Deck 12: Personality

Question 1

According to social-cognitive theory, which does NOT influence personality?

A) environment
B) thoughts
C) interactions with others
D) unconscious urges

Answer 1

unconscious urges

Question 2

One of the reasons Carl Rogers was motivated to develop the humanistic theory of personality is that he:

A) grew weary of Freud's negative view of human nature.
B) believed human beings were fueled by biological desires.
C) felt there were no theories that addressed self-fulfillment.
D) believed a pessimistic approach needed to be developed.

Answer 2

grew weary of Freud's negative view of human nature.

Question 3

Avonda prefers to spend large quantities of time alone. She is also shy, reserved, and quiet. Avonda would MOST likely score low on which scale of the Big Five?

A) agreeableness
B) neuroticism
C) openness to experience
D) extraversion

Answer 3

extraversion

Question 4

When you are hungry and steal a snack from your younger brother, even though you know it will make him angry, it is possible that you are listening to your:

A) superego.
B) id.
C) ego.
D) archetype.

Question 5

When you do not perform well on an exam, and then insist the instructor administered an unfair test, rather than admitting you did not study enough, your ego is using the defense mechanism of:

A) denial.
B) rationalization.
C) projection.
D) sublimation.

Question 6

The _____ is the animalistic part of the mind that generates our most primal, biologically based impulses such as sex and aggression.

A) ego
B) superego
C) id
D) collective unconscious

Question 7

Receiving warmth, acceptance, and love from the people around you is what Carl Rogers called:

A) conditions of worth.
B) self-efficacy.
C) positive regard.
D) self-concept.

Question 8

According to research, which Big Five trait is the BEST predictor of grades and motivation to succeed?

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

Question 9

The _____ is the internal monitor that tells us how acceptable our actions are.

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

Question 10

Raymond Cattell is well known for using a statistical procedure called _____ to form clusters of personality traits that are correlated with each other.

A) chi-square analysis
B) analysis of variance
C) factor analysis
D) multivariate regression

Question 11

Repression is a defense mechanism characterized by the ego:

A) blocking external events from consciousness because they are too threatening.
B) hiding your id impulse in the unconscious to keep you unaware of it.
C) retreating to an earlier time in your life when the current stressor was absent.
D) coming up with seemingly acceptable explanations for behaviors actually based on id impulses.

Question 12

Freud believed that personality was a by-product of the interaction of three components of the mind: the _____, the ego, and the superego.

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

Question 13

According to Freud, the impact of the unconscious is so great that it can explain our actions that are otherwise:

A) determined.
B) predictable.
C) unexplainable.
D) calculated.

Question 14

When you are organized, responsible, and deliberate, you possess:

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

Question 15

Which of Freud's psychosexual stages has the LEAST amount of psychological consequences?

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

Question 16

According to Freud's theory, each psychosexual stage centers on a particular _____ that is the focus of the child's life during that period.

A) relationship
B) body part
C) cognition
D) motor skill

Question 17

According to Freud, for boys, the childhood experience of desiring your mother and resenting your father is called the:

A) genital stage.
B) Oedipus complex.
C) Electra complex.
D) self-efficacy complex.

Question 18

The psychodynamic theory of personality focuses on early childhood experiences and:

A) unconscious forces.
B) self-concept.
C) psychosexual stages.
D) self-actualization.

Question 19

When your ego redirects an id impulse in a way that actually benefits others, you are exhibiting the defense mechanism of:

A) denial.
B) rationalization.
C) projection.
D) sublimation.

Question 20

According to behavioral genetics, who has the highest likelihood of having similar personality traits?

A) identical twins raised together
B) fraternal twins raised together
C) fraternal twins raised apart
D) nontwin siblings raised together

Question 21

The _____ theory of personality emphasizes the influence of the environment and the importance of observable, measurable behavior.

A) psychodynamic
B) humanistic
C) behavioral
D) social-cognitive

Question 22

Which follower of Freud's proposed the idea of an inferiority complex?

A) Carl Jung
B) Erik Erikson
C) Alfred Adler
D) Karen Horney

Question 23

Reaction formation is a defense mechanism characterized by the ego:

A) hiding your id impulse in the unconscious to keep you unaware of it.
B) redirecting the id impulse toward a safer outlet in order to minimize the consequences to you.
C) overreacting against the id impulses by doing the exact opposite, as if overcompensating.
D) blocking external events from consciousness because they are too threatening.

