Deck 12: Personality

Question 1

Hans Eysenck proposed that arousal states of the brain are the basis of extraversion citing the importance of all but which of the following systems?

A) Limbic system
B) Parasympathetic nervous system
C) Reticular activating system
D) Cortex

Answer 1

B

Question 2

As a response to both behaviorism and psychodynamic theory, Abraham Maslow (among others) initiated a movement called _____, which emphasized the unique and positive qualities of human experience and potential.

A) phrenology
B) humanistic psychology
C) analytical psychology
D) self-actualization

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Alternative approaches to personality such as the behaviorist and cognitive approaches complement trait theories of personality because:

A) behavior and personal experience, which influence personality, are major parts of the alternative approaches.
B) trait theories focus on the negatives of personality.
C) it is easier to observe behavior than to ask someone to fill out a personality inventory.
D) trait theories focus only on the positive aspects of personality.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

_______________is a characteristic pattern of thinking, interacting, and reacting that is unique to each individual, and remains relatively consistent over time and situations.

A) Personality
B) Idiography
C) A state
D) A trait

Question 5

A psychologist who studies the unique personality characteristics of individuals is using __________________ approach to studying personality.

A) a trait
B) a factor analysis
C) an idiographic
D) a nomothetic

Question 6

An outdated approach claiming that behavior and personality were based on the sizes of various regions of the skull surface was called:

A) magnetic resonance imaging.
B) alchemy.
C) phrenology.
D) humorism.

Question 7

What do twin studies indicate about the role of genes in personality?

A) Heredity plays an important role in personality.
B) Dizygotic twins are more likely than monozygotic twins to share personality traits.
C) Personality is almost entirely determined by parenting and other environmental factors.
D) Personality appears to be related to two different copies of a serotonin transporter gene.

Question 8

Unlike the strict behaviorists' view, Bandura's theory of reciprocal determinism:

A) emphasizes the importance of learning.
B) acknowledges that people shape and determine their environments.
C) emphasizes the importance of traits.
D) assumes that traits are not stable over time.

Question 9

Which of the following best illustrates the idiographic approach to personality research?

A) identifying personality characteristics which are shared by large groups of people
B) designing tests which characterize abnormal personality types
C) performing a detailed study of the world's most successful business person
D) using factor analysis to identify personality traits

Question 10

Your friend, who is normally introverted, curses in outrage at the taxi driver who is trying to overcharge you. This event is most likely due to his _____.

A) temperament
B) subjective state
C) idealized self
D) Big Five personality traits

Question 11

Dr. Mano is a personality researcher who is NOT interested in the particular idiosyncrasies that make individuals unique. Instead, her research involves studying large groups of people in order to make generalizations about the structure of personality. Dr. Mano's research is an example of:

A) the nomothetic approach.
B) the MMPI approach.
C) factor analysis.
D) the idiographic approach.

Question 12

Creative, fair-minded, and impulsive are examples of ____________.

A) states
B) the Big Five
C) personality traits
D) idiographs

Question 13

Some psychologists use a(n) _____ approach to studying personality, which is a person-centered method in which researchers focus on individual people and their unique personalities.

A) nomothetic
B) factor-analysis
C) idiographic
D) reciprocal

Question 14

Which of the following is not a point of emphasis for psychodynamic theories of personality?

A) The role of unconscious motives
B) The importance of early social relationships
C) Learning how to cope with and regulate emotion
D) Using trait descriptions to describe personality

Question 15

According to Freud, which of the following is the order in which the stages of psychosexual development occur?

A) Oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital
B) Oral, anal, genital, phallic, latency
C) Anal, oral, phallic, latency, genital
D) Latency, oral, anal, genital, phallic

Question 16

Alexandra's older sister is praised for being good at math, but Alexandra struggles with the subject. What would the resulting feelings of being "not good enough" be called?

A) Negative reinforcement
B) Negative archetype
C) Inferiority complex
D) Oedipal complex

Question 17

A major difference between the Big Five and the MMPI-2 is:

A) the Big Five is ideally suited for measuring abnormal personality traits.
B) the Big Five is an idiographic approach, whereas the MMPI-2 takes a nomothetic approach to measuring personality.
C) the MMPI-2 accounts for states and situational factors, whereas the Big Five does not.
D) the MMPI-2 can be used to measure abnormal personality traits.

Question 18

Research into animal personalities suggests that:

A) unlike human personality traits, animal personality traits have no genetic basis.
B) humans are the only animals who have true emotions.
C) the Big Five personality traits can be observed only in primates.
D) the Big Five personality traits occur in many different types of animals.

Question 19

The aspect of consciousness proposed by Carl Jung that is a store of archetypes representing symbols and experiences common to all cultures is called the _____.

