Deck 42: A: Trait Theories, Social A:cognitive Theories, and the Self

Question 1

To identify a relatively small number of the most basic personality traits, trait theorists have used

A) projective tests.
B) free association.
C) the MMPI.
D) factor analysis.

Answer 1

factor analysis.

Question 2

Kelsey is consistently optimistic, talkative, and impulsive. Each of these characteristics most clearly represents a

A) defense mechanism.
B) self-serving bias.
C) fixation.
D) trait.

Answer 2

trait.

Question 3

As personality descriptions become more positive, the Barnum effect becomes stronger. This best illustrates

A) the spotlight effect.
B) unconditional positive regard.
C) self-serving bias.
D) an external locus of control.

Answer 3

self-serving bias.

Question 4

Psychologists assess a wide range of emotional and behavioral traits by means of

A) unconditional positive regard.
B) free association.
C) personality inventories.
D) the spotlight effect.

Question 5

Over the last few years, Mr. Helmus has been obsessed with bizarre thoughts and has become increasingly agitated and socially withdrawn. Which personality inventory would be most helpful for assessing the nature and severity of his symptoms?

A) the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
B) the Self-Concept Scale
C) the Rorschach inkblot test
D) the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

Question 6

People who describe themselves as outgoing may also say they like excitement and practical jokes. This cluster of behavior tendencies that occur together reflects a basic

A) factor.
B) complex.
C) hierarchy of needs.
D) reciprocal determinism.

Question 7

The Big Five is the term currently used to refer to basic

A) psychosexual stages.
B) defense mechanisms.
C) trait dimensions.
D) sensory modalities.

Question 8

Evidence of the impact of biology on personality traits includes the fact that

A) extraverts seek stimulation because their normal brain arousal is relatively low.
B) extraverts seek stimulation because their normal brain arousal is relatively high.
C) introverts seek stimulation because their normal brain arousal is relatively low.
D) introverts seek stimulation because their normal brain arousal is relatively high.

Question 9

In convincing people that they can accurately assess their personalities, astrologers, palm readers, and graphologists take advantage of

A) the spotlight effect.
B) the self-reference phenomenon.
C) the Barnum effect.
D) free association.

Question 10

Which instrument has been used for career counseling and work-team development to help identify individuals' personality types?

A) the Rorschach
B) the MMPI
C) the MBTI
D) the TAT

Question 11

A behavior trait refers to a pattern of behavior that is

A) unconsciously motivated.
B) difficult to observe.
C) stable over time.
D) unlearned.

Question 12

Sigmund Freud explained personality in terms of unconscious motivations, whereas ________ described personality in terms of enduring traits.

A) Gordon Allport
B) Carl Rogers
C) Albert Bandura
D) Hermann Rorschach

Question 13

Martin is optimistic, impulsive, excitable, and restless. In terms of the Eysencks' basic personality dimensions, he would be classified as

A) external-dependent.
B) manic-depressive.
C) unstable-extraverted.
D) passive-aggressive.

Question 14

Trait theorists would be most likely to highlight the impact of our biologically inherited ________ on personality.

A) erogenous zones
B) locus of control
C) attributional style
D) temperament

Question 15

In some ways, each of us is just like everyone else. This fact enables astrologers to effectively make use of a technique known as

A) fixation.
B) the stock spiel.
C) free association.
D) self-transcendence.

Question 16

An interest in describing and classifying the many ways in which individuals may differ from one another is most characteristic of ________ theories.

A) social-cognitive
B) trait
C) humanistic
D) psychoanalytic

Question 17

Which of the following tests characteristically describes personality in complimentary terms?

A) Rorschach inkblot test
B) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
C) MMPI
D) TAT

Question 18

Which of the following statements would most likely appear on a lie scale?

A) "I am usually fairly happy."
B) "I constantly worry about my health."
C) "Most people are willing to lie in order to get ahead."
D) "I have never disliked anyone."

Question 19

Which of the following is a basic personality factor assessed by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire?

A) thinking-feeling
B) real self-ideal self
C) extraversion-introversion
D) external locus of control-internal locus of control

Question 20

Which of the following is true of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory?

A) It is an empirically derived test.
B) It can be administered and scored only by a trained psychologist.
C) It is the most widely used projective test.
D) It was designed to assess the personality traits of normal, psychologically healthy individuals.

