Deck 13: Theories of Personality

Question 1

As part of an application for a job, Emilio is asked to complete some psychological tests including one in which he responds true or false to items such as "I feel sad most of the time" and "I had a good childhood." What type of psychological test is Emilio taking?

A) a behavioral log
B) the TAT
C) a projective test
D) an inventory

Answer 1

an inventory

Question 2

Which of the following is CORRECT concerning cross-cultural studies on trait theories?

A) No evidence has been found to support these theories.
B) Research in this area is too new to report any findings.
C) Evidence for the five trait dimensions has been found in several cultures.
D) Most cultural research methods are too vague to be validated.

Answer 2

Evidence for the five trait dimensions has been found in several cultures.

Question 3

Which of the following do Abraham Maslow's and Carl Rogers's theories have in common?

A) They are both stage theories.
B) They focus on unconscious motivation.
C) They both fit in the learning/cognitive perspective.
D) They believe that each human being is free to choose his or her own destiny.

Answer 3

They believe that each human being is free to choose his or her own destiny.

Question 4

Jung believed that there are two levels to the unconscious mind, the personal and the __________.

A) collective
B) animus
C) anima
D) preconscious

Question 5

What is Freud's term for the primitive side of personality that is motivated primarily by biological drives?

A) id
B) ego
C) superego
D) preconscious

Question 6

You are about to undergo delicate brain surgery that requires great skill on the part of the surgeon. As the surgical team wheels you into the operating room, you hope the surgeon has a high level of __________.

A) ego
B) extraversion
C) self-efficacy
D) superego

Question 7

The age at which a baby was weaned would have most impact on the __________ stage.

A) oral
B) anal
C) phallic
D) genital

Question 8

The __________ perspective is called the "third force" in personality theory.

A) psychoanalytic
B) behaviorist
C) cognitive
D) humanistic

Question 9

A person's responses to a projective test are thought to reflect __________.

A) current events
B) daydreaming themes
C) maladaptive patterns of behavior
D) unconscious thoughts and feelings

Question 10

Your teacher organizes a debate on Freudian theory. You are assigned to be on the anti-Freud side and therefore must point out problems in the theory. Which of the following will be at the top of your list?

A) Children do not have sexual motives.
B) Psychodynamic concepts are difficult to test.
C) Defense mechanisms actually increase anxiety.
D) Psychoanalytic therapy is effective for treating psychotics only.

Question 11

While taking the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Michael notices that it contains certain questions that are asked several times in different ways. He asks his daughter, who is a graduate student in psychology, why that is. What is his daughter likely to say?

A) Truly psychotic individuals expect to find "strange" items on tests.
B) Those items contain hidden content that is not apparent to normal people.
C) Some items are used to determine if test takers are trying to "fake" the test.
D) The MMPI includes some experimental items used in developing future versions of the test.

Question 12

Freud believed that the __________ was the most important determining factor in human behavior and personality, and this theory was a shock to people in the Victorian era in which Freud lived.

A) id
B) preconscious mind
C) manifest awareness
D) unconscious mind

Question 13

In Sigmund Freud's theory, the __________ operates according to the pleasure principle.

A) id
B) ego
C) thanatos
D) superego

Question 14

According to Hofstede's dimensions of cultural personality, cultures that are __________ are assertive and competitive.

A) collectivistic
B) masculine
C) high in power distance
D) high in uncertainty avoidance

Question 15

Carl Rogers believed that people question themselves and experience negative effects on their self-concept when they receive __________.

A) conditional esteem
B) unconditional esteem
C) conditional positive regard
D) unconditional positive regard

Question 16

When one thinks of "value judgment" in relation to moral or ethical behavior, one is thinking about __________.

A) soul
B) character
C) temperament
D) conscience

Question 17

What did Raymond Cattell call the underlying traits that direct surface traits?

A) source traits
B) secondary traits
C) background traits
D) subordinate traits

Question 18

Probably the BIGGEST problem with personality assessments by behaviorists is the __________.

A) observer effect
B) subject bias
C) experimenter bias
D) test bias

Question 19

Which of the following is LEAST likely to be associated with a collectivistic culture?

A) duty
B) order
C) respect for elders
D) equality

Question 20

Adoption studies focusing on the heritability of traits have __________.

