Question 1

As a child, Clark almost drowned when a wave hit him as he was playing in the ocean. As an adult, Clark does not consciously remember the incident, but avoids going to the beach and even feels uncomfortable watching movies with ocean scenes. It is likely that Freud would consider Clark's memory failure as an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

Freud would likely consider Clark's memory failure as an example of repression, which is the unconscious suppression of memories or desires that are too difficult or painful to face. Clark's avoidance of the beach and discomfort with ocean scenes suggest that he has repressed the traumatic experience of almost drowning as a child.

Question 2

When Ursula argues with her boyfriend whom she cares for very much, she tells him, "I hate you. Get out of my life!" Ursula's behavior MOST closely resembles which defense mechanism?

Accepted Answer

Ursula's behavior of expressing hatred towards her boyfriend whom she cares for very much is an example of reaction formation. This defense mechanism involves expressing the opposite of one's true feelings in order to avoid the anxiety that arises from acknowledging those feelings.

Question 3

According to Freud, the first and second stages of psychosexual development are _____.

Accepted Answer

According to Freud's theory of psychosexual development, the first stage is the oral stage, which is focused on the mouth and feeding, and the second stage is the anal stage, which is focused on toilet training and control of bodily waste. Therefore, the correct answer is B. The other answer choices are not in the correct order or do not include the correct stages.

Question 4

Which is the correct ordering of Freud's psychosexual stages of development?

Accepted Answer

The correct order of Freud's psychosexual stages of development is oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital. This order represents the stages in which the child develops psychic energy related to specific erogenous zones. The oral stage is focused on the mouth, the anal stage is focused on the anus, the phallic stage is focused on the genitals, the latency stage is a period of relative calm, and the genital stage is focused on the adult sexual organs.

Question 5

Vickie gets upset if anything on her desk is out of place. Her computer monitor is always in the same location. Her paper clips are sorted by size and color, and her headset is always to the right of her telephone. Vickie's concern with organization suggests she has which fixation?

Accepted Answer

Vickie's concern with organization and orderliness suggests she has an anal retentive fixation. This fixation arises during the anal stage of development, in which a child's pleasure comes from controlling their bladder and bowel movements. In adulthood, this may manifest as a preoccupation with order, cleanliness, and perfectionism.

Question 6

Valerie contends that her classmate Wanda is consistently gossiping, but Valerie herself tends to gossip about everyone she knows. Valerie's contention MOST closely resembles which defense mechanism?

Accepted Answer

Valerie's contention that Wanda is consistently gossiping is an example of projection, which is when an individual attributes their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or behaviors onto someone else. In this case, Valerie is projecting her own tendency to gossip onto Wanda.

Question 7

_____ is a defense mechanism in which an individual creates false excuses for unacceptable feelings, thoughts, or behaviors.

Accepted Answer

Rationalization is a defense mechanism in which an individual creates false excuses for unacceptable feelings, thoughts, or behaviors. This defense mechanism helps individuals justify their actions, which may be considered wrong or harmful. For example, a student who fails a test may rationalize it by saying that the test was too difficult or the teacher did not teach well.

Question 8

As a young adult, Daisy expects other people to do things for her and is typically willing to believe almost anything she hears. According to Freud, Daisy's behavior is characteristic of people who have experienced _____ gratification during the _____ stage.

Accepted Answer

Daisy's behavior is characteristic of people who have experienced excessive gratification during the oral stage, according to Freud's psychosexual stages of development. This stage occurs from birth to about 18 months, where the primary source of interaction occurs through the mouth, leading to behaviors centered around dependency and gullibility if gratification is excessive.

Question 9

Christine is 6 months old, when, according to Freud, her id's pleasure-seeking energy is focused on the _____. If Christine does not receive sufficient gratification during this stage, Freud would suggest that, as an adult, she would MOST likely have a tendency to _____.

Accepted Answer

According to Freud's psychosexual stages, at 6 months old, Christine is in the oral stage, where the id's pleasure-seeking energy is focused on the mouth. If she does not receive sufficient gratification during this stage, Freud would suggest that as an adult, she would have a tendency to overeat, hence choice C is the best answer. Choice A is incorrect as the anal stage occurs from 18 to 36 months and is associated with toilet training. Choices B and D are incorrect as there is no stage in Freud's theory that directly links to being sloppy.

Question 10

_____ is a defense mechanism in which an individual attributes his/her unacceptable feelings and thoughts to others.

Accepted Answer

Projection is the defense mechanism in which an individual attributes his/her unacceptable or unwanted thoughts, feelings, or behaviors to others, rather than acknowledging them in themselves. This allows individuals to distance themselves from their own unacceptable thoughts and behaviors and instead project them onto others.

