Deck 7: Trait Approaches to Personality - Allport, Eyesneck and Cattell

Question 1

According to Allport, traits are defined by

A) frequency, intensity, and distinctiveness.
B) frequency, intensity, and range of situations.
C) distinctiveness, frequency, and range of situations.
D) intensity, frequency, and variability.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

According to Allport, situation characteristics

A) are unimportant in influencing behavior.
B) help to explain variability in behavior.
C) can be measured objectively.
D) can completely determine behavior.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

To Allport, the trait with the most pervasive influence is

A) central.
B) cardinal.
C) secondary.
D) primary.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

According to Allport, a trait could be defined in terms of

A) frequency.
B) intensity.
C) range of situations.
D) all of the above.

Question 5

Which statement is not expressive of Allport's views?

A) Traits are more important than situations.
B) Traits can be transformed in function.
C) Idiographic research is valued.
D) Some traits are unique to individuals.

Question 6

Allport's concept of functional autonomy suggests that

A) people are capable of functioning autonomously.
B) from birth there is a motive to function autonomously.
C) pleasure motives can function independently (autonomously) from other motives.
D) motives originally based on tension-reduction can become independent sources of pleasure.

Question 7

Which is not a property of traits?

A) frequency.
B) centrality.
C) intensity.
D) range of situations.

Question 8

According to Allport, to account for behavior one had to consider

A) traits.
B) situation characteristics.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 9

For Allport, evidence for the existence of a trait was

A) consistency in behavior.
B) physiological data.
C) identical behavior in various situations.
D) reliability of observations.

Question 10

Allport believed that traits are based in the

A) endocrine system.
B) circulatory system.
C) nervous system.
D) hormonal system.

Question 11

According to Allport, people generally describe others in terms of

A) secondary dispositions.
B) cardinal traits.
C) central traits.
D) source traits.

Question 12

Allport's ordering of traits from most to least generalized and consistent is

A) cardinal, central, secondary.
B) secondary, central, cardinal.
C) central, secondary, cardinal.
D) central, cardinal, secondary.

Question 13

According to Allport, which of the following represent the least conspicuous and generalized dispositions?

A) cardinal traits.
B) secondary traits.
C) tertiary dispositions.
D) central traits.

Question 14

Allport's emphasis on the individual is seen in his support for

A) psychoanalysis.
B) idiographic research.
C) nomothetic research.
D) statistical prediction.

Question 15

According to Allport, the concept of trait expresses

A) a range of possible behavior.
B) a specific response in a specific situation.
C) the uniqueness of personality.
D) the stability of personality over the course of a life-time.

Question 16

The basic assumption of the trait point of view is that

A) people are similar in some ways.
B) people possess broad predispositions to respond.
C) people are unique in some ways.
D) people possess energies that can be directed in multiple directions.

Question 17

According to Allport, a trait

A) expresses itself in all situations.
B) is discounted by evidence of inconsistency.
C) can be determined by factor analysis.
D) is expressed over a range of situations.

Question 18

The hierarchy emphasized by trait theorists is

A) types, habits, responses, traits.
B) habits, types, responses, traits.
C) habits, responses, types, traits.
D) responses, habits, traits, types.

Question 19

Which is a characteristic of trait theorists?

A) hierarchical organization of personality.
B) use of bivariate research.
C) emphasis on cross-situational variability.
D) emphasis on longitudinal variability.

Question 20

In his view of the person Allport would be most similar to

A) Freud.
B) Rogers.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 21

People who are solitary and uncaring of others would be described by Eysenck as high on

A) selfishness.
B) psychoticism.
C) extroversion.
D) introversion.

Question 22

Eysenck predicted that individuals high on extraversion would experience lower cortical arousal in response to environmental stimuli. What pattern of results did Kehoe et al. find when looking at the fMRI activity of those high in extraversion?

A) Activity in the cerebellum was lower than those low in extraversion, whereas activity in the insula was higher than those low in extraversion.
B) Activity in the cerebellum and in the insula was higher than those low in extraversion.
C) Activity in the cerebellum was lower than those low in extraversion, whereas activity in the insula was lower than those low in extraversion.
D) There were no differences in activity of the cerebellum and insula among those high and low in extraversion.

Question 23

According to Eysenck, the basis for individual differences in introversion-extraversion is differences in

A) physiological functioning.
B) intelligence.
C) neither (a) nor (b).
D) both (a) and (b).

