Deck 12: The Individual Mind Personality and the Self

Question 1

Of the following examples, who illustrates one key contribution that Alfred Adler made to psychodynamic thought?

A) Gertrude, who is proud of her parents' rise from "poverty to PhDs" and often tells people about their success
B) Maia, who is ashamed that she grew up in a very poor family, and, to hide this, tells people instead that her well-to-do family always sent her to private schools
C) Faluh, who is somewhat self-conscious about her prominent nose, but takes pride in her resemblance to her grandfather
D) Rachel, who tends to eat, drink, and smoke to excess, which may reflect an unresolved conflict in her early development

Answer 1

Maia, who is ashamed that she grew up in a very poor family, and, to hide this, tells people instead that her well-to-do family always sent her to private schools

Question 2

Of the following topics related to Freudian theory, which is not currently a topic of research in psychological science?

A) The notion of defense mechanisms
B) The distinction between conscious and unconscious processes
C) The descriptions of some types of adult personalities
D) The existence of both the Oedipus and Electra complexes

Answer 2

The existence of both the Oedipus and Electra complexes

Question 3

Which of the following best describes the attitude of most psychologists today toward Freud?

A) They question the scientific validity of Freud's theories.
B) They adhere closely to Freud's theories.
C) They appreciate the extensive scientific research underlying Freud's theories.
D) They admire the effectiveness of Freud's psychoanalysis.

Answer 3

They question the scientific validity of Freud's theories.

Question 4

Which of the following is a common feature of neo-Freudian theories?

A) The substitution of sexuality and pleasure for social competence as the major motivation for human behavior
B) The substitution of rigorous scientific research for intuition in the development of theories
C) The substitution of social competence for sexuality and pleasure as the major motivation for human behavior
D) The substitution of intuition for rigorous scientific research in the development of theories

Question 5

For as long as she can remember, Brinja's passion in life has been to eat, drink, and be merry. Which component of Freud's personality theory does this reflect?

A) Superego
B) Id
C) Unconscious
D) Ego

Question 6

Which of the following is a contribution of Carl Jung to psychodynamic thought?

A) The individual unconscious mind
B) The importance of birth order
C) The collective unconscious mind
D) Penis envy and pregnancy envy

Question 7

In Freud's theory of personality development, the correct order of stages is which of the following?

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

Question 8

Oliver has just obtained his motorcycle license. He is nervous that he might break one of numerous "rules of the road" and receive both a ticket and a reprimand from his parents. Which component of Freud's personality theory reflects this need to behave in moral, or right , ways?

A) Unconscious
B) Ego
C) Superego
D) Id

Question 9

The different periods in Freud's theory of the developing personality are called

A) defense mechanisms.
B) psychosexual stages.
C) developmental complexes.
D) reaction formations.

Question 10

Sigmund Freud's treatment approach based on his psychodynamic theory is called

A) psychosexual development.
B) psychoanalysis.
C) behaviorism.
D) self-actualization.

Question 11

In Freud's personality theory, a protective behavior that reduces anxiety is called a

A) trait.
B) psychosexual stage.
C) defense mechanism.
D) level of awareness.

Question 12

According to your text, what does the science of personality explore?

A) Global patterns of identification, socialization, and adaptation
B) Distinctive patterns of morals, desires, and behaviors
C) Unique patterns of being, perceiving, and sensing
D) Characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving

Question 13

Of the following examples, who would be pursuing a dissertation research topic reflecting the contributions of Alfred Adler?

A) Karen, who is researching the extent to which men envy women's roles and abilities
B) Jimi, who is researching the relationships between the introversion-extroversion continuum and artistic creativity
C) Philip, who is researching the level of self-actualization of adolescent children of immigrant parents
D) Kim, who is researching the effects of birth order on professional and financial success

Question 14

Theorists who attempted to update and modify Sigmund Freud's original theory of personality are called

A) neo-Freudians.
B) psychoanalysts.
C) Gestaltists.
D) humanists.

Question 15

Of the following types of personality tests, which is based largely on characteristics that were proposed by Carl Jung but has not held up well to scientific analyses of validity and reliability?

