Question 1

Traits were introduced into the field of personality psychology by

Accepted Answer

A)  Gordon Allport. 
B)  Raymond Cattell. 
C)  Carl Jung. 
D)  Henry Murray.

Question 2

A researcher compares the speeches of American presidents to determine the presidents' needs for Achievement. The researcher's research was influenced by which personality theorist's work?

Accepted Answer

A)  Gordon Allport 
B)  Raymond Cattell 
C)  Carl Jung 
D)  Henry Murray

Question 3

The nomothetic approach to personality measurement looks at cardinal traits.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

Different teams of researchers examining human personality traits have independently found evidence that there may, in fact, only be___________ such traits.

Accepted Answer

A)  3 
B)  5 
C)  12 
D)  16

Question 5

Personality psychologists use factor analysis to help them determine

Accepted Answer

A)  a person's central traits. 
B)  which personality traits correlate with each other. 
C)  the stability of personality traits over time and situations. 
D)  the validity of personality trait measures.

Question 6

Allport called the 5-10 traits that best describe an individual's personality ___________traits.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 7

Why were pioneers in the study of personality traits limited in what they could discover?

Accepted Answer

A)  There were not as many sophisticated statistical tests in those days. 
B)  They had to calculate the factor analyses by hand. 
C)  Their data sets were limited. 
D)  These are all correct answers.

Question 8

If we say Ted is high on the personality trait of assertiveness, we would expect that he will act assertively

Accepted Answer

A)  all of the time. 
B)  more often than someone low in assertiveness. 
C)  in some situations that call for assertiveness, but not in others. 
D)  because he puts himself in situations that call for assertion.

Question 9

Among the Big Five personality dimensions, individual differences in ___________typically are the best predictors of job performance.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 10

Which of the following is true about the five-factor model?

Accepted Answer

A)  Few have criticized it for its lack of predictive value. 
B)  Hypotheses about the origin of the Big Five factors were generated after the results of the research were seen. 
C)  Trait theorists would be better off focusing their research on the five main traits. 
D)  It provides the most comprehensive model to explain personality currently in the field.

Question 11

Murray referred to each environmental force that activates a need as a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  trigger. 
B)  repressor. 
C)  press. 
D)  itch.

Question 12

Andrew has strong opinions and enjoys a good argument in which he can stand up for his beliefs. He prefers to work where he can compete with others, rather than an organization that stresses cooperation. Andrew would probably score low on a measure of which of the Big Five traits?

Accepted Answer

A)  Conscientiousness 
B)  Agreeableness 
C)  Introversion 
D)  Openness

Question 13

People who score high on a measure of the ___________trait are helpful, trusting, and sympathetic when interacting with others.

Accepted Answer

A)  agreeableness 
B)  openness 
C)  conscientiousness 
D)  psychoticism

Question 14

One strength of the trait approach to personality is that it

Accepted Answer

A)  predicts behavior in many situations. 
B)  is not necessary to job counselors to do their work. 
C)  does not rely on intuition but instead on objective measures. 
D)  explains the development of personality traits.

Question 15

Identify at least three strengths and three criticisms of the trait approach to personality. Do you think that the strengths outweigh the weaknesses enough to make this a dominant force in personality study? Or are the weaknesses salient enough that the trait approach is less effective than other models? Why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Identify at least three strengths and three...

Question 16

According to the "person by situation" approach,

Accepted Answer

A)  personality is more important than the situation in determining behavior. 
B)  there is little evidence for cross-situational consistency. 
C)  behavior is determined by an interaction of personality and the situation. 
D)  personality researchers need to measure behavior in more than one way.

Question 17

A psychologist examines six personality tests. She suspects that four of the tests are really measuring the same personality trait and that the other two measure another personality trait. What kind of research should the psychologist conduct to test her hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  A field study 
B)  A case study 
C)  Factor analysis 
D)  Idiographic research

Question 18

Test makers often examine the correlation between scores on the new test and scores on a measure of social desirability. They do this to

Accepted Answer

A)  make certain they are measuring something that is socially appropriate. 
B)  establish the discriminant validity of the new scale. 
C)  ensure that people are not offended by items on the new scale. 
D)  establish the face validity of the new scale.

Question 19

People with traits that dominate their personality can be described in terms of what Allport called a___________ trait.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 20

Sometimes test makers reverse the direction of the test items. That is, whereas sometimes agreeing with an item indicates a high score on the trait being measured, sometimes disagreeing with the item indicates a high score. Test makers do this to control for which potential problem?

Accepted Answer

A)  Faking 
B)  Carelessness and sabotage 
C)  Social desirability 
D)  Acquiescence response

Exam 7: The Trait Approach: Theory, Application, and Assessment