Deck 6: Personality and Personal History

Question 1

According to the text,people who are ________ appear to be particularly vulnerable to poor relationships.

A) low in openness
B) high in negative affectivity
C) low in extraversion
D) high in impulse control

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Dr.Allison examines whether generosity and empathy are related to marital satisfaction in a study of newlyweds.What approach to relationships is Dr.Allison using?

A) trait approach
B) attachment theory
C) Big Five approach
D) dependence regulation model

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What is the main premise of the dependence regulation model?

A) Enduring personality characteristics can affect how partners perceive and communicate with one another.
B) Early experiences with caregivers have a lasting impact on security.
C) Physical proximity to a caregiver regulates dependency needs in close relationships.
D) When dependency needs are poorly regulated in close relationships,relationships are destined to dissolve.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Derek tends to be very critical of his wife,Jane.He worries a lot about his lack of success at work and lately has been very pessimistic about his work environment.These behaviors reflect which personality trait?

A) low extraversion
B) high attachment anxiety
C) high negative affectivity
D) low agreeableness

Question 5

Which of the following statements about how personality traits affect intimate relationships is NOT accurate?

A) People with similar personality traits generally do not pair up in intimate relationships.
B) People with similar personality traits generally pair up in intimate relationships.
C) Partners with less similar personalities tend to have happier relationships.
D) None of the answer options is correct.

Question 6

Which of the following traits is NOT part of the Big Five model of personality?

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

Question 7

What was Lewis Terman's view on personality and marital success?

A) A person who is unsuccessful in one relationship is likely to be unsuccessful in any relationship because of a fundamental lack of qualities that lead to compatibility with others.
B) Early childhood experiences and the views of self and others that develop as a function of the caregiving relationship lead to marital success and failure.
C) Personality traits have the potential to affect relationship satisfaction,but it is the dynamics of the couple that determines success or failure.
D) Personality does not shape and influence the intimate bonds that we form with others.

Question 8

Despite being a single parent,Nancy enjoys spending time with her friends and attends parties whenever she can.She also runs her own business,making children's toys,which she sells through a website she maintains herself.To get her work done while her children are in school,Nancy must be very organized and must schedule her time carefully.These behaviors reflect which personality traits?

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

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a component of the way psychologists define personality?

A) qualities that characterize all individuals
B) qualities that are relatively stable over time and across situations
C) qualities that have some internal organization
D) qualities that influence how individuals behave in and adapt to the world around them

Question 10

Chantey is low in agreeableness.Her husband is likely to report that she:

A) can be argumentative but is considerate of his needs.
B) is very generous toward him and their children.
C) is far too trusting of strangers.
D) treats him condescendingly.

Question 11

Chantey tends to be somewhat critical of her husband,John.She worries a lot about her inability to market herself as a successful painter and lately has been very pessimistic about how media advertising is affecting her daughter's body image.These behaviors reflect which personality trait?

A) low extraversion
B) high attachment anxiety
C) high negative affectivity
D) low agreeableness

Question 12

Dr.Andrews examines whether shyness and assertiveness are related to partner preferences in a study of dating couples.What approach to relationships is Dr.Andrews using?

A) trait approach
B) attachment theory
C) Big Five approach
D) dependence regulation model

Question 13

According to the text,________ refer(s)to "those distinctive qualities that characterize an individual,that are relatively stable over time and across situations,that have some internal organization to them,and that influence how the individual behaves in and adapts to the world around them."

A) conflict management style
B) attachment style
C) motives
D) personality

Question 14

Which of the following statements about how personality traits affect intimate relationships is accurate?

A) People with similar personality traits generally do not pair up in intimate relationships;luckily,partners with less similar personalities tend to have happier relationships.
B) People with similar personality traits generally pair up in intimate relationships;luckily,partners with similar personalities tend to have happier relationships.
C) People with similar personality traits generally do not pair up in intimate relationships,yet partners with similar personalities tend to have happier relationships.
D) People with similar personality traits generally pair up in intimate relationships,yet partners with less similar personalities tend to have happier relationships.

