Deck 13: Personality

Question 1

A personality trait:

A) tends to be unstable
B) is a tendency to behave in a certain way across various circumstances
C) is the intention that naive observers agree characterizes a person
D) is a temporary disposition to behave in a certain way

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Bruno is shy in most situations,would prefer to read than go to a party,likes working with computers,and spends minimal time worrying about the future.Bruno's many characteristics are referred to as his:

A) dispositional array
B) personality
C) ego
D) practical self

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Gordon Allport's conception of personality:

A) emphasized that it is largely a collection of socially created traits
B) stressed that it was a dynamic system arising from biological processes
C) considers it largely a social construction
D) is the outcome of how people think and behave rather than the cause of thinking and behaving

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Personality consists of characteristic _____ that are relatively stable over time and circumstances.

A) thoughts
B) emotional responses
C) behaviors
D) all of the above

Question 5

According to Freud,personality structure consists of the:

A) id
B) ego
C) superego
D) all of the above

Question 6

Freud used the term libido to refer to:

A) unrestrained sexual behavior
B) unconscious motives
C) the motive to punish or harm others, particularly parents
D) an energy that promotes pleasure seeking

Question 7

Freud thought that anxiety resulted from:

A) conflict between the id and the superego
B) parents' lack of unconditional positive regard for their children
C) the inability to bring preconscious wishes into consciousness
D) the development of sexual instincts

Question 8

As a child,Erin was always getting into trouble with her parents because she liked to steal cookies from the cookie jar.She was not concerned with the consequences and would steal cookies even when she knew she might get punished.Erin's impulse is based in what Freud called the:

A) Electra complex
B) pleasure principle
C) death instinct
D) anal personality type

Question 9

Psychologists would label a disposition to act in a certain way over time and various situations a(n):

A) unconscious process
B) genetic disposition
C) personality trait
D) normative behavior

Question 10

If a trait is a single concept,then personality is:

A) a collection of concepts
B) an element of a general concept
C) the opposite of a concept
D) something entirely different from the concept

Question 11

Psychologists use the term personality primarily to refer to characteristics and behaviors that:

A) are relatively stable over time and circumstances
B) show little variability across persons
C) naive observers attribute to others
D) stem from conscious intentions

Question 12

If Andy's id is a very dominant force in his personality,he is likely to:

A) feel embarrassed even if he has done nothing wrong
B) be painfully shy
C) do things he later regrets
D) resolve conflicts in a peaceful way

Question 13

In Freud's structural model of personality:

A) the superego dominates other structures in determining behavior
B) the ego operates according to the reality principle
C) the ego eventually becomes unresponsive to the id because of mental habituation
D) the superego is the realistic, rational portion of the mind

Question 14

Angelique told her boyfriend she was tired of cooking.Secretly,Angelique hoped her boyfriend would make dinner for her.She said: "Did you want me to make you nice tonight?" instead of saying "make you rice tonight." This example illustrates that:

A) the superego is sometimes stronger than the ego when we balance the needs of the self and others
B) contents of the unconscious mind can become conscious
C) the libido is sometimes stronger than the pleasure principle in social situations
D) selfish behavior is often unintentional

Question 15

The structure Freud called ego operates in accordance with the:

A) pleasure principle
B) parents' wishes
C) reality principle
D) unconscious part of the mind

Question 16

In Freud's model,mental activity is:

A) divided into three zones or levels
B) more important than the unconscious
C) the domain within which the libido operates
D) closely related to id processes

Question 17

Jaleesa's dad often said,"Do what you want,Jaleesa; I don't care." As a result,Jaleesa felt she lacked direction and never had any clear rules.According to Freudian theory,Jaleesa's dad had very little impact on the development of Jaleesa's:

A) id
B) aggression instinct
C) superego
D) pleasure principle

Question 18

Which of the following items did Gordon Allport NOT emphasize in his definition of personality?

A) a goal-seeking, adaptive nature
B) a psychophysical basis
C) a coherent organization
D) an id, an ego, and a superego

Question 19

According to Freud's topography of mind,information from the unconscious must reach the _____ mind before it reaches the _____ mind.

