INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES,

MENTAL ABILITY, AND

PERSONALITY
CHAPTER 2
 INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

Individual differences refer to the variation in how people

respond to the same situation based on personal
characteristics. The idea is that each person is different from
all others and that these differences are usually substantial
rather than meaningless.
 Consequences of Individual Differences
• people differ in productivity

• people differ in the quality of their work

• people react differently to empowerment

• people react differently to any style of leadership

• people differ in terms of need for contact with other people

• people differ in terms of commitment to the organization

• people differ in terms of level of self-esteem

What makes people different from each other?

Demographics

Aptitude and Ability

Personality
 Demographic Diversity
1. Gender Differences
- the differences in the perception of male and female roles
Specifically, men and women are not different along the following
concerns:
❑ problem-solving skills
❑ analytical skills
❑ competitive drive
❑ motivation
❑ learning and mobility
❑ sociability
 2. Generational and Age-Based Differences
- A worker that belongs to a certain generation may behave differently
from a worker who belongs to another. (GENERATIONAL
DIFFERENCES)

- Differences in the ages of workers also bring about expectations of

differences in the behavior of workers. (AGE-BASED DIFFERENCES)
 3. Culture
- Differences in job performance and behavior are sometimes caused by differences in
culture.

CULTURE - refers to the learned and shared ways of thinking and acting among a group of
people or society.

1. Social Culture which refers to the social environment of human-created beliefs, customs,
knowledge, and practices that define conventional behavior in a society.

2. Organizational Culture is the set of values, beliefs, and norms that is shared

among members of an organization.

 APTITUDE AND ABILITY

Aptitude - may be defined as the capacity of a person to learn or acquire skills.

Ability - refers to an individual's capacity to perform the various tasks in a job.

 Physical ability refers to the capacity of the individual to do tasks demanding stamina, dexterity, strength,
and similar characteristics.
1. Dynamic strength
2. Trunk strength
3. Static strength
4. Explosive strength
5. Extent flexibility
6. Dynamic flexibility
7. Body coordination
8. Balance
9. Stamina
 The intellectual or mental ability of a person (also referred to as intelligence) is one of the major sources of
individual differences. Intellectual abilities refer to the capacity to do mental activities, such as thinking, reasoning,
and problem solving.
Dimensions of Intellectual Ability:
- Cognitive intelligence

- Social intelligence

- Emotional intelligence

- Cultural intelligence
 Robert Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory Intelligence:

- Componential intelligence (analytical)

- Experiential intelligence (creative)

- Contextual intelligence (practical)

Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences:
1. Linguistic
2. Logical-Mathematical
3. Musical
4. Spatial
5. Bodily-kinesthetic
6. Intrapersonal
7. Interpersonal
8. Naturalist
 MORE ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Factors to determine the reasons for differences in individual behavior:
1. Sense of sight

2. Sense of hearing

3. Sense of taste

4. Sense of smell

5. Sense of touch