Deck 10: Personality: Theory and Measurement

Question 1

Hippocrates associated a choleric personality with warmth and cheerfulness.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The preconscious mind contains ideas that are out of awareness but can be made conscious by focusing on them.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The Electra complex involves __________.

A)a girl wanting to kill her father and possess her mother
B)a boy wanting to kill his father and possess his mother
C)a girl longing for her father and resenting her mother
D)a boy longing for his father and resenting his mother

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Although Hippocrates' theory of personality traits was speculative, many of his terms such as choleric, sanguine, melancholic are still used in descriptions of personality today.

Question 5

Erik Erikson is credited with developing the psychosexual stages of development.

Question 6

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is an example of an objective test present respondents with a standardized group of test items in the form of a questionnaire.

Question 7

Self-awareness is one of the foundations of social cognitive theory.

Question 8

The behaviorists Watson and Skinner emphasized the notions of personal freedom, choice, and self-direction.

Question 9

Research suggests that people who have reported greater feelings of happiness and well-being are likely to score more highly than other people on scales that measure emotional stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion.

Question 10

The most well-adjusted immigrants are those who abandon the language and customs of their country of origin and become like members of the dominant culture in their new host country.

Question 11

Freud stirred controversy by arguing that sexual impulses are a central factor in personality development-that we all experience psychosexual development, the process by which libidinal energy is expressed through different erogenous zones during the stages of development.

Question 12

Sigmund Freud's theory of psychosexual development states that:

A)genuine and consistent love can alleviate the effects of a traumatic childhood.
B)human development involves the transfer of libidinal energy from one erogenous zone to another.
C)the collective unconscious contains archetypes that reflect the history of humankind.
D)unconscious sexual and aggressive impulses are less important than social relationships.

Question 13

Psychologists define personality as the reasonably stable patterns of emotions, motives, and behavior that distinguishes one person from another.

Question 14

Which of the following Freudian psychic structures is present in a person at birth?

A)The Id.
B)The creative self.
C)The Ego.
D)The Superego.

Question 15

The Rorschach inkblot test is an example of an objective test.

Question 16

Gender-typing is the process by which males and females come to develop personality traits and behavior patterns that society considers to be consistent with their gender.

Question 17

The humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers focused on the self-concept and self-esteem, or self-regard.

Question 18

Karen Horney believed Freud placed too much emphasis on sex; spoke of psychosocial development, not psychosexual development; labeled stages of development according to traits, not erogenous zones; and argued that ego identity, not genital sexuality, was the key goal of adolescence.

Question 19

According to Freud, which of the following is true of the ego?

A)It is present in a child at birth.
B)It develops as a child incorporates the values of parents.
C)It develops as a function of moral principle.
D)It begins to develop during the first year of life.

Question 20

Cross-cultural research reveals that people in the United States and many northern European nations tend to be collectivists.

Question 21

According to psychodynamic theory, people who have a strong need for order might be considered _________ while those who are careless and messy as _________.

A)anal fixation; anal expulsive
B)anal expulsive; anal fixation
C)Oedipus complex; Electra complex
D)Electra complex; Oedipus complex

Question 22

While on a study tour, Kruti realized how the trip had really helped her gain perspective on her life and why she is working towards earning her degree. What theory bests explains this?

A)social cognitive theory
B)behaviorism
C)humanism
D)trait theory

Question 23

According to Freud's psychoanalytic theory, the __________ functions according to the moral principle.

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

Question 24

Which of the following is a focus of Erikson's theory of personality and development?

A)social relationships
B)sexual development
C)rewards and punishment
D)self-actualization

Question 25

Which group of psychologists would be most likely to criticize standardized personality tests for not accounting for individual personality?

A)Psychodynamic theorists.
B)Humanistic theorists.
C)Trait theorists.
D)Learning theorists.

Question 26

The humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers defined the __________ as the center of experience.

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

Question 27

Observational learning is one of the foundations of __________.