A) anteconscious; preconscious
B) preconscious; postconscious
C) conscious; anteconscious
D) preconscious; conscious

Question 20

Dr.Henry gives a lecture on personality.She notes that personality is adaptive to the environment,functions in a unique and whole system that is different for every person,and is based on psychological systems.Her view of personality:

A) is somewhat outdated
B) is based on research by Sigmund Freud
C) is consistent with that of Gordon Allport
D) has more in common with Carl Jung than with Gordon Allport

Question 21

Freud's stages of child and adolescent personality development are based on:

A) moral concerns originating in the id
B) the creation of a personal value system that is based in a strong superego
C) seeking pleasure through different erogenous zones
D) the development of unconditional positive regard

Question 22

In a study described in your text,extremely homophobic men were shown videos of homosexual sex and responded with more physiological arousal than did less homophobic men.This finding provides evidence in support of:

A) fixation at the oral stage
B) an underdeveloped id
C) reaction formation
D) low locus of control in homophobic people

Question 23

Freud thought that during the latency stage of development:

A) sexual urges were suppressed or channeled into various acceptable activities
B) children dealt with sexual urges by identifying with the same-sex parent
C) libidinal urges are much reduced because of hormonal changes
D) children are developing more mature attitudes toward their sexuality

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT a psychosexual stage of development?

A) oral
B) id
C) phallic
D) latency

Question 25

If in your development you had become fixated at the anal stage (according to Freud's theory),which of the following would likely characterize your behavior?

A) You would be sexually attracted to the opposite-sex parent.
B) You would be overly inclined to seek pleasure and avoid pain.
C) You would be stubborn and very regulating.
D) Your self-esteem would be dependent on others' views of you.

Question 26

Alex,a 10-year-old boy,is much more concerned with developing friendships with other males of his age than with girls.He is in which of Freud's psychosexual stages?

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

Question 27

Based on Freud's psychosexual stage theory,which of the following would you most expect to hear a 5-year-old boy say to his mother?

A) "How come none of the girls at school like me?"
B) "You are soooo beautiful!"
C) "I wish you would go away so I could spend more time with Dad!"
D) "You are mean. I don't like you!"

Question 28

Freud argued that defense mechanisms are:

A) strategies the id uses to satisfy the pleasure principle
B) mental strategies we consciously employ to deal with unacceptable sexual urges
C) unconscious strategies that the mind uses to protect itself from distress
D) strategies employed by the superego to satisfy the reality principle

Question 29

Which of the following statements describes the current status of Freud's psychodynamic theory in psychological science?

A) It has been largely abandoned because most of Freud's ideas cannot be tested empirically.
B) It has been modified by the neo-Freudians and is now viewed as a scientifically valid theory of personality.
C) It is now more widely endorsed by personality psychologists than when it was first proposed.
D) It has been abandoned by therapists but not research psychologists.

Question 30

Marta's parents and older siblings have encouraged her to become a doctor or a lawyer,but she would like to be an artist.Which of these theorists would most clearly be in favor of Marta's following her dream of becoming an artist?

A) Shinobu Kitayama
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Walter Mischel
D) Carl Rogers

Question 31

The correct order for the development of Freud's psychosexual stages is:

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

Question 32

While recent research provides support for the existence of what Freud called defense mechanisms,these mechanisms are now viewed as:

A) unimportant to mental functioning
B) psychologically costly to their user
C) strategies employed by the id rather than the ego
D) largely serving to protect our self-esteem

Question 33

In this psychosexual stage,the erogenous zone centers on the genitals:

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

Question 34

Oren is a very rigid person and must have things his own way.Other people find his attitude annoying,but Oren refuses to change.In Freud's view,Oren is fixated at which stage of development?

A) the oedipal stage
B) the latency stage
C) the anal stage
D) the phallic stage

Question 35

If working through unconscious conflicts is central to healthy personality in Freud's theory,then _____ is central to healthy personality in Roger's person-centered theory.