A) preconscious
B) subconscious
C) analytical conscious
D) collective unconscious

Question 20

Daniel's psychiatrist shows him a series of cards with abstract inkblots on them and asks Daniel to describe what he sees. When Daniel asks about the test, his psychologists explains that it is called the _____.

A) projective test
B) trait inventory
C) Big Five questionnaire
D) psychoanalytic personality report

Question 21

Most of Candice's relationships with other people are hostile. She frequently gets in fights with strangers and even close friends. If Candice took the NEO Personality Inventory, she would likely have a low score on the ____________ dimension.

A) openness
B) conscientiousness
C) neuroticism
D) agreeableness

Question 22

Nancy is a three month old infant. Compared to other infants her age, she is fussy and cries easily. Nancy's behaviors would most accurately be described as the result of her _____________.

A) state
B) neuroticism
C) personality
D) temperament

Question 23

The _______________ dimension of the NEO PI-R describes the extent to which people are imaginative and curious, or conventional and "down-to-earth."

A) agreeableness
B) extraversion
C) conscientiousness
D) openness

Question 24

Raymond Cattell advanced the study of personality by:

A) developing case-study analysis.
B) disproving Early Greek theories of personality.
C) devising the Myers-Briggs inventory.
D) using factor analysis.

Question 25

Research indicates that ___________ college students are likely to achieve high status in student groups such as fraternities and sororities, but are also more prone to risk taking and substance abuse problems.

A) conscientious
B) extraverted
C) neurotic
D) introverted

Question 26

Which of the following statements describes the relationship between temperament and personality?

A) Temperament and personality are the exact same thing.
B) Personality, which we are born with, is the basis upon which one's temperament is built.
C) Temperament, which we are born with, is the basis upon which one's personality is built.
D) Temperament refers to negative personal characteristics, while personality refers to positive personal characteristics.

Question 27

Walter prefers to stay home on a Friday night and read a good book to hanging out with other people. In fact, he tends to be fairly reclusive in general. If Walter took the NEO PI-R, he would likely have a low score on the ____________ dimension.

A) extraversion
B) conscientiousness
C) neuroticism
D) openness

Question 28

Research discussed in your textbook suggests that people on Facebook tend to present themselves:

A) accurately.
B) as they wished they were, not as they really are.
C) in extreme or exaggerated ways.
D) as being more extraverted than they really are.

Question 29

A technique called _____________ reveals statistical similarities among a wide variety of items.

A) idiography
B) factor analysis
C) MMPI-2
D) reciprocal determinism

Question 30

While psychologists do not typically refer to infants as having "personalities," infants do display personality-like attributes called _____________.

A) states
B) moods
C) quasi-personalities
D) temperaments

Question 31

Amir is constantly worrying about things, even though he really doesn't have anything to worry about. He is also very insecure and can become very upset when he thinks his friends are making a joke about him. If Walter took the NEO PI-R, he would likely have a ____________ score on the ____________ dimension.

A) high; neuroticism
B) high; conscientiousness
C) low; neuroticism
D) low; conscientiousness

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT one of the dimensions of the Big Five?

A) conscientiousness
B) extraversion
C) openness
D) sociableness

Question 33

Which of these is an acronym that could help you remember the Big Five traits?

A) START
B) BEGIN
C) DUNES
D) OCEAN

Question 34

The _______________ dimension of the NEO PI-R describes the extent to which people are outgoing or shy.

A) agreeableness
B) extraversion
C) neuroticism
D) openness

Question 35

What technique do trait theorists use to identify groups or clusters of related personality traits?

A) idiography
B) factor analysis
C) MMPI-2
D) reciprocal determinism

Question 36

Rob suffers from occasional bouts of depression, but is otherwise a typical teenager. One of his favorite pastimes is browsing Facebook and demonstrating what he likes through "liking." If he is like most people, his likes will have a _______ correlation to other's assessments and a self-assessment of his personality.

A) low negative
B) high negative
C) high positive
D) low positive

Question 37

Marques loves to go to parties, and while there he can have a conversation with just about anyone, whether he knows them or not. Which of the following Five Factors would Marques probably rate highly on based on this information?

A) neuroticism
B) conscientiousness
C) extraversion
D) openness

Question 38

Which two researchers are associated with the Five Factor Model, also known as the Big Five?

A) McCrae and Costa
B) Cattell and Allport
C) Jung and Horney
D) Erikson and Rogers

Question 39

Cattell used the statistical technique called ____________.

A) factor features
B) t test
C) pf analysis
D) factor analysis

Question 40

A central principle of the trait perspective to personality is that:

A) an individual's personality traits change from day to day.
B) no two individuals share the same traits.
C) individuals can be understood based on how well specific traits describe them.
D) the idiographic approach is the only correct way to study personality.

