Deck 12: B: Personality: Theory, Research, and Assessment

Question 1

Jamaal just sat down to work on his term paper when his friends called and invited him to a party. If Jamaal decides he will go to the party only after he finishes outlining the term paper, which personality component does his decision reflect?

A)his id
B)his preconscious
C)his superego
D)his ego

Answer 1

his ego

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT consistent with your text's definition of personality?

A)a focus on an individual's uniqueness
B)a focus on an individual's behavioural traits
C)a focus on an individual's primary motivations
D)a focus on an individual's consistent tendencies

Answer 2

a focus on an individual's primary motivations

Question 3

What do psychodynamic personality theories focus on?

A)learning
B)genetic factors
C)an individual's freedom and potential for growth
D)unconscious mental forces

Answer 3

unconscious mental forces

Question 4

While many of the personality traits a person has may be relatively common, the overall combination of traits exhibited by that person is unique. Which aspect of personality does this illustrate?

A)appropriateness
B)distinctiveness
C)consistency
D)variableness

Question 5

Michael is well known throughout his middle school for being a bright student who frequently disrupts class by answering a teacher's question with a joke. He behaves much the same when at baseball practice and Boy Scout meetings. Which aspect of personality is illustrated by his tendency to be a "class clown" in many situations?

A)distinctiveness
B)appropriateness
C)variableness
D)consistency

Question 6

If you were trying to choose a roommate using a personality test based on the Big Five model, which individual would you choose if you wanted a roommate who would be fairly easy to get along with, is likely to pay bills on time, and would be willing to try new things (like your terrible cooking)?

A)Sam, who is high in extraversion, low in agreeableness, and high in neuroticism
B)Kerry, who is high in conscientiousness, high in extraversion, and low in openness
C)Taylor, who is high in agreeableness, high in conscientiousness, and high in openness
D)Kim, who is high in openness, low in extraversion, and low in conscientiousness

Question 7

Which component of personality operates according to the "reality principle"?

A)id
B)ego
C)superego
D)conscious

Question 8

Which personality trait is NOT one of the "Big Five" traits?

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

Question 9

Which of the following could be considered the motto for the id?

A)"If it feels good, do it."
B)"We can work it out."
C)"Mom always liked you best."
D)"Do the right thing."

Question 10

What is NOT a focus of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality?

A)unconscious motives and conflicts
B)methods used to cope with sexual and aggressive urges
C)the potential for personal growth
D)the influence of childhood experiences

Question 11

Assume all of the following adjectives describe Omar. Which term does NOT describe one of Omar's personality traits?

A)athletic
B)assertive
C)sloppy
D)honest

Question 12

Jason tends to be selfish and demanding, and disregards the rights of other people. According to Sigmund Freud, what would be true of Jason?

A)He has a stronger ego than superego.
B)He has a stronger superego than id.
C)He has a stronger id than superego.
D)He has a stronger unconscious than conscious.

Question 13

According to most psychologists today, how many basic traits make up personality?

A)5
B)16
C)approximately 50
D)over 4500

Question 14

Dr. Leitenen is a personality researcher who focuses on the traits of extraversion, openness, and agreeableness. Which of the following could you say about Dr. Leitenen's approach?

A)It utilizes traits that are not empirically validated.
B)It utilizes a portion of the Big Five model.
C)It is dramatically different from the Big Five model.
D)It is more similar to a psychoanalytic approach.

Question 15

Which personality trait is associated with a higher risk of divorce?

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

Question 16

What are the two aspects of an individual's behaviour that are central to the concept of personality?

A)consistency and distinctiveness
B)appropriateness and distinctiveness
C)consistency and typicality
D)appropriateness and typicality

Question 17

Cerise has very poor impulse control and she rarely denies herself any treat or opportunity to have fun. She has a hard time getting her work done, and is seen as irresponsible. Which of the following dominates Cerise's personality, according to psychoanalytic theory?

A)id
B)superego
C)sublimation
D)reaction formation

Question 18

According to psychoanalytic theory, what is the id?

A)the primitive, instinctive component of personality
B)the decision-making component of personality
C)the moral component of personality
D)a developmental period that leaves its mark on adult personality

Question 19

Which of the following is associated with a personality that consists of high extraversion, openness and conscientiousness, but lower agreeableness and neuroticism?

A)elevated happiness
B)reduced life expectancy
C)lower intelligence
D)higher social class

Question 20

Which personality trait is predictive of better grades in school?

