Deck 14: Theories of Personality

Question 1

David is struggling with the concept of free will and the way in which it confers on us responsibility for our actions. This is an emphasis in the personality theory of:

A) Carl Rogers.
B) Melanie Klein.
C) Abraham Maslow.
D) Rollo May.

Answer 1

Rollo May.

Question 2

For Carl Rogers, our personalities reflect:

A) a few central traits and a greater number of secondary traits.
B) the ways we cope with the struggle to find meaning in existence.
C) whether or not a person received unconditional positive regard throughout childhood.
D) a gradual progression toward self-actualization.

Answer 2

whether or not a person received unconditional positive regard throughout childhood.

Question 3

________ is an estimate of the proportion of the total variance in some trait among individuals within a group that is attributable to genetic differences.

A) Reciprocal determinism
B) Factor analysis
C) Heritability
D) Congruence

Answer 3

Heritability

Question 4

Which of the following theories of personality would be most likely to emphasize the freedom of individuals to choose to act in particular ways?

A) humanist
B) psychodynamic
C) behaviourist
D) collectivist

Question 5

________ is defined as a distinctive and relatively stable pattern of behaviour, thoughts, motives, and emotions that characterizes an individual throughout life.

A) A trait
B) Temperament
C) Personality
D) The ego

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT one of the Big Five personality traits?

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

Question 7

In psychoanalysis, the part of the personality that represents reason and good sense and responds to reality is called the:

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

Question 8

Members of individualist cultures:

A) give priority to personal goals.
B) place responsibilities to the group above personal goals.
C) value obligation and security.
D) tend to explain behaviours through group norms.

Question 9

Raymond Cattell advanced the study of personality by:

A) developing case-study analysis.
B) devising the Myers-Briggs inventory.
C) using objective tests in his research.
D) using factor analysis.

Question 10

________ occurs when people refuse to admit to an event, feeling, or memory that causes them anxiety or distress.

A) Projection
B) Displacement
C) Sublimation
D) Denial

Question 11

According to Freud, the psychosexual stage that occurs during the grade-school years until puberty is called the:

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

Question 12

________ is defined as a two-way interaction between aspects of the environment and aspects of the individual in the shaping of personality traits.

A) Social-cognitive interaction
B) Parallel interaction
C) Nature-nurture theory
D) Reciprocal determinism

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a factor that might cause personality differences in nontwin siblings?

A) differing genes
B) their parents' style of child rearing
C) chance unpredictable events
D) differing peer groups

Question 14

According to Freud, the psychosexual stage that occurs during infancy is called the:

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

Question 15

Innate physiological dispositions to respond to the environment in certain ways that are present in infancy are called:

A) personalities.
B) temperaments.
C) aptitudes.
D) traits.

Question 16

Mark is angry when the teacher blames him for misbehaving when it actually was the child behind him who had been acting up. As he leaves after school, he shoves another boy who gets in his way. Freud would say that Mark is unconsciously using the defence mechanism of:

A) displacement.
B) projection.
C) repression.
D) denial.

Question 17

________ was a major trait theorist who recognized that not all traits have equal weight and significance in people's lives.

A) Abraham Maslow
B) Gordon Allport
C) John B. Watson
D) Karen Horney

Question 18

Which component of personality is present at birth and is the reservoir of unconscious psychological energy?

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

Question 19

By the end of the twentieth century, biological research was demonstrating that about half of the variation in personality traits is due to:

A) psychological factors.
B) genetic variation.
C) brain differences.
D) cultural factors.

Question 20

Gordon Allport thought of personalities as:

A) a few central traits and a greater number of secondary traits.
B) the ways we cope with the struggle to find meaning in existence.
C) whether or not a person received unconditional positive regard throughout childhood.
D) a gradual progression toward self-actualization.

Question 21

A friend asks you about your intro psych instructor. You tell her that he is very nice, generous, warm, really funny, and extremely intelligent. According to Gordon Allport's approach, you have described his ________ traits.

A) self-reported
B) cardinal
C) secondary
D) central

Question 22

A distinctive pattern of behaviours, thoughts, motives, and emotions that characterizes a person over time is defined as ________, whereas habitual ways of behaving, thinking, and feeling are considered ________.