Question 21

Brenda has never cheated on a psychology test, but she often does so on chemistry tests. She recently stole some merchandise from a local store, but she also returned a lost billfold along with $28 to its rightful owner. This pattern of behavior should make psychologists more cautious about emphasizing the consistent impact of ________ on behavior.

A) personality traits
B) unconditional positive regard
C) repression
D) reciprocal determinism

Question 22

People who score high on the Big Five trait dimension of ________ tend to use more adjectives in their e-mail communications.

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

Question 23

Being sociable and fun-loving is most closely related to the Big Five trait dimension of

A) openness.
B) conscientiousness.
C) extraversion.
D) emotional stability.

Question 24

The stability of personality traits over time is greatest among

A) children.
B) college students.
C) 30-year-olds.
D) 60-year-olds.

Question 25

Our personalities influence the extent to which we expose ourselves to specific environmental influences. This best illustrates

A) the spotlight effect.
B) reaction formation.
C) self-serving bias.
D) reciprocal determinism.

Question 26

Which perspective most clearly emphasizes the interactive influences of traits and situations on human behavior?

A) trait perspective
B) psychoanalytic perspective
C) social-cognitive perspective
D) humanistic perspective

Question 27

During adulthood, people's level of openness tends to ________ slightly and their level of agreeableness tends to ______.

A) increase; increase
B) decrease; decrease
C) increase; decrease
D) decrease; increase

Question 28

A person who is helpful and trusting most clearly ranks high on the Big Five trait dimension known as

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

Question 29

Impressions of just a few seconds of a teacher's expressive style are consistent with impressions of the teacher's expressive style over an entire semester. This best illustrates the importance of

A) self-esteem.
B) traits.
C) projective tests.
D) self-transcendence.

Question 30

Which of the following Big Five trait dimensions is most descriptive of an individual who is organized and disciplined in managing his or her work?

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

Question 31

Features of ________ have been observed to be common among people from a wide variety of cultures.

A) repression
B) the Oedipus complex
C) the Big Five traits
D) free association

Question 32

Evidence that our traits persist over time and across different settings is of greatest relevance to

A) positive psychology.
B) self-transcendence.
C) unconditional positive regard.
D) the person-situation controversy.

Question 33

The use of personal pronouns in text messaging is best predicted by the Big Five trait of

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

Question 34

People who score high on the Big Five trait dimension known as ________ are also more likely to be morning types ("larks") rather than evening types ("owls").

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

Question 35

Trait theorists have been criticized for

A) underestimating the potential influence of biological factors on personality development.
B) underestimating the extent to which people differ from one another.
C) overestimating the consistency of behavior from one situation to another.
D) overestimating the importance of reciprocal determinism on adult personality traits.

Question 36

Which personality theories emphasize reciprocal determinism?

A) psychoanalytic
B) social-cognitive
C) trait
D) humanistic

Question 37

Your score on an extraversion test does not neatly predict how sociable you will be on any given occasion. This observation is most clearly highlighted by ________ theories.

A) psychoanalytic
B) social-cognitive
C) trait
D) humanistic

Question 38

The use of negative emotion words in text messaging is best predicted by the Big Five trait of

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

Question 39

People's scores on personality tests often fail to predict their behavior in a real-life situation. This should make us more cautious about overemphasizing the impact of ________ on behavior.

A) traits
B) reciprocal determinism
C) unconditional positive regard
D) self-actualization

Question 40

A highly anxious and insecure personality illustrates the Big Five trait dimension of

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

Question 41

Paula expects that diligent study will enable her to earn good grades on her tests. Paula's belief best illustrates

A) self-serving bias.
B) the spotlight effect.
C) unconditional positive regard.
D) an internal locus of control.

Question 42

One study found that British people exhibited less obesity, hypertension, and distress at age 30 if they had expressed ________ at age 10.

A) an Electra complex
B) unconditional positive regard
C) an internal locus of control
D) a self-serving bias

Question 43

The passive resignation that accompanies an inability to avoid repeated traumatic events is called

A) the false consensus effect.
B) learned helplessness.
C) the Barnum effect.
D) an internal locus of control.

Question 44

Animals who are able to escape shocks in one laboratory situation learn ________ and easily escape shocks in a new laboratory situation.

