BU 288 Midterm 1 Test Questions and Answers Already Passed Latest Update 2025-2026
Why do OB Research - Answers important for research and knowledge of OB research can
enable you to practice EBM
Personality - Answers The relatively stable set of psychological characteristics that influences
interactions in environment and how they feel/think/behave
Dispositional Approach - Answers Focus on individual disposition Individuals possess stable
traits that influence their attitudes
Situational Approach - Answers characteristics of the organizational settings (ex. rewards
influence people's attitude) (Person behaves due to the situation) Situational Strength: stations
vary in the range of behavioral responses seen as appropriate
Interactionist/Organizational Approach - Answers Function of both disposition and situation To
predict we need to know something about an individual personality and work settings
Extraversion - Answers High: enjoy social situations Low: avoids social Importance for
interpersonal interaction (sociable, assertive, energetic and ambitious) and success at
workplace Good for job performance and influenceable
Emotional Stability/Neuroticism - Answers High: self-confident, have high self-esteem, calm
Low (High neuroticism): self-doubt and depression (anxious, hostile, impulsive, depressed
Importance for more effective interactions w co-workers (calm and secure) Good for job
performance and influenceable
Agreeableness - Answers High: Warm, considerate, altruistic, friendly, sympathetic, eager to help
others Low: cold, inflexible, uncaring, uncooperative, self centered Important for job
performance that require helping people and teamwork
Conscientiousness - Answers Low: irresponsible, lazy, impulsive Important for tendency toward
hard work and achievement at work Strongest predictor of overall job performance
Openness to Experience - Answers High: Flexible, creative and innovative Low: favor the status
quo, resistant to change Important for involvement in learning and creativity (broad interest)
Locus of Control - Answers A set of beliefs about whether one's behavior is controlled mainly by
internal or external forces
Locus of Control: High internals - Answers Stronger links between the effort they put into their
job and the performance level that they achieve (believe their work behaviors will influence the
reward they achieve) - have higher job satisfaction and more committed - less stress, burnout
and engage in careful career planning study leads to success
Locus of Control: High External - Answers That external force determine their behaviors nepo
,leads to success, no need for studying
Self-Monitoring - Answers The extend to which people observe/regulate how they appear and
behave in social setting sand relationship
High Self-monitoring - Answers observe the thoughts, actions and feelings of those around
(concern for socially appropriate emotions and behaviors)
Low Self Monitoring - Answers when they are not concerned w scoping out and fitting with
those around them
Self-esteem - Answers The degree to which a person has a positive self evaluation (motivating
to protect themself from harm to their self-esteem)
Behavioral Plasticity theory - Answers People with low self-esteem tend to be more susceptible
(flexible) to external and social influences than those who have high esteem
Interactionist approach - Answers the effect of work environment on people's beliefs is partly a
function of their self esteem
Lower self esteem - Answers react badly to negative feedback (managers should criticize the
performance instead of the person) (avoid creating culture with excessive and petty work rules)
Positive Affectivity - Answers Propensity to view the world (including individuals) (cheerful,
enthusiastic, lively, sociable and energetic)
Negative Affectivity: - Answers Experience negative emotions and moods towards the world
(distressed, depressed and unhappy)
associated with harassment and physical aggression
Proactive Personality - Answers Search for the identity opportunities, show initiative, take
actions and persevere until they bring about meaningful change
tolerance for stress, job satisfaction, creativity, higher performance, strong networks, well being,
entrepreneurship, career success
General Self-Efficacy (GSE) - Answers Individual's belief in their ability to perform successfully in
a variety of challenging situation (motivational trait rather than affective)
motivational trait rather than affective (how they feel about themself)
Succeed more → higher GSE → better adapt to novel, uncertain and adverse situations
Core Self-Evaluation (CSE) - Answers Broad personality concept that consists of several more
specific traits (evaluation to self about their worthiness, competence and capability)