Question 24

According to Eysenck, traits can be measured

A) by questionnaires.
B) by objective methods.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 25

According to Eysenck, it is necessary to

A) develop adequate measures.
B) develop a theory of performance.
C) establish biological foundations for traits.
D) all of the above.

Question 26

Eysenck was concerned with definitions of traits that were

A) redundant.
B) circular.
C) empirical.
D) all of the above.

Question 27

Which is not a dimension of Eysenck's theory?

A) introversion-extraversion.
B) narcissism.
C) neuroticism.
D) psychotocism.

Question 28

Behaviors that appear to be similar but do not actually vary together are known as

A) surface traits.
B) source traits.
C) temperament traits.
D) factors.

Question 29

Which of the following would support the utility of idiographic research?

A) Freud.
B) Rogers.
C) Kelly.
D) all of the above.

Question 30

According to Eysenck, some people are more influenced by punishments than are others and generally learn social prohibitions more rapidly. Such individuals would be high on

A) introversion.
B) extraversion.
C) complexity.
D) simplicity.

Question 31

Traits are to superfactors as

A) habits are to traits.
B) feelings are to cognitions.
C) source traits are to surface traits.
D) none of the above.

Question 32

According to factor analysis

A) traits and types exist.
B) single item responses form the best level of analysis.
C) things that vary together are related.
D) all of the above.

Question 33

The following theorists use factor analysis in their research efforts

A) Allport and Cattell.
B) Eysenck and Cattell.
C) Allport and Eysenck.
D) all of the above.

Question 34

According to Eysenck, extraversion is defined by

A) sociability.
B) sensation-seeking.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 35

Allport is noteworthy in suggesting that people

A) select situations.
B) cannot be studied.
C) are motivated by the unconscious.
D) are always full of conflict.

Question 36

Traits are similar to

A) states.
B) activities.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 37

The concept of idiographic research suggests that

A) individuals cannot be studied.
B) good ideas form the basis for good research.
C) computers are useful in predicting behavior.
D) none of the above.

Question 38

According to Cattell, which traits represent the building blocks of personality?

A) surface.
B) ability.
C) dynamic.
D) source.

Question 39

For Eysenck, the concept of superfactor

A) allows one to say that people are one type or another.
B) allows one to avoid dealing with dimensions.
C) refers to basic dimensions.
D) is the basis for using factor analysis.

Question 40

The dimension listed below that is not one of the dimensions emphasized by Eysenck is

A) introversion-extraversion.
B) neuroticism (stable-unstable).
C) complexity-simplicity.
D) all of the above are emphasized by Eysenck.

Question 41

Which of the following statements is false?

A) Extraverts are more sexually active than introverts.
B) Introverts do better in school than extraverts.
C) Introverts tend to be more suggestible than extraverts.
D) Extraverts enjoy aggressive humor more than introverts.

Question 42

Kehoe et al. found that among those high in extraversion, there was greater activity in the insula, an area of the brain that contributes to our subjective conscious experience of emotion. Which of the following summarizes how well this fits with Eysenck's prediction about the biological basis of extraversion?

A) It contradicts it.
B) It supports it.
C) It partially supports it.
D) It is irrelevant to it.

Question 43

Introverts are

A) restrained.
B) easily aroused by events.
C) inhibited.
D) all of the above.

Question 44

The study demonstrating that people could be influenced by suggestions of an epidemic is evidence for

A) the existence of individual differences.
B) the importance of introversion-extroversion.
C) the role of personality in health.
D) all of the above.

Question 45

According to Eysenck,

A) there is a strong genetic component to psychopathology.
B) neurotic disorders can never change.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 46

In one way or another, Eysenck's views conflict with those of

A) Freud.
B) Allport.
C) Cattell.
D) all of the above.

Question 47

Though Eysenck had predicted that people high in neuroticism would show increased brain activity in the limbic system, Kehoe et al's fMRI data indicated that the increased brain activity was actually in the:

A) cerebellum
B) insula
C) prefrontal cortex
D) hippocampus

Question 48

In terms of school performance

A) introverts do better than extraverts.
B) extraverts do better than introverts.
C) they both do the same.
D) it all depends on the subject.

Question 49

Which of the following is not a trait category suggested by Cattell?

A) sociability.
B) ability.
C) temperament.
D) dynamic.

Question 50

Which of the following is not a characteristic of extraverts?

A) sensitivity to pain.
B) energetic.
C) carelessness.
D) excitement enhances performance.

Question 51

Intelligence illustrates which kind of trait?

