Cambridge A Level Psychology 9990: Organisational Psychology — Practice Questions

These are original practice questions written in the style of Cambridge AS & A Level Psychology (9990) assessment objectives. They are not taken from any past paper and are not endorsed by Cambridge International.

This practice set covers all five topics of Specialist Option 4, Organisational Psychology, in Cambridge International A Level Psychology 9990 (syllabus for 2024 to 2026). Section A follows the Paper 3 pattern of short answers and a structured essay (6 marks describe, 10 marks evaluate). Section B follows the Paper 4 pattern of applying content and research methods to workplace scenarios. All companies and people are fictional.

Related: Organisational Psychology revision notes · Organisational Psychology study guide

Section A: Paper 3 style questions

1. Outline McClelland’s theory of achievement motivation. [3]

2. Explain the difference between expectancy and instrumentality in Vroom’s VIE theory. [2]

3. Describe Muczyk and Reimann’s four styles of leader behaviour. [4]

4. (a) Define social loafing. [1]

4. (b) Explain how social impact theory accounts for social loafing. [3]

5. (a) Describe two theories of job satisfaction. [6]

5. (b) Evaluate theories of job satisfaction, including a discussion of cultural differences. [10]

Section B: Paper 4 style questions

6. Brightline Logistics has a team of eight analysts who always agree quickly in meetings. A recent decision to expand into a new market failed badly, and later several analysts admitted they had doubts but stayed silent.

(a) Identify two features of groupthink in this description. [2]

(b) Suggest two strategies Brightline could use to avoid groupthink in future. [2]

(c) Suggest how a psychologist could use Belbin’s team roles to improve this team. [2]

7. A call centre introduces software that records every keystroke of its staff.

(a) Using Claypoole and Szalma (2019), explain how this monitoring might affect performance. [3]

(b) Suggest one ethical issue the company should consider. [2]

8. A factory moves from slow rotation to rapid rotation shifts.

(a) Explain the difference between the two systems. [2]

(b) Using Gold et al. (1992), predict one effect of rotating shifts on workers. [2]

9. A psychologist wants to measure job satisfaction in a hospital using the Job Descriptive Index (JDI).

(a) Name three facets measured by the JDI. [3]

(b) Explain one reason why the JDI may give reliable data. [2]

Answers

1. Up to 3 marks. McClelland proposed three learned needs that motivate behaviour (1): need for achievement (to succeed at challenging tasks; prefers moderate risk and feedback) (1); need for affiliation (to be liked and accepted) and need for power (to influence or control others) (1). A person’s dominant need affects which jobs suit them.

2. Up to 2 marks. Expectancy is the belief that effort will lead to good performance (1). Instrumentality is the belief that good performance will lead to a reward (1).

3. One mark per style, correctly described. Directive autocrat: makes decisions alone and closely supervises how they are carried out (1). Permissive autocrat: makes decisions alone but lets employees decide how to carry them out (1). Directive democrat: involves employees in decisions but closely supervises execution (1). Permissive democrat: involves employees in decisions and lets them choose how to carry them out (1).

4. (a) Reduced individual effort when working in a group compared with working alone (1).

4. (b) Up to 3 marks. Social impact theory says the influence of others depends on their strength, immediacy and number (1). When a person works in a group, the pressure from the person setting the task is divided among all members (1), so each feels less personal responsibility and puts in less effort; the larger the group, the more the impact is spread (1).

5. (a) Up to 3 marks per theory. Herzberg’s two-factor theory: hygiene factors such as pay, supervision and conditions prevent dissatisfaction (1); motivators such as achievement, recognition and responsibility produce satisfaction (1); improving hygiene alone will not create satisfaction (1). Hackman and Oldham’s job characteristics theory: five core characteristics, skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback (1); produce three psychological states, experienced meaningfulness, experienced responsibility and knowledge of results (1); which lead to motivation and satisfaction (1).

