Deck 7: Physiological Approaches to Personality

Question 1

The personality traits most consistently associated with nonspecific electrodermal responding are:

A)extraversion and openness to experience.
B)anxiety and neuroticism.
C)sensation seeking and aggression.
D)impulsivity and psychoticism.

Answer 1

anxiety and neuroticism.

Question 2

The diastolic pressure is used to _____.

A)express the resting pressure inside the cardiovascular system between heart contractions
B)measure the time interval between successive heartbeats
C)measure small amounts of electricity produced by the human brain
D)express the pressure exerted by the sympathetic nervous system on sweat glands present in the hands

Answer 2

express the resting pressure inside the cardiovascular system between heart contractions

Question 3

The Type A personality trait,especially the hostility part of being Type A,is associated with a higher likelihood of:

A)cancer-prone disease.
B)heart disease.
C)chronic diabetes.
D)Crohn's disease.

Answer 3

heart disease.

Question 4

After Elliot's brain tumor operation,his _____ changed.

A)personality
B)intelligence
C)memory
D)reasoning

Question 5

Which of the following statements is true about using electrodes as a common physiological measure in personality research?

A)They restrict the movement of a participant.
B)They penetrate a participant's skin and cause discomfort.
C)They are used to measure the activity level in the brain in terms of glucose consumption.
D)They determine the quality of immune system functioning in an individual.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is true about electrodermal activity?

A)It helps biochemists to evaluate how competently a person's immune system is functioning.
B)It makes it possible for researchers to directly measure sympathetic nervous system activity.
C)It helps ascertain the likelihood of heart disease and heart attacks.
D)It provides useful information about patterns of activation in various parts of the brain.

Question 7

The small bit of brain matter destroyed by Elliot's tumor was essential in transmitting _____ information to the higher reasoning centers of the brain.

A)spatial
B)emotional
C)reasoning
D)memory

Question 8

Carlos is very competitive,hostile,and impatient.When performing a stressful task,he shows much larger increases in blood pressure and heart rate than others.In this scenario,Carlos most likely has a(n)_____ personality.

A)mesomorphic
B)Type A
C)impulsive
D)reactive

Question 9

An advantage of the physiological approach to personality is that physiological characteristics:

A)are easy to measure.
B)can be measured mechanically and reliably.
C)are the most important part of personality.
D)are the same for all people.

Question 10

Which of the following is a feature of traditional functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)?

A)It measures the activity level in areas of the brain in terms of glucose consumption.
B)It determines the resting pressure inside the cardiovascular system between heart contractions.
C)It directly measures sympathetic nervous system activity.
D)It transmits electrical signals sent from a participant to a physiological recording machine.

Question 11

Which of the following phenomena has been associated with Type A personality?

A)Skin conductance
B)Cardiac reactivity
C)Immune system functionality
D)Hormone level fluctuation

Question 12

Measuring the amount of electricity that passes between two electrodes that are placed on the palm of one hand of an individual determines:

A)cardiovascular reactivity.
B)electrocardiogram activity.
C)electrodermal activity.
D)electroencephalogram activity.

Question 13

Following his accident,Phineas Gage:

A)returned to his job as a foreman and led a fairly normal life.
B)became a circus sideshow performer.
C)held a variety of farm jobs.
D)succumbed to his injuries.

Question 14

Which of the following best indicates cardiovascular activity?

A)Skin conductance
B)Alpha waves
C)Electrodermal activity
D)Blood pressure

Question 15

To ensure accurate measurement of cardiovascular activity,researchers typically:

A)measure the number of heartbeats per minute.
B)measure skin conductance between heartbeats.
C)measure the time interval between successive beats.
D)measure the average systolic blood pressure.

Question 16

Most physiologically oriented psychologists would agree that:

A)physiology is destiny.
B)physiology does not change over time.
C)physiology is only one cause among many for explaining behavior.
D)physiology determines behavior.

Question 17

Phineas Gage's personality became _____ after he was injured by an iron rod that was blasted through his brain while he was working as a railway builder.

A)agreeable and conscientious
B)obstinate and capricious
C)extraverted and neurotic
D)extraordinarily conventional

Question 18

Most physiological personality psychologists today focus on:

A)body types.
B)measures of distinct physiological systems.
C)the four humors.
D)telemetry.

Question 19

Electrical activity in the brain is measured with:

A)cardiovascular reactivity.
B)the electrocardiogram.
C)skin conductance.
D)the electroencephalogram or EEG.

Question 20

When Monica is shown negative images,such as spiders,people crying,etc. ,there is an increased frontal brain activation to these images.She is most likely to have the personality trait of:

A)extraversion.
B)neuroticism.
C)quarrelsomeness.
D)sensation seeking.