Question 24

The _____stage is the final stage in Freud's psychosexual stages and focuses on mature, adult sexual relationships.

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

Question 25

Which statement about behaviorists is FALSE?

A) Behaviorists think there is no such thing as personality.
B) Behaviorists use classical and operant conditioning to explain what we do.
C) Behaviorists believe we have stable traits deep within ourselves that explain behavior.
D) Behaviorists believe our behaviors are habits controlled by external conditions.

Question 26

Lu Anne was abused by her parents as a child. As an adult, she has no recollection of those memories. Psychologists would say Lu Anne is exhibiting the defense mechanism of:

A) denial.
B) repression.
C) rationalization.
D) regression.

Question 27

The _____ is the part of the mind that serves as a realistic mediator between the id and the superego, while meeting the demands of the real world.

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

Question 28

Which statement is NOT true about the trait theory of personality? Trait theorists:

A) do not focus on how a particular trait develops over a person's lifetime.
B) focus on figuring out exactly which traits make up human personality.
C) believe that varying amounts of the same traits make up our personalities.
D) have an easy time identifying the basic traits of human personality.

Question 29

Which is NOT a reason for psychologists to assess personality?

A) The client is seeking treatment and the personality assessment will help with diagnosing the issue.
B) The psychologist is assessing personality to help an employer to make hiring or placement decisions.
C) The personality assessment is part of a legal battle and the client is ordered by the court to be tested.
D) A psychologist is assessing personality to determine the intelligence and proper placement of a child in gifted classes.

Question 30

When a child models himself or herself after the same-sex parent, the child has achieved what Freud defined as:

A) identification.
B) self-efficacy.
C) self-concept.
D) completion.

Question 31

Denial is a defense mechanism characterized by the ego:

A) blocking external events from consciousness because they are too threatening.
B) overreacting against the id impulses by doing the exact opposite.
C) retreating to an earlier time in your life when the current stressor was absent.
D) hiding your id impulse in the unconscious to keep you unaware of it.

Question 32

What separates the professional assessment tools used by psychologists from amateur "personality tests" posted on random Internet sites?

A) the professional assessment tools charge a fee
B) validity and reliability
C) the person scoring the results
D) length of the tests

Question 33

When describing peak experiences, the word LEAST likely used is:

A) mystical.
B) ecstatic.
C) harmony.
D) confusion.

Question 34

Elizabeth was taking a difficult calculus exam and felt stumped. She could clearly see her friend's answer sheet, but decided to look away and answer the test questions on her own. Elizabeth was MOST likely being directed by her:

A) ego.
B) fixation.
C) id.
D) superego.

Question 35

Lucinda is seeing a therapist who is very optimistic, encouraging, and nurturing. This therapist is focusing on helping Lucinda develop a healthy personality. Lucinda's therapist is MOST likely following the ideas of _____ theories in personality.

A) behavioral
B) psychodynamic
C) humanistic
D) cognitive

Question 36

Maxwell is disliked by many of his peers. They complain that he is hard-headed, stubborn, and argumentative. Maxwell would MOST likely score low on which scale of the Big Five?

A) extraversion
B) openness to experience
C) agreeableness
D) neuroticism

Question 37

When your ego hides your id impulse in the unconscious to keep you unaware of it, this is the defense mechanism of:

A) denial.
B) sublimation.
C) projection.
D) repression.

Question 38

Who believed that self-actualization is a primary motivation?

A) Bandura
B) Maslow
C) Freud
D) Erikson

Question 39

When creating revised theories, Freud's followers held on to his core ideas, but let go of the:

A) unconscious mind.
B) id's bodily drives.
C) idea of the id, ego, and superego.
D) importance of childhood experiences.

Question 40

Roberto blames his genes from his parents, his thyroid medication, and the convenience of fast-food eating for his rapid weight gain. Roberto is demonstrating a(n):

A) low level of self-efficacy.
B) internal locus of control.
C) external locus of control.
D) negative self-concept.

Question 41

A _____ is a lingering psychological problem directly related to an unsuccessful experience of a particular psychosexual stage.

A) disorder
B) dysfunction
C) mental illness
D) fixation

Question 42

The _____ mind contains the mental activity of which the person is unaware.