Higher job satisfaction, fewer stress and conflicts
, self-esteem, GSE, locus of control and neuroticism
Learning - Answers Occurs when practice/experience leads to a permanent change in behavior
potential behavior potential (practical, intrapersonal, and interpersonal skills and cultural
awareness)
Behave → Get Feedback → change behavior
Classical Conditioning - Answers Learning occurs through conditioned stimuli
Operant Learning - Answers Learning by which the subject learns to operate on the environment
to achieve certain consequence's (salespeople learn effective sales techniques to achieve
commissions and avoid criticism from their manager)
Law of effect: - Answers People repeat behaviors that bring them satisfaction and pleasure
Reinforcement - Answers strengthen behaviors, organizational goals (increasing probability of
behavior)
Positive Reinforcement - Answers ADDING a pleasant stimulus Reinforcer is
dependent/contingent on the desired behavior - Analyst learned to read papers because it
positively reinforced by successful decisions (something is added to the situation → increased
the probability of a behavior)
Negative Reinforcement - Answers REMOVING a unpleasant stimulus (avoidance learning)-
employees can stop manager screaming at them is by working hard (over time you want to
avoid the negative stimulus so you change)
Reinforcement Strategies - Answers Immediate, delayed, continuous and partial (every so often)
reinforcement
extinguished - Answers reinforcer that maintained has been terminated (don't reinforce anymore)
REMOVING Positive reinforcement when the reinforcer stop giving you the positive stimulus
(stop giving rewards) - (example, show up early you would get a smile whereas if you arrive later,
the teacher will not be as nice as usual) - (example, removing the policy of rewarding the top
sales people w very large bonuses)
Punishment - Answers ADDING negative stimulus (aversive stimulus - use it when it's
immediate) - when your late at work your boss punish you (punishment right away) - punish
whoever engaging in unethical behaviors - cons (may lead to more, fear, avoidance, can become
a positive reinforcement) - should limit emotions, chose ones that are aversive, appropriate
circumstances and time, do not rewards unwanted behaviors before or after punishments
Social Cognitive Theory - Answers People have cognitive capacity to regulate and control their
own thoughts, feelings, motivation and actions
Why do OB Research - Answers important for research and knowledge of OB research can
enable you to practice EBM
Personality - Answers The relatively stable set of psychological characteristics that influences
interactions in environment and how they feel/think/behave
Dispositional Approach - Answers Focus on individual disposition Individuals possess stable
traits that influence their attitudes
Situational Approach - Answers characteristics of the organizational settings (ex. rewards
influence people's attitude) (Person behaves due to the situation) Situational Strength: stations
vary in the range of behavioral responses seen as appropriate
Interactionist/Organizational Approach - Answers Function of both disposition and situation To
predict we need to know something about an individual personality and work settings
Extraversion - Answers High: enjoy social situations Low: avoids social Importance for
interpersonal interaction (sociable, assertive, energetic and ambitious) and success at
workplace Good for job performance and influenceable
Emotional Stability/Neuroticism - Answers High: self-confident, have high self-esteem, calm
Low (High neuroticism): self-doubt and depression (anxious, hostile, impulsive, depressed
Importance for more effective interactions w co-workers (calm and secure) Good for job
performance and influenceable
Agreeableness - Answers High: Warm, considerate, altruistic, friendly, sympathetic, eager to help
others Low: cold, inflexible, uncaring, uncooperative, self centered Important for job
performance that require helping people and teamwork
Conscientiousness - Answers Low: irresponsible, lazy, impulsive Important for tendency toward
hard work and achievement at work Strongest predictor of overall job performance
Openness to Experience - Answers High: Flexible, creative and innovative Low: favor the status
quo, resistant to change Important for involvement in learning and creativity (broad interest)
Locus of Control - Answers A set of beliefs about whether one's behavior is controlled mainly by
internal or external forces
Locus of Control: High internals - Answers Stronger links between the effort they put into their
job and the performance level that they achieve (believe their work behaviors will influence the
reward they achieve) - have higher job satisfaction and more committed - less stress, burnout