Question 15

How can we summarize the research on personality and relationships?

A) Personality affects relationships more than relationships affect personality.
B) Relationships affect personality more than personality affects relationships.
C) Personality affects relationships to the same degree that relationships affect personality.
D) We cannot determine at this time how personality affects relationships or how relationships affect personality.

Question 16

Kadija has never thought much of herself,and she does not think that her partner,Mac,does either.Mac has been preoccupied at work lately,and Kadija thinks that he is drifting away from her.Because of her dissatisfaction,Kadija has been quick to anger,and she and Mac have been arguing a lot.What best describes the cycle that Kadija is experiencing?

A) dismissing attachment
B) dependence regulation model
C) trait theory
D) fearful attachment

Question 17

What prediction would follow from Sandra Murray and her colleagues' dependence regulation model?

A) Individuals low in self-esteem tend to overestimate their partners' regard for them.
B) Individuals low in self-esteem are biased toward looking for evidence that their partners care for them.
C) Individuals high in self-esteem see rejection even where it does not exist.
D) The rejection sensitivity of individuals low in self-esteem is associated with declines in their partners' relationship satisfaction.

Question 18

Nicole's coworkers often describe her as being very organized and acting according to policy;however,she is very friendly and willing to engage with her staff.According to her coworkers,how would you define Nicole's personality?

A) low in extraversion;high in agreeableness
B) high in agreeableness;low in conscientiousness
C) high in conscientiousness;high in extraversion
D) low in negative affectivity;low in openness

Question 19

Derek tends to be somewhat critical of his wife,Jane.He worries a lot about his lack of success at work and lately has been very pessimistic.According to the text,these facts indicate that Derek and Jane are likely to:

A) have a happy marriage if Derek is an extrovert.
B) have an unhappy marriage.
C) have more than three children.
D) have no children.

Question 20

People with similar personality traits generally ________ in intimate relationships,yet partners who have ________ personalities tend to have happier relationships.

A) do not pair up;similar
B) pair up;less similar
C) do not pair up;less similar
D) pair up;similar

Question 21

After two kids and 10 years of marriage,James and Sarah divorce.According to research on divorced families,which of the following statements is most accurate?

A) James and Sarah's children,but not grandchildren,will be at greater risk for divorce.
B) James and Sarah will be better parents following their divorce because they can focus on their children rather than on fighting with each other.
C) James and Sarah's children will have higher levels of well-being if their parents' marriage was characterized by high conflict versus low conflict.
D) James and Sarah's children are more likely to succeed in their future careers because they value work more than intimate relationships.

Question 22

After being married 6 years,Sarah does not get Amanda a gift for her birthday.The textbook points out that internal working models of attachment affect how we view interpersonal events.Which of the following interpretations about Sarah's behavior might we expect Amanda to make if she is high in both anxiety and avoidance?

A) "Sarah has been under so much stress at work lately,it's no wonder she didn't have time to get a gift."
B) "Sarah must still be mad at me because I forgot to pick up her dry cleaning last week."
C) "Sarah knows how much rampant consumerism bothers me;it was really considerate of her not to buy anything for me."
D) "Oh well,it's not a big deal."

Question 23

Sociologist Paul Amato has studied how the well-being of adults is related to the state of their parents' marriages when the participants were children.What best represents the findings of that study?

A) If the parents' marriage ended in divorce,the level of discord had no additional effect on well-being.
B) If the parents had a lot of discord,divorce had no additional effect on well-being.
C) If the parents had little discord and divorced,or if the parents' marriage had a lot of discord but the couple remained married,the children had the poorest well-being as adults.
D) If the parents' marriage had a lot of discord and then ended in divorce,the children had the lowest well-being as adults.