5. (b) Level-based: 9–10 marks for detailed, balanced evaluation including cultural differences and a conclusion. Indicative content:

• Cultural differences: both theories were developed in Western, individualist settings; autonomy and personal achievement may matter less in collectivist cultures, where group harmony and belonging may be stronger motivators (compare Earley, 1993, on cultural differences in group work).
• Methodology: Herzberg used critical-incident interviews, open to self-serving bias; Hackman and Oldham’s characteristics are measurable, making the theory more testable.
• Reductionism: reduces satisfaction to a small set of factors; ignores personality and home life.
• Application: both underpin job design (enrichment, rotation, enlargement), so they are practically useful.
• Individual differences: not everyone wants more autonomy or responsibility.
• Conclusion: useful frameworks, but satisfaction depends on the person and culture as well as the job.

6. (a) One mark each, from the description: illusion of unanimity (always agree quickly) (1); self-censorship (analysts had doubts but stayed silent) (1). Credit pressure on dissenters if argued from “agree quickly”.

6. (b) One mark each: appoint a devil’s advocate to challenge proposals (1); invite outside experts to review decisions, or have the leader hold back their own view until others have spoken (1).

6. (c) Up to 2 marks. Assess each analyst’s preferred team role with Belbin’s inventory (1), then make sure roles such as monitor evaluator (critical judgement) are present, so ideas are examined before decisions are made (1).

7. (a) Up to 3 marks. Claypoole and Szalma applied social facilitation to electronic performance monitoring (1). Being monitored, even electronically, can raise arousal or evaluation apprehension in a similar way to a person watching (1). For simple, well-learned tasks such as routine call handling, this may improve performance; for complex or new tasks it could worsen it (1).

7. (b) Up to 2 marks. Privacy (1): staff should be told exactly what is recorded and why, and data should be stored securely and used only for agreed purposes (1). Credit increased stress or lack of consent if explained.

8. (a) Up to 2 marks. In rapid rotation, workers change shift every few days (1); in slow rotation, they stay on the same shift for several weeks before changing (1).

8. (b) Up to 2 marks. Gold et al. found nurses on rotating shifts reported more sleep problems (1) and more accidents or errors related to sleepiness than those on fixed shifts, so factory workers may make more errors or have more accidents (1).

9. (a) One mark each, any three: the work itself; pay; promotion opportunities; supervision; co-workers.

9. (b) Up to 2 marks. The JDI uses the same standardised adjectives and response options for every worker (1), so it can be scored consistently and repeated (test–retest) to check consistency over time (1).

Frequently asked questions

How are Paper 3 and Paper 4 structured? Each is 1 hour 30 minutes and 60 marks. On Paper 3, each of your two options has three short-answer questions (14 marks) and a structured essay (6-mark describe, 10-mark evaluate). On Paper 4, Section A has two structured questions on each option, and Section B is one planning question from a choice of four: plan a study (10 marks), then evaluate the plan (14 marks).

Will Paper 3 and Paper 4 test the same topic? No. The 9990 syllabus says the topic areas assessed for an option on Paper 3 will be different from those assessed on Paper 4, so revise the whole organisational psychology option.

Which parts of the two-part key studies do I need? For Landry et al. (2019) focus on study 1, and for Claypoole and Szalma (2019) focus on experiment 1; the syllabus says the methods of the second study or experiment are not needed.

Where marks are usually lost

• Describing a leadership style without stating both dimensions of Muczyk and Reimann’s model.
• Naming groupthink features without quoting evidence from the scenario.
• Answering question 7(a) with “monitoring makes people work harder” without the social facilitation link.
• Writing evaluation that never mentions the debate the question names.

Next steps

Revisit model lists in the Organisational Psychology revision notes, and practise reliability and validity terms with the Paper 2 Research Methods practice questions.

Official syllabus

Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology 9990 syllabus for 2024, 2025 and 2026, Specialist Option 4: Organisational Psychology, and section 4 Details of the assessment — cambridgeinternational.org.