Question 21

Who among the following tend to seek out thrilling and exciting activities,take risks,and avoid boredom?

A)People who score high on introversion
B)People who score high on sensation seeking
C)People who score high on Type A personality
D)People with weak nervous systems

Question 22

A study conducted by psychologist Russell Geen (1984)-in which participants were told that they would engage in a learning task in a noisy environment and would be allowed to control the volume of the noise-found that the performance of:

A)introverts declined even when they were in their preferred noise level.
B)introverts improved when they chose a noise level louder than the level chosen by extraverts.
C)extraverts improved even when they chose a noise level lower than the level chosen by introverts.
D)extraverts declined when they were given the noise level chosen by introverts.

Question 23

Identify a true statement about H.J.Eysenck's theory of personality.

A)Introverts and extraverts differ in their nervous system responsiveness to moderate levels of stimulation.
B)Extraverts have higher resting levels of cortical arousal.
C)Introverts and extraverts differ significantly in their level of brain activity while sleeping.
D)Extraverts show larger or faster arousal responses than introverts even to mild levels of stimulation.

Question 24

According to H.J.Eysenck,extraverts seek out social situations and stimulating activities because they:

A)need to get their arousal level higher.
B)have high levels of anxiety when alone.
C)have overactive ascending reticular activating systems.
D)have greater impulse control in social situations.

Question 25

In Jeffrey Gray's model of personality,individuals with a reactive behavioral inhibition system are especially sensitive to:

A)positive emotions.
B)cues of punishment or frustration.
C)cues of incentives and rewards.
D)changes in MAO levels.

Question 26

According to H.J.Eysenck,introverts avoid social situations because:

A)they do not like people.
B)they also score high on measures of anxiety.
C)they have too much monoamine oxidase.
D)they are likely to become overaroused in social situations.

Question 27

Individuals with a reactive behavioral activation system may be very:

A)extraverted.
B)impulsive.
C)conscientious.
D)psychopathic.

Question 28

Individuals who score high on the behavioral activation system perform better when they work:

A)for reward.
B)to avoid a punishment.
C)alone on a task.
D)in a group on a task.

Question 29

H.J.Eysenck's revised arousal theory suggests that introverts and extraverts primarily differ in their:

A)baseline arousal levels.
B)arousal responses.
C)maximal arousal levels.
D)behavioral activation systems.

Question 30

According to Jeffrey Gray,_____ is responsive to incentives,such as cues for reward,and regulates approach behavior,most likely through the dopamine system.

A)the behavioral activation system
B)the behavioral inhibition system
C)dopamine
D)frontal brain asymmetry

Question 31

According to Jeffrey Gray,_____ is responsive to cues for punishment,frustration,and uncertainty and is responsible for the personality dimension of anxiety.

A)the behavioral activation system
B)the behavioral inhibition system
C)dopamine
D)frontal brain asymmetry

Question 32

Who among the following proposed an influential alternative biological theory of personality called reinforcement sensitivity theory?

A)Pavlov
B)H.J.Eysenck
C)Jeffrey Gray
D)Zuckerman

Question 33

According to Hebb,there is a(n)_____ level of arousal for every task that will lead to the highest level of performance for each individual.

A)marginal
B)optimal
C)maximal
D)progressive

Question 34

Sherlyn wants her husband to wash their car over the weekend.According to Jeffrey Gray's theory of personality,the best way to get her impulsive husband to complete the task is to:

A)let him do the task without interruptions.
B)promise him his favorite dinner once he finishes the task.
C)threaten him with another difficult task if this task is not completed.
D)yell at him whenever he takes a break during the task.

Question 35

Which of the following is thought to control overall cortical arousal?

A)The parasympathetic nervous system
B)The ascending reticular activating system or ARAS
C)The behavioral activation system or BAS
D)The behavioral inhibition system or BIS

Question 36

Jeffrey Gray has primarily conducted research:

A)with animals.
B)using questionnaires.
C)using measures of electrodermal activity.
D)with college sophomores.

Question 37

In Jeffrey Gray's theory of personality,anxiety and impulsivity are related to:

A)emotional stability and openness to experience.
B)psychoticism and extraversion.
C)sensation seeking and liberalism.
D)reinforcement and punishment.

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT a part of Hebb's notion of "optimal level of arousal"?

A)A person can be too aroused to perform well.
B)A person has the same optimal level of arousal for different stimuli.
C)A person can perform poorly because he or she is not sufficiently aroused.
D)Different activities have different optimal levels of arousal.

