Chapter 3

Personality, Perception,
& Attribution
Nelson & Quick

Variables Influencing
Individual Behavior
The Person
skills & abilities
personality
perception
attribution
attitudes
values
ethics

Variables Influencing
Individual Behavior
The Person
skills & abilities
personality
perception
attribution
attitudes
values
ethics

The Environment
organization
work group
job
personal life

Variables Influencing
Individual Behavior
The Person
skills & abilities
personality
perception
attribution
attitudes
values
ethics

The Environment
organization
work group
job
personal life

Behavior

Interactional Psychology
Approach
The Person
skills & abilities
personality
perception
attribution
attitudes
values
ethics

The Environment
organization
work group
job
personal life

Behavior

B = f(P,E)

Definition of Personality
Personality - A relatively stable set of
characteristics that influences an
individuals behavior

Personality Theories
Trait Theory - understand individuals by breaking
down behavior patterns into observable traits
Psychodynamic Theory - emphasizes the
unconscious determinants of behavior
Humanistic Theory - emphasizes individual growth
and improvement
Integrative Approach - describes personality as a
composite of an individuals psychological
processes

Big Five Personality Traits

Extraversion
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Emotional stability
Openness to
Experience

Gregarious, assertive,
sociable
Cooperative, warm,
agreeable
Hardworking, organized,
dependable
Calm, self-confidant,
cool
Creative, curious,
cultured

Sources: P.T. Costa and R. R. McCrae, The NEO_PI Personality Inventory (Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, 1992)
and J.F. Salgado, The Five Factor Model of Personality and Job Performance in the European Community, Journal of Applied
Psychology, 82 (1997): 30-43.)

Personality Characteristics
in Organizations
Locus of Control
Internal
I control what
happens to me!

External
People and
circumstances
control my fate!

Personality Characteristics
in Organizations
Self-Efficacy - belief and expectations about ones
ability to accomplish a specific task effectively
Sources of self-efficacy
Prior experiences
Behavior models (observing success)
Persuasion
Assessment of current physical & emotional
capabilities

Personality Characteristics
in Organizations
Self - Esteem
Feelings of Self Worth
Success tends
to increase
self-esteem

Failure tends
to decrease
self-esteem

Personality Characteristics
in Organizations
Self - Monitoring
Behavior based on cues from people & situations
Low self monitors
High self monitors
flexible: adjust
behavior according to
the situation and the
behavior of others
can appear
unpredictable &
inconsistent

act from internal states

rather than from
situational cues
show consistency
less likely to respond
to work group norms or
supervisory feedback

Personality Characteristics
in Organizations
Positive Affect - An individuals tendency
to accentuate the positive aspects of
oneself, other people, and the world in
general
Negative Affect - An individuals tendency
to accentuate the negative aspects of
oneself, other people, and the world in
general

Personality Characteristics
in Organizations
A strong
situation can
overwhelm the effects
of individual personalities
by providing strong cues
for appropriate
behavior

Personality Characteristics
in Organizations

Strong
personalities
will dominate
in a weak
situation

How is Personality Measured?

Projective Test - elicits an individuals response to
abstract stimuli
Behavioral Measures - personality assessments that
involve observing an individuals behavior in a
controlled situation
Self-Report Questionnaire - assessment involving an
individuals responses to questions
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) - instrument
measuring Jungs theory of individual differences.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Based on Carl Jungs work
People are fundamentally different
People are fundamentally alike
People have preference combinations for
extraversion/introversion, perception,
judgment

Briggs & Myers developed the MBTI to

understand individual differences

MBTI Preferences
Preferences

Represents

Extraversion Introversion

How one
re-energizes
How one gathers
information
How one makes
decisions
How one orients to the
outer world

Sensing

Intuiting

Thinking

Feeling

Judging

Perceiving

Social Perception
Social Perception interpreting information
about another person

Social Perception
Social Perception interpreting information
about another person
Perceiver Characteristics
Familiarity with target
Attitudes/Mood
Self-Concept
Cognitive structure

Social Perception
Social Perception interpreting information
about another person
Perceiver Characteristics
Familiarity with target
Attitudes/Mood
Self-Concept
Cognitive structure

Target Characteristics
Physical appearance
Verbal communication
Nonverbal cues
Intentions

Social Perception
Social Perception interpreting information
about another person
Perceiver Characteristics
Familiarity with target
Attitudes/Mood
Self-Concept
Cognitive structure

Target Characteristics
Physical appearance
Verbal communication
Nonverbal cues
Intentions

Situational Characteristics
Interaction context
Strength of situational cues

Barriers to Social Perception

Selective perception
Stereotyping
First-impression
error
Implicit personality
theory
Self-fulfilling
prophecies

Social Perception interpreting information

about another person

Impression Management
Impression Management - individuals try to
control the impression others have of them
Name dropping
Appearance
Self-description
Flattery
Favors
Agreement with opinion

Attribution Theory
Attribution - explains how individuals pinpoint the
causes of the behavior of themselves or others
Information cues for attribution information
gathering
consensus
consensus
distinctiveness
consistency