Deck 14: Personality

Question 1

The term personality refers to

A) a particular pattern of thinking and behaving that prevails across time and situations, differentiating one person from another.
B) the different categories into which personality characteristics can be assigned.
C) an enduring personal characteristic that reveals itself in a particular pattern of behaviour across a variety of situations.
D) individual differences in cognition and behaviour.
E) one's developmental experiences and physical characteristics.

Answer 1

a particular pattern of thinking and behaving that prevails across time and situations, differentiating one person from another.

Question 2

Effective research on personality requires two kinds of efforts or approaches. They are

A) classifying people into certain groups, and distinguishing the features of the groups.
B) identifying personality characteristics, and determining the variables that produce and control them.
C) relating information learned from animal models, and distinguishing the differences between those models and different human populations.
D) measuring the differences in personalities between people, and relating those data to the development of specific types of personality traits.
E) classifying people into certain groups, and distinguishing the differences between those models and different human populations.

Answer 2

identifying personality characteristics, and determining the variables that produce and control them.

Question 3

The term personality type refers to

A) a particular pattern of thinking and behaving that prevails across time and situations, differentiating one person from another.
B) the different categories into which personality characteristics can be assigned.
C) an enduring personal characteristic that reveals itself in a particular pattern of behaviour across a variety of situations.
D) individual differences in cognition and behaviour.
E) one's developmental experiences and physical characteristics.

Answer 3

the different categories into which personality characteristics can be assigned.

Question 4

The humoral theory of individual differences was proposed by

A) Allport.
B) Cattell.
C) Galen.
D) Berkowitz.
E) Hippocrates.

Question 5

Abby is an optimistic person with a zest for life. According to the humoral theory of personality, Abby is a __________ person.

A) choleric
B) melancholic
C) phlegmatic
D) sanguine
E) humoristic

Question 6

Robert is bad-tempered and irritable. According to the humoral theory of personality, Robert is a __________ person.

A) choleric
B) melancholic
C) phlegmatic
D) sanguine
E) depressed

Question 7

The term personality trait refers to

A) a particular pattern of thinking and behaving that prevails across time and situations, differentiating one person from another.
B) the different categories into which personality characteristics can be assigned.
C) an enduring personal characteristic that reveals itself in a particular pattern of behaviour across a variety of situations.
D) individual differences in cognition and behaviour.
E) the tendency to engage in conversation and other social behaviours.

Question 8

A personality trait is considered to be a(n) __________ variable.

A) orthogonal
B) discrete
C) distinct
D) continuous
E) categorical

Question 9

For any given personality characteristic, people vary in the extent to which they possess that characteristic. For this reason, most psychologists argue that personality is best conceptualized in terms of __________ rather than in terms of __________.

A) types; traits
B) variables; types
C) types; variables
D) traits; types
E) variables; traits

Question 10

The psychologist who studied how words are used to describe personality traits and who stimulated other psychologists to view personality in terms of traits was

A) Allport.
B) Eysenck.
C) Cattell.
D) McCrae.
E) Freud.

Question 11

__________ argued that there are __________ personality traits.

A) Allport; 5
B) Eysenck; 16
C) Cattell; 16
D) McCrae; 3
E) Galen; 5

Question 12

Cattell used the term __________ traits to describe personality factors that serve as the basis for observable behaviour.

A) source
B) surface
C) cardinal
D) deep
E) central

Question 13

Cattell's research on personality was based on the earlier work of

A) Galen.
B) Eysenck.
C) Mischel.
D) Allport.
E) Freud.

Question 14

__________ held that personality is composed of __________ basic traits.

A) Allport; 16
B) Eysenck; 3
C) Cattell; 5
D) McCrae; 7
E) Galen; 5

Question 15

In Eysenck's view, the most important aspects of personality are determined by

A) extroversion.
B) neuroticism.
C) psychoticism.
D) the combination of the above three factors.
E) the combination of neuroticism and psychoticism.

Question 16

__________ is the tendency to seek the company of others and __________ is the tendency to avoid the company of others.

A) Neuroticism; psychoticism
B) Self-control; introversion
C) extroversion; introversion
D) Psychoticism; neuroticism
E) Agreeableness; introversion

Question 17

The personality factors described by Eysenck do NOT include which of the following?

A) extroversion
B) self-control
C) emotional stability
D) agreeableness
E) all of the above

Question 18

According to Eysenck, the term psychoticism refers to

A) schizophrenia.
B) depression and mania.
C) any severe form of mental illness.
D) antisocial tendencies.
E) dissociation.

Question 19

In Eysenck's model of personality, __________ is considered to be the polar opposite of psychoticism.

A) self-control
B) emotional stability
C) neuroticism
D) apprehension
E) introversion

Question 20

Jane and Joan are polar opposites in terms of personality. If Jane showed psychoticism, we would then expect that Joan would show

A) introversion.
B) emotional stability.
C) neuroticism.
D) apprehension.
E) self-control.

Question 21

Henry and Arnold are polar opposites in terms of personality. If Henry showed neuroticism, we would then expect that Arnold would show

A) introversion.
B) emotional stability.
C) psychoticism.
D) apprehension.
E) self-control.