Question 24

The percentage of children who have an adverse outcome following parental divorce is ________.

A) 1 to 5 percent
B) 20 to 30 percent
C) 40 to 60 percent
D) 60 to 80 percent

Question 25

Relatively secure women who are experiencing anxiety about an impending nonrelationship stressor seek contact with their partners,and the resulting support (physical proximity)reduces the women's distress.From an attachment perspective,what conclusion can you draw from this?

A) Secure women tend to experience more anxiety than their partners experience.
B) Experiencing a nonrelationship stressor elicits more anxiety than a relationship stressor.
C) Attachment behaviors,such as seeking closeness,serve to regulate distressing emotions.
D) Insecure women are more likely to seek support than are secure women.

Question 26

What is the primary idea of attachment theory?

A) Relationships between adults are better when the attachment between partners is similar to the parents' attachment.
B) Early experiences lead some individuals to form attachments,while other individuals learn relationship skills from their caregivers.
C) The nature of the early childhood bond with caregivers influences the bonds created in adult relationships.
D) Love is a biological drive shaped by powerful evolutionary forces.

Question 27

Compared to individuals from intact homes,offspring whose parents divorced:

A) show more commitment to future relationships and have a lower divorce rate.
B) are more likely to focus on school and work,and therefore are more socioeconomically successful.
C) are less likely to live with a romantic partner without marrying.
D) have poorer relationships with their parents when they are adults.

Question 28

Melanie's parents frequently argued when she was young and divorced when she was 12 years old.Now that Melanie is in her early 20s,she finds that her romantic relationships are often tense and conflict-ridden.What phenomenon does this reflect?

A) protection effects
B) intergenerational transmission effects
C) interdependence effects
D) selection effects

Question 29

According to Sanders and colleagues (1999),women and men with divorced parents,as compared to those whose parents have intact marriages,expressed more __________ when discussing relationship problems.

A) positive facial expressions
B) agreement
C) disagreement
D) validation

Question 30

Sociologist Paul Amato has studied how the well-being of adults is related to the state of their parents' marriages when the participants were children.Based on his findings,which of the following individuals would you expect to have the HIGHEST well-being as adults?

A) Melanie,whose parents frequently argued when she was young and divorced when she was 12 years old
B) Phaelan,whose parents' marriage had a lot of discord when he was young but they never divorced
C) Brontë,whose parents had little discord and never argued but divorced when she was 7 years old
D) Beckett,whose parents occasionally argued when he was young but they never divorced

Question 31

After being married 6 years,Sarah does not get Amanda a gift for her birthday.The textbook points out that internal working models of attachment affect how we view interpersonal events.Which of the following interpretations about Sarah's behavior might we expect Amanda to make if she is low in both anxiety and avoidance?

A) "Sarah has been under so much stress at work lately,it's no wonder she didn't have time to get a gift."
B) "Sarah must still be mad at me because I forgot to pick up her dry cleaning last week."
C) "Sarah knows how much rampant consumerism bothers me;she was trying to be considerate when not buying anything for me."
D) "Oh well,it's not a big deal."

Question 32

Sociologist Paul Amato has studied how the well-being of adults is related to the state of their parents' marriages when the participants were children.Based on his findings,which of the following individuals would you expect to have the LOWEST well-being as adults?

A) Melanie,whose parents frequently argued when she was young and divorced when she was 12 years old
B) Phaelan,whose parents' marriage had a lot of discord when he was young but they never divorced
C) Brontë,whose parents had little discord and never argued but divorced when she was 7 years old
D) Beckett,whose parents occasionally argued when he was young but they never divorced

Question 33

In longitudinal studies of outcomes for children of divorced families,one result is that:

A) divorce is much worse for children than exposure to conflict in intact but troubled families.
B) experiences in the family prior to divorce affect the well-being of children.
C) although divorce doubles the risk of adverse outcomes for children of divorce,most children of divorce eventually do quite well.
D) most children do quite well while in intact families,but that always changes when their parents divorce.

