Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Psychology and Sociology

Acronyms

• OB: Organizational Behavior - The study of how people impact behavior within organizations.
• EBM: Evidence-Based Management - Using scientific evidence for managerial decisions.
• GMA: General Mental Ability - An overall factor of intelligence.
• ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act - Prohibits discrimination based on disability.
• POS: Perceived Organizational Support - How much employees believe an organization values them.
• AET: Affective Events Theory - Workplace events cause emotional reactions that influence behavior.
• EI: Emotional Intelligence - The ability to understand others' emotions.
• MBTI: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator - A personality test classifying people into 16 types.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Organizational Behavior

Key Concepts

• Manager:

Understanding the One-on-One Interview

The most traditional job interview is a one-on-one meeting between a candidate and a supervisor or hiring manager. The interviewer will ask questions about the applicant's experience and skills, as well as their work history, availability, and the personal attributes the company is seeking in the person they will hire for the job.

What is a Behavioral Interview?

In a behavioral interview, an employer has already determined the skills needed for the position and will ask questions to assess if the candidate possesses those skills. Instead of asking how you would behave in a hypothetical scenario, they will ask how you did behave in a past situation.

Preparing for Behavioral Interview Questions

• Recall Recent

Derek Parfit: The Argument of Fission

The effective argument imagines a scenario where one person splits into two. First, people have survived operations in which an entire hemisphere of one brain is removed. While the person may be changed in very significant ways, we do not consider them to be numerically distinct from the original person who chose to undergo the procedure.

Also, if a brain could be transplanted into a different body, the person would go where the brain goes; in other words, our brains are essential to our identity.

Third, we can assume that if it were possible to, say, destroy one hemisphere and transplant the other into a new body, the resulting person would be numerically identical to the original person that existed prior... Continue reading "Derek Parfit and the Paradox of Personal Identity" »

1. Musical - Rhythmic

It refers to the sensitivity to sounds, both musical and background sound. It is related to pitch and rhythm.

2. Visual - Spatial

It refers to the understanding of spatial relations. It includes the use of shapes, colors, appearance, and the ability to think in images, to imagine and visualize. It includes the understanding of the three dimensions, the sense of direction, and the ability to understand a map.

3. Verbal - Linguistic

It refers to the use of language in its written or oral form. Tests as standard tools at school are mainly based on this intelligence without taking into consideration what is being evaluated.

4. Logical - Mathematical

It refers to the use of numbers and abstract symbols. It refers to the recognition... Continue reading "Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences" »

Themes of Constraint and Power in Adichie's Work

Suppression of Voice and Personal Autonomy

“Wait—” I said, so that I could take the nightdress off, so it would not seem so hasty. But he had crushed his mouth down on mine.” (Adichie 120)

• Husband's Dominance and Gender Roles

  This quote indicates the limitations and lack of freedom in a basic right: speech. The husband's position, both figuratively and physically above her, further highlights the dominance and abuse present due to prevailing gender roles.

• Chinaza's Lack of Refusal and Control

  It is also important to note that Chinaza does not refuse sex from him despite hating it. This exemplifies the control that men have over women and the inability to possess personal freedom for women in

The Impact of Sets on Human Perception

Definition of a Set

In psychology, a set refers to an expected outcome or frame of reference that influences our perception and behavior.

Sets and Perception

Sets can hinder our ability to detect errors in our own work. For example, if we expect to have written"hous" and it says"hose" we may not notice the misspelling and read it as the intended word.

Sets and Behavior

Sets can also affect our behavior. For instance, if a teacher expects a student to score poorly, they may treat or grade the student differently, leading to lower grades.

Sets and Problem Solving

Sets can influence our problem-solving abilities. If we expect a math problem to be solved in a certain way, we may not consider alternative formulas that... Continue reading "The Impact of Sets on Human Perception, Behavior, and Health" »

The discrimination refers to behaviors directed against another group. For example: Gender discrimination puts women at a disadvantage compared to men in various social situations. In the business market, women receive lower wages than men, for performing the same tasks and having the same qualifications, experience, and training. Women still do most of the housework and it is they who take care of the children and the elderly, so they have little time to look for new job opportunities. And even if they achieve leadership positions, they have to fight more than men to see their work being recognized and valued. Gender discrimination is only one of many forms of negative discrimination and constitutes a violation of human rights.

Cognitive Research Methods

Experiments in Cognitive Psychology

One primary research method used in the cognitive approach is experiments. Experiments are designed to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between two or more variables. In an experiment, the researcher manipulates an independent variable (IV) and measures its effect on a dependent variable (DV), while all other variables are held constant. Participants are randomly allocated to conditions, and the environment in which the study is conducted is carefully controlled to ensure that extraneous variables do not influence the results.

Biological Foundations of Cognition

Localization of Function (LOF)

Different parts of the brain are responsible for specific functions. Despite this specialization,... Continue reading "Brain Plasticity: Cognitive Research and Neural Adaptation" »

Sociopolitical Typology: Understanding Human Societies

Anthropologists classify societies into four distinct forms: bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and states. These categories serve as ideal types to analyze how societies develop based on ecological, historical, economic, and political conditions.

The Service Typology (1962)

These categories represent a sociopolitical typology that correlates with the adaptive strategies discussed in Chapter 11:

• Bands: Typically foragers; characterized by an egalitarian structure.
• Tribes: Typically horticulturalists and pastoralists; characterized by an egalitarian structure.
• Chiefdoms: Associated with intensive horticulture and agriculture; characterized by a ranked structure.
• States: Develop through intensive agriculture;