Traits and Competencies Flashcards
6 cards from real Harrison Assessment Tests practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Traits and Competencies flashcards as text
An employee is highly skilled in data analysis and consistently receives praise for their technical reports. However, their Harrison Assessment reveals a very low score for the trait 'Public Speaking'. The company is considering promoting them to a client-facing management role that requires frequent presentations. According to Harrison's Enjoyment-Performance Theory, what is the most likely outcome?
Answer: The employee is likely to experience decreased job satisfaction and potential underperformance due to the mismatch between their preferences and the role's requirements.
Harrison's Enjoyment-Performance Theory posits that when people enjoy a task, they tend to do it more often, get better at it, and receive positive reinforcement, which increases their enjoyment. Conversely, forcing an individual to frequently perform tasks they strongly dislike can lead to avoidance, stress, lower engagement, and ultimately, poorer performance, regardless of their other skills.
When debriefing a Harrison report, a consultant emphasizes that it is critical to focus on the specific trait definition rather than the trait name itself. Which of the following is the best reason for this approach?
Answer: Commonly used trait names can carry subjective meanings or connotations that differ from the precise, objective behavior being measured.
The Harrison methodology stresses the importance of using its precise definitions because trait names can be easily misinterpreted based on an individual's personal or cultural understanding. For example, the trait 'Assertive' is defined as 'the tendency to put forth one's own wants and needs', not being aggressive or pushy, which might be a common interpretation of the name.
In a Harrison Assessment 'Traits & Definitions' report, the 'Life Themes' section lists an individual's top five highest-scoring traits. What is the primary significance of this specific grouping?
Answer: They represent the individual's most significant values and strongest behavioral drives, which are key to long-term career satisfaction.
The 'Life Themes' are considered to be an individual's highest values, strongest preferences, and key potential strengths. These traits have the greatest influence on a person's life and motivation. Aligning one's career with these core themes is highly predictive of job satisfaction and engagement.
Which of the following statements most accurately describes how a 'Behavioral Competency' like 'Leads People' or 'Manages Stress Well' is formulated in the Harrison Assessments system?
Answer: It is a composite score calculated from the interaction and weighting of multiple individual traits.
Harrison's Behavioral Competencies are not single traits but are complex, high-level capabilities composed of numerous underlying traits. The system combines the scores of several relevant traits, weighted appropriately, to generate a score for a specific competency. For example, 'Leads People' would draw from traits like 'Wants to Lead', 'Influencing', 'Enforcing', and 'Warmth/Empathy'.
When building a Job Success Formula (JSF), a trait is classified as 'Desirable'. What does this classification imply about the trait's role in predicting job performance?
Answer: A low score in the trait is likely to hinder performance, but a high score does not necessarily indicate better performance than a moderate score.
In a JSF, 'Desirable' traits are those where a certain minimum level is needed to avoid hindering performance. However, unlike 'Essential' traits, extremely high scores on 'Desirable' traits do not necessarily correlate with higher performance compared to moderate or sufficient scores. They represent a threshold of adequacy rather than a continuous scale of excellence.
An individual's Harrison Assessment report shows a score of 6.0 for the trait 'Systematic'. What is the correct interpretation of this specific score on the 2-10 scale?
Answer: A neutral point, indicating the individual neither enjoys nor dislikes being systematic.
The Harrison measurement scale ranges from 2 (strong aversion) to 10 (strong preference). A score of 6.0 is defined as the neutral midpoint, where an individual neither likes nor dislikes the trait in question. The intensity of preference or aversion increases as the score moves away from this midpoint in either direction.