Question 1

Which of the following statements is true?&#10;A) There is evidence for a common genetic basis to the Big Five personality traits that cuts across all human cultures and many other species of animals.&#10;B) There is no evidence for a common genetic basis to the Big Five personality traits.&#10;C) There is evidence for a common genetic basis to the Big Five personality traits across cultures in humans but not in other animal species.&#10;D) There is evidence for a common genetic basis to the Big Five personality traits only among certain racial groups of humans.

Accepted Answer

There is extensive evidence in the field of personality psychology and behavioral genetics for a common genetic basis to the Big Five personality traits, including studies that have examined the traits across different human cultures and in various species of animals.

Question 2

In assessing personality, we are most interested in a person's ________ behavior.&#10;A) best&#10;B) worst&#10;C) atypical&#10;D) typical

Accepted Answer

In assessing personality, we are most interested in a person's typical behavior because it gives us an idea of their consistent patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Atypical behavior may not be representative of the person's true personality, while their best or worst behavior may only be temporary and not indicative of their overall personality.

Question 3

Barney believes that he does not have control over his own fate. He believes that chance, luck, and the behavior of others control his life. According to Rotter, Barney has a(n) ________ locus of control.

A) external
B) secondary
C) primary
D) internal

external

Accepted Answer

According to Rotter's theory, individuals with an external locus of control believe that their environment and external factors are in control of their outcomes and not their own actions or efforts. Barney's belief that chance, luck, and the behavior of others control his life suggest that he has an external locus of control.

Question 4

Jerry has a very immature attitude about sex and sucks his thumb even though he is 32 years old. Freud would say these behaviors result from ________.&#10;A) libido&#10;B) heredity&#10;C) fixation&#10;D) abreaction

Accepted Answer

According to Freud's psychoanalytic theory, fixation occurs when an individual becomes stuck in a particular psychosexual stage of development due to unresolved conflicts. In Jerry's case, his immature attitude about sex and thumb-sucking at 32 years old may suggest a fixation in the oral stage, specifically with the oral eroticism associated with the pleasure of sucking.

Question 5

Jung saw the unconscious as ________.&#10;A) irrelevant to everyday functioning&#10;B) a cauldron of seething excitations&#10;C) the ego's source of strength and vitality&#10;D) the moral guardian of personality

Accepted Answer

Jung believed that the unconscious was the source of the ego's strength and vitality, and that it contained a wealth of valuable information and potential for personal growth.

Question 6

Adler felt that the main shaper of personality was the individual's efforts to overcome ________.&#10;A) internal inhibitions&#10;B) restrictive parents&#10;C) physical weakness&#10;D) the Oedipal conflict

Accepted Answer

Adler believed that the primary driver of personality development was the individual's efforts to overcome feelings of inferiority, often stemming from physical weaknesses or perceived shortcomings, through compensation and striving for superiority.

Question 7

When Anna looks at some modern artwork at the museum, she often thinks she sees human figures or faces, and likes to make up stories about them. When she tells the stories to her friend, the friend says that the stories are like Anna's real personality. In psychological terms, what Anna has done is most similar to ________.

A) a projective test
B) behavior sampling
C) classical conditioning
D) an objective test

Accepted Answer

Anna's tendency to see human figures or faces in the artwork and make up stories about them is a form of projection. Projection is a defense mechanism where individuals attribute their own thoughts, emotions, and impulses onto another person or object. This is similar to a projective test, which is a psychological assessment tool that presents ambiguous stimuli (such as inkblots or incomplete sentences) and asks the participant to project their thoughts and feelings onto it.

Question 8

A study of 1939 to 1944 Harvard graduates found that by age 65, optimists were ________ than pessimists.&#10;A) more intelligent&#10;B) more creative&#10;C) friendlier&#10;D) healthier

Accepted Answer

The study found that optimists were healthier than pessimists by age 65, indicating that they may have had a better quality of life overall. The study did not measure differences in intelligence or creativity, and while optimists may be perceived as friendlier, this was not a finding of the study.

Question 9

Psychodynamic theorists believe that objective tests are of little use because ________.&#10;A) it is difficult to agree on the meaning of test results&#10;B) they are usually neither valid nor reliable&#10;C) they are difficult to score&#10;D) people are not usually aware of the unconscious determinants of their behavior

Accepted Answer

Psychodynamic theorists believe that objective tests are of little use because people are not usually aware of the unconscious determinants of their behavior. Objective tests rely on people being able to accurately self-report their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which may be affected by unconscious factors that they are not aware of. Therefore, psychodynamic theorists prefer to use techniques such as free association and projective tests to tap into unconscious processes.

Question 10

All psychodynamic theorists share the sense that personality is primarily determined by ________.&#10;A) conscious choice/free will&#10;B) unconscious processes&#10;C) self-actualization&#10;D) learning and conditioning

Accepted Answer

All psychodynamic theorists believe that personality is primarily determined by unconscious processes, such as those related to early childhood experiences and repressed thoughts and emotions. Conscious choice/free will and self-actualization are concepts emphasized more in humanistic and existential theories, while learning and conditioning are key components of behavioral theories.

Deck 10: Extension: Personality