Topic #1: individual differences, mental ability, personality Overview B = f(P x E) " Behavior function of (Person x Environment) Individual differences Mental ability Variations in how people respond to the same situation based on personal characteristics. Stable (ex. personality trait) vs. Transitory (ex. mood) Going to focus on personality not mood. The capacity to acquire and apply knowledge, including solving problems. Strongest individual predictor of job performance Components of intelligence g (general) factor A general cognitive factor that relates to almost all kinds of mental ability IQ is highly weighted but does not mean will be successful, not necessarily enough - usually need to know what areas of intelligence someone has. s (special) factors Cognitive factors that related to specific types of mental ability there are 7. Verbal comprehension: The ability to understand the meanings of words and how they relate to each other. e.g., sales, audition Word fluency: The ability to use words quickly and easily, without an emphasis on verbal comprehension. e.g., sales, audition Numerical: The ability to handle numbers, engage in mathematical analysis, and do arithmetic calculations e.g., engineer Spatial: The ability to visualize forms in space and manipulate objects mentally, particularly in 3-D e.g., architect Memory: The ability to easily recall symbols, words, and lists of numbers, along with other associations Personality e.g., pilot, actor, spy Perceptual speed: The ability to perceive visual details, identify similarities and differences, and perform tasks requiring visual perception. e.g., pilot, actor, spy Inductive reasoning: The ability to discover a rule or principle and apply it in solving a problem, and to make judgments and decisions that are logically sound. e.g., police officer, lawyer, judge Scoring high in one area doesn't necessarily apply to every job. Consists of stable psychological traits and behavioral attributes Big 5 personality traits Extraversion: How outgoing, talkative, assertive a person is Agreeableness: How trusting, good-natured, cooperative, a person is Conscientiousness: How dependable, responsible, achievement- oriented a person is Emotional stability: How relaxed, secure, unworried a person is. Openness to experience: How intellectual, imaginative, curious a person is. Core self-evaluations Locus of control (intern vs. external: Indicates how much people believe they control their fate through their own efforts. Internal vs. external (you either believe most things are in or out of your control) Self-efficacy Belief in one's personal ability to do a task. Another way of saying confidence (task specific) Self-esteem The extent to which people like/dislike themselves, their overall self-evaluation. Emotional stability See previous definition under the big 5 personality traits. Other traits Self-monitoring The extent to which you're prone to observing and controlling how you appear to others. Do you adapt to different situations - can be seen as inauthentic, might be good for a politician. Tolerance for ambiguity The willingness to accept risks/uncertainty in one's environment. Optimism Entrepreneur - high tolerance for risk The tendency to experience positive emotional states and to believe positive outcomes are likely to occur in most activities. Narcissism Entrepreneur - there's no risk. Having self-centered perspective, feelings or superiority, and a drive for personal power and glory Personality in the workplace " Conscientiousness is the strongest personality predictor of job performance. Self-monitoring also positively predicts job performance. Thought question: why? Most traits have a curvilinear relationship with job performance. Too little of a trait or too high can be bad. A medium amount can be ideal or optimal. Emotional intelligence Qualities such as understanding one's own feelings, empathy for others, and the regulation of emotion to enhance living. 4 domains Self-awareness Understanding your emotions, how they affect you, and how they affect others. Self-management The ability to control your emotions and consistently behave with integrity. Social awareness Having empathy for others and intuition about organizational problems Might cover for someone because you relate to what they're going through. Relationship management Interpersonal skills (conflict resolution, effective communication, establishing personal bonds) Jobs where it might be good to be high in EQ. Therapist Implications for managerial practice Questions (based on individual differences) that managers ask when discussing job applicants and/or employees: Implications for managerial practice Questions (based on individual differences) that managers ask when discussing job applicants and/or employees: Is this person intelligent enough to handle the job and deal with out-of- the-ordinary problems? Is this employee's personality suited to the assignment? For instance, is the employee conscientious enough? Is the employee open to learning new information?