Question 39

According to Jeffrey Gray's theory of personality,identify a characteristic of impulsive people.

A)They are unable to go against their natural circadian preferences.
B)They learn well from punishment than from reward.
C)They have stronger approach than avoidance tendencies.
D)They have a strong behavioral inhibition system.

Question 40

Jeffrey Gray thought that _____ was responsible for avoidance behavior.

A)reward dependence
B)the behavioral inhibition system
C)monoamine oxidase
D)a strong nervous system

Question 41

Hebb's theory of optimal level of arousal was controversial because:

A)most researchers thought that tension reduction was the goal of all motives,yet he was saying that individuals are motivated to seek out tension and stimulation.
B)most researchers thought that he hypothesized that individuals seek out higher levels of tension without a means for reducing tension in the body.
C)it hypothesized that individuals cannot maintain an optimal level of arousal for a significant period of time.
D)it hypothesized that individuals are punished when they are not in a state of optimal arousal.

Question 42

Zuckerman found that _____ found sensory deprivation to be particularly unpleasant.

A)introverts
B)people with more activation in the left hemisphere of their brain
C)high sensation seekers
D)people who scored high on harm avoidance

Question 43

Research has found that _____ tend to score low on the Sensation-Seeking Scale.

A)people who enjoy skydiving
B)people who have more sexual partners
C)students who volunteer for unconventional psychology experiments
D)people who are able to tolerate sensory deprivation for longer periods of time

Question 44

The selective serotonin uptake inhibitors,like the antidepressants Prozac,Zoloft,or Paxil,result in increased levels of serotonin at synapses,which may _____ initially but then lead to _____.

A)increase anxiety;decreased vulnerability to overreact to stress
B)lead to strong euphoric states;generally decreased happiness
C)increase depression;modal levels of euphoria
D)lead to low sensation seeking;high vulnerability to stress

Question 45

According to Cloninger's tridimensional personality model,which of the following is a characteristic of individuals high on the trait of reward dependence?

A)They avoid working long hours.
B)They have a reactive behavioral inhibition system (BIS).
C)They put a lot of effort into their work.
D)They are unable to continue striving after others have given up.

Question 46

When there is too little monoamine oxide present in the human system,_____.

A)too much transmission will take place between the nerves
B)not enough neurotransmitters will be produced in the nervous system
C)the neurons will fire at a slow rate,inhibiting behavior
D)the lack of oxides will damage the nervous system

Question 47

People high in harm avoidance are described as:

A)energetic,outgoing,and optimistic.
B)cautious,inhibited,and apprehensive.
C)shy,paranoid,and tense.
D)happy,positive,and extraverteD.

Question 48

Bored people may seek out mild stimulation to:

A)invigorate their nervous system.
B)reach an optimal level of arousal.
C)avoid a higher level of stimulation.
D)reduce tension in their nervous system.

Question 49

Which of the following personality traits is NOT identified in Cloninger's tridimensional personality model?

A)Harm avoidance
B)Sensation seeking
C)Novelty seeking
D)Reward dependence

Question 50

Monoamine oxidase:

A)breaks down neurotransmitters.
B)facilitates nerve transmissions.
C)is linked to cardiovascular reactivity.
D)holds neurons together.

Question 51

According to Zuckerman's (1991a)theory and research,sensation-seeking behaviors are due to _____.

A)seeking an optimal level of arousal
B)having little of the biochemical brakes in a synapse
C)having high levels of monoamine oxidase (MAO)
D)the nervous system being able to control the muscles,thoughts,and emotions

Question 52

According to Cloninger's tridimensional personality model,which of the following personality traits is related to low levels of norepinephrine?

A)Positive emotionality
B)Novelty seeking
C)Harm avoidance
D)Reward dependence

Question 53

Who among the following associated specific neurotransmitters with personality traits?

A)H.J.Eysenck
B)Pavlov
C)Jeffrey Gray
D)Cloninger

Question 54

Drugs such as Prozac,Zoloft,and Paxil block the reuptake of serotonin _____.

A)leading morning people to have longer circadian rhythms
B)leading depressed persons to feel less depressed
C)causing individuals with greater right-sided activation of the brain to have lower levels of cortisol
D)activating the sympathetic nervous system for fight-or-flight response

Question 55

Which of the following neurotransmitters appears to be associated with pleasure and has even been called the feeling good chemical?

A)Norepinephrine
B)Serotonin
C)Dopamine
D)Histamine

Question 56

According to Zuckerman,_____ have _____ levels of monoamine oxidase.

