Deck 14: Personality

Question 1

In Galen's theory of humors, a person prone to depression suffers from having too much

A) black bile.
B) mucus.
C) yellow bile.
D) blood.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Galen suggested that personality traits were caused by

A) brain structure.
B) life experiences.
C) the position of the stars on a person's birthdate.
D) the balance between bodily fluids.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Scientific studies of astrological predictions show that they are

A) reliable and valid.
B) reliable, but not valid.
C) neither reliable nor valid.
D) valid but not reliable.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

In a demonstration, a teacher asked a group of students to rate the accuracy of their horoscopes for the day. Though the teacher said the horoscopes were matched to astrological signs, she secretly gave everyone a horoscope reading, "Some tasks will take longer than expected today, but you will feel supported by friends." Which of the following would explain why most students rated this horoscope as accurate?

A) Strong validity
B) Confirmation bias
C) Latent content
D) Rationalization

Question 5

According to Freud, the _______ operate(s) on the pleasure principle.

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

Question 6

As a young child, Min's parents responded to her aggressive behavior by telling her the rules she needed to follow and helping her understand that her aggression hurts other people. In doing this, Min's parents shaped her

A) ego.
B) superego.
C) defense mechanisms.
D) neuroses.

Question 7

Pleasure is to the _______ as reality is to the _______.

A) id; ego
B) Oedipal complex; genital stage
C) oral stage; anal stage
D) use of denial; use of projection

Question 8

When a toddler was told he could not have ice cream until he finished his vegetables, he screamed and threw the vegetables on the floor. This toddler failed to manage his

A) manifest urges.
B) latent urges.
C) id.
D) ego.

Question 9

Which of the following types of behavior would you expect from a person with a weak superego and a strong id?

A) Cooperative, predictable, and patient
B) Compliance with rules and a tendency to feel guilt
C) Flexible and adaptive to the situation
D) Impulsive and self-serving

Question 10

Jiro really wants to go out with his friends today but promised his parents he would clean the garage. His ego would say:

A) "Go have fun, you deserve it!"
B) "You're a terrible son for even thinking of shirking your duties."
C) "If I do the work quickly today, I can still go out with friends tonight."
D) "You'll feel awful if you disappoint your parents."

Question 11

You're feeling lost in your chemistry class and anxious about the upcoming test. The evening before the test, your roommate is in a bad mood. You decide cheering her up is far more important than studying. Which of the following defense mechanisms are you using?

A) Rationalization
B) Repression
C) Displacement
D) Reaction formation

Question 12

Antonio claims his classmates are all bullies who like to hurt people. In fact, Antonio is the most feared child in the school, and his teachers feel that he takes pleasure in humiliating others. Freud would suggest that Antonio's belief reflects

A) projection.
B) reaction formation.
C) regression.
D) repression.

Question 13

In his teenage years, Jake is flooded with sexual desires but feels it would be inappropriate to act on them. He focuses his energy on playing the guitar and writing love songs. This is an example of

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

Question 14

After his father came home from a business trip, 4-year-old Luis had a dream in which he single-handedly saved his mother from being bitten by a giant snake. This dream may reflect Luis's

A) high self-efficacy.
B) Oedipus complex.
C) humanistic tendencies.
D) reaction formation.

Question 15

Marissa's workspace is always chaotic and overflowing with stacks of overdue projects. She is chronically late to social events. The psychoanalytic interpretation would be that she is fixated at the _______ stage.

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

Question 16

Which of the following five-factor personality traits is most clearly related to Freud's concept of anal fixation?

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

Question 17

Projective tests are designed to

A) assess the client's stage of psychosexual development.
B) help clients identify their treatment goals.
C) measure clients' perspectives on their problems.
D) reveal unconscious thoughts and feelings.

Question 18

The Rorschach test has been criticized because

A) it is valid only for people with emotional disturbances.
B) there is not enough flexibility in interpreting the test.
C) it takes too many sessions to administer.
D) interpretations are quite different across therapists.

Question 19

In therapy, Freud asked patients to say the first thing that came to mind in response to a word or phrase. He believed this technique

A) increased patients' comfort, allowing them to share feelings more openly.
B) revealed feelings suppressed by defense mechanisms.
C) brought forth the latent content of the patients' daydreams.
D) revealed the patients' state of psychosexual development.

Question 20

A jealous, competitive woman is meeting her boyfriend's ex-wife for the first time. She extends her hand and says, "Nice to beat you." This is an example of

A) free association.
B) latent fixation.
C) sublimation.
D) a Freudian slip.