A) The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
B) The California Personality Inventory (CPI)
C) The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
D) The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

Question 16

In Freud's view, it is the job of the ego, or self, to

A) balance the pleasure-seeking impulses of the superego with the morality imposed by the id.
B) embrace the moralistic needs of the superego, even at times when rules are not crucial.
C) enhance the pleasure-seeking impulses of the id so that gratification is achieved as often as possible.
D) coordinate the needs of the id with the demands of reality.

Question 17

Professor Schaefer asks Anita to explain psychodynamic theory for the class. How should Anita respond?

A) Psychic energy is moved among the compartments of the personality: id, ego, and superego.
B) Psychic energy is created and destroyed in an open system made up of the id, ego, and superego.
C) Psychic energy is stored in the compartments of the personality: id, ego, and unconscious.
D) Psychic energy is created and destroyed in the process of personality formation.

Question 18

In Freud's personality theory, the self that others see is called the

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

Question 19

Jonah is a very physical and quite aggressive 8-year-old. All his friends were signed up for soccer, but his parents chose football for him. This is an example of _____, because it redirects negative energy into a socially acceptable expression.

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

Question 20

According to Freudian theory, what is the part of mind that can affect our behavior without our awareness?

A) Preconscious mind
B) Unconscious mind
C) Id
D) Superconscious mind

Question 21

Paula is conducting her doctoral dissertation research in the contemporary offshoot of humanistic psychology. Which would be an appropriate title for Paula's dissertation?

A) "A Gestalt Approach-Eschewing Parts for Wholes"
B) "Positive Psychology-Focusing on What Works"
C) "Interpersonal Psychology-Relationships That Matter"
D) "Eclecticism-Many Become One"

Question 22

One of the earliest attempts to categorize personality traits came from Allport and Odbert (1936), who identified 4,500 terms in the dictionary that related to personality. Later, statistical methods were used to reduce these words to a list of _____ personality traits.

A) 8
B) 16
C) 24
D) 32

Question 23

Daryl is a painter and poet whose work often portrays fantasy images that evoke strong emotion. He loves to travel, particularly in Asia, to view the art at sacred sites and learn about local culture. The Big Five trait that best describes this aspect of Daryl's personality is

A) agreeableness.
B) openness.
C) conscientiousness.
D) extroversion.

Question 24

Liz, who is very warm and friendly, is the life of the party. In fact, Liz invites friends over for parties or cookouts every weekend that she is free (i.e., when she's not involved with a book club, painting class, or yoga retreat). The Big Five trait that best describes this aspect of Liz's personality is

A) neuroticism.
B) openness.
C) extroversion.
D) conscientiousness.

Question 25

Each of the Big Five traits consists of a

A) continuum from one extreme to the other.
B) core belief.
C) two-factor correlation.
D) series of stages.

Question 26

To remember the Big Five traits, use the acronym

A) STORM.
B) FRAME.
C) EARTH.
D) OCEAN.

Question 27

Roger is 3 years old and very exuberant. His mother has little patience with him and is most accepting of him when he plays very quietly by himself. According to Carl Rogers's humanistic theory of personality, what is the most likely result of this upbringing?

A) Self-actualization
B) Self-esteem
C) Self-discrepancies
D) Self-efficacy

Question 28

Liz, who is very warm and friendly, is the life of the party. In fact, Liz invites friends over for parties or cookouts every weekend that she is free (i.e., when she's not involved with a book club, painting class, or yoga retreat). Although she appreciates her friend Alicia, and Alicia would be hurt not to be included, Alicia dampens the party with her anxiety, anger, hostility, and tendency toward depression. Liz never knows what she will do or say next. The Big Five trait that best describes this aspect of Alicia's personality is

A) neuroticism.
B) cynicism.
C) instability.
D) unpredictability.

Question 29

Liz, who is very warm and friendly, is the life of the party. In fact, Liz invites friends over for parties or cookouts every weekend that she is free (i.e., when she's not involved with a book club, painting class, or yoga retreat). Liz's husband dreads it when she invites friends over. He is reserved, uncomfortable with people he does not know well, and prefers quiet evenings of reading. The Big Five trait that best describes this aspect of his personality is

A) conscientiousness.
B) passiveness.
C) neuroticism.
D) introversion.

Question 30

Which of the following is true about Abraham Maslow?

