Deck 12: Personality

Question 1

In Kluckhohn and Murray's view of personality, every person is like all other persons because to some degree, we all present

A) species-typical tendencies
B) individualistic tendencies
C) organism-typical tendencies
D) species specificity

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The study of individual differences in personality mainly focuses on characterizing people using

A) species-typical behaviors
B) traits
C) intelligence scales
D) psychological disorders

Answer 2

B

Question 3

According to Dan McAdams, each of us has a unique set of characteristic goals, beliefs, social roles, self-concepts, and plans for our lives, termed

A)conscious goals
B) characteristic adaptations
C) individual differences
D) traits

Answer 3

B

Question 4

According to Dan McAdams, the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves reflect the way we understand the events of our lives and our place in the world, giving meaning to our unique identities. These stories are called

A) individual differences
B) traits
C) self-narratives
D) characteristic adaptations

Question 5

All of the following are qualities of personality, EXCEPT:

A)Aspects of one's personality form a coherent picture.
B)Aspects of one's personality are integrated.
C) Aspects of one's personality are constantly changing.
D) Aspects of one's personality are relatively enduring.

Question 6

To say that one's personality is organized means that

A)their traits form a coherent picture
B) personality can be described easily in words
C) personality cannot be measured in traits
D) personality is relative to context

Question 7

People are not merely a random collection of traits, meaning that people's personalities are

A) integrated
B) organized
C) enduring
D) transient

Question 8

To say that personality traits are relatively enduring means that

A)traits are stable over time
B) traits are variable across situations
C) traits are stable only at birth
D) traits are constantly in flux

Question 9

The term grand theory has been applied to a few old theories of personality, like Sigmund Freud's theory, because those theories

A)are better than modern personality theories
B) sought to explain everything about personality
C) sought to explain only individual differences in personality
D) are more likely to be cited than later theories

Question 10

Though the term is sometimes used only to refer to the therapeutic techniques pioneered by Sigmund Freud, psychoanalysis, as a whole, is a theory of behavior that focuses on

A) unconscious conflicts and motivation
B) the development of sexual identity
C) the development of the super ego
D) measuring personality through observed behavior

Question 11

Freud used this term to refer to the part of the mind that was totally out of the range of a person's awareness.

A) preconscious
B) unconscious
C) semiconscious
D) id

Question 12

According to Freud, this is the only part of the mind that exists at the beginning of human life.

A) id
B) ego
C) super ego
D) secondary process

Question 13

The term primary process is synonymous with Freud's notion of the

A) id
B) ego
C) super ego
D) reality principle

Question 14

The id is driven primarily by the impulse to seek pleasure and avoid pain, known as the

A) primary process
B) pain principle
C) secondary process
D) pleasure principle

Question 15

In Freud's view, this part of the mind contains organizational and decision-making properties and is primarily concerned with assuring the safety and functioning of the individual.

A) id
B) ego
C) super ego
D) primary process

Question 16

The ego is driven by preservation of safety and functioning of the individual, termed the

A) pleasure principle
B) secondary process
C) reality principle
D) repressing principle

Question 17

Freud called the part of the mind that represents the internalization of human morality the

A) id
B) ego
C) super ego
D) reality principle

Question 18

When an individual is met with feelings of guilt or shame, those feelings are the effect of this entity on the ego.

A) id
B) ego
C) super ego
D) reality principle

Question 19

Though this term has its foundations in erotic and sexual desire, it actually refers to the level of energy and drive within a person.

A) lust
B) libido
C) appetite
D) attachment

Question 20

In Freud's view, if the psychosexual stages are not navigated properly, this crippling emotional illness and distortion of personality may result.

A) neurosis
B) schizophrenia
C) dissociative amnesia
D) libido

Question 21

Each psychosexual stage highlights a specific part of the child's body that is particularly sensitive to pleasurable stimulation. Collectively they are referred to as

A) genitals
B) fixations
C) erogenous zones
D) pleasure principles

Question 22

This fixation may result from psychological trauma surrounding breastfeeding.

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

Question 23

According to Freud, the oral-sadistic personality type is a metaphor that describes people who may do this as adults.

A) bite other people
B) be overly cynical and satirical
C) overconsume food or drink
D) underconsume food or drink

Question 24

The 1960s TV show The Odd Couple provided an example of the fixations that might result from trauma in this psychosexual stage.