A) disputed the findings of twin studies
B) been attacked for ethical reasons
C) confirmed what twin studies have shown
D) shown that twin studies have methods that need to be reexamined

Question 21

Freud believed that the __________ was the most important determining factor in human behavior and personality, and this theory was a shock to people in the Victorian era in which Freud lived.

A) id
B) preconscious mind
C) manifest awareness
D) unconscious mind

Question 22

"If it feels good, do it" BEST describes which part of the personality?

A) the id
B) the ego
C) the superego
D) the preconscious

Question 23

When one thinks of "value judgment" in relation to personality, one is thinking about __________.

A) soul
B) character
C) temperament
D) conscience

Question 24

Hamid was filling out a job application and was required to disclose his home address, social security number, and email address. According to Freud, this kind of general information in our memory that can be easily recalled is stored in the __________ mind.

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

Question 25

Esme and Chloe are having a conversation about men. "You know," Chloe says, "I think my husband tries to annoy me! Even though he tries to do what I ask, I think that subconsciously he really enjoys ticking me off to see the reactions he'll get. Freud must have been right!" Esme, who has just studied personality psychology in school, corrects Chloe by saying which of the following?

A) "You're probably right, Chloe. Freud was really into subconscious motives."
B) "Freud's theory has absolutely no validity in the modern times, Chloe. Stop analyzing your husband!"
C) "Freud really didn't address the psychological functioning of men, Chloe, only women."
D) "Well, Chloe, there really is no 'subconscious' in Freud's theory!"

Question 26

A patient waiting for an appointment with Sigmund Freud looks around the room to see who else is waiting. Who among the following is MOST likely to have been one of Freud's patients?

A) Alfred, a coal-mine worker who is severely depressed
B) Fannie, a maid, who is severely depressed
C) Elizabeth, a wealthy woman who is suffering from sexual repression
D) Edgar, a soldier who is suffering from a hysterical disorder

Question 27

What is Freud's term for the primitive side of personality that is motivated primarily by biological drives?

A) id
B) ego
C) superego
D) preconscious

Question 28

Freud believed the mind had __________ level(s).

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four

Question 29

Sigmund Freud proposed that his patients' disorders resulted most often from psychological conflicts related to __________.

A) sex
B) denial
C) marriage
D) depression

Question 30

According to Freud, ideas, thoughts, and feelings of which we are currently aware are in the __________ mind.

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

Question 31

According to Freud, thoughts and feelings that are well below the surface of awareness and cannot normally be recalled are in the __________ mind.

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

Question 32

According to Freud, material that we are not currently aware of but that can be easily recalled is in the __________ mind.

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

Question 33

Many have compared Freud's concept of the mind to an iceberg. If that were the case, and you were standing on the deck of a ship in Alaska, what part of the mind would you see above the water?

A) ego
B) anima
C) id
D) preconscious

Question 34

Which of the following statements accurately 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 a vital part of personality.
D) Temperament refers to negative personal characteristics, while personality refers to positive personal characteristics.

Question 35

Sigmund Freud's theory came at a time in history when the predominant attitude toward sex was __________.

A) liberal
B) open
C) repressed
D) obsessed

Question 36

The unique and relatively stable ways in which each individual thinks, acts, and feels is called __________.

A) personality
B) nurture
C) a trait
D) nature

Question 37

"What did you have for breakfast an hour ago?" Before I asked you that question, the information was in your __________ mind.

A) conscious
B) unconscious
C) postconscious
D) preconscious

Question 38

Freud named the most primitive part of the personality the id, which is a Latin word that means __________.

A) "sex"
B) "pleasure"
C) "I"
D) "it"

Question 39

Which component of a person's personality is responsible for the continuing desire to engage in indiscriminate sex?

A) the ego
B) the superego
C) the id
D) the preconscious

Question 40

In Sigmund Freud's theory, the __________ operates according to the pleasure principle.

A) id
B) ego
C) thanatos
D) superego

Question 41

You are quite hungry but don't have any money. If you were described as "all id and only id," what would you do?