Question 34

While Nicole's coworkers often describe her as being very organized and compliant,they also agree that she is very friendly and receptive to feedback.This becomes encoded as _____ aspects of _____.

A) other-relevant;avoidance
B) self-relevant;avoidance
C) other-relevant;anxiety
D) self-relevant;anxiety

Question 35

Compared to individuals whose parents divorced,offspring from intact homes:

A) show less commitment to future relationships and have a higher divorce rate.
B) are more likely to focus on school and work,and therefore are more socioeconomically successful.
C) are more likely to live with a romantic partner without marrying.
D) have poorer relationships with their parents when they are adults.

Question 36

Approximately what percentage of children in the United States will experience the divorce of their parents?

A) 60 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 40 percent
D) 30 percent

Question 37

Xie's parents have been married 27 years.Growing up,Xie and his parents played board games every Friday night and made each other laugh by making up jokes.Xie,now 23 years old,is in his first serious romantic relationship: he has finally found a woman who shares his quirky sense of humor and love of board games.What phenomenon does Xie's behavior reflect?

A) selection effects
B) protection effects
C) interdependence effects
D) intergenerational transmission effects

Question 38

After two kids and 10 years of marriage,James and Sarah divorce.According to research on divorced families,which of the following statements is most accurate?

A) James and Sarah's grandchildren will be at greater risk for divorce.
B) James and Sarah will be better parents following their divorce because they can focus on their children rather than fighting with each other.
C) James and Sarah's children will be less well adjusted if their parents' marriage was characterized by high conflict versus low conflict.
D) James and Sarah's children are more likely to succeed in their future careers because they value work more than intimate relationships.

Question 39

How does the experience of divorce in the family of origin relate to the adult children's communication in intimate relationships?

A) Women with divorced parents express about the same level of disagreement as women from intact families.
B) Men with divorced parents express more disagreement,invalidation,and less negative listening than men from intact families.
C) Women with divorced parents express less disagreement and invalidation than negative listening.
D) Men with divorced parents express more disagreement and invalidation than men from intact families.

Question 40

The effects that the family of origin have on who people are as individuals are referred to as:

A) intergenerational transmission effects.
B) family of origin experiences.
C) trait theory.
D) interfamilial effects.

Question 41

Describe how attitudes toward relationships and marriage differ between individuals whose parents divorced compared to individuals from intact families.

Question 42

According to attachment theory,experiences in early relationships are internalized as ________.Research has shown that these early experiences ________ later attachment relationships.

A) working models;systematically affect
B) the attachment behavioral system;systematically affect
C) working models;determine satisfaction in
D) the attachment behavioral system;determine satisfaction in

Question 43

Berndt enjoys spending time with his romantic partner,but he seldom talks with her about relationship issues or concerns.He prefers that his partner talk with her friends when she is upset about something because he is not comfortable discussing relationship issues and does not think that it is useful for her to talk about such issues with him.Which of the following best fits Berndt's approach to relationships?

A) Berndt has a secure attachment style: he is realistic in knowing that it would be more useful for his partner to talk to her friends rather than to him when something is bothering her.
B) Berndt has a fearful (insecure)attachment style: he is worried that if he talks with his partner about her relationship concerns,she will end up breaking up with him.
C) Berndt has an anxious (insecure)attachment style: he would like to be closer to his partner,so he avoids talking about her relationship concerns to focus on the positive aspects of their relationship.
D) Berndt has an avoidant (insecure)attachment style: he is happy not being too emotionally close to his partner and expresses less emotion in response to events in their relationship.

Question 44

Compared to secure individuals,insecure individuals (high anxiety and/or high avoidance)tend to:

A) maximize the impact of negative relationship events.
B) minimize the impact of negative relationship events.
C) experience more positive emotion in their relationships.
D) display less negative emotion when communicating with their partners.