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

Question 25

The Oedipus complex arises and must be resolved during this stage of psychosexual development.

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

Question 26

This is Freud's term for his notion that children of the phallic stage experience a powerful desire to erotically possess the opposite-sex parent and "do away" with the same-sex parent, who is a rival of sorts.

A) Oedipus complex
B) penis envy
C) castration complex
D) genital complex

Question 27

The main problem with Freud's conception of the conflicts arising in the phallic stage is that

A) children are hardly ever attached to their caregivers
B) children innately identify with their opposite-sex parent
C) Freud did not explain how a girl or boy would understand the use of a penis and its meaning
D) Freud did not explain how a mother and father would conceive a child obsessed with erotic pleasure

Question 28

During this psychosexual stage, the child's sexual interests supposedly lessen in urgency as same-sex friendships assume a position of greater importance in the child's life.

A) phallic
B) latency
C) genital
D) platonic

Question 29

In this psychosexual stage, sex resumes its place of importance as libidinal energy becomes an expression of adult sexuality.

A) phallic
B) latency
C) genital
D) platonic

Question 30

Freud used the term dynamic processes to refer to

A) the changing emphasis of sexual desire throughout childhood
B)the interaction and conflict among the id, ego, and superego
C) the personality characteristics that change throughout the person's life
D) the adult interest in sex and aggression as personality constructs

Question 31

In Freudian psychotherapy, dreams are analyzed primarily to reveal the

A)latent content
B) actual dream events
C) surface content
D) libidinal content

Question 32

These are mechanisms used by the ego to keep threatening or anxiety-provoking material from reaching awareness.

A) ego defense mechanisms
B) repression mechanisms
C) anxiety avoidance mechanisms
D) psychosexual mechanisms

Question 33

The fact that Freud's views about the mind and personality were explained in very convoluted, complex terms violates this important aspect of scientific theories.

A) parsimony
B) falsifiability
C) testability
D) reliability

Question 34

Many scientists complain that Freud's theories lack specific conditions, especially about unconscious desires, under which the theories can be potentially disproved. Thus, many of Freud's hypotheses cannot be

A) relied upon
B) falsified
C) proven
D) validated

Question 35

Which of the following components of Freud's theories have been least supported by scientific data?

A) tThe existence of anal and oral personality types
B) tThat childhood experiences have important impacts on personality
C) c.tThe existence of some defense mechanisms like denial
D) d.tThe universality of the Oedipus complex

Question 36

Behaviorist theories of personality were limited by the assertion that all behavior and personality development could be reduced to

A) conditioning
B) intrinsic motivation
C) innate personality characteristics
D) unconscious motives

Question 37

The humanistic movement in psychology serves as an important forbearer of this modern psychological movement.

A) social-cognitivist
B) positive psychology
C) evolutionary psychology
D) neuropsychology

Question 38

The central aspect of personality for humanists was an intrinsic evaluation of the quality of a person's own unique existence in the world, termed

A) self-esteem
B) self-concept
C) congruence
D) accurate empathy

Question 39

Carl Rogers used this term to mean that those around a child during his or her formative years must truly listen and hear the child, without passing judgment.

A) congruence
B) accurate empathy
C) unconditional positive regard
D) positive self-regard

Question 40

This term highlights the importance that others around the growing self are truly being genuine and are not presenting a self which reflects others' values and wishes rather than their own.

A) congruence
B) accurate empathy
C) unconditional positive regard
D) positive self-regard

Question 41

This humanistic term means that the approval and love we receive from important people in our lives are freely and fully given, regardless of flaws in our own behavior or character.

A) congruence
B) accurate empathy
C) unconditional positive regard
D) positive reinforcement

Question 42

According to the humanists, a child who does not receive unconditional positive regard from caregivers may ultimately be motivated by the desire to meet certain behavioral standards of approval, called

A) conditions of regard
B) conditions of worth
C) self-regarding standards
D) conditions of positive regard

Question 43

Research on humanistic concepts has had the greatest impact on the development of modern

A) psychotherapeutic techniques
B) social neuroscience research
C) cognitive psychology research
D) behavioral intervention techniques

Question 44

A person's cognitive and emotional assessments of his or her own self-worth is commonly referred to as

A) self-concept
B) self-esteem
C) self-help
D) self-regard

Question 45

According to this theory, self-esteem acts as a psychological buffer against the pervasive general anxiety all human beings feel when faced with the knowledge of their own inevitable death.