A) unconditional positive regard
B) free association
C) personal control
D) factor analysis

Question 45

Compared with those who perceive an external locus of control, people who perceive an internal locus of control are

A) likely to experience low self-esteem.
B) extremely introverted personalities.
C) likely to be academically successful.
D) not easily able to delay gratification of their personal desires.

Question 46

Shortly after exercising ________, people become less restrained in their aggressive responses to provocation.

A) self-control
B) factor analysis
C) erogenous zones
D) self-serving bias

Question 47

The perception that one can strongly influence the outcome and destiny of one's own life exemplifies

A) the Barnum effect.
B) the spotlight effect.
C) an internal locus of control.
D) reciprocal determinism.

Question 48

Because people are biopsychosocial organisms, the study of personality most clearly benefits from the use of

A) free association.
B) empirically derived tests.
C) multiple levels of analysis.
D) unconditional positive regard.

Question 49

Veena gets poor grades no matter how hard she studies, so she has simply given up studying. Veena's behavior most clearly reflects

A) learned helplessness.
B) an internal locus of control.
C) an inferiority complex.
D) the Barnum effect.

Question 50

Because she is often rejected by her parents, Sally mistrusts other people and treats them with hostility, which leads to their rejection of her. This cycle of rejection, mistrust, hostility, and further rejection illustrates what is meant by

A) self-transcendence.
B) the spotlight effect.
C) reaction formation.
D) reciprocal determinism.

Question 51

In the short run, after exercising self-control, people are ________ able to maintain self-control. In the long run, their self-control is ________.

A) more; strengthened
B) less; weakened
C) more; weakened
D) less; strengthened

Question 52

Practicing ________ has been observed to reduce blood sugar and neural activity associated with mental focus.

A) self-serving bias
B) free association
C) self-control
D) unconditional positive regard

Question 53

Analena's refusal to purchase fattening snacks at the grocery store is both a cause and a consequence of her superior dietary self-control. This best illustrates the importance of

A) the spotlight effect.
B) reciprocal determinism.
C) an external locus of control.
D) defensive self-esteem.

Question 54

Corbett refuses to take reasonable precautions to protect his health because he believes good health is just a matter of luck anyway. Corbett's attitude best illustrates

A) the Barnum effect.
B) an external locus of control.
C) self-serving bias.
D) the spotlight effect.

Question 55

Shortly before the democratic revolution in the former East Germany, researchers found differences in the body language of working-class men in East and West Berlin bars. This best illustrated the impact of

A) the spotlight effect.
B) free association.
C) self-serving bias.
D) personal control.

Question 56

Within the framework of Bandura's reciprocal determinism, an external locus of control refers to a(n)

A) behavior.
B) genetic predisposition.
C) environmental factor.
D) cognitive factor.

Question 57

After picking one of 28 flavors of ice cream, people may regret bypassing some of the remaining flavors. Their regret best illustrates a consequence of

A) an external locus of control.
B) the tyranny of choice.
C) the false consensus effect.
D) unconditional positive regard.

Question 58

Compared with those who perceive an internal locus of control, individuals with an external locus of control are

A) more likely to feel depressed and more likely to delay gratification.
B) less likely to feel depressed and less likely to delay gratification.
C) more likely to feel depressed and less likely to delay gratification.
D) less likely to feel depressed and more likely to delay gratification.

Question 59

Professor Halasa perceives shy, inhibited styles of behavior to be the interactive outcome of cultural expectations, autonomic nervous system reactivity, and unconscious thought processes. The professor's views best illustrate a(n) ________ approach.

A) trait
B) evolutionary
C) biopsychosocial
D) humanistic

Question 60

Julio believes that no matter how hard he works, the "system" is so biased against his ethnic group that he will be unable to achieve economic success. Julio's thinking most clearly demonstrates

A) reaction formation.
B) the false consensus effect.
C) an external locus of control.
D) the spotlight effect.

Question 61

Most late adolescents perceive themselves as much less vulnerable than their peers to the AIDS virus. This best illustrates

A) repression.
B) the spotlight effect.
C) reaction formation.
D) unrealistic optimism.