A)sensation seekers;low
B)introverts;low
C)sensation seekers;high
D)extraverts;low

Question 57

Which of the following neurotransmitters is involved in activating the sympathetic nervous system for fight-or-flight?

A)Serotonin
B)Dopamine
C)Norepinephrine
D)Monoamine oxide

Question 58

According to Cloninger's tridimensional personality model,the trait of novelty seeking is _____.

A)based on low levels of norepinephrine
B)associated with abnormalities in serotonin metabolism
C)based on low levels of dopamine
D)associated with high levels of monoamine oxidase

Question 59

Monoamine oxidase works by:

A)preventing too many neurotransmitters from entering a synaptic gap.
B)acting as a conductor to facilitate the transmission of neurotransmitters between neurons.
C)manufacturing neurotransmitters inside the neuron.
D)breaking down neurotransmitters after they have allowed a nerve impulse to pass.

Question 60

There is a _____ correlation between sensation seeking and extraversion.

A)very low positive
B)marginally negative
C)moderately strong positive
D)very strong negative

Question 61

Mike flies nonstop from San Francisco to London.He finds it easy to adjust to disruptions in his sleep-wake cycles.He most likely is a(n):

A)novelty-seeking type.
B)evening person.
C)extravert.
D)diurnal type.

Question 62

Which of the following dimensions is mostly due to biological rhythms?

A)Extraversion
B)Sensation seeking
C)Morningness-eveningness
D)Impulsivity

Question 63

Test-retest correlations of electroencephalograph (EEG)asymmetry have been shown to be:

A)weak and positive.
B)strong and positive.
C)weak and negative.
D)strong and negative.

Question 64

Unlike individuals with shorter biological rhythms,individuals with longer biological rhythms _____.

A)tend to be evening persons
B)are able to remain insensitive to reward even with a reactive behavioral activation system
C)find it easy to get up early in the morning
D)are unable to go against their natural circadian preferences

Question 65

A study discussed in the text showed that roommates who scored similarly on the trait of _____ liked each other more than roommates who were mismatched on this trait.

A)extraversion
B)anxiety
C)morningness-eveningness
D)achievement motivation

Question 66

In a given time period of brain wave recording,the less alpha wave activity present,_____.

A)the more is the level of harm avoidance present
B)the more is the amount of symmetrical brain activity present
C)the more is the amount of norepinephrine present
D)the more one can assume that part of the brain was active

Question 67

The trait of morningness-eveningness:

A)often changes over time.
B)remains stable over time.
C)has been studied only in America.
D)is correlated with anxiety.

Question 68

People who have higher levels of activation in the _____ hemisphere of the brain tend to have more _____.

A)right;positive emotions
B)right;sexual partners
C)left;positive emotions
D)left;sexual partners

Question 69

Which of the following has been shown to fluctuate based on circadian rhythms?

A)Body temperature
B)The trait of extraversion
C)Frontal asymmetry
D)Serotonin levels

Question 70

Davidson and his colleagues found that monkeys with greater right-sided activation had higher levels of _____.

A)cortisol
B)norepinephrine
C)serotonin
D)dopamine

Question 71

Disruptions in sleep-wake cycles due to long airline flights that pass through many time zones are best tolerated by:

A)morning types,if the flights are eastbound.
B)evening types,if the flights are westbound.
C)morning types,regardless of the direction of flights.
D)evening types,regardless of the direction of flights.

Question 72

Individuals who are deprived of time cues in their environment to influence their behavior or biology are said to be _____ in time.

A)showing frontal asymmetry
B)free running
C)off track
D)symmetrical

Question 73

A study by Fox and Davidson found that 10-month-old infants who reacted more strongly to bitter solutions placed in their mouths:

A)showed more right- than left-brain activation.
B)showed relatively more left- than right-brain activation.
C)were more likely to be morning types than evening types.
D)tended to score low on activity scales than less sensitive infants.

Question 74

When an individual reports stronger positive emotions in response to happy and amusing films,he or she is most likely to:

A)have a reactive behavioral inhibition system (BIS).
B)have a high score on neuroticism.
C)have higher levels of cortisol.
D)have greater left-side activation of the brain.

Question 75

An electroencephalograph is a measure of:

A)electrical activity produced in the brain.
B)skin conductance.
C)cardiac reactivity.
D)levels of cortisol present in the bloodstream.

Question 76

Cloninger's model of personality has much in common with all of these models of personality EXCEPT:

A)Wiggins' circumplex model of personality.
B)H.J.Eysenck's three-dimensional model of personality.
C)Jeffrey Gray's reinforcement sensitivity theory.
D)Zuckerman's model of sensation seeking.