A) humanistic theory
B) terror management theory
C) anxiety avoidance theory
D) systematic desensitization theory

Question 46

Which of the following does NOt seem to be true regarding self-esteem and performance in school?

A) Artificially boosted self-esteem can decrease school performance.
B) Increased self-esteem leads to increased school performance.
C) Doing well in school leads to mild increases in self-esteem.
D) Over-estimation of self-esteem may impede improved school performance.

Question 47

Low self-esteem seems to be related to which of the following psychological disorders?

A)bulimia nervosa
B) schizophrenia
C) generalized anxiety disorder
D) obsessive-compulsive disorder

Question 48

Roy Baumeister and his colleagues label this aspect of high self-esteem the "dark side of self-esteem."

A) sexual promiscuity
B) aggression and violence
C) poor school performance
D) social loafing

Question 49

According to Gordon Allport, Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis often mistook ordinary motivations in personality and behavior for

A) unconscious motivations
B) personality traits
C) grand theories
D) irrational behavior

Question 50

These are relatively stable personality characteristics, attributes, and motivations that can be commonly captured in adjectives such as honest, cheerful, conscientious, etc.

A) types
B) traits
C) states
D) archetypes

Question 51

These are temporary, relatively unstable personality characteristics that are closely related to moods and emotions.

A) types
B) traits
C) states
D) archetypes

Question 52

This perspective on personality, pioneered by Gordon Allport, was the starting point for the first attempts to build truly empirical, research-based theories of personality.

A)five-factor model
B) humanist perspective
C) Big Five perspective
D) trait perspective

Question 53

In the Eysencks' two-factor model of personality the two trait dimensions that interact to explain personality are referred to as

A) subordinate traits
B) superordinate traits
C) stability traits
D) extraversion traits

Question 54

This superordinate trait dimension refers to the degree to which a person is reserved, quiet, and thoughtful, versus assertive, outgoing, and sociable.

A) instability-stability
B) emotional-unemotional
C) introversion-extraversion
D) sociable-isolationist

Question 55

The "Big Five" personality dimensions that make up the five-factor model can be expressed in this acronym.

A) OCEAN
B) CEASE
C) INTRO
D) EXTRA

Question 56

According to recent studies, all of the following statements are true of the Big Five personality traits, EXCEPT:

A) The five factors have been shown to describe personality across about 50 cultures.
B)People's scores on personality inventories appear to cluster in a small number of factors.
C) Personality traits predict occupational success with more accuracy than IQ.
D) Big-five personality profiles are associated with divorce rates and socioeconomic status.

Question 57

According to this idea, the very concepts "traits" and "personality" are not particularly meaningful when it comes to behavior, and in fact may be little more than illusions.

A)self-fulfilling prophecy
B) person-situation controversy
C) bystander-perceiver controversy
D) fundamental attribution error

Question 58

In contrast to Walter Mischel, Seymour Epstein proposed that traits did indeed predict behavior if behaviors were examined on a number of occasions and the results were

A) aggregated
B) negated
C) correlated
D) multiplied

Question 59

In order to understand your friends' individual personalities, their individual trait scores are not enough. Walter Mischel would say you must also understand each person's

A)aggregate personality score
B) situation-behavior profile
C) gene-environment correlation
D) reciprocal-determinist profile

Question 60

All of the following are examples of results that illustrate that astrology is a pseudo-science, EXCEPT:

A) Astrologers give failed predictions even when given cash prizes.
B) No combination of sun signs was found among married couples more frequently than would be expected by chance.
C) Astrological forecasts may be helpful for some people in dealing with stressful life events, negative self-concepts, and general uncertainties about living.
D) When asked to pick out the interpretations that had been derived from their actual astrological charts, participants performed no better than chance.

Question 61

Genetic studies conducted using the Big Five and Eysenck's two superordinate factors as indicators of personality show that approximately this percentage of the differences among people in these traits is due to genetic factors.

A) 35%
B) 15%
C) 50%
D) 25%

Question 62

Almost all evidence from behavior genetics research points to this aspect of experience as the main environmental influence on adolescent and adult personality.

A)traits inherited from the same-sex parent
B) shared environmental influences
C) non-shared environmental influences
D) traits shared among siblings

Question 63

Which of the following is NOT one of the three frequently identified sources of non-shared environmental influence on personality?

