Deck 12: Section 2: Personality

Question 1

The owner of a restaurant separately asks five of his employees to describe the personality of the new bartender. The owner is most likely to hear:

A)different descriptions of the bartender's personality.
B)all positive descriptions about the bartender's personality.
C)extremely similar descriptions about the bartender's personality.
D)different behavioral examples about the bartender that all illustrate similar personality characteristics.

Answer 1

different descriptions of the bartender's personality.

Question 2

_____ is a person's characteristic style of behaving, thinking, and feeling.

A)Attitude
B)Personality
C)Belief
D)Point of view

Answer 2

Personality

Question 3

To measure a person's personality, a psychologist MOST likely would:

A)follow him or her around.
B)ask friends about him or her.
C)observe him or her.
D)give him or her a questionnaire.

Answer 3

give him or her a questionnaire.

Question 4

A key feature of projective techniques to assess personality is the use of:

A)essay questions instead of true/false questions.
B)validity scales to assess dishonesty.
C)ambiguous objects designed to elicit unique responses.
D)questions asking participants to imagine themselves in the future.

Question 5

When psychologists try to explain personality differences, they are concerned with _____ and _____.

A)needs; desires
B)prior events; anticipated events
C)insights; reflections
D)prior dispositions; traits

Question 6

A drawback to self-report questionnaires is that:

A)they typically take a long time to administer.
B)scoring requires the use of a computer.
C)they rely on the test taker to tell the truth.
D)special training is needed to interpret the questionnaire.

Question 7

Abby is a psychologist who studies personality. Which instrument would she MOST likely use in asking people about how they act or think in particular situations?

A)self-report inventory
B)Rorschach Inkblot Test
C)Thematic Apperception Test
D)picture completion test

Question 8

Which psychological construct does the MMPI-2-RF NOT measure?

A)clinical
B)somatic
C)projecting
D)interpersonal

Question 9

Which test is a series of questions designed to assess personality and psychological problems?

A)Beck Depression Inventory
B)personality assessment inventory
C)Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
D)Thematic Apperception Test

Question 10

The projective personality test that uses individual interpretations of various shapes to identify someone's inner feelings is the:

A)MMPI-2-RF.
B)Stanford-Binet Test.
C)Big Five Inventory.
D)Rorschach Inkblot Test.

Question 11

When one person describes the personality characteristics of a number of people, those descriptions tend to be _____ than when many people describe the personality of a single individual.

A)more positive
B)more negative
C)more similar
D)less similar

Question 12

As a science matures, research tends to shift from _____ to _____.

A)explanation; description
B)description; explanation
C)evaluation; description
D)evaluation; categorization

Question 13

All of these are aspects of personality EXCEPT:

A)behaving.
B)thinking.
C)sensing.
D)feeling.

Question 14

Chuck is a psychologist who wishes to identify the inner conflicts a client is having. Which test or technique would Chuck MOST likely use?

A)Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
B)Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
C)personality assessment inventory
D)projective technique

Question 15

The technique most widely used by psychologists to collect information about someone's personality structure is:

A)double-blind experimentation.
B)the Thematic Apperception Test.
C)self-report.
D)the Rorschach Inkblot Test.

Question 16

Theories attempting to determine the basis for psychological differences among people seek to _____ personality.

A)explain
B)describe
C)evaluate
D)categorize

Question 17

Developers of projective tests assume that people will:

A)project personality factors onto an ambiguous test.
B)project their response biases by indicating which adjectives describe them best.
C)reveal their response style by agreeing or disagreeing to most ambiguous questions.
D)report that they see the same image when shown an unstructured inkblot.

Question 18

Most self-report questionnaires consist of which type of answers?

A)describing what is happening in a picture
B)circling an item on a scale
C)writing an essay about oneself
D)writing an essay about one's family

Question 19

The MMPI-2-RF measures all these psychological tendencies EXCEPT:

A)creativity.
B)anxiety.
C)substance abuse.
D)avoidance.

Question 20

The MMPI-2-RF consists of more than _____ true/false statements.

A)40
B)300
C)500
D)1000

Question 21

What is the best-known projective personality test?