Question 45

How would attachment theorists classify adults who are high on the self-relevant dimension of anxiety and high on the other-relevant dimension of avoidance?

A) secure
B) preoccupied
C) dismissive
D) fearful

Question 46

Linda is thought to have an insecure attachment style.Which of the following is NOT one way she can reduce her sense of insecurity?

A) deepen her self-affirmation
B) adopt her partner's perspective
C) increase her psychological closeness
D) decrease her physical closeness

Question 47

You are asked to go on a daily show at a local radio station to discuss the effects of divorce on children.One of the presenters claims that,when a parents' marriage is filled with conflict,children have considerably worse outcomes as adults if the parents stay together than if they divorce.How will you address this point on the show?

Question 48

Barbara and Sean have been married 5 years;Barbara's parents divorced when she was 14,and Sean's parents are still married.Their friends,Ksenia and Eke,have been married 2 years;Ksenia's parents are still married,and Eke's parents divorced when he was 11.Both couples participate in a study about couple communication,where they are observed in the laboratory discussing relationship difficulties with their spouses.Based on the material in the textbook about communication patterns in couples with intact or divorced parents,how would you expect Barbara's,Sean's,Ksenia's,and Eke's communication patterns to differ?

Question 49

You are asked to go on a daily show at a local radio station to discuss the effects of divorce on children.One of the presenters claims that children of divorce have considerably worse outcomes as adults compared to the adult children of intact marriages.How will you address this point on the show?

Question 50

Regarding attachment theory,which of the following is true?

A) Anxiety reflects the degree to which we view others as approachable or rejecting.
B) Avoidance reflects a dislike of other people.
C) Anxiety stems from inconsistent and unavailable care giving.
D) Avoidance of others stems from a lack of self-confidence and a fear about others' regard for the self.

Question 51

The parents of 9-year-old Wolfgang have just divorced.From your textbook,you know that a number of factors can undermine Wolfgang's adjustment (e.g. ,parental conflict,economic difficulties).How can Wolfgang minimize the impact of these adverse effects (although he may not consciously be aware of doing so)?

Question 52

What is the Big Five model of personality?

Question 53

Explain how the magnitude of the effects of divorce on children can be interpreted in different ways.

Question 54

Briefly describe the five key conclusions that have emerged from research into the ways parental conflict and divorce affect individuals as they develop through childhood to adolescence and into adulthood.

Question 55

How are the Big Five personality traits related to relationship quality?

Question 56

In attachment theory,adults differ along the two main dimensions of:

A) anxiety and avoidance.
B) warmth and rejection.
C) pain and responsiveness.
D) comfort and closeness.

Question 57

Kadija has never thought much of herself,and she does not think that her partner,Mac,does either.Mac has been preoccupied at work lately,and Kadija thinks that he is drifting away from her.Because of her dissatisfaction,Kadija has been quick to anger,and she and Mac have been arguing a lot.Use the four key phases of the dependence regulation model to explain what is happening in Kadija and Mac's relationship.

Question 58

Describe the associations between enduring emotional traits and experiences people have in intimate relationships.

Question 59

Describe the dependence regulation model and the four key phases.

Question 60

How would attachment theorists classify adults who are low on the self-relevant dimension of anxiety and low on the other-relevant dimension of avoidance?

A) secure
B) preoccupied
C) dismissive
D) fearful

Question 61

The social learning theory posits that individuals learn about relationships by observing how family members relate to one another.According to your text,what are some empirical examples that support this theory?

Question 62

After being married 6 years,Sarah forgets the birthday of her wife,Amanda.Your textbook points out that internal working models of attachment affect how we view interpersonal events.Discuss how Amanda's interpretations about Sarah's behavior might differ depending on whether she is high or low in anxiety and avoidance.

Question 63

Explain how early caregiver interactions impact individual differences in attachment.

Question 64

Describe the dimensions of attachment anxiety and avoidance.