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

Question 21

According to Sigmund Freud, what is the basic defence mechanism that protects a person from anxiety by keeping distressing thoughts and feelings out of the conscious mind?

A)repression
B)projection
C)regression
D)displacement

Question 22

Elliott is very insecure about his appearance and his athletic ability. In order to deal with these feelings of inferiority, he joins a softball team and wears his team jacket everywhere he goes so that people will know that he plays sports. Which defence mechanism does this example illustrate?

A)displacement
B)rationalization
C)identification
D)regression

Question 23

Kris has been having a hard time at work, and his boss has been very critical of everything that he does. When Kris hangs out with his friends after work, he is very abrupt with them and contradicts nearly everything they say. Which defence mechanism does this example illustrate?

A)sublimation
B)reaction formation
C)displacement
D)repression

Question 24

If you are avoiding one of your friends but you don't know why, what level of awareness is influencing your behaviour?

A)conscious
B)unconscious
C)superego
D)preconscious

Question 25

When Mike was turned down by the prestigious school that he applied to, he told his family that he didn't mind because that school doesn't offer the program that he really wants. Which defence mechanism does this illustrate?

A)rationalization
B)projection
C)displacement
D)reaction formation

Question 26

Becky is experiencing an unconscious conflict between her desire to impress the people around her and her urge to punch and yell at someone who is causing her frustration. In order to deal with the resulting anxiety, what unconscious reactions would Freud suggest will be evoked?

A)coping mechanisms
B)offence mechanisms
C)defence mechanisms
D)id mechanisms

Question 27

According to psychoanalytic theory, what influences a person who is conservative, strict, and moralistic?

A)id
B)superego
C)ego
D)preconscious

Question 28

According to Sigmund Freud, which of the following is entirely unconscious?

A)ego
B)id
C)self
D)superego

Question 29

Melissa hates her teacher but she won't admit this to herself, consciously. Instead, she consciously feels that her teacher hates her. Which defence mechanism does this example illustrate?

A)displacement
B)repression
C)reaction formation
D)projection

Question 30

Under stress, a university student cries and throws things. Which defence mechanism does this example illustrate?

A)reaction formation
B)immaturity
C)regression
D)displacement

Question 31

Jennifer has a lot of anger that she doesn't express. Instead, she focuses her energy on keeping her house very clean and organized. Which defence mechanism does this example illustrate?

A)reaction formation
B)sublimation
C)displacement
D)repression

Question 32

Which defence mechanism is used when people attempt to bolster their self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group?

A)identification
B)rationalization
C)regression
D)displacement

Question 33

Becky is experiencing an unconscious conflict between her desire to impress the people around her and her urge to punch and yell at someone who is causing her frustration. According to Freud, what will result from this conflict?

A)archetypes
B)id frailty
C)anxiety
D)fixation

Question 34

Which level of awareness contains material just beneath the surface of awareness that can easily be retrieved?

A)subconscious
B)unconscious
C)preconscious
D)conscious

Question 35

In what level of awareness are the words in this exam question?

A)conscious
B)subconscious
C)unconscious
D)preconscious

Question 36

According to Sigmund Freud, what is the superego?

A)the moral component of personality
B)the mediating agent between the other two components of personality
C)the unconscious aspect of personality
D)the biological impulses that drive our behaviour

Question 37

While cleaning up after her party last night, Anka forgot to put the leftover crab dip in the refrigerator. When she discovered the spoiled dip in the morning, Anka said she didn't mind having to throw it out because it wasn't very tasty anyway. Which defence mechanism does this illustrate?

A)reaction formation
B)rationalization
C)repression
D)regression

Question 38

What would be true of a mother who actually hates her son, and is using the defence mechanism of reaction formation?

A)She believes that her son hates her.
B)She directs her hatred toward her daughter.
C)She acts in an extremely critical way toward her son.
D)She acts in an extremely loving way toward her son.

Question 39

According to Sigmund Freud, which two impulses are especially important and often have far-reaching consequences?

A)aggression and security
B)sex and self-actualization
C)self-actualization and security
D)sex and aggression

Question 40

If she is using the defence mechanism of projection, what would be true of a mother who actually hates her son?

A)She acts in an extremely critical way toward her son.
B)She believes that her son hates her.
C)She acts in an extremely loving way toward her son.
D)She hates her daughter.

Question 41

According to Sigmund Freud, fixation at which stage results in smoking, overeating, and habitual gum chewing?

A)genital
B)phallic
C)oral
D)anal

Question 42

Which of the following represents the correct developmental order of Sigmund Freud's psychosexual stages of development?