A) recognizing one's value expectancies
B) viewing oneself with unconditional love and acceptance
C) developing a healthy level of extraversion
D) reducing one's level of psychoticism

Question 36

The psychodynamic theorists who came after Freud and are referred to as the neo-Freudians modified his theory in a number of ways.Adler and Horney,for example,criticized Freud for:

A) underestimating the role of parents in child development
B) giving too much weight to cultural factors
C) his overemphasis on unconscious processes
D) his view of women

Question 37

Shahar really wanted to go to a concert.However,her mom said Shahar could not go,because she was very irresponsible about doing her chores.Shahar thought about climbing out the window and going to the concert anyway,but she decided her mom would be very upset.Instead,Shahar suggested to her mom that if she completed all her chores,the next time the band played in her town,her mom should let her go.Her mom agreed that Shahar's proposal was fair.Shahar had used her _____ to develop a reasonable solution.

A) id
B) ego
C) superego
D) life instinct

Question 38

Seeing personal growth through greater self-understanding is referred to as:

A) a person-centered approach
B) self-actualization
C) subjective well-being
D) none of the above

Question 39

During the phallic stage,children develop hostility toward the same-sex parent because they desire an exclusive relationship with the opposite-sex parent.Freud argued that this conflict is typically resolved by the:

A) child's taking on many of the same-sex parent's values and ideals
B) child's rationalizing the hostility in terms of the characteristics of the same-sex parent
C) id, which attempts to rein in the sexual urges
D) time the child is 4 years old

Question 40

Sierra,an 8-year-old,is primarily interested in developing friendships with girls her own age.In the next phase of her psychosexual development,what will become her primary interest,according to Freud?

A) pleasing authority figures, such as teachers
B) sexual interest in boys
C) finding one or more role models in her group of female peers
D) overcoming the oedipal relationship with her father

Question 41

Cognitive-social theories of personality emphasize:

A) the patterns of reinforcement people have experienced in the past
B) biological factors as determinants of personality
C) the role of expectancies in guiding our behavior
D) unconscious processes in social situations

Question 42

Rotter argues that people differ in their locus of control,by which he means:

A) the degree to which they understand their circumstances
B) their preference for reinforcement techniques
C) the extent to which they believe their own efforts will lead to good outcomes
D) the extent to which they devalue their personal expectancies

Question 43

According to the cognitive-affective personality system,who is likely to do better on an exam,an optimist or a pessimist,and why?

A) Both will perform equally. Their different personality styles cause them to prepare for the exam differently but equally effectively.
B) Optimists will perform better, because they believe they will do well.
C) Both will perform equally. Optimism and pessimism are not related to test performance.
D) Pessimists will perform better, because they believe they will fail so they study harder.

Question 44

Factor analysis is useful to psychologists because it allows them to:

A) separate real traits from imaginary traits
B) group many similar traits together into a more basic trait
C) identify the causal factor behind each trait
D) test psychodynamic ideas scientifically

Question 45

Martha knows she can succeed at getting into medical school.She says,"All I have to do is figure out how other people got in,select the strategies I can successfully use,and then implement my plan." Martha is showing high levels of:

A) self-esteem
B) external locus of control
C) internal locus of control
D) openness to experience

Question 46

A primary advantage of a trait approach to personality is that it provides a method for:

A) comparing individuals in regard to various personality dispositions
B) explaining rather than describing personality
C) identifying psychopathology
D) assessing changes in one's personality over time

Question 47

Whereas _____ psychologists are interested in how beliefs,expectancies,and interpretations of social situations influence behavior and personality,Sigmund Freud would have been more interested in _____.

A) cognitive-social; self-actualization
B) personality; conflicting aspects of personality
C) personality; self-actualization
D) cognitive-social; conflict among personality structures

Question 48

Bandura's cognitive-social theory of personality sees _____ as an important determinant of behavior.