Question 62

Positive psychology is an umbrella term for the study of positive

A) self-control, self-esteem, and self-actualization.
B) projective tests, personality inventories, and factor analyses.
C) emotions, character traits, and social institutions.
D) erogenous zones, psychosexual stages, and defense mechanisms.

Question 63

Medical students earn higher grades if they have a clear vision of themselves as successful doctors. This best illustrates the motivational significance of

A) possible selves.
B) unconditional positive regard.
C) self-serving bias.
D) the spotlight effect.

Question 64

Self-esteem refers to

A) the sum total of all our thoughts about ourselves.
B) our concept of what we would like to be.
C) our feelings of high or low self-worth.
D) all of these characteristics.

Question 65

According to social-cognitive theories, the best predictor of students' academic success in college would be their

A) college entrance test scores.
B) high school grade-point average.
C) personal optimism about the future.
D) performance on the MMPI.

Question 66

If children's positive self-esteem is largely a consequence rather than a cause of their successful accomplishments, parents would be best advised to enable their children to

A) develop an external locus of control.
B) recognize that positive self-esteem inhibits self-serving bias.
C) effectively surmount challenges and achieve success.
D) experience positive self-esteem regardless of how well or how poorly they perform.

Question 67

To assess the attributional style of your classmates, you would be best advised to discover

A) what grades they anticipate receiving in future courses.
B) how they explain their academic failures, financial setbacks, and relationship difficulties.
C) how much financial debt they are willing to incur in order to complete their education.
D) how many people they consider to be their close friends.

Question 68

Most college students perceive themselves as less likely than their average classmates to go deeply into debt on their high-interest credit cards. This best illustrates

A) unconditional positive regard.
B) unrealistic optimism.
C) an Electra complex.
D) an external locus of control.

Question 69

Excessive self-confidence is especially likely to be facilitated by the difficulty in recognizing

A) personal control.
B) free association.
C) one's own incompetence.
D) unconditional positive regard.

Question 70

In contemporary psychology, the self is considered to be the

A) part of personality that represents our internalized standards of morality.
B) totality of one's feelings of unconditional positive regard.
C) organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions.
D) inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species' history.

Question 71

According to social-cognitive psychologists, one of the best ways to predict a person's future behavior is to

A) identify that person's most central traits by having him or her take a personality inventory.
B) observe that person's behavior in various relevant situations.
C) assess that person's general level of self-esteem.
D) uncover that person's hidden motives, as revealed by projective tests.

Question 72

A criticism of social-cognitive theories has been that they

A) overestimate the importance of unconscious factors in personality.
B) are inconsistent with research demonstrating the pervasive nature of self-serving bias.
C) underestimate the importance of enduring personality traits.
D) are inconsistent with the results of contemporary research on learning processes.

Question 73

Martin Seligman advocates a positive psychology, which focuses on topics such as

A) optimism.
B) projection.
C) the Barnum effect.
D) free association.

Question 74

If you're a junior doctor and want to predict how well you will do on a surgical skills exam, you would be best advised to

A) ask your professional peers for their candid predictions of your exam performance.
B) complete a projective test that will predict your exam performance.
C) simply make your own personal prediction of your exam performance.
D) complete the MMPI, which will predict your exam performance.

Question 75

When Professor McKay nervously began teaching a university class for the first time, he overestimated the extent to which his students would notice that he was anxious. His reaction best illustrates

A) self-serving bias.
B) the spotlight effect.
C) reaction formation.
D) reciprocal determinism.

Question 76

Which of the following is said to function as an organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors?

A) the self
B) the reality principle
C) the Big Five
D) the empirically derived test

Question 77

The trait of optimism is most closely related to a strong sense of

A) conditional positive regard.
B) free association.
C) reciprocal determinism.
D) personal control.

Question 78

People with high self-esteem are less likely than those with low self-esteem to

A) experience an internal locus of control.
B) overestimate the accuracy of their beliefs.
C) manifest self-serving bias.
D) succumb to conformity pressures.

Question 79

Our motivation to achieve success and avoid failure is most directly influenced by our

A) Oedipus complex.
B) possible selves.
C) factor analysis.
D) free association.

Question 80

Students who perceive that their low test scores are due to their own lack of ability best illustrate

A) self-serving bias.
B) the false consensus effect.
C) the spotlight effect.
D) a pessimistic attributional style.