Question 41

The MMPI-2 is a personality test that is designed to:

A) measure the Big Five personality traits.
B) discriminate between normal and abnormal characteristics.
C) detect relationships between body types and personality patterns.
D) detect differences in interpretation of ambiguous stimuli.

Question 42

Research indicates that locations, associations, activities, and subjective states are four:

A) categories of personality traits.
B) factors that influence the development of our personality traits.
C) situational influences that interact with personality to determine our behavior.
D) changes in personality that occur over our lifespan.

Question 43

Based on your understanding of criminal profiling from your text, would you recommend that your local crime enforcement office

A) use criminal profiling.
B) be cautious about drawing many conclusions from a criminal profile.
C) use demographic information, but not personality profiles.
D) use personality profiles, but not demographic information.

Question 44

Allana is generally an outgoing person. A ____________ psychologist would be most likely to suggest that Allana's personality is the result of being reinforced for outgoing behavior by her parents, teachers, or other people she interacted with in the past.

A) behaviorist
B) humanistic
C) psychodynamic
D) social-cognitive

Question 45

Gina's therapist suspects that Gina is suffering from a psychological disorder of some kind. To test this, she has Gina complete a personality inventory composed of many true/false questions. The assessment tool that the therapist is using is most likely the __________.

A) MMPI
B) Rorschach test
C) TAT
D) NEO

Question 46

Which of the following is a potential issue associated with using standard tests for the Big Five in cross-cultural personality research?

A) The Big Five are only found in Western cultures.
B) Researchers in other countries would not understand what the "Big Five" refer to.
C) The research may miss other personality factors, not found in Western cultures.

Question 47

Criminologists have used profiling and use personality theories to describe perpetrators. The goal of using personality profiles of perpetrators is often focused on ________.

A) helping narrow a search or interrogation process
B) helping to prove guilt
C) identifying criminal personality types
D) demonstrating that there are some personality types that are prone to crime

Question 48

In the context of social psychology, the acronym WEIRD stands for

A) Willful, Egocentric, Immature, Rigid, and Depressed
B) Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic
C) Witness, Engage, Interact, React, and Depart
D) Willpower, Ego, Id, Repression, and Denial

Question 49

One method for measuring personalities is to observe an individual in a situation and to use his or her behavior to create a personality profile. This technique is known as _________________.

A) projective testing
B) the MMPI
C) thematic apperception testing
D) behavioral assessment

Question 50

Which of the following best describes the personality of individuals as they age?

A) Personality does not change; it is completely stable throughout the lifespan.
B) Personalities are very stable in childhood and adolescence, but become less stable in later adulthood.
C) The personalities of children and adolescents tend to change somewhat, but are very stable by middle age.
D) Personality remains fluid and changes throughout the lifespan.

Question 51

Research suggests that the Big Five personality traits are:

A) only found in WEIRD societies.
B) only found in non-WEIRD societies.
C) fairly consistent across many cultures.
D) different in every culture.

Question 52

One criticism of the trait theories of personality is that they:

A) place too much emphasis of states and situational factors.
B) do not describe how states and situational factors can influence our behavior.
C) are not supported by any empirical data.
D) do not allow for comparisons between individuals.

Question 53

The role of reciprocal determinism in personality development was highlighted by the _____________.

A) behaviorists
B) humanists
C) social-cognitive theorists
D) trait theorists

Question 54

The behavioral theories of personality development tend to focus on ____________.

A) unconscious desires
B) learning
C) genetics
D) self-actualization

Question 55

A potential issue with the majority of the research on personality is that the results may only generalize to __________.

A) WEIRD people
B) non-WEIRD people
C) women
D) men

Question 56

What is Albert Bandura's term for the relationship among the three factors that influence personality?

A) feedback loops
B) learned responses
C) reciprocal determinism
D) external expectancies

Question 57

Cross-cultural findings indicated that cultures where people score high on conscientiousness have _____ economies.

A) weak
B) strong
C) volatile
D) stable

Question 58

Joe works hard to avoid embarrassing himself or his family. Given what researchers have found about people from different cultures, he is most likely from _____________.

A) Canada
B) China
C) The United States
D) Great Britain

Question 59

Which of the following is true about cross-cultural differences in personality?

A) There is no relationship between culture and personality.
B) Most cultures do not have the same Big Five personality factors.
C) Only individuals from Western cultures share the same Big Five personality factors.
D) While most cultures share the same Big Five personality factors, the prevalence of each trait often differs.

Question 60

Which perspective on personality development is most concerned with how one's learning history influences one's future permanent, adult personality?

A) Behaviorist
B) Humanistic
C) Psychodynamic
D) Social-Cognitive

Question 61

According to your textbook, one possible way genes might influence personality is by affecting ______________.

A) cellular division
B) life expectancy
C) brain chemicals
D) the probability of having twins

Question 62

Which of the following is true about personality and nonhuman animals?