A) self-efficacy
B) stereotypes
C) attributional style
D) biological predispositions

Question 49

Bandura's concept of self-efficacy:

A) refers to our belief that we can achieve specific outcomes
B) denies the role of observational learning on human behavior
C) has not been supported by empirical research
D) implies that the environment has little impact on behavior

Question 50

In Eysenck's view,people who score low on the emotional stability scale tend to:

A) be aggressive and impulsive
B) experience little variation in mood or emotion
C) experience much mood variability
D) be self-centered

Question 51

Two of your fellow students have conflicting views about the principal determinant of personality.John takes the view that personality is determined by unconscious conflicts.Joan asserts that personality is the outcome of learning processes.What famous psychologists would John and Joan likely bring into their arguments?

A) Rogers and Seligman
B) Freud and Skinner
C) Maslow and Rogers
D) Jung and Adler

Question 52

An implicit personality theory is:

A) useful in very limited situations
B) difficult to describe and difficult to research
C) equivalent to the concept of "self-construal"
D) based on the assumption that certain personality characteristics go together

Question 53

Which of the following statements is NOT a specific view taken by humanistic psychologists such as Carl Rogers?

A) People who satisfy their unconscious urges have healthier personalities.
B) Parental love and acceptance are related to healthy personality.
C) Personal growth depends on the freedom to express one's values and beliefs.
D) Kids whose parents provide unconditional positive regard develop healthy self-esteem.

Question 54

In Eysenck's hierarchical model of personality,the most general or superordinate traits are:

A) introversion/extraversion, emotional stability, and psychoticism
B) sociability, dominance, and assertiveness
C) conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism
D) introversion/extraversion, sociability, and neuroticism

Question 55

According to cognitive-social theories of personality,which of the following factors do NOT shape our behaviors and personalities?

A) our personal beliefs
B) our expectancies
C) other people's expectations for us
D) our interpretations of the world

Question 56

James is very low in Eysenck's personality trait of psychoticism.Thus you would expect him also to be:

A) somewhat cynical
B) moderately impulsive
C) a caring person
D) very outgoing

Question 57

Your professor believes that behavior is strongly affected by emotions and by expectations about what might happen in the future.In addition,events in the environment affect one's current expectations and emotions.From a theory of personality perspective,your professor is acting most like a _____ theorist.

A) psychodynamic
B) cognitive-social
C) humanist
D) trait

Question 58

If you were a therapist who endorsed Carl Rogers's person-centered approach to therapy,how would you treat your client?

A) You would have the client's behavior observed by two or more raters.
B) You would discuss the client's problems and concerns as he or she understands them.
C) You would have the client take a self-report test that measured the five traits of the five-factor theory.
D) You would have the client take a projective test.

Question 59

If you were a parent who endorsed Carl Rogers's person-centered approach to personality,how would you treat your child?

A) You would withhold treats and gifts to reinforce your rules.
B) You would emphasize the child's responsibility for his or her failures.
C) You would express love and support for the child no matter how she behaved.
D) You would surround the child with positive peers, because parents do not actually have much influence on children's behavior.

Question 60

In Eysenck's theory,psychoticism means:

A) being criminally insane
B) showing empathy in inappropriate situations
C) showing dramatic mood swings
D) being impulsive and self-centered

Question 61

Idiographic approaches to the assessment of personality focus on:

A) individuals
B) comparisons across people
C) ratings made by parents, peers, or others rather than self-reports
D) unique personal qualities rather than cross-person similarities

Question 62

According to the _____ approach,the study of personality should focus on how people vary across common traits.

A) idiographic
B) nomothetic
C) objective
D) projective

Question 63

In terms of the number of structures (e.g.,the id)that Freud believed made up the mind,which other theory is most similar?

