Enhancing Soft Skills and Personality: 2022

Prof. T. Ravichandran
IIT Kanpur
Assignment, Week 1

Multiple Select Questions

1. Donna Haraway thinks that human beings are cyborgs because:

• They are intimately linked with technology
• Technology is more important than humans
• Human identity is shaped and defined by technology
• There are more and more machines in the world
• Human beings desire to be robots
• She likes robots more than human beings

(The growing influence of technology on our lives and personality has blurred any distinction
between the living and the non-living, or the human and the machine. We seem to have
become cyborgs, by treating all media extensions of human faculty as real components of the
biotic self. Our use of mobile phones, computers and other such digital gadgets has linked us
with technology intricately, even to the point of defining and modifying our identity
altogether. Refer to Lecture 2 for more information on the topic.)

2. Which of the following are NOT among the Five Cardinal Principles of Soft Skills and
Personality Development?
● Planning
● Perseverance
● Popularity
● Persuasiveness
● Prejudice
● Power
● Presentability
(As discussed in Lecture 2, the Five Cardinal Principles of Soft Skills and Personality
Development are Planning, Preparedness, Persuasiveness, Presentability and Perseverance.
These five principles are essential to the development of one’s personality.)

3. Choose the components of Effective Communication from among the following:

● Timing Sense
● Interest
● Verbosity
● Confidence
● Dominance
● Clarity

(When communicating with someone, in person or over e-mails or calls, one has to keep the
following components of communication in mind: Conciseness and Clarity, Conviction and
Confidence, Genuineness, Interest, Empathy and Timing Sense, Brevity and Effectiveness.
These characteristics are important for one to be able to convey their point in an effective and
comprehensible manner. Verbosity and Dominance would hinder effective communication.
For more, refer to Lecture 2.)

4. Which of the following are methods of Non-Verbal Communication?

● Body Language
● Emails
● Signs and Symbols
● Posting letters
● Displaying messages in notice board
● Haptics
● Eye-contact

(Non-Verbal communication entails all kinds of communication that takes place without the
use of words. It includes images, symbols, signs, gestures, facial expressions, postures, etc. In
order to convey an idea. The incorrect options – e-mails, letters, messages in notice board –
all employ words to convey the message. Whereas, body language, signs, symbols, haptics
(communication through touch) and eye-contact are all non-verbal forms of communication.
For more, refer to Lecture 2.)
5. Identify the non-verbal cues which indicate interest in something or someone:
● Smile
● Lean in to listen intently
● Avoid eye-contact
● Fold or close your arms
● Nod while listening
● Tap your foot

(In order to indicate interest and a welcoming attitude, non-verbal gestures like smiling,
leaning in to focus, nodding, maintaining eye-contact, remaining cheerful, open palms,
upright walk, etc. can be used. These gestures reflect a positive body language. Refer to
Lecture 2 for more details on body awareness and language.)

6. One can overcome failures by:

● Changing strategies and working harder
● Learning from mistakes
● Engaging in a positive-self talk
● Exaggerating the situation
● Willing to take new risks
● Developing a fixed mindset

(The way we respond to failure says a lot about our mindset. Those who have a growth mindset
do not let failure determine their personality. Such people benefit from failure as they learn
from it and make it an important part of their success. They do not respond to failure negatively,
instead they take feedback from their failures. They overcome their failures by employing
different strategies, different techniques, new methodology, and giving more time and efforts
to the task, unlike people with fixed mindset. For more on this issue, refer to Lecture 4.)

7. Identify the stereotypical statements:

● “Women are not wise like men.”
● “All terrorism is rooted in religion.”
● “Sun rises in the East.”
● “Humans are mortals.”
 ● “A cobbler’s son can only become a cobbler.”
● “Planets revolve around the sun.”
● “Humans breathe oxygen.”