A) Personality has only been observed in one species of bird, the Parus major.
B) The Big Five personality traits have been found in many different species.
C) Only primates have true personalities.
D) Humans are the only animal with personalities.

Question 63

A commonly held belief when it comes to romance is that "opposites attract." Which of the following is true about this folk wisdom?

A) It is generally incorrect; humans pair up with those who are most like us.
B) It is generally incorrect; there is no relationship between personality and romantic pairing.
C) It is generally correct; humans pair up with those who dissimilar, but complimentary personalities.
D) It is generally correct; humans pair up with those who have conflicting personalities.

Question 64

Identical twins reared apart will often have:

A) no more in common than same sex fraternal twins reared apart.
B) dissimilar personalities.
C) similar personalities.
D) no more in common than non-twins.

Question 65

Which test or technique would a phrenologist use to access an individual's personality?

A) the MMPI
B) the Rorschach test
C) examining the skull
D) MRI brainscan

Question 66

According to Eysenck, people who have decreased reactivity the limbic system (the emotional circuits), reticular activating system, and cortex are more likely to be ______________.

A) extraverts
B) neurotic
C) intorverts
D) conscientious

Question 67

The genetic correlation between identical twins raised in the same household is typically around ______ for all of the big five personality factors.

A) )10
B) )50
C) )80
D) )99

Question 68

According to research discussed in your textbook, inheriting short copies of the ______________ transporter gene predisposes people to anxiety, shyness, and negative emotional reactions in interpersonal situations.

A) acetylcholine
B) NMDA
C) dopamine
D) serotonin

Question 69

An Ancient Roman physician would be most likely to diagnosis a patient with a melancholy (depressed) personality as:

A) having experienced some psychological trauma as a child.
B) an imbalance in the bodily fluids known as humors.
C) caused by physical trauma to the head.
D) having inherited the trait from his or her parents.

Question 70

Sandra is a fairly quiet and conscientious person who enjoys foreign films. The people she chooses to associate with and interact with on a daily basis would most likely:

A) be much more outgoing than she is.
B) have similar interests and personalities.
C) ridicule her and make her feel uncomfortable.
D) have similar interests, but dissimilar personalities.

Question 71

Which of these research methods would a psychologist be likely to employ to study the influence of genetics on personality?

A) examining correlations in personality between pairs of identical and fraternal twins
B) interviewing people who have known others who were particularly odd or unique
C) administering paper and pencil or computerized questionnaires to hundreds of people
D) documenting the patterns of development and difficulties of psychiatric patients

Question 72

Which research approach is probably the best for exploring the genetic contribution to personality?

A) comparing identical twins who were reared apart
B) comparing children adopted into another family with their siblings who remained with their birth parents
C) comparing fraternal twins
D) comparing identical twins who were raised in the same household

Question 73

Assortative mating is a phenomenon in which humans and animals:

A) mate with more than one partner to mask the paternity of the offspring.
B) mate randomly with others to increase genetic variation.
C) choose sexual partners based on their social status.
D) choose sexual partners who are similar to the individual doing the searching.

Question 74

Of the following, which is the oldest theory of personality?

A) phrenology
B) behaviorism
C) the psychodynamic approach
D) humorism

Question 75

According to Eysenck, who would have the LEAST reactive reticular activating system?

A) Grace, who likes to read
B) Tucker, who likes to fish
C) Lily, who likes to talk
D) Ben, who likes to surf

Question 76

Several students who joined a book club are discussing how similar their personalities are to one another. They find that they share traits of conscientiousness and introversion. What would a psychologist say about these similarities?

A) They are all reporting personalities that make them seem similar, but are probably really quite different.
B) People with certain personalities may choose particular environments, resulting in people who share an environment might also share some personality characteristics.
C) These students may actually be related to one another.
D) Going to book clubs often leads to conformity with other members of the club.

Question 77

Research suggests that the middle frontal gyrus is more associated with ________________, while the medial orbitofrontal cortext is more associated with ________________.

A) conscientiousness; extraversion
B) extraversion; conscientiousness
C) introversion; conscientiousness
D) conscientiousness; introversion

Question 78

The presence of two personality types in a particular species of bird has found that ____ birds have greater success when _______.

A) bold; resources are limited
B) timid; resources are limited
C) bold; resources are plentiful
D) both types of; they are social

Question 79

Blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile were collectively known as the four ____________.

A) mood fluids
B) humors
C) secretions
D) life forces

Question 80

According to Eysenck, the reason why some people seek out exciting new social and emotional experiences is that they:

A) require relatively high levels of stimulation to activate certain brain regions.
B) have low baseline adrenaline levels.
C) require relatively low levels of stimulation to activate certain brain regions.
D) have high baseline adrenaline levels.