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Essay Quiz
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1

In 1968, psychologist Walter Mischel suggested that personality psychologists should explain behavior NOT in terms of traits--but in terms of situations, which gave rise to a position called "situationalism." Discuss the advantages to adhering to his argument--that situations are the strongest determinants of behavior; then, discuss the disadvantages. Use examples from your textbook to illustrate your points. Finally, give your own opinion--which view of behavior do you think should prevail? Must we choose between these two views? Why or why not?
2

In the section on "Personality and Prediction" in Chapter 4, we learned that there are two main concerns that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) takes into account when approving a test to select employees; one of these concerns is that the test must not be biased or have an "undue impact" on persons from protected groups, such as women or various minority groups. Given the wealth of information an employer could learn about someone's personality by asking questions about a his or her unique background and lifestyle, do you think such restrictions against biased testing are warranted? If your answer is "yes," how might you ensure that a personnel test is free of such biases? If your answer is "no," do you think there should be any limits to personality testing? Offer examples from your textbook as well as your experiences as evidence to support your claims.





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