A)Beck Depression Inventory
B)Rorschach Inkblot Test
C)Thematic Apperception Test
D)Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

Question 22

An early attempt to determine the number of personality traits by counting all of the relevant adjectives in an English dictionary revealed _____ potential traits.

A)600
B)8,000
C)18,000
D)120,000

Question 23

Allport believed that traits are preexisting dispositions that:

A)reliably trigger or cause the behavior.
B)are determined by childhood experiences and thus are not true causes of behavior.
C)have no predictive utility but can categorize the behavior after-the-fact.
D)can predict behavior but are not causes of behavior.

Question 24

Which statement about projective personality tests is true?

A)They are reliable measures of personality.
B)They are reliable and valid measures of personality.
C)They are useful in determining whether or not a participant is being truthful.
D)They are useful in getting to know a participant on an intuitive basis.

Question 25

Which computational procedure sorts traits into a small number of underlying dimensions?

A)chi-square
B)factor analysis
C)t-tests
D)analysis of variance

Question 26

Cattell (1950) proposed a theory of personality consisting of _____ factors.

A)2
B)5
C)16
D)18,000

Question 27

On her first visit to a psychiatrist, Lucinda was asked to look at a set of 10 pictures and make up a story about each one. Her psychiatrist was likely using the:

A)Myers-Briggs Inventory.
B)Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.
C)Rorschach Inkblot Test.
D)Thematic Apperception Test.

Question 28

A recent study by Mehl and colleagues (2009) utilized an electronically activated recorder to record the daily conversations of male and female college students. This study found that:

A)females were much more talkative than males.
B)males were much more talkative than females.
C)males were slightly more talkative than females.
D)males and females were equally talkative.

Question 29

Which of these was NOT a trait psychologist?

A)Hans Eysenck
B)Abraham Maslow
C)Henry Murray
D)Gordon Allport

Question 30

Trait theorists, who believe that personality traits reflect the motives of a person, tend to use which type of personality tests?

A)projective tests
B)self-report tests
C)personality inventories
D)structured interviews

Question 31

Which statement regarding personality factors derived from factor analysis is true?

A)Personality factors are correlated highly with one another.
B)Personality factors are presented in terms of specific behavioral tendencies.
C)Personality factors are presented as a continuum, ranging from one extreme trait to its opposite.
D)Personality factors are more numerous than personality traits.

Question 32

A disadvantage of the Thematic Apperception Test is that:

A)the scorer's interpretation of the results is subjective.
B)it is easy for test takers to mask their true personalities.
C)projections reveal more than the client wants to reveal and produce psychological distress.
D)participants tend to project only their current concerns on the ambiguous pictures.

Question 33

Breanne is ambitious and Susan is laid back. These personality traits represent:

A)different and unrelated personality factors.
B)the endpoints of a single personality factor.
C)different and related personality factors.
D)Eysenck's two-factor model of personality.

Question 34

Henry Murray believed that traits:

A)are preexisting dispositions or causes of behavior that reliably trigger the behavior.
B)reflect the needs and desires of the person.
C)are highly unstable across the lifetime.
D)indicate what type of childhood the person had.

Question 35

When traits are organized in a hierarchy, _____ are at the _____ level.

A)concrete traits; highest
B)abstract traits; highest
C)specific behavioral tendencies; highest
D)abstract traits; lowest

Question 36

The _____ is a personality test that reveals underlying motives and concerns of respondents and how the respondents see the social world through the stories they create about ambiguous pictures of people.

A)Ambiguous Situation Assessment
B)Rorschach Inkblot Test
C)Thematic Apperception Test
D)Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

Question 37

Which statement is NOT a criticism of the Rorschach Inkblot Test?

A)Its interpretation can depend on the theoretical viewpoint of the examiner.
B)It is particularly inaccurate with older adults.
C)It is open to the subjective interpretation of the examiner.
D)It has little predictive value.

Question 38

Who was the originator of the Thematic Apperception Test?

A)Walter Mischel
B)Sigmund Freud
C)Henry Murray
D)George Kelly

Question 39

A _____ can be described as a relatively stable disposition to behave in a particular and consistent way.