(A stereotype is a reductive, fixed image or oversimplified opinion that categorizes a group or

an individual in a generalized and prejudiced manner. Stereotypes do not allow people to
interact with others and their ideas in an open and welcoming manner. Statements like “A
cobbler’s son can only become a cobbler,” limit the possibility of our growth, and make us
fixed in our perceptions of people. Refer to Lecture 5 for more on this topic.)

8. According to the Hawthorne Experiment, the productivity of workers depends really on:
● Managerial attention
● Tidy workplace
● Negative feedbacks
● Sense of privileged position
● Long working hours
● Sense of esteem
● Awareness of being observed

(Hawthorne effect refers to the alteration of behaviour by the subjects of a study due to their
awareness of being observed. Experiments were conducted by Elton Mayo in the 1920s at the
Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric Co., in Chicago in order to study the productivity of
the workers. It was found that workers were more responsive to group involvement and
managerial attention than to financial incentives. Variables like the tidiness of the workplace,
duration of work and feedback were found to not affect the workers’ productivity. Instead, it
was the sense of belonging, esteem, etc. that affected their productivity. Refer to Lecture 5.)

9. How NOT to deal with criticism/critics?

● Feel hurt by the critical opinion
● Try to reflect on the actual points
● Criticise them back
● Be receptive to critical people
● Close all communication channels with the critics
● Deny the criticism outright
 ● Appreciate the person for constructive criticism

(The positive way to react to criticism is appreciate any valuable feedback within in. As
discusses in Lectures 3 and 4, giving a negative response to criticism like people with a fixed
mindset would hinder growth and development of one’ s personality. Getting defensive,
sarcastic or unwelcoming, feeling hurt, ignoring or denying any critical feedback reflects a
fixed and unlearning attitude. People with a growth mindset learn from critical remarks and
improve accordingly.)

10. Identify the ways to develop a growth mindset:

● Always be motivated and limitless like a baby
● Learn to live with critical people
● Have a negative self-talk
● Do not be vulnerable to stereotypical threats
● Stop learning after school/college
● Always stay in a comfortable zone
● Belong where you need to be

(Developing a growth mindset demands people to open their minds to new experiences, healthy
criticism, constant learning, etc. A welcoming and open mindset allows one to grow beyond
bias and prejudice, like a baby. For more, refer to Lecture 5.)

Multiple Choice Questions

11. Proxemics refers to:

● Use of eye-contact for communication
● Use of silence for communication
● Use of interpersonal space for communication
● Use of touch for communication
● Use of technology for communication
● Use of proxy for communication

(As discussed in Lecture 2, Proxemics is the use of interpersonal space for communicating
with others.)
12. The three primary dimensions of understanding non-verbal cues do NOT include:
● Immediacy
● Silence
● Arousal
● Dominance
● Immediacy and Dominance
● Arousal and Dominance

(According to Albert Mehrabian, the three primary dimensions of understanding non-verbal

cues are Immediacy: Liking, Arousal: Responsiveness, and Dominance: Balance of Power.
Discussed in Lecture 2.)

13. What is not the main objective of Public Speaking?

● To educate
● To influence
● To entertain
● To intimidate
● To politicise
● To polarise

(Public Speaking is an essential soft skill, whose main objectives are to educate, entertain,
provoke, influence, etc. To intimidate is not an apt objective of public speaking. Discussed in
Lecture 2.)

14. Which among the following is NOT the apt way of Conflict Resolution?
● Negotiation
● Aggression
● Arbitration
● Mediation
● Clarification
● Accommodation
(As peace comes not from the absence of conflicts but from the ability to cope up with the, to
resolve conflict in order to arrive at a win-win solution is an important skill to have. Among
the given options, “aggression” is not the right way to approach a conflict. For more, refer to
Lecture 1.)

15. “It’s too tough for me . . . I can’t do it” would be a statement from a person with a/an:
● Offensive mindset
● Growth mindset
● Fixed mindset
● Group mindset
● Environmentalist mindset
● Romantic mindset

(The given statement reflects a defeatist attitude which is driven by pessimism Such an attitude
hinders growth as it is too fixed or closed for new experiences, and therefore, is a characteristic
of a fixed mindset. Lectures 3, 4 and 5 discuss different kinds of mindset in great detail.)