A) the five-factor theory
B) Eysenck's hierarchical model, consisting of three superordinate traits
C) Tellegen's two-factor theory
D) Allport's model, consisting of a limitless number of personality traits

Question 64

An important criticism of the Rorschach inkblot test is that:

A) it identifies too many normal people as psychologically disturbed
B) it works well for women but not for men
C) children cannot be tested with it
D) it reveals unconscious but not conscious motives and conflicts

Question 65

Trait theories of personality differ from psychodynamic and humanistic approaches in that they:

A) focus more on description than explanation
B) generally have a more positive view of human nature
C) are less amenable to empirical investigation
D) are less parallel to our intuitive views of personality

Question 66

JoAnn describes herself as a modest and rational person.She does not usually spend time daydreaming or seeking out new experiences.Instead,she enjoys completing familiar tasks and having a structured daily routine.If JoAnn is measured on the five factors of the five-factor theory,she will probably score very low in:

A) empathy
B) introversion
C) conscientiousness
D) openness

Question 67

Even though trait theories,such as the five-factor theory,are descriptive in nature,they are important because they:

A) provide information on unconscious processes
B) allow for the use of projective techniques in understanding personality
C) rely on situationism, an important theory in personality psychology
D) can predict behaviors

Question 68

The Rorschach inkblot test is an example of a(n)_____ measure of personality.

A) projective
B) nomothetic
C) objective
D) idiographic

Question 69

Which of the following factors is NOT part of the five-factor theory of personality?

A) openness to experience
B) agreeableness
C) neuroticism
D) introversion

Question 70

The five-factor theory has _____ factors and is _____ widely accepted than Eysenck's theory.

A) more; more
B) fewer; less
C) more; less
D) fewer; more

Question 71

Evidence from cross-cultural research shows that there is _____ support for the five-factor theory and that _____.

A) little; researchers are trying to come up with new ways to measure personality
B) much; some cultural differences also emerge
C) little; only three factors are needed to fully explain personality across cultures
D) much; researchers are developing new ways to use projective tests to measure the five factors

Question 72

Recent evidence indicates that the basic personality traits associated with the five-factor theory:

A) are specific to Western cultures
B) have genetic components
C) are mostly environmentally determined
D) do not replicate when the strategy for assessing them changes

Question 73

Who is most likely to adopt a nomothetic approach to the study of personality?

A) a psychodynamic theorist
B) a trait theorist
C) a humanistic theorist
D) a narrative therapist

Question 74

In regard to the traits necessary to describe personality,psychologists now generally agree that:

A) no one set of traits has yet been proposed that captures the complexity of personality
B) there is little agreement among perceivers as to which traits go with which behaviors
C) personality can be quite accurately described using five basic traits
D) Cattell's 16-factor theory was probably correct

Question 75

Your psychology teacher is studying the personalities of the students in the class and asks everyone to write a personal narrative involving his or her experiences in college thus far.The teacher is using a(n)_____ approach to personality description.

A) nomothetic
B) trait
C) idiographic
D) projective

Question 76

How do the idiographic and nomothetic approaches to studying personality differ?

A) The first focuses on the unique characteristics of the individual, whereas the latter looks at variation in characteristics common to all people.
B) The first uses projective reports, whereas the latter employs case reports.
C) The first uses research methods, whereas the latter employs psychobiography.
D) They employ essentially the same methods but make different assumptions about personality dynamics.

Question 77

_____ in Eysenck's hierarchical model measures the same trait that is called _____ in the five-factor theory.

A) Conscientiousness; openness
B) Psychoticism; agreeableness
C) Openness to experience; extraversion
D) Emotional stability; neuroticism

Question 78

Compared to the Rorschach,the Thematic Apperception Test has been found to:

A) more accurately reflect the unconscious conflicts present in the test taker
B) be less reliable
C) be a better predictor of behavior
D) be more difficult to interpret

Question 79

Researchers have found that the trait of conscientiousness predicts_____,and that openness to experience predicts_____.

A) friendliness; extraversion
B) intelligence; impulsivity
C) high school grades; standardized test scores
D) shyness; extraversion

Question 80

Research on the Rorschach inkblot test indicates that it:

A) does an excellent job of identifying specific psychological disorders
B) identifies many adults and children as psychologically disturbed when in fact they are not
C) is the most reliable of the many projective tests in use
D) reliably assesses id/ego/superego conflicts but not specific psychological disorders