A)psychodynamic theory
B)social cognitive theory
C)humanistic-existential theory
D)self theory

Question 28

__________ are reasonably stable elements of personality that are inferred from behavior.

A)Fixations
B)Creative selves
C)Traits
D)Ids

Question 29

________ tests are tests whose items must be answered in a specified, limited manner and have concrete answers.

A)Objective
B)Projective
C)Reliable
D)Valid

Question 30

Which of the following is a focus of the psychodynamic theory?

A)The role of psychodrama as a therapeutic tool.
B)The concept of reward and punishment.
C)The far-reaching effects of childhood events on personality.
D)The idea that group dynamics have therapeutic effects.

Question 31

In his clinical practice, Dr. Lee believes that the draw-a-person test (DAP) is an excellent way to discover some of his patients' mental health issues. The DAP requires you to draw a person, for instance, your mother or significant other. This type of test would be considered a(n) __________.

A)objective test
B)projective test
C)reliable
D)valid

Question 32

Hippocrates believed that our personalities were determined by four basic fluids, or humors. Those four humors are:

A)yellow bile, blood, phlegm, and black bile.
B)blue bile, blood, green, and green bile.
C)yellow bile, brown, phlegm, and blue bile.
D)green bile, blood, sweat, and black bile.

Question 33

Which of the following situations best describes Watson and Skinner's beliefs regarding behaviorism?

A)A child throws tantrums whenever his mother leaves him alone.
B)A teenager keeps his room clean because his parents appreciate it.
C)A child becomes an engineer due to her genetic makeup.
D)A woman becomes a lawyer because she has a need for achievement.

Question 34

According to behaviorists, personality is formed by __________.

A)situational or environmental influences
B)an equal contribution of genetic and environmental influences
C)genetic influences
D)mostly our genetics with a little influence by our situational influences

Question 35

In the context of Freud's theory of psychosexual development, a strong need for order is a(n) __________.

A)anal-expulsive trait
B)oral trait
C)latent trait
D)anal-retentive trait

Question 36

Denise's 4-year-old son is really becoming territorial and possessive of his mother. It has become so bad that neither his sibling nor his father can approach her. Freud would suggest that the little boy's behaviors reflect:

A)the latency stage of psychosexual development.
B)the oral stage of psychosexual development.
C)the genital stage of psychosexual development.
D)the Oedipus complex.

Question 37

Which of the following is a shortcoming of Freud's psychoanalytic theory?

A)It failed to recognize the significance of repression.
B)It ignored the role of id, ego, and superego.
C)Its clinical method of gathering evidence is suspect.
D)It dismissed the profound effects of childhood events.

Question 38

Karen Horney believed that the view that girls feel inferior to boys was based on _________.

A)girls' inferiority complex
B)scientific evidence
C)the theory of psychosocial development
D)Western cultural prejudice

Question 39

People are always telling Shannon that he has a mean-streak in him, yet he has never noticed it. According to the psychodynamic perspective, his aggression most likely lies in his ___________.

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

Question 40

Freud believed that the Electra complex develops in the __________ of psychosexual development.

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

Question 41

According to Freud, which of the following is true of the ego?

A)It demands instant gratification without consideration for other people.
B)It stands for rational ways of coping with frustration.
C)It holds up models of an ideal self and helps handing out judgments of right and wrong.
D)It develops as one incorporates the moral standards of the members of the community.

Question 42

Research on acculturation shows that people who do not fully surrender their traditional backgrounds:

A)have higher self-esteem than those who do.
B)have lower self-esteem than those who do.
C)have higher independence than those who do.
D)have lower independence than those who do.

Question 43

In humanistic theory, the innate tendency to strive to realize one's potential is called __________.

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

Question 44

_________ can be defined as the reasonably stable patterns of emotions, motives, and behavior that distinguish one person from another.

A)Creative self
B)Eros
C)Personality
D)Latency

Question 45

According to Freud, during the __________ of psychosexual development children may develop strong sexual attachments to the parent of the other gender and begin to view the parent of the same gender as a rival for the other parent's affections.

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

Question 46

Which of the following is true of Carl Jung's psychodynamic theory-analytical psychology?

