Deck 10: Appraisal of Personality

Question 1

One of the initial steps in interpreting the MMPI-2 or MMPI-A is to:

A)examine the validity of the profile using the Validity Scale scores.
B)examine how long the individual took to complete it.
C)interpret the Basic scales.
D)plot the scores on the profile sheet.

Answer 1

examine how long the individual took to complete it.

Question 2

Which of the following has been found to be a problem with observation?

A)The inferences clinicians make based on their observations may not always be valid.
B)Clinicians tend to have "themes" concerning what they recall.
C)Clinicians tend to be biased observers.
D)all of the above

Answer 2

all of the above

Question 3

In comparison to the original version of the MMPI, the MMPI-2:

A)contains more items.
B)is more complex to administer and interpret.
C)includes norms based on a more diverse and representative standardization sample.
D)does not require clinicians to consider issues of acculturation, education or socioeconomic status.

Answer 3

includes norms based on a more diverse and representative standardization sample.

Question 4

Which of the following are not one of the clinical scales on the MMPI-2?

A)Anxiety
B)Depression
C)Conversion Hysteria
D)Psychopathic Deviate

Question 5

When constructing interviews to assess personality, counselors should be sure to:

A)develop questions that are conceptually related to personality assessment.
B)include both formal and informal interview protocols.
C)use both semi-structured and unstructured interviews to allow for more flexibility in client responses.
D)include only open-ended questions.

Question 6

Increasing the amount of time that counselors spend observing clients may be one way to enhance the __________________, and therefore, the validity, of observations.

A)subjectivity
B)objectivity
C)representativeness
D)applicability

Question 7

If a counselor wishes to utilize a computer-generated report of the MMPI-2, he or she:

A)can feel confident in the results due to the reliability and validity of the MMPI-2.
B)must be knowledgeable of the instrument in order to use the report effectively.
C)should disregard the results since it is written by a computer and not a professional.
D)should only use the report information related to the clinical scales.

Question 8

A T-score on the MMPI-2 and the MMPI-A is considered to be 'elevated' if it is:

A)10 points higher than the other scores in the profile.
B)one standard deviation above the mean.
C)above 65.
D)above 75.

Question 9

The MMPI-2 is primarily designed to identify:

A)delinquent and non-delinquent youth.
B)mental retardation and mental illness.
C)different degrees of mild maladjustment.
D)patterns of personality and emotional disorders.

Question 10

Which of the following accurately describes the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF)?

A)It is the replacement for the MMPI-2
B)The MMPI-2-RF is the research version of the MMPI-2
C)It is a shorter version of the MMPI-2 and includes numerous clinical scales
D)Is an instrument designed to measure personality disorders as defined in the DSM-IV-TR

Question 11

The empirical criterion keying method of constructing a personality inventory means items are selected based on:

A)their content.
B)their relationship to some external criterion.
C)whether they correlate with other similar items.
D)whether experts judge them to be acceptable items.

Question 12

The two major types of informal personality assessment techniques are observation and ______________.

A)performance techniques
B)interviewing
C)projective techniques
D)unstructured instruments

Question 13

A T-score of above 70 on Scale 6, Paranoia (Pa), on the MMPI-2 would indicate:

A)a diagnosis of psychopathology.
B)a diagnosis of paranoia.
C)the person is aggressive and is fighting something.
D)nothing significant by itself since the entire profile must be examined.

Question 14

Which of the following do Sattler and Hoge (2006) suggest as means to increase the reliability of observations?

A)using standardized, psychometrically-sound observation checklists
B)using clear, precise definitions of the target behavior and systematic methods of observation
C)conducting observations using an antecedent-behavior-consequence format
D)all of the above

Question 15

If an individual has an elevated L Scale (Lie Scale) on the MMPI-2, then the individual:

A)has a tendency to consistently lie.
B)did not lie on any of the questions.
C)lied on almost all of the questions.
D)attempted to "look good" while answering some of the questions.

Question 16

Within formal personality assessment, there are two major categories: structured instruments and __________.

A)unstructured instruments
B)structured interviews
C)projective techniques
D)performance techniques

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT one of the higher-order scales on the MMPI-2-RF?

A)Somatic Complaints (RC1)
B)Thought Dysfunction (THD)
C)Behavioral/Externalizing Dysfunction (BXD)
D)Emotional/Internalizing Dysfunction (EID)

Question 18

In addition to the ten clinical scales of the MMPI-2, there are validity scales that:

A)indicate the severity of pathology.
B)provide an indication of the accuracy of the profile.
C)indicate whether the person is an introvert or an extrovert.
D)indicate whether the person has an internal or external locus-of-control.

Question 19

The most widely employed method of personality assessment is:

A)observation
B)the MMPI-2
C)structured interviews
D)rating scales

Question 20

Which of the following instruments was constructed primarily based on factor analysis?

A)NEO Personality Inventory 3 (NEO-PI-3)
B)Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2)
C)Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
D)California Psychological Inventory

Question 21

The Exner Comprehensive System, which examines location, determinants, and content, is associated with which projective technique?

A)Rorschach Inkblot Test
B)Early Memories Procedure
C)Thematic Apperception Test
D)Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank

Question 22

In interpreting client drawings, a counselor can conclude that:

A)small drawings mean the child has low self-esteem.
B)sad faces and dark colors mean the client is depressed.
C)triangles mean the child has been sexually abused.
D)no simple conclusions can be made as interpretation is complex.