A) Distract yourself with images of food.
B) Steal a hot dog from the vendor on the corner.
C) Run all the way home to get something to eat as soon as possible.
D) Use the defense mechanism of denial to thwart the hunger pangs until an appropriate meal can be obtained.

Question 42

The ego operates according to which principle?

A) the guilt/pride principle
B) the reality principle
C) the pleasure principle
D) the reflex principle

Question 43

There were three friends. Maybe you've heard of them! Harry was rational, logical, and cunning. Hermione was rule-oriented, moral, and always ethical. Ron was pleasure-seeking, found it hard to delay gratification, and usually just did what he wanted. According to Freud, Hermione was mostly __________.

A) id
B) ego
C) superego
D) libido

Question 44

According to Freud, the second part of the personality is the ego, which gets its name from the Latin word for __________.

A) "right"
B) "pride"
C) "I"
D) "self"

Question 45

According to Freud, the reality principle is the way in which __________.

A) the ego tries to delay satisfying the id's desires until it can do so safely and successfully
B) the id tries to obtain gratification and avoid pain
C) the ego ideal establishes standards of what one would like to be
D) young children instinctively seek self-actualization

Question 46

According to Freud, rationality, logical thinking, and reasoning are controlled by the __________.

A) pleasure principle
B) ego
C) superego
D) animus

Question 47

The __________ controls the satisfaction of the id's drives in a socially acceptable manner.

A) personal unconscious
B) ego
C) superego
D) persona

Question 48

Kat becomes furious when her favorite hockey player is intentionally hurt by an opponent. According to Freud's model of the mind, Kat's id would unconsciously say:

A) "Thou shalt not kill!"
B) "I'm going to tear this program in half!"
C) "What, me angry? I never get angry!"
D) "I'm so angry I could kill that player!"

Question 49

A personality that consisted of only the ego and the id would be completely __________.

A) illogical
B) selfless
C) rational
D) amoral

Question 50

Max is an executive with a large financial firm. Anytime his investments do poorly, he throws temper tantrums and breaks things. Then he starts barking orders at his secretary. Which personality structure would Freud say is exerting control?

A) the id
B) the superego
C) the ego
D) the preconscious

Question 51

An individual operating on the reality principle seeks __________.

A) immediate gratification
B) perfect accomplishments
C) to reveal unconscious motivations
D) rational means for obtaining gratification

Question 52

There were three friends. Maybe you've heard of them! Harry was rational, logical, and cunning. Hermione was rule-oriented, moral, and always ethical. Ron was pleasure-seeking, found it hard to delay gratification, and usually just did what he wanted. According to Freud, Ron was mostly __________.

A) id
B) ego
C) superego
D) libido

Question 53

There were three friends. Maybe you've heard of them! Harry was rational, logical, and cunning. Hermione was rule-oriented, moral, and always ethical. Ron was pleasure-seeking, found it hard to delay gratification, and usually just did what he wanted. According to Freud, Harry was mostly __________.

A) id
B) ego
C) superego
D) conscience

Question 54

In Freud's theory, the id is to fun as the superego is to __________.

A) guilt
B) pride
C) rules
D) freedom

Question 55

The pleasure principle is associated with which element of Freud's personality theory?

A) the id
B) the ego
C) the superego
D) the preconscious

Question 56

What is Freud's term for the executive of the personality that has a realistic plan for obtaining gratification of an individual's desires?

A) id
B) ego
C) superego
D) preconscious

Question 57

Kumiko is studying for her political science test. Her boyfriend, Ian, asks if she can go to a concert with him. She would love to go but she knows she has to study for the test in order to pass the class. What part of Kumiko's personality will tell her to stay home and study because passing the class is necessary for her to graduate?

A) her ego, because it is the moral conscience of her personality
B) her id, because studying is what she really wants to do
C) her libido, because she knows Ian will love her more if she studies
D) her superego, because it is this part of the personality that is the moral conscience

Question 58

For Freud, the only personality structure present at birth is the __________.

A) id
B) ego
C) superego
D) preconscious

Question 59

Which element in Freud's personality theory contains the conscience?

A) the id
B) the ego
C) the superego
D) the preconscious

Question 60

The job of the __________ is to find practical ways for the __________ to get its pleasure needs met without offending the morality of the __________.