Question 11

Russ frequently uses defense mechanisms to deal with a variety of people and situations. According to the text, such dependence on defense mechanisms may prevent Russ from _____.

Accepted Answer

Using defense mechanisms can prevent individuals from facing and solving problems, as they may rely on these methods instead of addressing underlying issues.

Question 12

An area where the id's pleasure-seeking energies are focused is called a(n) _____ zone.

Accepted Answer

An erogenous zone is an area of the body that is particularly sensitive to sexual stimulation and where the id's pleasure-seeking energies are focused. Arousal refers to the state of being sexually excited, but it doesn't necessarily imply a specific focus of pleasure-seeking. Fixation refers to becoming fixated on a particular stage of psychosexual development, which is not the same as a pleasure-seeking zone. Energized is not a term commonly used in psychoanalytic theory in this context.

Question 13

_____ is a defense mechanism in which an individual replaces socially unacceptable impulses with socially acceptable behavior.

Accepted Answer

Sublimation is a defense mechanism in which socially unacceptable impulses, such as aggressive or sexual urges, are redirected into socially acceptable behavior, such as artistic expression or athletic achievement. This allows the individual to channel their energies in a more positive and constructive way, while avoiding the negative consequences of indulging in their impulses. Displacement involves redirecting impulses onto a less threatening target, denial involves refusal to acknowledge a threatening reality, and projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable impulses onto others.

Question 14

George talks almost constantly, chews gum, and is extremely mistrustful of others. To Freud, these behaviors would suggest that George is fixated in the _____ stage.

Accepted Answer

George's constant talking and gum chewing are indicative of an oral fixation, which is associated with the oral stage of development according to Freud. Additionally, his mistrustful nature could be seen as a manifestation of the oral stage's theme of distrust and suspicion towards others.

Question 15

Caroline abides by a very strict moral code and feels very guilty if she does the slightest thing wrong, such as forgetting to return a friend's phone call. According to Freud, Caroline's high level of morality and feelings of guilt suggest that she has a very strong _____.

Accepted Answer

Freud believed that the superego is the part of the personality that represents a person's moral code and is responsible for feelings of guilt when one violates that code. Caroline's strict moral code and tendency to feel guilty suggest a strong superego.

Question 16

_____ is a defense mechanism in which an individual acts exactly the opposite of his/her unacceptable impulses.

Accepted Answer

Reaction formation is a defense mechanism in which an individual behaves in a manner opposite to his/her unacceptable impulses. For example, a person who has repressed feelings of anger towards someone may act extremely kind and friendly towards that person.

Question 17

Zack's car has papers strewn all over the back seat, mixed in with empty soda cans, several DVD cases, a sweatshirt, and a few pairs of athletic shoes. The appearance of Zack's car suggests he has which fixation?

Accepted Answer

The scattered and disorganized state of the car suggests an anal expulsive fixation, which is characterized by a lack of organization and a tendency towards messiness.

Question 18

Karen and Lauren have difficulty sharing office space because Karen insists that everything in the office be kept neat and orderly all the time, whereas Lauren is terribly sloppy and messy. Freud would suggest that Karen is fixated at the _____ stage, and Lauren is fixated at the _____ stage.

Accepted Answer

Freud's theory suggests that fixation at the anal stage can lead to traits of orderliness and messiness. Karen's need for neatness indicates an anal-retentive fixation, while Lauren's messiness suggests an anal-expulsive fixation.

Question 19

According to Freud's psychosexual theory, fixations emerge when _____.

Accepted Answer

According to Freud's psychosexual theory, fixations occur when the id's pleasure-seeking energy remains in a stage because of excessive gratification or frustration.

Question 20

Carolyn cheats on her psychology exam but not on her calculus exam. She explains this by saying, "I know that cheating is wrong but I have to cheat on my psychology exam because the teacher is incredibly unfair in expecting us to remember so much material." According to psychoanalytic theory, Carolyn's reasoning about cheating on her psychology exam reflects which defense mechanism?

Accepted Answer

Carolyn's explanation for her cheating behavior is an example of rationalization, which is a defense mechanism where individuals justify or make excuses for their actions in order to protect themselves from anxiety or guilt. In this case, Carolyn is justifying her cheating behavior by blaming it on the unfairness of the teacher's expectations.

Quiz 8: Section 2: Personality Theories and Assessment