Chapter 34 Quiz: Attraction in the Workplace
Instructions: Choose the best answer for each question. For short-answer questions, aim for 2–4 complete sentences.
1. The mere exposure effect, as applied to workplace attraction, predicts that:
a) Workers are attracted to colleagues who are physically similar to them b) Repeated contact with a colleague tends to increase liking over time c) Attraction is highest when workers first meet before familiarity sets in d) Exposure to diverse colleagues reduces romantic attraction
Answer: b
2. Which of the following is the best definition of "coercive context" as used in the chapter?
a) A situation where physical force or threats are used to obtain compliance b) Any organizational setting that has an anti-harassment policy in place c) A structural situation where the ability to refuse an advance without negative consequences is compromised d) A legal term used in quid pro quo harassment cases specifically
Answer: c
3. Quid pro quo harassment, as a legal category, can be committed by:
a) Any colleague, regardless of their organizational position b) Only HR professionals who manage hiring and firing c) Only individuals who have formal authority over the victim's employment d) Both supervisors and peers, depending on the severity of the conduct
Answer: c
4. The Okafor-Reyes study found that in the Japanese workplace sample, low rates of explicit attraction disclosure reflected:
a) A genuine absence of workplace attraction compared to other cultures b) Primarily a survey response bias affecting all Asian cultures equally c) A complex discretion norm that, for women, eliminated social permission to name unwanted attention rather than eliminating the attention itself d) High levels of organizational policy enforcement that effectively suppressed attraction
Answer: c
5. According to the chapter, what is the primary legal weakness of "love contract" disclosure policies?
a) They are not enforceable in most U.S. jurisdictions b) They document initial consent but do nothing to address ongoing consent dynamics when the power differential persists c) They violate employees' privacy rights by forcing disclosure d) They have never been tested in court and remain purely theoretical
Answer: b
6. The #MeToo movement is associated with what researchers call a "chilling effect." Which of the following best represents the book's analysis of this concern?
a) The chilling effect is fabricated; no meaningful change in workplace behavior has been documented b) The chilling effect is real and uniformly bad, because it deprives women of mentorship opportunities c) The chilling effect concern is real, but the behaviors being chilled were not uniformly legitimate, and some reduction represented appropriate accountability d) The chilling effect is real but outweighed by the economic costs of harassment-related turnover
Answer: c
7. According to Frank Dobbin's research, some formal anti-harassment programs may have the unintended consequence of:
a) Increasing retaliation rates against complainants b) Creating a "done our part" threshold effect that discourages reporting of ambiguous conduct c) Exposing organizations to greater legal liability than having no policy at all d) Reducing trust in HR while increasing trust in managers
Answer: b
8. The chapter argues that professional prohibitions on therapist-client romantic relationships are stricter than most other professional contexts because:
a) Therapists are more likely than other professionals to develop romantic feelings b) Therapeutic transference can make the client's expressed feelings for the therapist an unreliable guide to genuinely voluntary choice c) Licensing boards face fewer legal challenges when they prohibit all romantic conduct d) Research shows therapists are at higher risk of manipulation by clients
Answer: b
9. Short answer: Explain what "boundary testing behavior" is and why it creates a double-bind for the target. (2–4 sentences)
Model answer: Boundary testing behavior refers to ambiguous conduct — a touch, a comment, an invitation — constructed to be deniable as innocent while serving as a probe of the target's receptivity. The target faces a double-bind because responding positively risks encouraging escalation, while responding negatively risks seeming disproportionate if the behavior was genuinely innocent. Neutral responses — absorbing the behavior and hoping it stops — are typically interpreted by the initiator as weak permission to continue. The ambiguity is often functional for the initiator and structurally disadvantageous for the target.
10. The chapter's analysis of intersectionality argues that:
a) All workplace attraction experiences are essentially equivalent across demographic groups b) Race, class, and gender compound in ways that distribute the risks of harassment and the practical ability to report unequally c) LGBTQ+ workers face lower rates of harassment because they are not targeted for heterosexual attention d) Class is less important than formal organizational authority in determining who can say no
Answer: b
11. Short answer: Why does the chapter argue that employer liability for quid pro quo harassment is "essentially strict"? What does this mean in practice? (2–3 sentences)
Model answer: Strict liability means the employer is held responsible for quid pro quo harassment committed by supervisory employees regardless of whether the employer knew about the conduct or had anti-harassment policies in place. In practice, this creates a strong organizational incentive to prevent quid pro quo harassment through supervisory selection, training, and monitoring, rather than relying on post-hoc response to complaints. It reflects the legal principle that employers are responsible for the conduct of those to whom they delegate authority.
12. According to the Okafor-Reyes public statement, why is treating workplace attraction as "unspeakable" counterproductive?
a) Because suppressing the topic psychologically increases harassment rates b) Because organizations that pretend feelings don't exist are worse positioned to develop institutional frameworks for managing them ethically c) Because workers who cannot discuss attraction at work will seek outlets on social media d) Because research shows that acknowledgment norms reduce harassment incidence directly
Answer: b