Question 23

The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) by Cattell, Cattell, and Cattell is based on:

A)fluid and crystallized intelligence.
B)functions of Jungian theory.
C)perceptual variations among individuals.
D)personality source traits or pure factors of personality.

Question 24

It is important to note that the measured preferences on the MBTI:

A)are differences rather than indicators of health or pathology.
B)can strongly predict work satisfaction.
C)may be used to diagnosis pathological tendencies.
D)should be reevaluated month to obtain an "average" preference.

Question 25

Concerning the "big five" factors of personality, high scores related to neuroticism indicate that the individual:

A)has a tendency to experience negative emotions .
B)is neurotic, consistent with the traditional psychoanalytic definition.
C)has neuroses associated with social situations.
D)has low self-esteem

Question 26

Projective techniques, as distinguished from other personality instruments, have usually been designed to measure the:

A)level of aggression in terms of psychodynamic theory.
B)more typical and superficial aspects of personality.
C)client's level of repression and hostility.
D)covert and underlying aspects of personality.

Question 27

Which of the following instruments is based on Jungian theory?

A)California Psychological Inventory (CPI)
B)Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
C)Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2)
D)NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R)

Question 28

With projective personality assessment techniques:

A)there are no right or wrong answers because there are no specific questions.
B)it is more difficult for clients to fake their responses because the stimuli are unstructured and ambiguous.
C)there is significant subjectivity in their interpretation.
D)all of the above

Question 29

In the Kinetic Family Drawing:

A)all family members are to be drawn
B)the family is to be drawn doing something
C)clients are instructed to represent the family relationships in a drawing
D)clients are instructed to draw their family-of-origin

Question 30

The tendency for individuals to respond to personality test items in a socially acceptable way, rather than in a way that truly reflects their personality, is known as:

A)social conformity.
B)social acceptability.
C)social desirability.
D)response set.

Question 31

Which of the following is not one of the "big five" personality factors?

A)Neuroticism
B)Extroversion
C)Openness
D)Anxiety

Question 32

An introverted client who uses senses to perceive information, uses feelings to process information, and whose orientation to the outer world is judgment would have which of the following Myers-Briggs personality types?

A)ISFJ
B)INTJ
C)ISTP
D)ENFJ

Question 33

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) requires the subject to:

A)arrange figures to make a scene.
B)finish an incomplete sentence.
C)make up a story about a picture.
D)write responses for characters in cartoons.

Question 34

An instrument associated with the MMPI but designed to measure normal aspects of personality is the:

A)California Psychological Inventory (CPI)
B)Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
C)NEO Personality Inventory-3 (NEO-PI-3)
D)Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III)

Question 35

The Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank, Second Edition is a(n):

A)projective technique
B)actuarial technique
C)behavioral technique
D)structured inventory

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT true about standardized personality instruments?

A)The majority are self-report instruments.
B)Individuals are unable to distort their results on them.
C)The most commonly used is the MMPI-2.
D)Practitioners need extensive training and supervision before using them.

Question 37

Concerning the evidence for the use of Sandplay or sand trays for assessment and diagnostic use, there is/are:

A)an abundance of research supporting the diagnostic validity of this technique.
B)research related to its effectiveness in assessing children's emotional states.
C)research related to the effectiveness of assessing Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD).
D)some individual case studies but very little empirical research.

Question 38

Which of the following instruments is designed to measure the "big five" factors of personality?

A)Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2)
B)Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
C)NEO Personality Inventory-3 (NEO-PI-3)
D)California Psychological Inventory (CPI)

Question 39

An instrument that types individuals based on how they perceive and process information is the:

A)California Psychological Inventory (CPI)
B)Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
C)Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2)
D)Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III)

Question 40

Research on the general stability of the five factors of personality over the lifespan indicates all of the following except:

A)agreeableness tends to increase throughout adulthood
B)social dominance, emotional stability and conscientiousness increase during early adulthood
C)personality changes most dramatically in adolescence and is largely set by the age of 30
D)aspects of adult personality can change into one's 70s

Question 41

The validation evidence for projective techniques is:

A)more substantial than for structured inventories.
B)about the same as other assessment areas (e.g., intelligence, aptitude).
C)substantial for adults but very little has been gathered with children.
D)meager for many of the techniques.

Question 42

Concerning measures of self-concept or self-esteem:

A)scores on these instruments have steadily declined in the last decade
B)there are major ethnic and racial differences on these instruments
C)the reliabilities of these instruments generally fall between .80 to .90
D)there is no universal agreement on the definition of the concepts nor how to measure them

Question 43

Which of the following does not belong in the same category as the other three?

A)Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
B)Kinetic-House-Tree-Person
C)Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2
D)Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank

Question 44

In order to use a projective technique to make a clinical decision, the counselor should be:

A)trained extensively in using and interpreting the technique.
B)knowledgeable of the five factors of personality.
C)trained extensively in personality disorders.
D)knowledgeable of psychoanalytic theory.

Question 45

A counselor might use an assessment of self-concept or self-esteem:

A)to assess the effect of counseling interventions.
B)in the early stages of counseling while gathering information on the client.
C)both of the above
D)none of the above

Question 46

Anastasi and Urbina (1997) suggested that projective techniques:

A)are often sufficient by themselves to make significant clinical judgments.
B)should be viewed not as tests but rather as clinical tools.
C)interpretations are harmless, regardless of level of training.
D)should not be used unless the client has poor communication skills.