A)anal, oral, phallic, latency, genital
B)anal, oral, phallic, genital, latency
C)oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital
D)oral, anal, genital, latency, phallic

Question 43

What would Adler suggest is true of an average or typical child?

A)He has feelings of inferiority.
B)He has strong sexual desires.
C)He has feelings of superiority.
D)He has an accurate self-concept.

Question 44

What was the focus of the major theoretical disagreement that Carl Jung and Alfred Adler had with Freud?

A)conflict
B)sexuality
C)childhood experiences
D)the unconscious

Question 45

Which theorist is associated with the concepts of the personal unconscious and collective unconscious?

A)Abraham Maslow
B)Alfred Adler
C)Carl Jung
D)Sigmund Freud

Question 46

What happens to sexual energy during Sigmund Freud's genital stage of development?

A)It is exhibited through self-stimulation.
B)It is focused toward peers of the opposite sex.
C)It is largely suppressed.
D)It is focused toward the parent of the opposite sex.

Question 47

According to Freud's theory, what results from either excessive gratification or excessive frustration of needs?

A)defence mechanisms
B)overcompensation
C)fixation
D)regression

Question 48

Who becomes the target of erotic desires for children in Sigmund Freud's phallic stage of development?

A)the parent of the same sex
B)playmates
C)the parent of the opposite sex
D)siblings

Question 49

John is very friendly and outgoing. Which term would Carl Jung use to describe John?

A)exuberant
B)extravert
C)introvert
D)independent

Question 50

What is the crucial developmental task associated with Sigmund Freud's anal stage?

A)weaning from the breast or bottle
B)gaining superiority
C)the Oedipal complex
D)regulating biological urges

Question 51

According to Carl Jung, which term describes individuals who tend to be preoccupied with the internal world of their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences?

A)introverts
B)extraverts
C)fixated
D)compensators

Question 52

According to Sigmund Freud's theory, what is the term used for the developmental periods that leave their mark on adult personality?

A)fixation stages
B)psychosexual stages
C)defence stages
D)temperamental stages

Question 53

Many cultures have a symbol, story or image that is tied to the concept of a nurturing and protective mother figure. According to Jung, what does this symbol represent in the unconscious?

A)dream representations
B)conflict
C)archetypes
D)defence mechanisms

Question 54

Maati has been unsuccessful in using compensation to master life's challenges. According to Alfred Adler's theory, what might Maati exhibit?

A)an Oedipal complex
B)an archetype
C)a superiority complex
D)an inferiority complex

Question 55

Danielle is five years old and is being very confrontational with her mother. She also has become very attached to her father and will do anything to get his attention. Which of the following psychosexual stage is Danielle in?

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

Question 56

Sally is nine years old and spends a lot of time playing with her friends and learning about social rules and expectations. According to Freud, which of the following stages is Sally in?

A)genital
B)latency
C)anal
D)phallic

Question 57

According to Carl Jung, which of the following is a storehouse of latent memory traces inherited from people's ancestral past?

A)universal unconscious
B)collective unconscious
C)personal unconscious
D)unconscious

Question 58

According to Alfred Adler, what is compensation?

A)bolstering self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group
B)our ability to perform behaviours that should lead to expected outcomes
C)largely unconscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions
D)efforts to overcome imagined or real inferiorities by developing one's abilities

Question 59

Which personality theorist believed that man's primary motivation is striving for superiority?

A)Alfred Adler
B)Abraham Maslow
C)Albert Bandura
D)Carl Jung

Question 60

Four-year-old Sai has erotically tinged desires for his mother and also feels hostility to his father. According to Sigmund Freud, what is Sai experiencing?

A)identification complex
B)phallic complex
C)genital complex
D)Oedipal complex

Question 61

Eric is a careful driver. He usually obeys the speed limit and abides by all traffic regulations. Today, however, as he is driving to Florida with some friends for spring break, he is driving 40 km/h over the speed limit. Which personality theorist would be best able to explain this inconsistency in Eric's behaviour?

A)Abraham Maslow
B)Walter Mischel
C)Carl Jung
D)Albert Bandura

Question 62

Which of the following is a strength of the behavioural perspective theories of personality?

A)They generalize from animal to human behaviour.
B)They focus on the importance of childhood experiences.
C)They emphasize an individual's subjective view.
D)They are based on extensive empirical research.

