Question 1

According to Murray, we need to know all of the following pieces of information except one in order to predict a woman's achievement behavior. Which one?
A) The strength of her need for Achievement
B) Where her need for Achievement fits on her hierarchy of needs
C) The amount of external "press" she experiences
D) Her fear of failure

Accepted Answer

D

Question 2

Which of the following assumptions underlies the trait approach to personality?
A) Each person belongs in one and only one personality category.
B) Personality characteristics can be represented along a continuum.
C) People in one personality category are distinctly different from people in other categories.
D) Personality can change as a function of the situation the person is in.

Accepted Answer

The trait approach to personality assumes that personality traits can be represented along a continuum, rather than in discrete categories. This allows for the recognition of individual differences and for the possibility that people may have different levels of a particular trait. The other choices do not accurately reflect the assumptions of the trait approach.

Question 3

Sometimes a man with a high need for Affiliation will engage in social interactions, but sometimes he will not. According to Murray, what determines the man's affiliation behavior?
A) Whether or not he has recently spent time with people
B) The strength of his need for Affiliation relative to other needs
C) The need for Affiliation levels of other people
D) His need for Power

Accepted Answer

According to Murray, a man's Affiliation behavior is determined by the strength of his need for Affiliation relative to his other needs.

Question 4

A psychologist collects data from a large number of people. She places each person on a continuum ranging from high to low conscientiousness and makes predictions about how people in the high range will act compared to those in the low range. This psychologist is using the___________ approach to understand personality.
A) type
B) nomothetic
C) idiographic
D) common trait

Accepted Answer

The psychologist is using a nomothetic approach, which involves identifying general laws that govern behavior, in this case, the prediction of behavior based on conscientiousness level. The other options are not applicable because the psychologist is not categorizing individuals into types (A), focusing on unique traits of each individual (C), or identifying a common trait among individuals (D).

Question 5

People with traits that dominate their personality can be described in terms of what Allport called a___________ trait.
A) cardinal
B) central
C) nomothetic
D) secondary

Accepted Answer

Allport categorized personality traits into three levels, with cardinal traits being the most dominant and influential in a person's life. Central traits are important but not as all-consuming, while secondary traits are relatively minor in comparison. Nomothetic refers to the study of general traits across a population rather than specific traits of an individual.

Question 6

The idiographic approach to personality has advantages. For example,
A) researchers can compare all people on measures of a certain trait.
B) it reveals common traits.
C) the person rather than the researcher determines what traits to examine.
D) it provides information about the relationship between traits and behavior.

Accepted Answer

The idiographic approach allows the individual to determine which traits are relevant to their personality, which can provide a more comprehensive understanding of their unique characteristics. This approach also emphasizes the importance of subjective experience and personal narrative, which can be valuable in therapeutic settings. However, it may not allow for comparisons between individuals or reveal commonalities among groups of people.

Question 7

According to Allport, which of the following is true about central traits?
A) They are basically the same for all people.
B) They are useful when examining personality through the nomothetic approach.
C) They are useful when examining personality through the idiographic approach.
D) They comprise a number of secondary traits.

Accepted Answer

Central traits are useful when examining personality through the idiographic approach, according to Allport. This approach focuses on understanding the unique aspects of an individual's personality, and central traits are key characteristics that capture important aspects of an individual's personality.

Question 8

A researcher compares the speeches of American presidents to determine the presidents' needs for Achievement. The researcher's research was influenced by which personality theorist's work?
A) Gordon Allport
B) Raymond Cattell
C) Carl Jung
D) Henry Murray

Accepted Answer

Henry Murray is known for his work on personality needs, including the need for Achievement, which the researcher is using to analyze the speeches of American presidents.

Question 9

If we say Ted is high on the personality trait of assertiveness, we would expect that he will act assertively
A) all of the time.
B) more often than someone low in assertiveness.
C) in some situations that call for assertiveness, but not in others.
D) because he puts himself in situations that call for assertion.

Accepted Answer

If someone is high on the personality trait of assertiveness, we would expect that they will act assertively more often than someone low in assertiveness, but not necessarily all of the time or in every situation. Assertiveness is a trait that can be influenced by both personality and the situation, so it depends on the specific circumstances as to whether or not Ted will act assertively. However, his high level of assertiveness may make him more likely to assert himself in situations that call for it.

Question 10

The trait approach is built on the assumption that personality characteristics are relatively stable over time and that
A) personality characteristics are also relatively stable across different situations.
B) through trait descriptions, we can make comparisons across people.
C) the typical behavior of a person with one trait is different from that of another.
D) while explanation is not possible, trait researchers focus on describing personality.

Accepted Answer

The trait approach assumes that personality characteristics are relatively stable across time and situations, which means that personality traits are consistent and enduring patterns of behavior, thoughts, and emotions that can be used to predict how people will behave in different situations. This assumption is the basis for the trait approach's focus on describing personality and making comparisons across people based on their trait profiles.

Question 11

Allport called the 5-10 traits that best describe an individual's personality ___________traits.
A) central
B) common
C) cardinal
D) secondary

Accepted Answer

Allport's theory identified central traits as the 5-10 traits that best describe an individual's personality. Common and secondary traits are not specific to a particular individual and cardinal traits are dominant and defining features of a person's personality that are rare.

Question 12

One of Henry Murray's chief contributions to the field of personality psychology was the development of the ___________.
A) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
B) Thematic Apperception Test
C) 16-PF (16 personality factors)
D) Rorschach Inkblot Test

Accepted Answer

Henry Murray is best known for the development of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), which assesses people's needs, motives, and emotions based on the stories they create in response to ambiguous pictures. Murray believed that people's personalities are shaped by their unconscious needs, desires, and fears, and the TAT was designed to tap into these hidden aspects of the mind. While Murray did contribute to the development of other personality tests, such as the 16-PF, the TAT remains his most enduring legacy in the field of personality psychology.