A)personal construct
B)characteristic
C)trait
D)motivation

Question 40

Trait theorists who believe that personality traits reflect the causes of a person's disposition to behave in certain ways tend to use which type of personality tests?

A)projective tests
B)self-report tests
C)thematic apperception tests
D)structured interviews

Question 41

Hans Eysenck developed a model of personality with _____ factors.

A)2
B)5
C)16
D)40

Question 42

The layout of Jennifer's living room is imaginative and unconventional. Jennifer probably would score high on the personality dimension of:

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

Question 43

Bette enjoys spending time with friends and family, and she particularly enjoys parties and social events. According to various trait theories of personality, she would likely score high on:

A)extraversion.
B)conscientiousness.
C)agreeableness.
D)openness to experience.

Question 44

Presented as a continuum, which Big Five personality factor ranges from social to retiring?

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

Question 45

Presented as a continuum, which Big Five personality factor ranges from independent to conforming?

A)conscientiousness
B)openness to experience
C)agreeableness
D)extraversion

Question 46

The Big Five model includes _____ as one the five dimensions of personality.

A)neuroticism
B)creativity
C)narcissism
D)ambition

Question 47

Ronnie is a softhearted individual who easily trusts people and will go out of his way to help them. According to the Big Five factor model of personality, Ronnie would likely score high on:

A)extraversion.
B)conscientiousness.
C)openness to experience.
D)agreeableness.

Question 48

People who have tattoos are most likely to score high on the personality dimension of:

A)neuroticism.
B)openness to experience.
C)agreeableness.
D)extraversion.

Question 49

Presented as a continuum, which Big Five personality factor ranges from worried to calm?

A)neuroticism
B)openness to experience
C)conscientiousness
D)extraversion

Question 50

Today, many factor analysis researchers agree that personality is best captured by _____ factors.

A)2
B)3
C)5
D)16

Question 51

Professor Kim's office is cluttered and disorganized. Based solely on this information, it is likely that Professor Kim probably would score _____ on the personality dimension of _____.

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

Question 52

People who score high on which dimension of personality are MOST likely to appear stylish and healthy?

A)agreeableness
B)conscientiousness
C)openness to experience
D)extraversion

Question 53

Teenagers who score low on _____ are more likely than average to be juvenile delinquents.

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

Question 54

Which statement about the Big Five factor model is FALSE?

A)The factors are associated with predictable patterns of behavior.
B)People high in conscientiousness perform well in their jobs.
C)People low in extraversion tend to be social and affectionate.
D)People's personalities tend to remain stable throughout life.

Question 55

To help remember the Big Five dimensions of personality, use the acronym _____ as a mnemonic device.

A)CONES
B)CANES
C)NAMES
D)OCEAN

Question 56

Bonnie is a good student, organized, self-disciplined, and very careful about turning her work in on time. According to the Big Five factor model of personality, Bonnie would likely score high on:

A)orderliness.
B)conscientiousness.
C)openness to experience.
D)agreeableness.

Question 57

Research examining the links between personality and individuals' Facebook pages found that people who are high on extraversion report having all of these EXCEPT:

A)more links to Facebook groups.
B)more Facebook friends.
C)more status updates.
D)more comments on their status updates.

Question 58

The Big Five model includes all of these as personality factors EXCEPT:

A)extraversion.
B)openness to experience.
C)neuroticism.
D)anxiousness.

Question 59

The basic five-factor structure seems to be true in which of these populations?

A)adults in English-speaking countries
B)adults in non-Western cultures who speak languages other than English
C)children
D)children and adults in other cultures, both English and non-English speaking

Question 60

Hans Eysenck's theory of personality identified two trait dimensions, emotional stability vs. instability and:

A)insecurity vs. security.
B)extraversion vs. introversion.
C)independence vs. conformity.
D)impulsivity vs. control.

Question 61

Based on her research on stereotypical masculine and feminine traits, Bem suggested that:

A)males who identify strongly with the masculine gender role are better adjusted than psychologically androgynous men.
B)men who identify strongly with feminine characteristics to the exclusion of masculine characteristics are better adjusted than psychologically androgynous men.
C)women who identify strongly with the feminine gender role are better adjusted than psychologically androgynous women.
D)psychologically androgynous women are better adjusted than women who identify strongly with the feminine gender role.