A) id; ego; superego
B) ego; id; superego
C) ego; superego; id
D) superego; id; ego

Question 61

When anxiety-provoking memories are prevented from reaching conscious awareness, such as not remembering lying to parents, it is called __________.

A) denial
B) sublimation
C) repression
D) regression

Question 62

Condoleeza is angry with her boss, so she leaves work a little early in order to run an extra mile before it gets dark. Which defense mechanism is Condoleeza employing?

A) repression
B) reaction formation
C) rationalization
D) sublimation

Question 63

According to Freud, what is the dominant source of erogenous pleasure during the first 18 months of life?

A) the genitals
B) the mouth
C) the hands
D) the anus

Question 64

When Pavati orders a hot fudge sundae and a diet soda, she tells herself that the calories from the ice cream really are not a big deal because the diet soda sort of balances it all out. Which of Freud's defense mechanisms is motivating Pavati?

A) repression
B) rationalization
C) sublimation
D) projection

Question 65

In the metaphor of the angel, the devil, and me, the angel is the __________.

A) id
B) ego
C) superego
D) unconscious

Question 66

According to Freud, what is the result of conflict between the id and the superego?

A) libido
B) depression
C) psychosis
D) anxiety

Question 67

What did Sigmund Freud believe could happen if our needs were delayed at a particular psychosexual stage?

A) We could become fixated at that stage.
B) We would revert to our biological predispositions.
C) We would be more capable of overcoming the obstacle in adulthood.
D) We could become overly dependent on the superego for future guidance.

Question 68

What is Freud's term for the unconscious efforts by the ego to deny or distort reality for the purpose of protecting itself when conflict becomes too intense?

A) false cognitions
B) coping techniques
C) disordered thinking
D) psychological defense mechanisms

Question 69

For Freud, the moral guardian of personality is the __________.

A) id
B) superego
C) ego
D) libido

Question 70

Jeff has been having an affair with another woman. One afternoon, when his wife comes home later than usual, Jeff becomes angry and accuses her of infidelity. Which defense mechanism is behind Jeff's accusation?

A) denial
B) projection
C) rationalization
D) reaction formation

Question 71

Sigmund Freud's psychosexual stages focus on several parts of the body, identified as __________ zones.

A) focal
B) erogenous
C) pleasure
D) unconscious

Question 72

What is the correct sequence of Freud's psychosexual stages?

A) latency, anal, oral, genital, phallic
B) oral, genital, latency, phallic, anal
C) anal, oral, latency, phallic, genital
D) oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital

Question 73

According to Freud's theory of personality development, there are __________ stages through which each person must pass.

A) three
B) five
C) seven
D) eight

Question 74

From what Latin phrase is the term superego derived?

A) "without morals"
B) "above the rules"
C) "beyond me"
D) "over the self"

Question 75

According to Freud, when does the superego develop?

A) at birth
B) during infancy
C) during the preschool years
D) during adolescence

Question 76

When Freud referred to the sexual drive of babies and young children, he was really referring to the fact that __________.

A) sexual orientation is established from birth
B) children focus on their bodies to give them physical pleasure
C) children need to be taught about sexual morality from a very early age
D) children have genitals that distinguish them as male or female from birth

Question 77

Alejandro was just told that his father has cancer. Alejandro's first response is that there must be a mistake, and he demands that the doctor repeat his tests. Which defense mechanism is at work here?

A) reaction formation
B) denial
C) repression
D) undoing

Question 78

In the metaphor of the angel, the devil, and me, the devil is the __________.

A) id
B) ego
C) superego
D) libido

Question 79

Cassidy took home some printer paper from the office. Later, she felt guilty for stealing it, so she brought some paper to work to replace what she took. Freud would suggest that Cassidy's __________ was influencing her motives and behavior.

A) id
B) unconscious mind
C) ego
D) superego

Question 80

Aiden is sick of writing papers and studying for tests, but he knows he needs a college degree if he wants to be successful in his chosen career. So every morning Aiden gives himself a dressing down-in essence, yelling at himself-to make himself get out of bed and go to classes, and every evening he does the same thing to get himself to do his work. According to Freud, which personality structure is in control here?

A) the id
B) the ego
C) the unconscious
D) the superego