Question 21

Research exploring the impact of birth order on personality suggests that

A) family size may be more important than birth order.
B) older siblings are more likely to be high achieving.
C) middle siblings are competitive.
D) birth-order effects are independent of social class and resources.

Question 22

A straight-A student dreams that he arrives at school naked and without his homework. His therapist suggests this reflects his fear of being exposed as imperfect. Being naked is the _______ content of the dream, while the fear of being imperfect is the _______ content.

A) manifest; latent
B) subjective; neurotic
C) conscious; unconscious
D) rational; repressed

Question 23

Client-centered therapy does not involve

A) unconditional positive regard.
B) allowing the client to identify treatment goals.
C) interpretation of unconscious processes.
D) the therapist taking on a coaching role.

Question 24

Which of the following is true?

A) Humanistic psychologists resist scientific tests of treatment approaches.
B) Humanistic theories are pessimistic about human nature.
C) Humanistic psychologists emphasize unconscious processes.
D) Humanistic therapy encourages creation of a safe, non-judgmental relationship.

Question 25

How does the psychoanalytic approach differ from the humanistic approach?

A) The psychoanalytic approach puts more faith in the capacity for change and fulfillment.
B) The psychoanalytic approach places less emphasis on early childhood experience.
C) The humanistic approach places more emphasis on the pleasure principle.
D) The humanistic approach has more scientific support.

Question 26

To identify the most basic personality traits, researchers have relied on

A) opinions of expert theorists.
B) projective tests.
C) factor analysis.
D) genetic predictors.

Question 27

Omar is talkative, confident, and easily bored. Eysenck would consider Omar to be

A) high in agreeableness.
B) low in neuroticism.
C) low in conscientiousness.
D) high in extraversion.

Question 28

Someone Freud considered to have a strong superego would likely score _______ on the big five trait of _______.

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

Question 29

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is

A) a measure of the big five traits.
B) a widely used projective test.
C) no longer used, due to poor validity.
D) a standardized measure of psychological problems.

Question 30

A major strength of the MMPI is its

A) assessment of all big five traits.
B) integration of psychodynamic and social learning theories.
C) inclusion of scales for detecting dishonest responses.
D) ability to assess both temperament and personality.

Question 31

A person taking the MMPI had T scores above 65 for psychopathic deviancy and paranoia and below 30 for psychasthenia and social introversion. You would expect this profile for someone with a history of

A) anxiety and shyness.
B) aggressive behavior and rule-breaking.
C) charitable donations and volunteering.
D) many warm, trusting friendships.

Question 32

An employer believes that one of his employees frequently stays home sick when there is nothing wrong with her. The employee insists she is truly ill. Which of the following tests would a psychologist be most likely to administer to assess this situation?

A) NEO PI-R
B) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
C) Rorschach
D) MMPI

Question 33

An employer wants to get a sense of the reliability and work ethic of job applicants. The most useful assessment tool would be the

A) NEO PI-R.
B) Rorschach test.
C) thematic apperception test (TAT).
D) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

Question 34

Which of the following true-false questions would most likely be used on a lie scale?

A) "Sometimes I worry about my health."
B) "I have never disliked anyone."
C) "I am a fairly easygoing person."
D) "I prefer spending time alone."

Question 35

A person who enjoys trying new foods from around the world and learning about unfamiliar religions would likely score high on

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

Question 36

Someone who prefers doing homework in study groups rather than being alone in a quiet space is likely _______ in _______.

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

Question 37

A new therapy client is interested in how stress-reactive and sociable he is compared to the average person. The most useful assessment tool would be the

A) Rorschach test.
B) TAT.
C) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
D) NEO PI-R.

Question 38

Someone considered sanguine, according to Galen's model of humors, would likely score high in

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

Question 39

The MMPI includes questions about common, but undesirable, behaviors in order to

A) measure psychopathic deviance.
B) measure reliability.
C) determine whether the respondent has these faults.
D) determine whether a person's responses are honest.

Question 40

Which of the following personality theories presents the most optimistic view of human nature and human potential?

A) Trait
B) Psychodynamic
C) Humanistic
D) Genetic

Question 41

Refer to the graph below.
Which of the following most accurately describes this individual's personality?

A) Kind, sociable, and interested in new adventures, but somewhat irresponsible
B) Relaxed, enthusiastic, friendly, and responsible
C) Calm and adventurous, but also irresponsible and unfriendly
D) Unfriendly, conservative, anxious, and responsible

Question 42

Although Manuel gets stressed easily, he is also generous and trusting. It is likely that he is

A) low in conscientiousness and high in agreeableness.
B) low in conscientiousness and high in openness.
C) high in neuroticism and extraversion.
D) high in neuroticism and agreeableness.