A) personality; traits
B) personality; habits
C) a habit; personalities
D) a trait; personalities

Question 23

By the end of the twentieth century, biological research was demonstrating that about half of the variation in personality traits is due to:

A) brain differences.
B) genetic variation.
C) hormones.
D) neurotransmitters.

Question 24

Honora is an unemotional, slow-moving sort of person. According to the early philosophers, she has an excess of :

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

Question 25

For much of the twentieth century ________ was the dominant approach to understanding personality.

A) psychoanalytic theory
B) genetic theory
C) humanist theory
D) cognitive theory

Question 26

A ________ is a habitual way of behaving, thinking, and feeling.

A) temperament
B) personality
C) trait
D) personality type

Question 27

________ recognized that most people possess five to ten central traits that reflect characteristic ways of thinking and acting.

A) Gordon Allport
B) Myers and Briggs
C) Carl Jung
D) Raymond Cattell

Question 28

Early philosophers suggested that human personality is based on:

A) four different mixes of basic body fluids.
B) early relationships with the mother.
C) a person's subjective sense of self and free will.
D) the sense of being able to achieve goals.

Question 29

________ is defined as a distinctive and relatively stable pattern of behaviour, thoughts, motives, and emotions that characterizes an individual throughout life.

A) Personality
B) The ego
C) Reciprocal determinism
D) A trait

Question 30

________ are standardized questionnaires requiring written responses.

A) Rorschach tests
B) Objective tests
C) Humanist tests
D) Projective tests

Question 31

Taryn is an angry and irritable sort of person. According to the early philosophers:

A) her secondary traits dominate over her central traits.
B) she has an excess of yellow bile.
C) she has negative expectations for herself and others.
D) she was orphaned at a young age.

Question 32

________ are standardized questionnaires requiring written responses.

A) Objective tests
B) Rorschach tests
C) Projective tests
D) Psychodynamic tests

Question 33

For Gordon Allport, our personalities reflect:

A) the ways we cope with the struggle to find meaning in existence.
B) whether or not a person received unconditional positive regard throughout childhood.
C) a few central traits and a greater number of secondary traits.
D) a gradual progression toward self-actualization.

Question 34

________ have better reliability than ________.

A) Clinical judgment; objective tests
B) Objective tests; clinical judgment
C) Rorschach tests; pop-psych tests
D) Inventories; objective tests

Question 35

What is personality?

A) the degree to which a person is outgoing and friendly
B) a group of distinctive traits that change throughout one's life
C) the distinctive mannerisms of a person
D) a distinctive pattern of behaviour, mannerisms, thoughts, motives, and emotions that characterizes an individual over time and across different situations

Question 36

The textbook points out that the personality theory involving ________ is dead.

A) four fundamental personality categories based on a person's mixtures of bodily fluids
B) factor analysis
C) psychoanalysis
D) projective tests

Question 37

Suppose you were one of the first personality theorists. In your descriptions of personality, you would be most likely to refer to:

A) genetic differences.
B) reinforcement histories.
C) the growth potential of the individual.
D) personality types.

Question 38

Madonna's image is a "work in progress." Is the "real" Madonna motherly or selfish, a born exhibitionist or an ambitious woman who created an outrageous persona? Psychologists answer questions such as these through the study of:

A) libido.
B) the collective unconscious.
C) personality.
D) peak experiences.

Question 39

Early philosophers suggested that human personality is based on:

A) the sense of being able to achieve goals.
B) early relationships with the mother.
C) four different mixes of basic body fluids.
D) a person's subjective sense of self and free will.

Question 40

After 12 years of attending the same schools, Holly and Amy chose to attend colleges in different states. Holly remembered Amy as a shy but friendly girl who rarely took risks, and so Holly was surprised when her friend sent an email describing the thrill of sky-diving. Holly's surprise occurred because Amy's behaviours didn't match the ________ that Holly had observed in high school.

A) external locus of control
B) personality traits
C) defence mechanisms
D) internal locus of control

Question 41

One of the most influential trait theorists was ________, who recognized that not all traits have equal weight and significance in people's lives.

