answers An objective
and standardised procedure for measuring a psychological construct using a sample of behaviour
-5 elements: standardised situation, common yardstick, job-relevant ability, valid predictor & objective
score.
What are the 8 great competencies? (From the universal competency framework) - Answers -Leading
and deciding
What is I-O Psychology and what is its objective? - Answers -Specialty area within psychology that
studies human behaviour in work settings
-Application of psychological principles, theory & research to work settings
-Objective: increase satisfaction and performance of individuals --> increase effectiveness of
organisation
What is the difference between the terms Industrial and organisational? - Answers -Industrial:
management perspective, efficiency focussed, job design, selection, training and performance appraisal
-Organisational: developed from human relations, concerned with enhancing wellbeing in the workplace
What are 3 different roles of I-O psychologists - Answers -Scientists: examine behaviour (individual &
group) through research
-Consultants: apply scientific knowledge to the solution of problems at work
-Teachers: train students in research and application of I-O Psych.
What are 3 main applications of I-O psychology - Answers -Personnel Psychology (human resources):
recruitment, training, selection, performance appraisal, promotion, transfer, termination.
-Organisational Psychology: Emotion & motivation, attitudes, fairness, stress, leadership, teams and
work design (how do characteristics of worker match characteristics of work?)
-Human factors (engineering psychology): study cognitive capabilities & limitations of humans in work
environments, design tools, automation, info display, shift work, machine controls & safety
What is the scientist-practitioner model? - Answers -Using research to address problems and issues
-Use of scientific method
-Evidence based
-Implementing controls
-Valid (test what set out to test) & reliable (consistency of measurement)
-Ethics involved (anonymity, confidentiality)
Who are 3 figures in the history of I-O Psychology? - Answers -Hugo Munsterberg (experimental
psychologist): interested in design of work and personnel selection
-Walter Dill Scott: studied salespeople & psych. of advertising
-Frederick W. Taylor: scientific principles can be used to increase work efficiency & productivity
,Explain the Hawthorne Studies - Answers -Elton Mayo & colleagues
-Study impact of lighting on productivity to identify optimal illumination
-result: doesn't matter, productivity increases when workers are being watched/assessed
-Phenomenon of the knowledge of being observed and productivity increasing = the Hawthorne effect
List some negatives of the I-O psych industry today - Answers -Wide use of techniques/constructs with
unknown or uncertain validity
-Too many I-O psychs are technicians (as opposed to scientists/scientist practitioners)
-Tendency to use available solutions rather than ones that suit the needs of the situation
What multicultural issues arise in the workplace/I-O psychology - Answers -Work brings together people
of different cultures & nationalities --> need to understand how people differ in ways they view the
world
-Theory of cultural influence
--> Individualism/collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/femininity, long vs.
short term orientation = All differ across organisation
What do scientists set out to do? & What are 3 broad types of research with regards to work behaviour?
- Answers -Disprove theories/hypotheses
-Eliminate all possible explanations except one
Types of research:
-Describe work behaviour (training & development)
-Explain work behaviour (performance appraisal)
-Predict work behaviour (recruitment & selection)
What are the 10 steps of the research cycle? - Answers 1) Identification of problem area- basic & applied
research
2) Preliminary information collection
3) Theoretical framework- schematic diagram (show relevant variables, relationship between them,
direction of each & why they are hypothesised)
4) Hypothesis
5) Research design
,6) Sampling
7) Data collection
8) Analysis & interpretation
9) Refinement of theory (for basic research)
10) Implementation of theory (for applied research
What is a mediator? - Answers The explanation between the predictor & the outcome.
E.g. "supervisor support leads to student satisfaction"
--> Mediator is the self efficacy that comes with supervisor support.
--> helps to explain the influence of the IV on the DV
What is a moderator? - Answers A moderator changes the relationship between two variables.
E.g. "supervisor support leads to student satisfaction"
--> Moderators are organisational support, research culture, equipment and resources
What are the 2 types of reliability? - Answers -Test-retest reliability: Results should be the same every
time the same group is tested (e.g. result of intelligence test now should be the same 2 weeks later)
-Inter-rater reliability: Can calculate various statistical indices to show the level of agreement among
raters (values in .7-.8 rage represent reasonable reliability)
What is criterion-related validity and what are the two validity designs under it? - Answers -Criterion-
related validity: correlate test score (predictor) with performance measure --> resulting in correlation =
validity coefficient
---Predictive validity: time lag between collection of test data & criterion data
---Concurrent validity design: no time lag between collection of test data & criteria
What are the 2 time horizons that research can be done over? - Answers Cross sectional and longitudinal
What are the 2 types of sampling? - Answers -Probability (elements in population have equal probability
of being selected) & non probability (not equal e.g. convenience/quota)
What is the difference between statistical significance and statistical power? - Answers Significance:
confidence that result is not due to chance
Power: likelihood of finding a statistically significant difference when a true difference exists
, What are the 5 fundamental assumptions in applying individual differences models in organisational
settings? - Answers 1) Adults have a variety of attributes that are stable over time
2) People differ with respect to the attributes
3) The attributes can be measured
4) Relative differences remain after training
5) Different jobs require different attributes
What are the 8 varieties of individual differences? - Answers 1) Abilities
2) Psychomotor/sensorimotor
3) Personality
4) Orientation- values & interests
5) Emotional/affective dispositions
6) Skills
7) Knowledge
8) Competencies
List types of assessments of individual differences - Answers CV, interview, references, work sample, job
knowledge tests, physical tests, ability tests, personality tests, job try-outs, assessment centres,
graphology
What are the horns & halo effects? - Answers When an interviewer judges an interviewee and lets one
of the first few traits cloud judgment over the rest. E.g. find out a positive trait first and see the person
as positive.
What is the current best practice for employment strategies/understanding whether someone is right
based on individual differences? - Answers -Reliable and valid measurement of human attributes
-Often: relying on psychometric tools
What is a psychometric test? What are the 5 elements of psychometric tests? - Answers An objective
and standardised procedure for measuring a psychological construct using a sample of behaviour
-5 elements: standardised situation, common yardstick, job-relevant ability, valid predictor & objective
score.
What are the 8 great competencies? (From the universal competency framework) - Answers -Leading
and deciding