Question 43

Models of personality traits differ from models of personality types in that

A) trait models have less research support.
B) trait models assess personality characteristics along a continuum.
C) type models better reflect the true diversity of personalities.
D) type models focus on variability across people, and trait models focus on variability within individuals.

Question 44

The personality trait of introversion

A) is equivalent to shyness.
B) correlates strongly with agreeableness and neuroticism.
C) involves enjoyment of solitary activities.
D) arises because the brain needs more external stimulation.

Question 45

Cassidy feels bored if she is not around an energetic group of people. Eysenck would predict that

A) in isolation her brain will show low arousal levels.
B) in isolation her brain will show high arousal levels.
C) she is also high in anxiety.
D) she learned to seek social activity from her parents.

Question 46

Refer to the figure below.
The figure illustrates Eysenck's two personality dimensions. Which of the following is the most accurate descriptor for someone whose scores put them on the scale at the place marked by an X?

A) Moody, nervous, and assertive
B) Restless, impulsive, and socially active
C) Relaxed, predictable, and introspective
D) Worried, inflexible, and socially isolated

Question 47

Refer to the figure below.
The figure illustrates Eysenck's two personality dimensions. Which of the following is the most accurate descriptor for someone whose scores put them on the scale at the place marked by an X?

A) Moody, worried, and inflexible
B) Restless, impulsive, and socially active
C) Relaxed, predictable, and introspective
D) Sociable, easygoing, and active

Question 48

Which of the following tendencies would be most likely to covary in a factor analysis?

A) Intelligence, insecurity, and dependability
B) Imagination, dependability, and talkativeness
C) Organization, enthusiasm, and conformity
D) Ruthlessness, hostility, and uncooperativeness

Question 49

People's scores on a personality trait inventory would correlate most strongly with their behavior _______ and with situations that have _______ norms for behavior.

A) in a single situation; extremely clear
B) in a single situation; flexible
C) across many situations; extremely clear
D) across many situations; flexible

Question 50

Your sister has never stolen anything from a store but regularly takes things from you and her friends without asking. She has never cheated on a test but often copies homework assignments. Her behavior best supports

A) Freud's model of the unconscious.
B) personality trait theory.
C) social learning theory.
D) Mischel's theory of situational influences.

Question 51

Scores on personality tests do not always predict people's actual behavior in specific situations. This suggests limitations to

A) the reciprocal determinism model.
B) personality trait theory.
C) the interactionist perspective.
D) models of defense mechanisms.

Question 52

Jorge's scores on the NEO PI-R show that he is extremely high in conscientiousness. This information will likely be most useful in predicting his behavior

A) at work.
B) at a party.
C) during a therapy session.
D) averaged across many settings.

Question 53

The majority of personality researchers currently believe that behavior is determined primarily by

A) genetic factors.
B) stable personality traits.
C) situational influences.
D) a combination of personality and situational influences.

Question 54

College student scores on a measure of conscientiousness will be most closely related to their homework completion over the course of a

A) year.
B) month.
C) week.
D) day.

Question 55

The best test of Mischel's theories would be measuring

A) variability across college students in extraversion scores.
B) differences between students and non-students in extraversion scores.
C) differences in student behavior across academic and social situations.
D) heritability of extraversion across identical and non-identical twins.

Question 56

Research on the heritability of personality traits suggests that

A) the big five traits are determined almost entirely by genetic factors.
B) the big five traits are determined almost entirely by the environment.
C) about 45 percent of the variability in traits is due to genetic factors.
D) neuroticism and extraversion are determined by genetic factors, while other traits are determined by the environment.

Question 57

Refer to the graph below.
The bars show the average correlation between groups on measures of extraversion. Use your knowledge of personality trait heritability to identify the appropriate research sample for bars A, B, and

A) A: identical twins; B: siblings; C: parent and adopted child
B) A: identical twins; B: siblings; C: non-identical twins
C) A: siblings; B: non-identical twins; C: identical twins
D) A: parent and biological child; B: parent and adopted child; C: siblings

Question 58

Studies of personality in monozygotic and dizygotic twins indicate that

A) monozygotic twins are more similar than dizygotic twins.
B) monozygotic and dizygotic twins show equivalent levels of similarity.
C) there is no clear connection between genes and personality.
D) if one monozygotic twin is high in a trait, the other will generally be low in the same trait.

Question 59

Research following people from infancy to young adulthood indicates that

A) adult personality is unrelated to infant temperament.
B) adult personality is a near perfect match with infant temperament.
C) highly reactive babies are more likely to be anxious adults.
D) highly reactive babies are more extraverted as adults.