A) He was primarily interested in human motivation.
B) He conducted most of his research on rats and pigeons.
C) He developed a theory of personality based on his experience as a therapist.
D) He observed that exceptional people generally lacked a sense of humor but had many friends.

Question 31

Which of the following describes a humanistic approach, as opposed to a behaviorist or Freudian approach, to the study of psychology?

A) Humanists emphasized the significance of abnormal behaviors.
B) Humanists relied heavily on animal research for their findings.
C) Humanists viewed human nature as essentially dark.
D) Humanists advocated studying exceptional people to see why they succeeded.

Question 32

What is a trait?

A) A variable in shaping personality based on learning
B) A dimension of temperament
C) A stable personality characteristic
D) A personality gene

Question 33

June is 3 years old and very exuberant. Her mother encourages her and accepts her lively personality. According to Carl Rogers's humanistic theory of personality, her mother is showing June

A) effective modeling.
B) strong positive reinforcement.
C) unconditional positive regard.
D) genetically based parenting.

Question 34

Karen Horney rejected many of Freud's ideas to concentrate on aspects of the culture that contributed to

A) men's feelings of worthlessness.
B) women's feelings of inferiority.
C) women's pursuit of love over wealth.
D) men's pursuit of wealth over relationships.

Question 35

Which criticism, which has been leveled against the psychodynamic theories, has also been targeted at humanistic theories of personality development?

A) That these psychologists overemphasize the role of genetics and biology
B) That these psychologists have not contributed anything of real value to the field
C) That these psychologists have negative views of women
D) That these psychologists are unscientific in their methods

Question 36

Because learning is a lifetime process, behaviorists expected

A) to see change in personalities over time.
B) personality characteristics learned early to remain stable.
C) unconscious influences to shape personality over time.
D) genetic factors to have a strong influence on personality.

Question 37

Which statistical method was used to analyze the clustering of personality traits?

A) Factor analysis
B) Analysis of variance
C) t -test
D) Chi-squared test

Question 38

The humanists are most interested in the

A) rigor of the methods by which their theories were developed.
B) process by which personality develops.
C) characteristics that emerge in personality development.
D) stability and consistency of patterns of behavior.

Question 39

The Big Five theory is a trait theory that identifies five main characteristics that account for the

A) distinctions between individualistic and collectivistic societies.
B) majority of individual differences in personality.
C) primary mental health problems in society.
D) general ability to function and succeed.

Question 40

Clancy's boss is rude to Clancy and most of the staff. He tends to be cynical, uncooperative, and critical of his employees. This boss is particularly low on which of the following Big Five traits?

A) Agreeableness
B) Openness
C) Conscientiousness
D) Introversion

Question 41

Research showing that situations can exert a stronger influence on people's behavior than any individual predispositions highlights the

A) accuracy of the general trait approach.
B) power of the id.
C) limits of the general trait approach.
D) human need for self-actualization.

Question 42

Jared, a college senior, is an outgoing person. His first reaction to many things is excitement, such as taking on a new challenge, meeting new people, or interviewing for a new job. From a biological perspective he would be described as having a low level of reactivity. Toward which end of the continuum of these Big Five traits would he likely fall?

A) Introversion and neuroticism
B) Extroversion and openness
C) Introversion and emotional stability
D) Extroversion and disagreeability

Question 43

A child's pattern of mood, activity, or emotional responsiveness, which is linked to later personality, is called the child's

A) self-esteem.
B) self-concept.
C) character.
D) temperament.

Question 44

What is the theory of personality that features cognition and learning, especially from the social environment, as important sources of individual differences in personality?

A) Psychodynamic theory
B) Trait theory
C) Behaviorism
D) Social-cognitive learning theory

Question 45

A person who sees outcomes as the result of individual effort has an internal

A) reciprocal determinism.
B) locus of control.
C) response tendency.
D) defense mechanisms.

Question 46

Jan is studying the firing of neurons in the brains of rats as part of her dissertation research on memory. She is disciplined in her research process and in record-keeping and follows her advisor's recommendations to the letter, as she wants to eventually accomplish a lot in this field. The Big Five trait that best describes this aspect of Jan's personality is

A) openness.
B) extroversion.
C) conscientiousness.
D) agreeableness.

Question 47

Of the following, who most reflects self-efficacy?