A) Karen Horney
B) Abraham Maslow
C) Gordon Allport
D) John B. Watson

Question 42

Which of the following is NOT one of the Big Five personality traits?

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

Question 43

________ describes the extent to which people are imaginative and questioning, or conforming and predictable.

A) Conscientiousness vs. impulsiveness
B) Agreeableness vs. antagonism
C) Openness to experience vs. resistance to new experience
D) Extroversion vs. introversion

Question 44

Which of the following is NOT one of the "Big Five" personality factors?

A) agreeableness vs. antagonism
B) extroversion vs. introversion
C) conscientiousness vs. impulsiveness
D) optimism vs. pessimism

Question 45

A person is described by others as organized, responsible, and cautious. This description pertains to the ________ factor of the Big Five.

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

Question 46

________ used factor analysis to identify 16 personality factors.

A) Gordon Allport
B) Raymond Cattell
C) Carl Jung
D) Myers and Briggs

Question 47

Professor Benvolio's personality course emphasizes the importance of Gordon Allport's contributions to the field of psychology. Prof. Benvolio would be most likely to agree that:

A) most individuals have five to ten central traits that reflect a characteristic way of behaving, dealing with others, and reacting to new situations.
B) people fail to understand the power of culture on behaviour, and so they attribute another person's mysterious actions to the individual's personality rather than to cultural norms.
C) repression occurs when a threatening idea, memory, or emotion is blocked from an individual's conscious awareness.
D) the price of free will is often anxiety and despair, which is why many people try to escape from freedom into narrow certainties.

Question 48

Factor analysis was used by ________ in order to confirm the idea that traits vary in their "centrality" to the individual.

A) Raymond B. Cattell
B) Karen Horney
C) Abraham Maslow
D) Gordon Allport

Question 49

________ describes whether people are cooperative and secure, or irritable and abrasive.

A) Agreeableness vs. antagonism
B) Extroversion vs. introversion
C) Openness to experience vs. resistance to new experience
D) Neuroticism vs. emotional stability

Question 50

________ describes whether people are steadfast and persevering, or fickle and careless.

A) Agreeableness vs. antagonism
B) Extroversion vs. introversion
C) Openness to experience vs. resistance to new experience
D) Conscientiousness vs. impulsiveness

Question 51

Janine had always worried that people did not really like her. She found it very difficult to relax in social situations, as she was so concerned about self-perception. Janine would score high on the following personality trait:

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

Question 52

Ryan is the type of person you can rely on. He is a very committed employee who works very hard to ensure his clients' satisfaction. Ryan would score high on the personality trait of:

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

Question 53

Recently, there has been a consensus that ________ factors best characterize personality.

A) 3
B) 5
C) 7
D) 16

Question 54

Which trait among the Big Five typically decreases in later adulthood?

A) conscientiousness
B) neuroticism
C) extroversion
D) psychoticism

Question 55

________ describes the extent to which people are outgoing or shy.

A) Neuroticism vs. emotional stability
B) Agreeableness vs. antagonism
C) Extroversion vs. introversion
D) Openness to experience vs. resistance to new experience

Question 56

Chloe loved to live on the edge. Last week at work she improvised an important presentation to the vice presidents of her company. During her free time she enjoys rock climbing and sky diving, and she is always the life of the party. Chloe would score high on the following personality trait:

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

Question 57

Raymond Cattell advanced the study of personality by:

A) using factor analysis.
B) using projective tests in his research.
C) developing case-study analysis.
D) devising the Myers-Briggs inventory.

Question 58

A student describes herself as liking The Simpsons, the music of Britney Spears, and fast food. According to Gordon Allport's approach, she is describing some of her ________ traits.

A) secondary
B) central
C) tertiary
D) cardinal

Question 59

________ describes the extent to which people are anxious and impulsive.

A) Agreeableness vs. antagonism
B) Openness to experience vs. resistance to new experience
C) Extroversion vs. introversion
D) Neuroticism vs. emotional stability

Question 60

According to Gordon Allport, most individuals have ________ central trait(s) that reflect(s) a characteristic way of behaving, dealing with others, and reacting to new situations.

A) 20
B) 50 to 60
C) 1
D) 5 to 10

Question 61

Clinical psychologists would be likely to note that an important trait, ________, is not included among the Big Five.

