Maria, a Middle Manager, Enjoys Talking Over Work Situations with Daniel

question 10

Multiple Choice

Maria, a middle manager, enjoys talking over work situations with Daniel, her subordinate, who is a first-line supervisor. However, she notices that Daniel frequently brings problems to her that he expects her to solve, rather than solving them himself. Since Daniel has been a supervisor for a significant length of time, he should be more independent in his actions. Based on what you know about operant conditioning theory, what should Maria do?

• A)solve the problems for Daniel to give him an example on how to deal with these situations
• B)compliment Daniel on his various managerial abilities to boost his confidence
• C)allow Daniel to take the afternoon off to think of a solution whenever one of these problems occurs
• D)stop acting interested in the problems Daniel brings to her and make her responses brief

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Definitions:

Preparedness

The evolutionary predisposition for organisms to learn certain types of associations more easily than others due to survival advantages.

Seligman

An American psychologist best known for his work on learned helplessness, positive psychology, and well-being.

Conditioned Stimulus

A previously neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, elicits a conditioned response.

Classical Conditioning

A training mechanism in which two stimuli are frequently paired together; over time, the response that was originally caused by the second stimulus is elicited by the first stimulus.