and engage in careful career planning study leads to success
Locus of Control: High External - Answers That external force determine their behaviors nepo
,leads to success, no need for studying
Self-Monitoring - Answers The extend to which people observe/regulate how they appear and
behave in social setting sand relationship
High Self-monitoring - Answers observe the thoughts, actions and feelings of those around
(concern for socially appropriate emotions and behaviors)
Low Self Monitoring - Answers when they are not concerned w scoping out and fitting with
those around them
Self-esteem - Answers The degree to which a person has a positive self evaluation (motivating
to protect themself from harm to their self-esteem)
Behavioral Plasticity theory - Answers People with low self-esteem tend to be more susceptible
(flexible) to external and social influences than those who have high esteem
Interactionist approach - Answers the effect of work environment on people's beliefs is partly a
function of their self esteem
Lower self esteem - Answers react badly to negative feedback (managers should criticize the
performance instead of the person) (avoid creating culture with excessive and petty work rules)
Positive Affectivity - Answers Propensity to view the world (including individuals) (cheerful,
enthusiastic, lively, sociable and energetic)
Negative Affectivity: - Answers Experience negative emotions and moods towards the world
(distressed, depressed and unhappy)
associated with harassment and physical aggression
Proactive Personality - Answers Search for the identity opportunities, show initiative, take
actions and persevere until they bring about meaningful change
tolerance for stress, job satisfaction, creativity, higher performance, strong networks, well being,
entrepreneurship, career success
General Self-Efficacy (GSE) - Answers Individual's belief in their ability to perform successfully in
a variety of challenging situation (motivational trait rather than affective)
motivational trait rather than affective (how they feel about themself)
Succeed more → higher GSE → better adapt to novel, uncertain and adverse situations
Core Self-Evaluation (CSE) - Answers Broad personality concept that consists of several more
specific traits (evaluation to self about their worthiness, competence and capability)
Higher job satisfaction, fewer stress and conflicts
, self-esteem, GSE, locus of control and neuroticism
Learning - Answers Occurs when practice/experience leads to a permanent change in behavior
potential behavior potential (practical, intrapersonal, and interpersonal skills and cultural
awareness)
Behave → Get Feedback → change behavior
Classical Conditioning - Answers Learning occurs through conditioned stimuli
Operant Learning - Answers Learning by which the subject learns to operate on the environment
to achieve certain consequence's (salespeople learn effective sales techniques to achieve
commissions and avoid criticism from their manager)
Law of effect: - Answers People repeat behaviors that bring them satisfaction and pleasure
Reinforcement - Answers strengthen behaviors, organizational goals (increasing probability of
behavior)
Positive Reinforcement - Answers ADDING a pleasant stimulus Reinforcer is
dependent/contingent on the desired behavior - Analyst learned to read papers because it
positively reinforced by successful decisions (something is added to the situation → increased
the probability of a behavior)
Negative Reinforcement - Answers REMOVING a unpleasant stimulus (avoidance learning)-
employees can stop manager screaming at them is by working hard (over time you want to
avoid the negative stimulus so you change)
Reinforcement Strategies - Answers Immediate, delayed, continuous and partial (every so often)
reinforcement
extinguished - Answers reinforcer that maintained has been terminated (don't reinforce anymore)
REMOVING Positive reinforcement when the reinforcer stop giving you the positive stimulus
(stop giving rewards) - (example, show up early you would get a smile whereas if you arrive later,
the teacher will not be as nice as usual) - (example, removing the policy of rewarding the top
sales people w very large bonuses)
Punishment - Answers ADDING negative stimulus (aversive stimulus - use it when it's
immediate) - when your late at work your boss punish you (punishment right away) - punish
whoever engaging in unethical behaviors - cons (may lead to more, fear, avoidance, can become
a positive reinforcement) - should limit emotions, chose ones that are aversive, appropriate
circumstances and time, do not rewards unwanted behaviors before or after punishments
Social Cognitive Theory - Answers People have cognitive capacity to regulate and control their
own thoughts, feelings, motivation and actions
