Foundations of I/O Psychology

Quiz 1

Name: _______________________________________________________ Specialization: _______________

GENERAL INSTRUCTION: Read carefully each question. Erasures and superimposition are not allowed except for the essay
or discussion part.

I.MULTIPLE CHOICE. Encircle your answer.

1. I/O Psychology is a branch of psychology that _____ in the workplace.

a. treats psychological disorders
b. applies the principles of psychology
c. provides therapy to employees
d. all of these equally define I/O psychology

2. Regardless of the official start date, I/O psychology was born in what period when Walter Scott published his book
entitled The Theory of Advertising?
a. mid 1800s c. early 1900s
b. late 1800s d. mid 1900s
3. I/O psychologists who are involved in ________ study and practice in such areas as employee selection, job analysis, and
job evaluation.
a. personnel psychology c. training and development
b. organizational psychology d. human factors
4. Psychologists in the area of _______ concentrate on workplace design, man-machine interaction, and physical fatigue.
a. personnel psychology c. training and development
b. organizational psychology d. human factors or ergonomics
5. The gathering, analyzing, and structuring of information about a job’s components, characteristics, and requirements is
a process called:
a. task analysis c. surveying
b. job analysis d. job description
6. Job analysis can serve as a foundation for:
a. selecting employees c. evaluating employees' performance
b. training employees d. all of these and more
7. Which of the following sections in a job description can affect a person's perceptions of the status and worth of a job?
a. Job title c. Work activities
b. Brief summary d. Work context
8. Knowledge, skill, ability, and personality are types of:
a. competencies c. job functions
b. job factors d. compensable factors
9. Which of the following sections in a thorough job description can be used in help wanted advertisements, internal job
posting, and company brochures?
a. Job title c. Work activities
b. Brief summary d. Work context
10. Gertrude is writing job descriptions and can't decide whether she should include "getting coffee for the boss" as a task.
Her decision is related to the issue of:
a. level of specificity c. the Peter Principle
b. formal vs. informal requirements d. the DOT Code
11. Once task statements have been written, the next step is to:
a. select tests to tap KSAOs c. interview incumbents
b. determine essential KSAOs d. rate the task statements
12. Determining the worth of a job defines:
a. functional job analysis c. comparable worth
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b. job evaluation d. salary surveying

13. The first step in evaluating a job is to decide what factors differentiate the relative worth of jobs. These are called
_______factors.
a. job related c. task
b. compensable job d. structural
14. If an organization's compensation plan is competitive with other similar organizations', they are said to have:
a. internal equity c. merit
b. external equity d. comparable worth
15. A job evaluation concerns the worth of the _______, not the worth of the _______.
a. job / person c. performance / product
b. person / job d. product / performance
16. Which of the following is thought to be the cornerstone of personnel selection?
a. Job description c. Job analysis
b. Job evaluation d. Job performance
17. An organization that does not want its name in public, or fears that people won't apply if they knew the name of the
company, would probably:
a. use a blind box ad
b. advertise on the radio
c. use point of purchase recruiting
d. recruit at colleges and universities
18. Which of the following types of ads are placed by applicants rather than by organizations?
a. Help wanted ads
b. Position available ads
c. Situation-wanted ads
d. Applicants never place their own ads
19. ______ interviews involve several interviewers interviewing one applicant at the same time.
a. Panel c. Return
b. Serial d. Group
20. Applicants attempting to be interviewed immediately after a poor applicant are demonstrating their understanding of
the:
a. lack of job relatedness c. halo effect
b. contrast effect d. primacy effect
21. “Can you work weekends” and “Can you work overtime without notice” are examples of which type of interview
question?
a. Disqualifier
b. Clarifier
c. Future-focused (situational) question
d. Past-focused question
22. A good example of a ______ interview question is "If a customer started yelling at you, how would you handle the
situation?"
a. skill level determining c. future focused
b. past focused d. clarifying
23. Which of the following performance appraisal dimensions focuses on what an employee accomplishes?
a. Traits c. Goals
b. Behaviors d. Cognition
22. Quality of work is usually measured in terms of _______, which are defined as deviations from a standard.
a. errors c. attendance
b. relevant job behaviors d. all of these
23. Amy works at a bank that is trying to get customers to apply for vehicle loans. As hard as Amy tries, she is unsuccessful
because the bank’s loan rates are not very competitive. When evaluating Amy’s performance, her supervisor must
consider the loan rates as a:
a. modifier c. halo factor
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b. source of contamination d. performance dimension

24. A _______ error occurs when a rater allows either a single attribute or an overall impression to affect their ratings.
a. leniency c. strictness
b. proximity d. halo
25. That Bob puts more weight on behavior occurring two weeks prior to evaluation is a good example of ______.
a. the recency effect c. leniency error
b. frame enhancement d. contrast error
26. Which of the following ratings would not be used in a 360-degree feedback system?
a. Supervisor ratings c. Self-ratings
b. Peer ratings d. All three of these would be used
27. _______ is the systematic acquisition of skills, rules, concepts, or attitudes that result in improved performance.
a. Training c. Job analysis
b. Motivation d. Stress management
28. Conducting a/an _______ analysis is the first step in developing an employee training system.
a. organizational c. task
b. demographic d. needs
29. Which of the following types of needs analysis has the purpose of determining factors that either facilitate or inhibit
training effectiveness?
a. Organizational c. Task
b. Demographic d. Person
30. If the results of the organizational analysis indicate that a positive climate for training exists, the next step is to conduct
a ____analysis.
a. climate c. task
b. demographic d. person
31. You examine the job descriptions for every position in your company and determine that every employee must know
how to use Excel to be successful. What level of analysis is this?
a. Organizational analysis c. Task analysis
b. Operations analysis d. Person analysis
32. _______ exercises allow the trainee to work with equipment and in an environment like that found in the actual job.
a. Case study c. Programmed instruction
b. Simulation d. Critical incident
33. Which of the following training methods has an employee perform several different jobs within an organization?
a. Job rotation c. Simulation
b. Apprentice training d. Pass through programs
34. A task analysis conducted as part of a training needs assessment is made easier if:
a. a person analysis is conducted first
b. job descriptions are available
c. training has previously been conducted
d. trainers are certified
35. An organization decides to send cashiers who have a high incidence of shortages on the job to a retraining program in
order to correct this problem. This practice demonstrates which type of needs analysis?
a. Organizational analysis c. Choice analysis
b. Person analysis d. Job analysis

36. With the critical incident methods of needs assessment, job dimensions with ______ should be targeted for future
training.
a. many good incidents c. few good incidents
b. many bad incidents d. few bad incidents
37. The psychological and physical reaction to certain events or situations is called:
a. stress c. stressors
b. strain d. eustress
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38. Wasting time and energy worrying about the future and asking "What if?" are good examples of:
a. perspective taking c. forecasting
b. residual stress d. rampant diffusion
39. Some organizations try to ease the daily-chore burden on their employees by providing:
a. child-care referral services c. concierge services
b. wellness centers d. rotating shifts
40. Andrew is a 21-year old white male. He is an excellent employee who doesn't seem to have much of a life outside of
his work. His only hobby is hunting and gun collecting. Which is the only part of this profile that is not consistent
with the typical perpetrator of workplace violence?
a. His gender c. His self-esteem tied to his job
b. His fascination with guns d. His age