Question 60

Babies who respond to strange smells and unfamiliar toys with distress are considered _______ reactive and are more likely to be _______ as adults.

A) high; introverted and conscientious
B) high; extraverted and agreeable
C) low; introverted and conscientious
D) low; extraverted and agreeable

Question 61

Which personality traits are predicted by high reactive temperament?

A) High neuroticism, high extraversion, and high conscientiousness
B) High neuroticism, low extraversion, and high conscientiousness
C) Low neuroticism, high extraversion, and low conscientiousness
D) Low neuroticism, low extraversion, and low conscientiousness

Question 62

Strict behaviorists like B.F. Skinner see personality as

A) a pattern of behavior based on consistent environmental responses.
B) fixed by early childhood environment.
C) an irrelevant concept because behavior is so variable.
D) rooted in genetic factors.

Question 63

Which of the following theoretical approaches considers reciprocal determinism important to understanding personality?

A) Five-factor
B) Humanistic
C) Psychoanalytic
D) Cognitive

Question 64

Cici does not bother to prepare for job interviews because she believes that getting hired is purely a matter of luck. This approach reflects

A) external locus of control.
B) projection.
C) sublimation.
D) reciprocal determinism.

Question 65

Reciprocal determinism involves the interaction of influences across an individual's

A) id, ego, and superego.
B) big five personality traits.
C) environment, personal factors, and behavior.
D) thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

Question 66

Jay is a terrible singer, but believes that with practice he will improve enough to sing in public. His belief illustrates

A) external locus of control.
B) high self-efficacy.
C) reaction formation.
D) confirmation bias.

Question 67

Your younger brother is convinced that his teachers write tests that are totally unrelated to lectures and the text. He never studies for tests and blames his bad grades on unfair teachers. His approach most clearly illustrates

A) reaction formation.
B) social modeling.
C) neuroticism.
D) an external locus of control.

Question 68

Because you are an easygoing person and trust your romantic partner, you encourage your partner to spend time with friends, and you do not react strongly if your partner needs to cancel plans. This leads your partner to communicate openly with you, thereby increasing your trust. This pattern illustrates

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

Question 69

A strength of the social learning perspective is the emphasis on

A) statistical analysis of personality traits.
B) the interplay of conscious and unconscious factors.
C) environmental influences.
D) biological and genetic factors that influence learning.

Question 70

Despite growing up in a low-income community, a teenage boy believes that his hard work and positive attitude will lead to a good job. His perspective reflects

A) an internal locus of control.
B) the reality principle.
C) reaction formation.
D) subjective validation.

Question 71

Tracy is extraverted and spends much of her time socializing with large groups. Jan is introverted and extremely conscientious. She spends much of her time at the library. These different paths best illustrate

A) the person-situation debate.
B) reciprocal determinism.
C) external locus of control.
D) confirmation bias.

Question 72

People living in a traditional culture are likely to be

A) higher in neuroticism.
B) higher in extraversion.
C) lower in openness.
D) lower in agreeableness.

Question 73

Apparent cross-cultural differences in personality traits are most clearly caused by

A) genetic differences in temperament.
B) social learning.
C) poor cross-cultural validity of personality measures.
D) parenting strategies that impact psychosexual development.

Question 74

Nia comes from a culture that highly values cooperation and shared credit for achievements. Her background means she is likely to be _______ than she might have been if raised in a more competitive culture.

A) lower in extraversion
B) lower in agreeableness
C) higher in openness
D) higher in neuroticism

Question 75

Following his brain injury, Phineas Gage

A) was more agreeable and less extraverted.
B) became more extraverted and neurotic.
C) compensated by becoming more conscientious.
D) showed more openness and agreeableness.

Question 76

The case of Phineas Gage would be best used to illustrate

A) psychodynamic theories of unconscious processes.
B) genetic models of temperament.
C) social learning theory.
D) biological roots of personality traits.

Question 77

Research on animal personality suggests that

A) there is no evidence for stable personality traits in animals.
B) very few species show evidence for animal personality traits.
C) personality in dogs is linked solely to training, not to genetic differences.
D) many species show individual differences in traits similar to extraversion and neuroticism.

Question 78

Galen's theory of humors was incorrect, but his personality type descriptors live on. For example, someone who broods and tends to be sad is called _______.

Question 79

While reading a description of her astrological sign, Sabrina noticed all of the parts that fit her personality and overlooked parts that did not. This is an example of _______.

Question 80

A young child takes great pleasure in using the "big kid potty" all by herself. Freud would suggest she is in the _______ stage of development.