Question 63

Trina feels that her brother would be less shy if only he would see himself differently. She tries to point out how smart and funny he is, and that people really like him when they get to know him. She really hopes that if she can change the way that he defines himself, that he will be more outgoing and get the chance to meet more people. Which approach is most similar to Trina's?

A)Alfred Adler's individual psychology
B)Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory
C)Carl Roger's person-centred theory
D)Abraham Maslow's theory of self-actualization

Question 64

What do humanistic personality theories focus on?

A)learning
B)unconscious mental forces
C)an individual's freedom and potential for growth
D)genetic factors

Question 65

Benjamin is friendly and outgoing, and tells a lot of jokes. He feels very comfortable at parties or whenever he meets new people. According to B.F. Skinner, what mechanism is responsible for Benjamin's personality?

A)He is sublimating his unconscious fears of rejection.
B)He has experienced reinforcement for friendly behaviour.
C)He has a strong superego.
D)He is overcompensating for his feelings of inferiority.

Question 66

Which personality theorist suggested that the birth order of a child in a family influenced the child's personality?

A)Carl Rogers
B)Walter Mischel
C)Alfred Adler
D)Carl Jung

Question 67

What do behavioural personality theories focus on?

A)genetic factors
B)unconscious mental forces
C)an individual's freedom and potential for growth
D)learning as a result of experience

Question 68

Which of the following is consistent with the phenomenological approach?

A)Viewing human behaviour as mechanistic and predictable.
B)Trying to see a situation from another person's perspective.
C)Interpreting the symbols that are inherent in dreams.
D)Challenging a person's maladaptive cognitions.

Question 69

Which of the following is a criticism of psychodynamic personality theories?

A)They are often too vague to permit scientific evaluation.
B)They suggest that people are motivated to reduce unpleasant emotions.
C)They focus too much on neurological explanations for behaviour.
D)They treat all people as if they are identical.

Question 70

What is the major criticism that humanistic personality theorists have concerning both psychodynamic and behavioural theories of personality?

A)They are unrealistically optimistic about human behaviour.
B)They are not supported by scientific or empirical evidence.
C)They focus on the unconscious.
D)They are dehumanizing and deterministic.

Question 71

According to Bandura's description of observational learning, which characteristic of a model would be LEAST likely to result in a child imitating the model's behaviour?

A)The model is of the opposite sex.
B)The model's behaviour leads to positive outcomes.
C)The model is attractive or powerful.
D)The model is liked and respected by the child.

Question 72

What is the term for Albert Bandura's idea that internal mental events, external environmental events, and overt behaviours all influence one another?

A)self-efficacy
B)reciprocal determinism
C)introversion-extraversion
D)archetypes

Question 73

Which psychologist defines personality as a collection of response tendencies that are tied to various stimulus situations?

A)Walter Mischel
B)B. F. Skinner
C)Alfred Adler
D)Albert Bandura

Question 74

Which perspective would be most likely to agree with the statement that 'in order to understand another person, you must walk a mile in his shoes'?

A)psychodynamic perspective
B)biological perspective
C)behavioural perspective
D)humanistic perspective

Question 75

Which personality theorist would be most likely to suggest that a person's behaviour will be highly variable from one situation to another?

A)Sigmund Freud
B)Alfred Adler
C)Albert Bandura
D)Walter Mischel

Question 76

Mary observes another's performance and says, "Gee, I think I can do that." What would Albert Bandura call this personal evaluation?

A)self-esteem
B)self-efficacy
C)self-concept
D)self-appraisal

Question 77

Jarod has fairly high self-efficacy regarding his academic performance. As a result of his self-efficacy, what is likely to also be true of Jarod?

A)He is able to cope with exam stress well.
B)He is likely to help others with studying.
C)He is very neurotic.
D)He is very intelligent.

Question 78

How would B. F. Skinner explain why one student responds positively to receiving a B on a test while another student responds negatively to a B?

A)The students have different inherited temperaments and personality traits.
B)The students have different histories of reinforcement and punishment.
C)One student has more self-efficacy than the other.
D)One student has a stronger superego than the other.

Question 79

Which personality theory is most likely to be criticized for viewing human behaviour as overly simple or mechanistic?

A)humanistic
B)psychoanalytic
C)radical behaviourist
D)social cognitive

Question 80

Gurvinder is working on a research project that is trying to determine whether celebrity scandals increase the likelihood that average people will engage in the same scandalous behaviours. Which theoretical approach would Gurvinder base his hypothesis on?

A)Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory
B)Carl Jung's analytical theory
C)Carl Roger's person-centred theory
D)Walter Mischel's person-situation approach