A)It emphasizes the collective unconscious and archetypes.
B)It emphasizes the feelings of inferiority and the creative self.
C)It focuses on personality characteristics that were generally presumed to be embedded in the nervous system.
D)It focuses on learning by observation and on the cognitive processes that underlie personal differences.

Question 47

When Jacob was a little boy he loved wearing his big sister's pink shoes. However, once he started kindergarten he stopped wearing them on the first day. This is best explained by which of the following?

A)gender-schema theory
B)social cognitive theory
C)behaviorism
D)humanism

Question 48

Which of the following is true of the trait theory?

A)It emphasizes the collective unconscious and archetypes.
B)It focuses on describing traits rather than on tracing their origins.
C)It seeks to modify maladaptive personality traits.
D)It does not rely on personality tests.

Question 49

When asked "I am . . .," _________ are more likely to respond in terms of their families, gender, or nation ("I am a father," "I am a Buddhist," "I am Japanese") (Triandis, 2001).

A)collectivists
B)individualists
C)humanists
D)neo-Freudians

Question 50

Which of the following represents the correct sequence of stages in Sigmund Freud's theory of psychosexual development?

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

Question 51

The __________ mind contains primitive instincts such as sex and aggression.

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

Question 52

In the context of measurement of personality, which of the following statements is true?

A)The reliability of tests is usually assessed by comparing test results to external criteria or standards.
B)A reliable IQ test does not usually provide scores during childhood that remain reasonably similar in adolescence and adulthood.
C)The intellectual functioning of an individual cannot be assessed without relating it to other people in the same age group.
D)The validity of personality tests cannot be assessed by comparing test results to external criteria or standards.

Question 53

Celia is taking an interest inventory. One of the questions asks her to select her preferred activity from among traveling, reading books, and cooking. The question does not give her a "none of the above" option. What is the format of the interest inventory called?

A)check-all-that-apply format
B)constructed response format
C)multiple choice format
D)forced-choice format

Question 54

Erikson labeled the first stage of psychosocial development in his theory of personality development as the stage of __________.

A)trust versus mistrust
B)autonomy versus shame and doubt
C)initiative versus guilt
D)industry versus inferiority

Question 55

Which of the following theorists believed that personality is not something people have but rather something they create to give meaning and direction to their lives?

A)sociocultural theorists
B)humanistic theorists
C)Freudian theorists
D)cognitive theorists

Question 56

Freud believed that a major instinct, __________, aims to preserve and perpetuate life.

A)ego
B)fixation
C)eros
D)repression

Question 57

Ebony had just graduated college and started her career as an accountant. She realized after a couple of months that she really did not enjoy her career choice but felt conflicted because that is all that her parents, who were both accountants, ever wanted for her to become. Which of the following terms does this apply to?

A)conditions of worth
B)unconditional positive regard
C)conditional positive regard
D)frames of reference

Question 58

Which one of the following is a criticism of Freud's psychoanalytic theory?

A)It failed to recognize the importance of repression.
B)It ignored the role of sexual drives.
C)It was too vague to scientifically measure the psychic structures.
D)It disregarded the far-reaching effects of childhood events.

Question 59

Unlike the psychodynamic theory, the humanistic-existential perspective emphasizes __________.

A)self-awareness
B)self-determination
C)self-efficacy
D)self-concept

Question 60

Identify the factors that make up the Big Five factor model.

A)extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness
B)psychoticism, extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness
C)extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, argumentativeness, and openness
D)extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and anxiousness

Question 61

Freud theorized that the human mind is composed of three parts, namely __________.

A)metaconscious, semiconscious, and catatonic
B)postconscious, midconscious, and lateral conscious
C)ultraconscious, metaconscious, and superconscious
D)conscious, preconscious, and unconscious

Question 62

Which of the following is true of social cognitive theory?

A)It focuses on observable behavior and the situations in which behavior occurs.
B)It focuses on learning by observation.
C)It does consider personal variables to be important to understand people.
D)It does not see people as influencing their environment.

Question 63

Jim overhears a classmate explaining to a friend that people are free to do what they choose with their lives and that the meaning of their lives is what they give to it. He further explains that people have unique ways of looking at the world, known as unique frame of reference. The classmate is describing the views of __________.