A) Maria, who tries to redirect her aggressive urges into more prosocial channels
B) Todd, who believes that he can handle challenging situations and obtain future rewards
C) Beth, who tends to attribute her own problems and anxieties to others
D) Marcus, who believes that most of the things that happen to him are due to luck or factors beyond his control

Question 48

Most efforts to study the effects of genetics on personality use

A) factor analysis.
B) qualitative methods.
C) the twin study method.
D) the study of siblings.

Question 49

Which of the following Big Five traits had the greatest positive correlation with success across a wide range of professional, skilled, and unskilled job descriptions?

A) Agreeableness
B) Conscientiousness
C) Extroversion
D) Openness

Question 50

Genetics account for a percentage of the variability seen in the population's personality. What is the source of the remaining percentage of variability?

A) Only nonshared experiences
B) Both shared and nonshared experiences
C) Nurture
D) Only shared experiences

Question 51

Researchers have identified structural correlates in the brains of adults for four of the Big Five personality traits. Which Big Five personality trait has not yet been correlated with a structure of the brain?

A) Agreeableness
B) Openness
C) Neuroticism
D) Conscientiousness

Question 52

What is the approximate heritability ratio of the Big Five personality traits in humans?

A) 0.25
B) 0.40
C) 0.50
D) 0.65

Question 53

The critical finding of the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart (Bouchard, 1994; Bouchard, Lykken, McGue, Segal, & Tellegen, 1990) was that identical twins raised apart and together were

A) very similar to one another on nonreligious social attitudes, but quite far apart on occupational interests.
B) very similar to one another, whether the overall positive correlation for a particular characteristic was strong or weak.
C) very different from each other, depending on the families within which they were raised.
D) generally similar to each other on physical characteristics, but not on social characteristics.

Question 54

What is the social-cognitive learning theory of personality that features the mutual influence of the person and situation on each other?

A) Reciprocal determinism
B) Behaviorism
C) Self-efficacy
D) Locus of control

Question 55

According to Walter Mischel, if a child experiences a particular situation, he or she will then respond with a unique, stable set of behaviors. These if-then patterns will be characteristic of an individual, leading to the stable characteristics we think of as

A) traits.
B) temperament.
C) personality.
D) self-concept.

Question 56

Aaron, a pre-med student, received an A on his anatomy and physiology exam. He told his roommate that he had studied for the exam, and that it was just good luck that the professor had asked so many questions that he understood. Aaron appears to have

A) an external locus of control.
B) reciprocal determinism.
C) high self-efficacy.
D) an internal locus of control.

Question 57

What are the two dimensions of temperament that appear to be particularly important for adult personality?

A) Introversion and neuroticism
B) Conscientiousness and self-regulation
C) Reactivity and self-regulation
D) Reactivity and extroversion

Question 58

Surprisingly, research involving the use of a meta-analysis (Barrick & Mount, 1991) found that there is rather little relationship between the Big Five trait of _____ and job performance.

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

Question 59

Which of the following statements is true about the heritability ratio of personality traits in humans?

A) The heritability ratio does not tell us how an individual's personality actually develops.
B) Approximately 50% of the personality traits within a family are produced by genes.
C) The heritability ratio incorporates the effects of shared and nonshared environments on the production of particular outcomes.
D) Approximately 50% of a person's personality traits are produced by genes.

Question 60

Evidence across diverse cultures, including those of the United States, Japan, Korea, Germany, Portugal, Israel, and China, suggests that the Big Five personality traits ____ (McCrae & Costa, 1997).

A) are not applicable to all cultures
B) are more applicable in individualistic societies
C) are more applicable in collectivistic societies
D) represent a universal human characteristic

Question 61

Increasingly, analysis of data from cell phones or social media provides personality psychologists with _____ snapshots of real behavior.

A) standardized
B) real-time
C) implicitly valid
D) ecologically valid

Question 62

In Freudian theory, projection is

A) part of the Oedipus complex.
B) a psychosexual stage of development.
C) a defense mechanism.
D) a function of the superego.

Question 63

What is the self?

A) A personal database of memories and motivations from our entire life
B) The patterns of thought, feelings, and actions we perceive in our own minds
C) The characteristics we retain from our genetic history and share with our family members
D) The cognitive organization of our brains and the structural layers of our nervous systems

Question 64

Rosline is filling in a personality inventory in connection with joining the armed forces. The results are based on her self-report. Why is this a potential limitation?