A) resentment
B) suspicion
C) neuroticism
D) psychopathy

Question 62

Which of the following statements regarding the Big Five is NOT true?

A) Some researchers believe that the five factors can be reduced to three factors.
B) Some researchers argue that important dimensions, such as religiosity, are missing.
C) The Big Five best explain personality differences among people primarily in Western cultures.
D) The Big Five do seem to lie at the core of personality variations among healthy individuals.

Question 63

Heritability is defined as:

A) the two-way interaction between aspects of the environment and aspects of the individual in the shaping of personality traits.
B) a statistical method for analyzing the intercorrelations that are highly correlated among various measures.
C) the unique aspect of a person's environment that is not shared by other members of the family.
D) a statistical estimate of the proportion of the total variance in some trait that is attributable to genetic differences among individuals within a group.

Question 64

At the age of four months, Zach was excitable and fearful. His dad taped a colourful picture beside the changing table to entertain Zach during diaper changes. Zach overreacted to the picture and became agitated and nervous. According to our text, during his school years, Zach is most likely to become:

A) curious about new school events.
B) angry and aggressive towards unfamiliar peers.
C) fearful at the prospect of sleeping in an unfamiliar house.
D) an extroverted member of his peer group.

Question 65

Which of the following is NOT considered to be a part of temperament?

A) reactivity
B) positive and negative emotionality
C) soothability
D) stability

Question 66

Research on the Big Five and the aging process supports all of the following EXCEPT:

A) from 16 to 21 years of age, people are the most neurotic and least conscientious.
B) people begin to become less antagonistic and more agreeable around age 30.
C) in later adulthood, individuals become more open to new experiences.
D) the Big Five are remarkably stable over a lifetime, especially once a person hits 30.

Question 67

According to many clinical psychologists, an important trait, ________, is not included among the Big Five.

A) suspicion
B) neuroticism
C) carelessness
D) self-absorption

Question 68

Which trait among the Big Five typically decreases by age 30?

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

Question 69

Temperament is defined as:

A) a disposition to respond to the environment in certain ways.
B) an infant's personality.
C) the key traits of an individual.
D) the tendency to be introverted or extroverted.

Question 70

Personality researchers note that an important trait, ________, is not included among the Big Five.

A) carelessness
B) neuroticism
C) dishonesty
D) introversion

Question 71

All of the Big Five personality factors are found in dogs EXCEPT:

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

Question 72

During mildly stressful tasks, Colleen shows sympathetic nervous system activity, such as an increase in her heart rate and the dilation of her pupils. Jerome Kagan would classify Colleen as a/an:

A) extroverted child.
B) reactive child.
C) introverted child.
D) nonreactive child.

Question 73

________ is a statistical estimate of the proportion of the total variance in some trait that is attributable to genetic differences among individuals within a group.

A) Factor analysis
B) Reciprocal determinism
C) Heritability
D) Congruence

Question 74

Dr. Izzo, a clinical psychologist, would be likely to note that an important trait, ________, is not included among the Big Five.

A) obsessionality
B) suspicion
C) neuroticism
D) resentment

Question 75

Personality researchers note that an important trait, ________, is not included among the Big Five.

A) carelessness
B) neuroticism
C) suspicion
D) religiosity

Question 76

Physiological dispositions to respond to the environment in certain ways are present in infancy. These dispositions, called ________, are assumed to be innate.

A) personalities
B) temperaments
C) traits
D) aptitudes

Question 77

Personality researchers note that an important trait, ________, is not included among the Big Five.

A) neuroticism
B) conventionality
C) suspicion
D) carelessness

Question 78

Psychologists who take a biological perspective would be likely to study personality in all of the following ways EXCEPT:

A) heritability studies with infants.
B) studies of temperament in infants.
C) factor analysis of young children's traits.
D) heritability studies with young children.

Question 79

Which trait among the Big Five is typically highest in young people but decreases by age 30?

A) neuroticism
B) obsessionality
C) psychopathy
D) religiosity

Question 80

Personality researchers note that an important trait, ________, is not included among the Big Five.

A) humorousness
B) suspicion
C) carelessness
D) neuroticism