Question

question 19

roberta has to assign a project today that involves mastering new technology. she could assign it to sydney, an older worker, or chani, a younger employee. roberta recalls past experiences with older colleagues reluctant to use new technology, so she chooses chani.

what selection best reflects the theory which would predict she would make that choice?

schema theory
social identity theory
similarity-attraction theory
social cognitive theory

Explanation:

Analyze the scenario

Roberta needs to assign a project involving new technology. She has two choices: Sydney (an older worker) or Chani (a younger employee). Roberta recalls past experiences where older colleagues were reluctant to use new technology, and based on this generalization, she chooses Chani.

Evaluate the theories

Using the Social Identity Theory knowledge point

• Schema theory: A schema is a cognitive framework or concept that helps individuals organize and interpret information. Roberta has a mental schema (or stereotype) about "older workers" being resistant to technology, which she uses to simplify her decision-making and predict Sydney's behavior.
• Social identity theory: This theory focuses on how people categorize themselves and others into in-groups and out-groups, deriving self-esteem from their group membership. It does not directly explain using generalized cognitive frameworks to predict individual behavior based on age categories in this manner.
• Similarity-attraction theory: This theory posits that individuals are attracted to and prefer to work with others who share similar demographic or attitudinal characteristics. There is no mention of Roberta's own age or similarity to Chani.
• Social cognitive theory: This theory emphasizes learning through observation, modeling, and cognitive processing of social experiences, which is less specific to the categorization and stereotyping behavior shown here.

Determine the best fit

Roberta's reliance on a generalized belief about a group ("older colleagues reluctant to use new technology") to categorize Sydney and make a decision is a classic application of cognitive schemas (specifically, stereotyping schemas). Therefore, Schema theory is the best fit.

Answer:

• Schema theory (Correct answer)
• Social identity theory
• Similarity-attraction theory
• Social cognitive theory