A) Rosline's responses might be influenced by her need to appear socially appropriate.
B) Self-report can be very time consuming.
C) Results based on self-report invariably lack validity.
D) Rosline's responses may be overly objective.

Question 65

The text notes that Professor Jennifer Mather tested 44 octopuses systematically for their responses to stimuli such as being touched with a brush. What did she find?

A) Some responded "cheerfully," others with "anger," some went to sleep, and the last group appeared to have a nervous breakdown.
B) Most were identified as being agreeable and conscientious.
C) The octopuses seemed to have unique and stable responses, similar to having a "personality."
D) The octopuses were categorizable along the continua of all five traits of the Big Five.

Question 66

The cognitive organization that helps us think about the self and process self-relevant information is

A) a self-schema.
B) a self-concept.
C) self-awareness.
D) self-esteem.

Question 67

A person's sense of self combines all of the following factors EXCEPT

A) self-location.
B) a sense of unity.
C) free will.
D) out-of-body experiences.

Question 68

Which of the following is an advantage of personality inventories?

A) They are strong in reliability though weak in validity.
B) Testing is more expensive but valid and reliable.
C) Large numbers of people can be assessed quickly and inexpensively.
D) They are very nuanced and subjective.

Question 69

Mel's psychology professor told the class to quickly write down five things that complete a sentence that starts with "I am." Mel wrote: "I am a sophomore at Indiana University, majoring in international banking. I am on the swimming team and I am single." This is a description of Mel's

A) self-schema.
B) self-awareness.
C) self.
D) self-concept.

Question 70

Personality tests are widely used by therapists, potential employers, judges, and attorneys. These applications of personality assessment

A) are fundamental to a functioning society.
B) are well received by all concerned.
C) have been found to be civil rights violations.
D) raise important ethical concerns.

Question 71

Gia recites the definition of personality inventory to her study partner as: "A personality inventory is a subjective test, often using numbered scales or multiple choice questions, used to assess personality." Which part of her definition is in error?

A) Numbered scales
B) Subjective test
C) Multiple choice questions
D) Used to assess personality

Question 72

The only species to show variations in conscientiousness are humans and

A) dolphins.
B) dogs.
C) chimpanzees.
D) rats.

Question 73

To avoid the pitfalls of observation and interview, many psychologists turn to

A) standardized tests of personality.
B) individualized tests of personality.
C) participant observation.
D) long-term qualitative studies.

Question 74

Psychologists approach the study of the self by examining the ABCs. What are these?

A) Awareness, behavior, and concept
B) Affect, behavior, and cognition
C) Appearance, beliefs, and cognition
D) Actions, beliefs, and confidence

Question 75

A projective personality test provides an ambiguous stimulus onto which the test taker "projects" his or her personality and is based on

A) social-cognitive learning theory.
B) the humanistic theory of personality.
C) the Big Five theory.
D) Freudian theory.

Question 76

One of the most famous projective tests is the Rorschach Inkblot Test, which is

A) hardly used today.
B) more widely used than the MMPI.
C) highly valid and reliable.
D) a subscale of the Psychopathic Deviate scale.

Question 77

What are the two basic requirements of a good test?

A) Specificity and sensitivity
B) Specificity and generalizability
C) Validity and reliability
D) Reliability and sensitivity

Question 78

Mary Ellen is taking a personality test at her college's career counseling office. This test is not the MMPI. What form of question is most likely to be used on the test?

A) True-false options
B) Likert scales
C) Fill-in-the-blank
D) Essays

Question 79

Pria, a recent college graduate, has been asked to take a personality test as part of the process of applying for a position as an assisted living center activities director. According to the text, what should she do first?

A) Respond as thoroughly and honestly as possible to the test questions.
B) Consult with a lawyer and consider whether the request made by the potential employer is legal.
C) Fully educate herself regarding the test and make an informed decision about whether to proceed.
D) Review the guidelines of the American Care Providers Association as well as the American Civil Liberties Union.

Question 80

People who differ in neuroticism show different volumes of areas of the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and hippocampus, areas that have been implicated in

A) planning and achievement of goals.
B) voluntary control of behavior.
C) sensitivity to threat and stress.
D) executive functions.