A)differing parental treatment of each child
B) peer influence
C) chance occurrences
D) genotype

Question 64

In Judith Harris's account of peer influence on personality, this concept prompts the child to conform to the expectations of his or her peers.

A)status system
B) socialization system
C) gene-environment system
D) conformity system

Question 65

In Judith Harris's account of peer influence on personality, this concept prompts the developing child to compete with others in order to establish his or her unique identity and contributions.

A) status system
B) socialization system
C) gene-environment system
D) conformity system

Question 66

Which of the following presents the best example of chance influences on nonshared environment during personality development?

A) Keiko decides to join the math team because her teachers happened to focus heavily on math scholarship.
B) Jeffery is obsessed with soccer because his father happened to be a professional player.
C) Alexis is angry most of the time because of her irritable temperament.
D) Sanjay has considered himself artistic ever since his best friend's mother began teaching him to paint.

Question 67

Anthony Terracciano found that national-character stereotypes, like egocentric Americans and industrious East-Asians, tend to be

A) totally opposite to the consensus of individuals from those cultures
B) residual effects of earlier racist attitudes
C) consistent with the consensus of individuals from those cultures
D) evidence that racism continues to influence social cognition and personality

Question 68

When an American person is given the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, it is likely that the measurement will be

A) consistent with national-character stereotypes of Americans
B)inconsistent with national-character stereotypes of Americans
C) consistent with national-character stereotypes of Canadians
D) a fictional account of the person's national-character stereotype

Question 69

In personality assessment, a projective test is one that utilizes

A)ambiguous stimuli for a test-taker to interpret
B)standardized multiple-choice questions
C) Likert-scale rating systems
D) test stimuli drawn from projective intelligence tests

Question 70

This is the classic example of a projective test, because it uses ambiguous inkblots for the
Subject to interpret.

A) Rorschach test
B) Thematic Apperception Test
C) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
D) California Personality Inventory

Question 71

Which of the following best illustrates what a participant must do when administered the Rorschach test?

A) describe what he or she sees in each inkblot
B) describe what he or she believes is happening in each scene
C) decide how much he or she agrees with the judgment of the researcher
D) choose which of the cards best describes his or her mood

Question 72

Critics charge that the standards for scoring the Rorschach may cause psychologically normal people to appear to have serious psychological disturbances, thus the tests are not

A) valid measurements of personality
B) reliable measurements of personality
C) rational measurements of personality
D) replicable measurements of personality

Question 73

According to proponents of this test, the test-taker, in creating the story that revolves around the picture shown, reveals important motives, drives, conflicts, emotions, and other psychological variables.

A) Rorschach test
B) Thematic Apperception Test
C) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
D) California Personality Inventory

Question 74

Critics complain that the projective tests are not reliable instruments for measuring personality because

A) it is not clear that the tests accurately measure personality
B)a person might score very differently upon re-taking the test
C) the tests are based on empirical evidence for personality factors
D) it is difficult to measure personality in any situation outside of a laboratory

Question 75

This is the first, and probably still the most frequently used, objective test of personality.

A)Rorschach Test
B) California Personality Inventory
C) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
D) NEO Personality Inventory

Question 76

Tests such as the MMPI-2 are referred to as "objective" because they are

A)scored by experimenters following long interview sessions
B)constructed empirically and scored by computer
C) comprised of objective pictures of ambiguous events
D) constructed using actual statements from psychiatric patients

Question 77

This technique is based on the fact that people who have certain traits or are experiencing certain states (e.g., paranoia, or anxiety) tend to endorse certain statements as true about themselves while identifying other statements as false.

A)objective method
B) criterion-key method
C) rational method
D) self-concept method

Question 78

If a researcher is interested in using a face-valid test of personality for people who do not appear to be psychologically disordered, the researcher should use the

A) MMPI-2
B) NEO PI-R
C) CPI
D) TAT

Question 79

Which of the following general statements best describes the results of research about personality change?

A) Personality traits are remarkably unstable starting in childhood.
B) Personality traits are most stable past age 50.
C) Individual differences in personality mean that traits are highly developmental.
D) Scores on personality inventories fail to predict the likelihood of traits in adulthood.

Question 80

If a researcher examines rank order stability in personality traits, he or she compares

A)the pattern of traits (low to high) in a single person across two personality tests
B)the average pattern of traits in a sample across two personality tests
C) the lack of stability in traits ranked high in younger individuals
D) the stability of patterns for individuals below age 50 to individuals above age 50