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Question 1. Cliff provided his employees with positive reinforcement. He did so by often complimenting their good work, by providing lunch of Fridays for those who met their weekly goals and by giving extra time off to those who worked hard. By doing all of these things, the boss in the case study was performing operant conditioning, a form of behavior reinforcement that seeks to change behaviors. In this particular case study, the boss used positive reinforcement in that he provided the workers with additional perks, such as lunch and compliments in order to reinforce productive behaviors.
Question 2. Cliff's predecessor sought to increase productivity by punishing those who exhibited unproductive behaviors. Instead of recognizing successes, Cliff's predecessor focussed solely on the negative. Many employees reported feeling demoralized and stressed as a result of the constant negativity. Instead, under Cliff's management, small successes are celebrated, which creates a positive work environment for all parties involved. Instead of feeling burnt-out and micro-managed, Cliff's employees are more likely to have a positive view of their job because they feel as though than can be successful. Even if both punishment and reinforcement strategies were found to be equal in terms of success, reinforcement methods are more beneficial as they contribute to a happier work place.
Question 3. In order to increase productivity within the department, Cliff used a variety of reinforcement schedules. When Cliff spontaneously observed employees and offered those who were exhibiting productive employees more break time, he was employing variable-ratio scheduling as he did not have a set schedule for when the employees were going to be observed. Variable-ratio scheduling has strong success rates in improving productivity as employees are not sure when the potential reward is coming. Cliff also used fixed-interval scheduling by offering a Friday lunch for those who met the week's productivity goals.
Question 4. If Cliff wanted to teach his employees how to perform a new task, he could use the psychological concept of shaping, which involves initially praising every attempt at the new task and then gradually backing off on the praise until only the successful end result is recognized. Cliff appears to be a very supportive manager, and given his personality traits and his preference for positive reinforcement, shaping may prove to be a good fit for his organization. In addition to shaping, Cliff could try using positive reinforcement in the same way he utilizes it now. He could offer incentives for his employees to master the new task, such as a longer break. Shaping would probably be more successful in this case, however, as it praises the little attempts instead of focussing on mastery right away. By recognizing attempts as a step in the right direction, employees are more likely to feel successful, even if they don't initially understand the new task. Gradually raising the bar on expectations allows the employees a chance to acclimate and ask questions over a longer period of time instead of “throwing them to the wolves”.
Question 5. Cliff could further improve his organization's productivity by utilizing cognitive learning theory. This would involve understanding how each of his employees learned, and then, tailoring his interactions with said employees around their learning style. For example, if employee A is a visual learner, providing employee A with written guidelines on how to use a new piece of software would be the most beneficial. However, if employee B is a kinesthetic learner, employee B might prefer taking some time to explore the new piece of software on their own before having to use it in a work setting. By allowing for individuality, the workplace becomes more inclusive, and, more enjoyable.
Question 1. Freud proposed that the mind was composed of the id, ego and super-ego. The id is the primal part of the mind that centers around pleasure and libido and is largely unconscious. The ego is the part of the mind that focusses on how to survive in the world without bringing on more pain and suffering than necessary. The super-ego relates to cultural norms that are engrained into people from birth. Freud would argue that Marty was ruled by a combination of of the ego and the super-ego, given his pragmatic nature and main-stream lifestyle. Mike, on the other hand, was ruled by the id's emphasis on pleasure, given his care-free nature.
Question 2. Mike is open to new experiences in that he was not afraid to take alternative paths in his lifetime. Mike is probably not very conscientious as he has a criminal background and has a lot of personal issues with other people. Mike would likely score high on the extraversion measure of the big five personality trait test given his friendly nature. On the other hand, Mike would not score very high on the agreeableness measure given his relationship difficulties and legal issues. Mike would probably be towards the lower end of the neuroticism measure as well as he does not seem to be a “worrier”.
Marty's big five personality traits would be quite different from Mikes. Marty seems less open to new experiences given his linear lifestyle thus far. Marty would likely score high on the conscientious measure given that he works in a very technical field and also enjoys home improvement projects. Marty would not score high on the extraversion scales as he tends to be shy and more introspective. Marty would most likely be agreeable given his relationship successes and the fact that he has managed to hold on to the same job for an extended period of time. Marty might be rated as slightly neurotic as he is shy and may have a lot of anxiety around social situations.
Question 3. Temperament, a human's combination of mental, physical and emotional traits, can vary from sibling to sibling, as illustrated by the case study of Mike and Marty. Although the two were twins and shared a great deal of genetic material, the two brothers were very different from one another. The concept of temperament brings up the argument of nature vs nurture. Although the two brothers most likely had similar upbringings, a combination of their genetics and their early life experiences may explain the differences between the brothers temperaments and lifestyle choices. If Mike was always known as “the bad kid”, his world view may have been impacted by his environment. Conversely, if Marty was always the successful child, he may have internalized his identity and modified his behavior to stay consistent with his title.
Question 4. Of the two brothers, Marty seems more likely to achieve self-actualization. Maslow states that self-actualization occurs when basic needs, such as food and shelter, in addition to relationships and self-esteem have been met, self-actualization can occur. Marty's life is more stable than Mikes. Marty has a loving partner, a steady job and has hobbies that he enjoys, all of which contribute to his upward position on the hierarchy of needs. On the other hand, Mike is less likely to achieve self-actualization since he still seems to be figuring out some of the more basic needs, such as love and stability.
Question 5. Gardner would argue that each of the brothers is intelligent, just in different ways. Marty exhibits intrapersonal and mathematical intelligence, while Mike exhibits kinesthetic intelligence. Marty's tendency to be quiet and collected hints at his intrapersonal intelligence, while his career as a computer programmer supports his mathematical intelligence. Since Mike works with cars and seems to be more active than Marty, he exhibits more kinesthetic intelligence.