Question 62

William James argued that, by the age of 30, personality was:

A)stable and unchanging.
B)more conscientious and extraverted than in childhood.
C)better able to be modified by social norms.
D)more variable than in childhood.

Question 63

Cross-species commonalities in some personality traits suggest that:

A)the shared environments of humans and animals are more similar than originally thought.
B)personality studies in animals are flawed by anthropomorphism.
C)genetics play little role in some core personality factors.
D)differences in personality have evolved to deal with challenges associated with survival and reproduction.

Question 64

Traits resembling _____ have been reliably observed in guppies and octopi.

A)extraversion and conscientiousness
B)agreeableness and neuroticism
C)neuroticism and openness to experience
D)extraversion and neuroticism

Question 65

Victor has a cortex that is very easily stimulated to a point higher than optimal; Victor MOST likely:

A)engages in the environment and seeks social reinforcement.
B)prefers quiet activities.
C)listens to loud music.
D)is neurotic and emotionally unstable.

Question 66

Studies of identical twins who were adopted and raised apart show that shared environments have _____ on personality traits.

A)a lot of impact
B)little impact
C)no impact
D)some impact

Question 67

When introverts and extraverts are presented with an intense stimulus, _____ respond _____.

A)introverts and extraverts; randomly
B)introverts and extraverts; the same
C)extraverts; more strongly
D)introverts; more strongly

Question 68

Jeffrey Gray's ideas on arousability include the notion that the _____ system activates approach behavior in response to the anticipation of reward.

A)behavioral activation
B)reward-seeking
C)sensation-seeking
D)emotion-eliciting

Question 69

According to Bem, which of these is NOT a stereotypical feminine personality characteristic?

A)yielding
B)self-reliant
C)flatterable
D)sympathetic

Question 70

Which occupation is best suited for an extravert?

A)an accountant
B)a teacher
C)a historian
D)a nighttime security guard

Question 71

One scale that assesses the degree of identification with stereotypically masculine and feminine traits is the:

A)Gender Self-Report.
B)Social Role Inventory.
C)Eysenck Personality Inventory of Gender.
D)BEM Sex Role Inventory.

Question 72

Behavioral and physiological research on the brain and personality traits has tended to support Hans Eysenck's theory of _____ in extraverts and in introverts.

A)drive for stimulation
B)differences in dopamine levels
C)cortical arousal differences
D)prefrontal cortex disparities

Question 73

Michael and Andrew are siblings who grew up in the same home environment, played together on the same little-league baseball team, and went to the same school. During early adolescence, their parents divorced and both boys went to live with their mother. The fact that Michael and Andrew have similar personalities is most likely due to:

A)genetics.
B)similar schooling and extracurricular activities.
C)the shared stressful event of divorce.
D)a similar home environment.

Question 74

Gosling (1998) arranged for human observers to observe a group of spotted hyenas and to assess the personalities of each hyena. He found evidence of all of these personality dimensions EXCEPT:

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

Question 75

The _____ suggests that aggressiveness in males may have an adaptive value in intimidating sexual rivals.

A)social role theory
B)psychodynamic theory
C)evolutionary biological perspective
D)gender roles theory

Question 76

Who would personality psychologists expect to have the most similar personality traits?

A)fraternal twins Billy and Bobby
B)siblings Cara and Drew
C)monozygotic twins Sadie and Sara
D)dizygotic twins Mari and Matt

Question 77

The _____ states that the personality differences between men and women result from cultural standards and expectations.

A)social role theory
B)trait perspective
C)existential approach
D)cultural-biological hypothesis

Question 78

Roughly _____ of the variability in personality among individuals is due to genetic factors.

A)one-quarter
B)one-third
C)one-half
D)three-quarters

Question 79

Which of statement about gender and personality is FALSE?

A)Women are more nurturing than men.
B)Women are more verbally expressive than men.
C)Men engage in more relational aggression (e.g., ignoring someone) than women.
D)Men engage in more sensation seeking than women.

Question 80

The Big Five personality factor that has the highest heritability estimate is:

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