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

Question 43

The belief that your life is under the control of forces outside of you is called:

A) self-externalizing.
B) externalizing.
C) external locus of control.
D) internal locus of control.

Question 44

According to research, employees who score high on the _____ scale of the Big Five will MOST likely perform especially well at jobs with lots of social interaction, such as in sales.

A) openness to experience
B) neuroticism
C) agreeableness
D) extraversion

Question 45

Imagine you decide to live off-campus during your first year of college, and your parents do not agree with this decision. Even though your parents disapprove of this particular behavior, they continue to value and appreciate you as a person. This is an example of:

A) self-concept.
B) self-efficacy.
C) congruence.
D) incongruence.

Question 46

Xena has long wanted to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector and help communities reduce hunger and homelessness. However, her parents have told her she is too smart for that and needs to pursue a career that will pay her a higher salary. Xena insists that she wants to help impoverished families improve their lives, but her parents have made it clear they will not pay for her education unless she pursues a career in medicine, law, or engineering. Xena is very unhappy, but will pursue the dreams her parents have created for her. According to humanistic theory, Xena will likely experience:

A) self-actualization.
B) congruence.
C) incongruence.
D) peak experiences.

Question 47

Reid seems to be having psychological trouble based on his overinflated view of himself. He comes across as incredibly conceited and arrogant, which also causes him to struggle with friendships and other kinds of relationships. Freud would say that Reid is fixated in the _____ stage.

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

Question 48

When using projective tests, it is important to look for and focus on _____ in a client's responses.

A) aggression
B) signs of paranoia
C) complex ideas
D) themes and patterns

Question 49

Rationalization is a defense mechanism characterized by the ego:

A) coming up with seemingly acceptable explanations for behaviors actually based on id impulses.
B) overreacting against the id impulses by doing the exact opposite, as if overcompensating.
C) placing your id impulse onto others, so it appears they have the impulse rather than you.
D) redirecting the id impulse toward a safer outlet in order to minimize the consequences to you.

Question 50

One of the most damaging criticisms aimed at psychodynamic theory is that it is:

A) not thorough enough.
B) not scientific enough.
C) not accepted.
D) unethical.

Question 51

Deanna prizes her grandson, Emmanuel; according to Carl Rogers, this means she cherishes him without any type of:

A) emotion.
B) affection.
C) evaluation.
D) reward.

Question 52

_____ is defined as fully becoming the person you have the potential to become.

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

Question 53

Identical twins share _____ of the same genes, while fraternal twins share _____ of the same genes.

A) some; most
B) all; most
C) all; none
D) some; none

Question 54

_____ is the theorist who emphasized the idea of self-efficacy, or the belief in your ability to do something.

A) Julian Rotter
B) Abraham Maslow
C) Carl Rogers
D) Albert Bandura

Question 55

Someone with an internal locus of control is MOST likely to believe in the powerful influence of:

A) luck.
B) fate.
C) effort.
D) genes.

Question 56

Which part of the mind makes compromises?

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

Question 57

Donald has an overinflated sense of self, and often comes across as conceited. Alexander lacks confidence, undervalues himself, and comes across as insecure. According to Freud, it is MOST likely that:

A) Donald is fixated in the phallic stage, while Alexander is fixated in the latency stage.
B) Alexander is fixated in the phallic stage, while Donald is fixated in the latency stage.
C) both Donald and Alexander are fixated in the phallic stage.
D) both Donald and Alexander are fixated in the latency stage.

Question 58

Tabitha is described as having an external locus of control. When she performs poorly in a rugby match, she is LEAST likely to blame:

A) the bad calls made by the referee.
B) her own lack of perseverance.
C) the other team for cheating.
D) poor coaching leading up to the match.

Question 59

Which is a reason that psychodynamic theory is viewed more as a faith rather than a science?

A) When Freud developed and defined many of the concepts, there was no technology to back up his findings.
B) Freud had several followers who reinforced and replicated many of his findings, which supported psychodynamic theory.
C) Psychodynamic concepts are not easy to define, making them difficult to test.
D) When psychodynamic concepts were developed, there were no other terms to compare them to.

Question 60

According to Freud, for girls, the childhood experience of desiring your father and resenting your mother is called the:

A) genital stage.
B) Oedipus complex.
C) Electra complex.
D) self-efficacy complex.

Question 61

Gerald has difficulty trusting people, and he has developed a pessimistic personality. Freud would say that Gerald was fixated in the _____ stage.

