CELC Psychology of Leadership 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which psychological concept describes a leader's tendency to overestimate their own abilities relative to others?
- Dunning-Kruger effect
- Overconfidence bias
- Illusory superiority (Correct answer)
- Self-serving bias
Correct answer: Illusory superiority
Illusory superiority is the cognitive bias where individuals overestimate their own qualities and abilities relative to others, commonly observed in leadership contexts.
Question 2: A leader notices team members withhold concerns to avoid conflict. This group dynamic is best described as:
- Social loafing
- Groupthink (Correct answer)
- Conformity pressure
- Pluralistic ignorance
Correct answer: Groupthink
Groupthink occurs when the desire for harmony or conformity overrides realistic appraisal of alternatives, causing team members to suppress dissenting views.
Question 3: In self-determination theory, which need is met when a leader provides meaningful rationale for tasks?
- Competence
- Autonomy (Correct answer)
- Relatedness
- Purpose
Correct answer: Autonomy
Providing meaningful rationale supports the autonomy need by helping individuals internalize and identify with the value of a task rather than feeling externally controlled.
Question 4: Which attachment style is most associated with leaders who struggle to delegate and micromanage?
- Secure
- Anxious-preoccupied (Correct answer)
- Dismissive-avoidant
- Fearful-avoidant
Correct answer: Anxious-preoccupied
Anxious-preoccupied attachment is linked to fear of inadequacy and loss of control, which often manifests as micromanagement and difficulty trusting others.
Question 5: A coach helps an executive recognize recurring patterns across multiple professional relationships. This approach draws primarily on:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Object relations theory (Correct answer)
- Positive psychology
- Behaviorism
Correct answer: Object relations theory
Object relations theory examines how early relational experiences create internal models that unconsciously shape recurring interpersonal patterns in adult relationships.
Question 6: Research on psychological safety in teams, pioneered by Amy Edmondson, shows it primarily predicts:
- Individual job satisfaction
- Team learning behavior and innovation (Correct answer)
- Reduction in absenteeism
- Compliance with directives
Correct answer: Team learning behavior and innovation
Edmondson's research shows psychological safety — believing one won't be punished for speaking up — is the strongest predictor of team learning, error reporting, and innovation.
Question 7: The phenomenon where a leader unconsciously recreates childhood family dynamics within their work team is called:
- Projection
- Displacement
- Repetition compulsion (Correct answer)
- Rationalization
Correct answer: Repetition compulsion
Repetition compulsion describes the unconscious tendency to repeat early relational patterns, including recreating family-of-origin dynamics in workplace relationships.
CELC Psychology of Leadership 2
Which psychological concept describes a leader's tendency to overestimate their own abilities relative to others?