A)Abraham Maslow
B)Carl Rogers
C)John Watson
D)Hans Eysenck

Question 64

Which of the following is true of the learning theorists?

A)They emphasize the importance of environmental conditions as determinants of behavior.
B)They believe that most behaviors are innate and learned instinctively through collective conscious.
C)They focus on internal variables such as unconscious conflict to explain and predict behavior.
D)They undermine the importance of referring to publicly observable variables or behaviors.

Question 65

As a counselor, Alicia was struggling to work with one of her new clients. She could not understand where some of the problems were originating. However, after talking to her client some more, she discovered that her client's parents were both from overseas. This new understanding is best explained by the ________.

A)sociocultural perspective
B)humanistic perspective
C)trait theory
D)social cognitive theory

Question 66

Which of the following tests is an example of an objective personality test?

A)The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.
B)The Rorschach Inkblot Test.
C)The Thematic Apperception Test.
D)A word-association test.

Question 67

According to Freud, the ego is guided by the ___________.

A)pleasure principle
B)reality principle
C)superego
D)id

Question 68

In the context of the five-factor model, which of the following traits are characteristic of neuroticism?

A)talkativeness, assertiveness, and activity
B)kindness, trust, and warmth
C)organization, thoroughness, and reliability
D)nervousness, moodiness, and sensitivity to negative stimuli

Question 69

According to Freud, the id follows the _________.

A)moral principle
B)reality principle
C)pleasure principle
D)reasoning principle

Question 70

According to Freud's theory of psychosexual development, which of the following is an oral trait?

A)gullibility
B)self-control
C)perfectionism
D)sadism

Question 71

Researchers estimate that the heritability of the extraverted personality is __________.

A)20% to 40%
B)40% to 60%
C)60% to 80%
D)80% to 100%

Question 72

Bobby spilled water accidentally on his father's computer, but contrary to Bobby's expectations, he did not get grounded. His father acknowledged that it was a mistake and assured Bobby that he still loved him, despite the unfortunate incident. Bobby's father's response is an example of _____.

A)uncategorical aptitude
B)unconditional positive regard
C)uncategorical positive aptitude
D)conditional positive regard

Question 73

__________ tend to define themselves in terms of their personal identities and to give priority to their personal goals.

A)Individualists
B)Humanists
C)Behaviorists
D)Collectivists

Question 74

Which of the following is true of collectivists?

A)They are more likely to conform to group judgments.
B)They are unable to resist personal temptations to do their duty.
C)They do not identify themselves in terms of their families or gender.
D)They define themselves in terms of their personal identities.

Question 75

__________ is also termed as modeling.

A)Gender-typing
B)Social cognition
C)Observational learning
D)Self-actualization

Question 76

Chris, a high school student, is looking up the profiles of various colleges to make a decision about which one he wants to attend. Being a confident person, he believes that he will do well at a prestigious university. His belief in his success is called __________ by social cognitive theorists.

A)defense mechanism
B)self-efficacy expectations
C)modeling
D)existentialism

Question 77

Steve has just completed a personality assessment in which he was shown a series of cards one at a time and asked to make up stories about them. Which of the following tests is he most likely to have taken?

A)The Rorschach Inkblot Test.
B)The Thematic Apperception Test.
C)The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.
D)An objective test.

Question 78

Which of the following is an illustration of the defense mechanism of repression?

A)Mary witnessed the death of her sister when she was young but cannot remember it now.
B)Mark wants to remember what he ate for lunch but is not sure whether it was tuna or hamburger.
C)Michael tells people he did not cheat in high school but knows it is untrue.
D)Michelle planned to go to a party, but her mother forced her to stay at home.

Question 79

Eysenck focused on the relationships between two personality traits: __________ and emotional stability-instability.

A)agreeableness-disagreeableness
B)openness-shallowness
C)introversion-extraversion
D)conscientious-careless

Question 80

According to Jung's hypothesis, which of the following refers to the primitive images contained in the collective unconscious?

A)libido
B)archetypes
C)traits
D)eros