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

Question 62

Isaiah is a calm individual who seems to stay emotionally secure and stable even under stressful situations. Isaiah would MOST likely score low on which scale of the Big Five?

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

Question 63

An explanation of personality based on the ideas of Sigmund Freud that emphasize unconscious forces and early childhood experiences is the _____ theory of personality.

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

Question 64

Which is the BEST example of psychologists studying personality? A researcher studies:

A) death and how different aged children react to it.
B) the trait of patience in many different situations.
C) decision making among adolescents in different situations.
D) criminal behavior and the causes behind it.

Question 65

According to trait theorists, traits are:

A) characteristics of one's personality that may vary from situation to situation.
B) stable elements of personality that influence one's thoughts, feelings, and behavior across most situations.
C) motives that drive one's personality due to unconscious forces stemming from childhood events.
D) challenges that emerge as an interaction between the environment and one's cognition and that impact personality.

Question 66

According to research on the birth order of siblings, the _____ tends to be more conservative and conventional.

A) firstborn
B) laterborn
C) middleborn
D) secondborn

Question 67

Freud and his followers identified a number of _____, which are techniques used by the ego to manage conflicts between the id and superego.

A) ego mechanisms
B) defense mechanisms
C) primary masteries
D) ego methods

Question 68

Which statement is TRUE about your self-concept?

A) The way in which important people treat you has no bearing in shaping your view of yourself.
B) The conditions of worth that others place on you become conditions of worth that you place on yourself.
C) How people respond to your self-actualizing tendencies has little power in shaping your view of yourself.
D) If you receive unconditional positive regard, you will internalize that and turn it into positive conditional self-regard.

Question 69

Changxi cherishes her newborn son, simply because he is her baby. According to Carl Rogers, Changxi is _____ her baby boy.

A) fixating
B) identifying
C) actualizing
D) prizing

Question 70

We can tell that a person has successfully completed the phallic stage when we see evidence of what Freud called:

A) self-concept.
B) self-efficacy.
C) rivalry.
D) identification.

Question 71

Weiyoung has just moved to a new city and is eager to try new things and explore new ideas. Even though she is a bit shy, she is planning to join several local meetup groups and may even go on a sightseeing tour. Weiyoung would MOST likely score high on which scale of the Big Five?

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

Question 72

Which example BEST reflects reciprocal determinism?

A) a child who refrains from throwing a temper tantrum because of fear of punishment
B) a man who succeeds in a class because he is encouraged by classmates, puts in more effort, and starts believing in himself
C) a young woman who dates an older gentleman because he reminds her of her father
D) a teenager who goes to therapy to improve his sense of self-worth

Question 73

The _____ stage is the second stage in Freud's psychosexual stages that focuses on the psychological consequences of toilet training.

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

Question 74

_____ is the idea that three factors-your behavior, your environment, and your cognitions-continually influence each other to shape your personality.

A) Reciprocal determinism
B) Openness to experience
C) Behaviorism
D) Self-actualization

Question 75

Sublimation is a defense mechanism characterized by the ego:

A) redirecting the id impulse toward a safer outlet in order to minimize the consequences to you.
B) hiding your id impulse in the unconscious to keep you unaware of it.
C) blocking external events from consciousness because they are too threatening.
D) redirecting an id impulse in a way that actually benefits others.

Question 76

Diego credits his acceptance to college to his dedication and hard work in high school. Diego is explaining his behavior with a(n):

A) humanistic approach.
B) external locus of control.
C) internal locus of control.
D) cognitive approach.

Question 77

Consistent with research findings on the Big Five, a person who scores low in openness to experience and low in agreeableness may be more likely to _____ than someone who scores high on both of those factors.

A) be dissatisfied in romantic relationships
B) travel frequently around the world
C) hold prejudices against other groups of people
D) use social media on a regular basis

Question 78

The tendency to be socially outgoing is known as:

A) introversion.
B) extraversion.
C) agreeableness.
D) openness to experience.

Question 79

Ashante gets invited to a lot of parties. She is fun to be around, very sociable, and outgoing. Ashante would MOST likely score high on which scale of the Big Five?

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

Question 80

Contemporary psychologists would agree with Freud's basic idea that early childhood experiences:

A) influence adult personality.
B) determine adult personality.
C) do not influence adult personality.
D) are repeated in adulthood.