Question 13

Which theorist identified psychogenic needs as the basic elements of personality?
A) Gordon Allport
B) Raymond Cattell
C) Carl Jung
D) Henry Murray

Accepted Answer

Henry Murray identified psychogenic needs as the basic elements of personality.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is true about the trait approach?
A) No major schools of psychotherapy have evolved from the trait approach.
B) The trait approach is the best approach for predicting change in personality.
C) Most trait researchers do not focus on predicting behavior.
D) Trait theorists place emphasis on identifying the mechanisms that determine behavior.

Accepted Answer

The trait approach primarily focuses on identifying and measuring individual personality characteristics. No major schools of psychotherapy have directly evolved from this approach, as it is more concerned with the description and categorization of personality traits rather than the development of therapeutic methods.

Question 15

Which theorist had a strong influence on Henry Murray's theorizing about personality?
A) Gordon Allport
B) Alfred Adler
C) Sigmund Freud
D) Carl Jung

Accepted Answer

Carl Jung's theories, especially his ideas on the collective unconscious and archetypes, had a significant influence on Henry Murray's development of his theory of personality. Murray incorporated aspects of Jung's work into his own theories, including the concept of personology.

Question 16

Which of the following is not a psychogenic need that exists as one of the basic elements of personality?
A) Dominance
B) Affiliation
C) Autonomy
D) Nutrition

Accepted Answer

Nutrition is a physiological need, not a psychogenic need. The other three options (dominance, affiliation, and autonomy) are psychogenic needs that are recognized as important components of personality theory.

Question 17

Which of the following is true about the trait approach to personality?
A) Trait researchers generally are not interested in predicting the behavior of a single individual.
B) It is not easy to make comparisons across people with the trait approach.
C) The trait approach has been responsible for generating a number of useful approaches to psychotherapy.
D) Trait theorists place a greater emphasis on discovering the mechanisms underlying behavior than do theorists from other approaches to personality.

Accepted Answer

Trait researchers are interested in identifying broad dispositions that are relatively stable across time and situations, and how these dispositions differ between individuals or groups. They are less concerned with predicting specific behaviors of a single individual.

Answer: B 
 The trait approach involves making comparisons across people based on their level of different personality traits. However, it can be difficult to compare people accurately if they have different understandings or interpretations of the trait being measured.

Answer: C 
 While the trait approach may not directly provide approaches to psychotherapy, it has influenced the development of many personality tests and assessments that are used in various types of therapy.

Answer: D 
 Trait theorists focus on describing and categorizing personality traits rather than explaining the underlying mechanisms that give rise to behavior. Other approaches, such as cognitive and behavioral, focus more on the processes and underlying mechanisms behind behavior.

Question 18

Typology systems make each of the following assumptions except one. Which one?
A) Each person belongs in one personality category.
B) All people within a personality category are basically alike.
C) The behavior of people in one category is distinctly different from that of people in another category.
D) Not all people can be classified into a type category, but most of them can.

Accepted Answer

Typology systems assume that people can be classified into specific categories based on observable characteristics or traits. However, not all people fit neatly into these categories, as there is a great deal of variability within individuals. Therefore, assumption D is incorrect, as typology systems acknowledge that some individuals may not fit into a specific category.

Question 19

A man is said to have one personality trait that dominates his personality. Allport would identify this personality trait as a___________ trait.
A) common
B) central
C) cardinal
D) secondary

Accepted Answer

Allport's theory of personality proposes that everyone has three types of traits: common (shared by most people), central (more specific and influential), and cardinal (dominant and defining). Therefore, the best choice is C, cardinal, as it specifically refers to a dominant personality trait.

Question 20

Traits were introduced into the field of personality psychology by
A) Gordon Allport.
B) Raymond Cattell.
C) Carl Jung.
D) Henry Murray.

Accepted Answer

Gordon Allport is credited with introducing the concept of traits into personality psychology in the early 20th century. His work focused on identifying unique personality traits and understanding their development and impact on behavior.

Quiz 7: The Trait Approach: Theory, Application, and Assessment

According to Murray, we need to know all of the following pieces of information except one in order to predict a woman's achievement behavior. Which one?

Which of the following assumptions underlies the trait approach to personality?

Sometimes a man with a high need for Affiliation will engage in social interactions, but sometimes he will not. According to Murray, what determines the man's affiliation behavior?

People with traits that dominate their personality can be described in terms of what Allport called a___________ trait.

The idiographic approach to personality has advantages. For example,

According to Allport, which of the following is true about central traits?

A researcher compares the speeches of American presidents to determine the presidents' needs for Achievement. The researcher's research was influenced by which personality theorist's work?

If we say Ted is high on the personality trait of assertiveness, we would expect that he will act assertively

The trait approach is built on the assumption that personality characteristics are relatively stable over time and that

Allport called the 5-10 traits that best describe an individual's personality ___________traits.

One of Henry Murray's chief contributions to the field of personality psychology was the development of the ___________.

Which theorist identified psychogenic needs as the basic elements of personality?

Which of the following statements is true about the trait approach?

Which theorist had a strong influence on Henry Murray's theorizing about personality?

Which of the following is not a psychogenic need that exists as one of the basic elements of personality?

Which of the following is true about the trait approach to personality?

Typology systems make each of the following assumptions except one. Which one?

A man is said to have one personality trait that dominates his personality. Allport would identify this personality trait as a___________ trait.

Traits were introduced into the field of personality psychology by