16. What is the right thing to do in a relationship if a partner commits a mistake?

● Do not point out the mistake, fearing to hurt him/her
● Prove your unconditional love by standing by him/her despite the mistake
● Leave the person and stop talking to him/her without telling the reason
● Be gently critical of the mistake and let him/her know about it
● Appreciate him/her despite his/her mistake
● Discuss openly his/her mistake with your family and embarrass the partner

(As discussed in Lecture 5, for growth in any relationship, partners need to be critical wherever
and whenever required. This would allow them to learn from their mistakes and grow as a
person. More on the need to be critical is discussed in Lecture 5.)

17. Identify the INCORRECT statement about growth mindset:

● With a growth mindset, one can learn from any unfamiliar field
● People with a growth mindset view challenges as opportunities
● With a growth mindset, one can benefit from failures
● Laziness is the result of a growth mindset
 ● People with a growth mindset think everything is possible
● Success is not dependant on luck but on hard work and strategies

(Growth mindset allows one to be welcoming towards challenges, open to failures, willing to
work hard, and determined to learn more. Laziness hinders any real growth in one’s mindset
and life, and is, therefore, not a part of growth mindset. Lectures 3, 4 and 5 discuss this in more
detail.)

18. Which quote/proverb indicates the growth mindset?

● “You are never too old to learn something new, or too young to learn too
much.”
● “Barking dogs seldom bite.”
● “A fool and his money are soon parted.”
● “An empty vessel makes much noise.”
● “Cross the stream where it is shallowest.”
● “A leopard cannot change its spots.”

(The correct answer here shows that one is not limited by age when it comes to learning new
things in life. As long as one is willing, no factor like age, time, etc. Can stop one from learning.
The other proverbs do not indicate such a thinking.)

19. Believing and internalising other’s views on oneself can lead to:
● Growth mindset
● Overwhelming success
● Stereotypical threat
● Improved performance
● Escalation of self-worth
● Healthier relationship with colleagues

(A stereotype is a reductive, fixed image or oversimplified opinion that categorizes a group or

an individual in a generalized and prejudiced manner. Succumbing to others’ negative
stereotypes indicates a conformity to stereotype threats and must always be avoided in order to
learn and grow. Refer to Lecture 5.)
20. The experiment conducted by Catherine Good found that:
● Sense of belonging will improve the performance
● Women are not interested in STEM
● Academic group does not affect performance
● Stereotype threats are an illusion
● Europeans are genetically smart
● Empathy is a negative emotion

(In an experiment conducted by Catherine Good on girls and boys to understand their
mathematical ability, sense of belonging was found to be an important variant, an important
factor in the representation gap between males and females in Math ability. This is discussed
in Lecture 5.)

True/False

21. Soft skills for non-verbal communication cannot be cultivated.

● True
● False

(Soft skills can be cultivated with time and effort.)

22. “Field Independence” is one of the twelve principles of spiritual intelligence given by
Danah Zohar.
● True
● False

(Discussed in Lecture 1. The twelve principles are: self-awareness, spontaneity, being vision
and value led, holism, compassion, celebration of diversity, field independence, humility,
tendency to ask fundamental question, ability to refrain in case of conflicting situations,
positive views of adversity, and a sense of vocation.)

23. Poor performance reflects one’s personality or intelligence.

● True
● False
(Poor performance in any field or activity can be dependent on various factors and is not a fixed
feature of one’s personality as people keep evolving.)

24. Unlike babies, adults are prone to develop fixity by yielding to the stereotype threats.
● True
● False

(Babies are open and fearless and are always ready to explore new things. They are not limited
by stereotype threats that affect adults negatively, stopping them from exploring unknown areas
of knowledge.)

25. Mobile phone addiction is called Nomophobia.

● True
● False

(Mobile phone addiction is also called as Nomophobia which could cause obsessive
compulsive disorder. Refer to Lecture 2.)