A) dynamic.
B) source.
C) ability.
D) temperament.

Question 52

The 16 PF is an example of

A) L-data.
B) OT-data.
C) Q-data.
D) none of the above.

Question 53

Of the following, the dimension most important for criminals is

A) neuroticism.
B) extraversion.
C) psychoticism.
D) openness to experience.

Question 54

Which of the following statements is not true of extraverts?

A) They do better than introverts in school.
B) They prefer to interact with others.
C) They are more suggestible than introverts.
D) They are more sexually active than introverts.

Question 55

Evidence in support of the biological basis for Eysenck's dimensions comes from

A) cross-cultural research.
B) stability of individual differences.
C) twin and adoption studies.
D) all of the above.

Question 56

Factors determining psychopathology

A) lie outside Eysenck's range of convenience.
B) lie inside Eysenck's range of convenience.
C) are largely environmental in origin.
D) have yet to be determined.

Question 57

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Extraverts are less suggestible than introverts.
B) Introverts are less sensitive to pain than extraverts.
C) Criminals are high on extraversion but low on neuroticism and psychotocism.
D) Introverts are more influenced by punishments, extraverts by rewards.

Question 58

According to Eysenck,

A) genetic factors play a major role in personality.
B) environmental factors play a major role in personality.
C) the basis for individual differences is unknown.
D) the future of psychology lies in clinical work.

Question 59

Students withdrawing from college for academic reasons tend to be ___________ whereas those withdrawing for personal reasons tend to be ____________.

A) neurotics-psychotics.
B) extraverts-introverts.
C) extraverts-neurotics.
D) none of the above.

Question 60

Returning to Cronbach's discussion of the two disciplines in psychology, Eysenck

A) supports correlation research.
B) supports experimental research.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 61

Which form of data relates to behavior in everyday situations?

A) OT-data.
B) S-data.
C) Q-data.
D) L-data.

Question 62

A cardinal trait has a limited range of situations.

Question 63

The trait theorist who emphasized the fewest traits was

A) Allport.
B) Eysenck.
C) Cattell.
D) Plomin.

Question 64

Compared to introverts, extraverts

A) have more positive emotions.
B) take more study breaks.
C) are more active sexually.
D) all of the above.

Question 65

Functional autonomy is the psychological freedom children must experience from their parents.

Question 66

Allport, in contrast with Eysenck

A) believed in the utility of surface traits.
B) emphasized overt behavior.
C) emphasized the organization of personality.
D) emphasized biological variables.

Question 67

Which of the following trait theorists has been associated with the application of trait theory to abnormal behavior?

A) Allport.
B) Eysenck.
C) Cattell.
D) none of the above.

Question 68

A trait expresses what one will do in a specific situation.

Question 69

A cardinal trait expresses a disposition so strong that it influences virtually every act.

Question 70

It is important for Cattell's theory that

A) different types of data should yield different personality traits or factors.
B) different types of data should yield the same personality traits or factors.
C) different types of data should yield the same surface traits but different source traits.
D) different types of data should yield different source traits and different surface traits.

Question 71

People high on Eysenck's psychoticism factor tend to be

A) cold.
B) antisocial.
C) both a and b.

Question 72

The trait theorist most accepting of psychoanalytic theory was

A) Allport.
B) Eysenck.
C) Cattell.
D) none of the above.

Question 73

The trait theorist who would most likely provide for the greatest number of traits was

A) Allport.
B) Eysenck.
C) Cattell.
D) Plomin.

Question 74

A concern with the pattern and organization of traits is seen in the work of

A) Allport and Cattell.
B) Eysenck and Cattell.
C) Allport and Eysenck.
D) Allport, Eysenck, and Cattell.

Question 75

Cattell's theory asserts that ________ traits are the building blocks of personality.

A) surface
B) ability
C) source
D) dynamic

Question 76

Research on the genetic contribution to traits is most apparent in the work of

A) Allport and Cattell.
B) Eysenck and Cattell.
C) Allport and Eysenck.
D) Allport, Eysenck, and Cattell.

Question 77

Which type of data relates to behavior in laboratory situations?

A) L-data.
B) Q-data.
C) Ot-data.
D) N-data.

Question 78

Three defining properties of traits are frequency, intensity, and range of situations.

Question 79

According to Allport, both trait and situation are necessary to understand behavior.

Question 80

OT-data are

A) self-report data.
B) questionnaire data.
C) personal life-record data.
D) objective data.