Question 22

More than most trait theorists, Eysenck's theory emphasizes the __________ nature of personality.

A) developmental
B) categorical
C) social
D) biological
E) cognitive

Question 23

Eysenck's account of personality factors

A) has not been well-received by other personality researchers.
B) has been supported by other researchers.
C) is primarily a cognitive theory.
D) emphasizes the importance of locus of control as a controlling variable in personality.
E) is primarily a social-psychological theory.

Question 24

Which of the following characteristics from Eysenck's theory of personality would be shown by a person who was sanguine according to the Greek theory of humours?

A) unstable and extroverted
B) extroverted and stable
C) stable and introverted
D) introverted and unstable
E) psychotic and unstable

Question 25

The five-factor model of personality has been used to predict

A) subjective well being.
B) daily hassles.
C) leadership at work.
D) the use of improvisation at work.
E) all of the above

Question 26

Which model of personality uses the NEO-PI-R in researching the basic dimensions of personality?

A) Cattell's model
B) the five-factor model
C) Eysenck's model
D) Allport's model
E) Galen's model

Question 27

Candy is methodical and industrious in her work. She shows __________ from the five-factor model and, based on research ,we would predict that she will be successful __________.

A) agreeableness; in sales positions
B) extroversion; in managerial positions
C) openness; in improvising in sales positions
D) neuroticism; in leadership positions
E) conscientiousness; across job classifications

Question 28

Jackson has suggested that the conscientiousness factor in the five-factor model should be divided in to two separate factors termed

A) psychoticism and stability.
B) methodicalness and pedantry.
C) concern and persistence.
D) perfectionism and obsession.
E) methodicalness and industriousness.

Question 29

The correlation between the personality traits of identical twins is higher than fraternal twins for which of the following?

A) conscientiousness
B) extroversion
C) neuroticism
D) agreeableness
E) all of the above

Question 30

__________ is the trait in the 'dark triad' that is characterized by feelings of superiority and grandiosity.

A) Psychopathy
B) Instability
C) Machiavellianism
D) Manipulation
E) Narcissism

Question 31

Which of the following is part of the Dark Triad?

A) neuroticism
B) psychoticism
C) disagreeableness
D) narcissism
E) manipulativeness

Question 32

Research on personality traits across cultures finds that

A) Asians were more extroverted than Americans and Europeans.
B) cultures that are geographically closer share similar personality traits.
C) the greatest difference in personality traits was between the Americans and Europeans.
D) belief in personality traits as the origin of behaviour were stronger in Mexico than the U.S.A.
E) the greatest difference in personality traits was between the Mexicans and the Americans.

Question 33

Research examining cultural differences in personality traits found that

A) Asians were more extroverted than Americans and Europeans.
B) geographical position was unrelated to trait similarity across cultures.
C) the greatest difference in personality traits was between the Americans and Europeans.
D) belief in personality traits as the origin of behaviour were stronger in the U.S.A. than in Mexico.
E) the greatest difference in personality traits was between the Mexicans and the Americans.

Question 34

According to Zuckerman, which of Eysenck's three factors has the greatest degree of heritability?

A) neuroticism
B) extroversion
C) agreeableness
D) psychoticism
E) conscientiousness

Question 35

On a variety of personality measures, __________ have been found to be the most similar to each other.

A) fraternal twins
B) non-twin brothers
C) non-twin sisters
D) identical twins
E) non-twin siblings

Question 36

Research indicates that heredity has an impact on the family environment when it shows that, compared to fraternal twins, the family environments of identical twins __________.

A) are perceived as more similar by them
B) are actually more similar
C) are no different in perception or actuality
D) have less impact on them
E) have greater impact on them

Question 37

Kaminsky and colleagues (2008) used knowledge of the human genome to discover differences in __________ between two identical twins, one risky and one cautious.

A) psychoticism
B) psychopathy
C) DNA methylation
D) epigenetic stability
E) amygdala activation

Question 38

Which of the following aspects of personality do NOT appear to be influenced by heredity?

A) belief in God
B) attitudes toward racial integration
C) masculinity/femininity
D) intellectual interests
E) all of the above

Question 39

According to Zuckerman, people who score high on the personality dimension of __________ are particularly sensitive to punishment.

A) neuroticism
B) agreeableness
C) conscientiousness
D) extroversion
E) psychoticism

Question 40

According to Zuckerman, people who score high on the personality dimension of __________ appear to have an abnormally high optimum level of arousal.

A) neuroticism
B) psychoticism
C) conscientiousness
D) extroversion
E) agreeableness

Question 41

Based on Zuckerman's account, extroverts are sensitive to __________ as neurotics are sensitive to __________.

A) arousal; punishment
B) punishment; reinforcement
C) reinforcement; punishment
D) reinforcement; arousal
E) arousal; reinforcement

Question 42

In Zuckerman's view of the biological basis of personality, low sensitivity is to __________ as high sensitivity is to __________.

A) extroversion; neuroticism
B) neuroticism; extroversion
C) neuroticism; psychoticism
D) psychoticism; neuroticism
E) psychoticism; extroversion

Question 43

Based on Zuckerman's account, people who enjoy activities involving a high degree of risk (such as skydiving and snowboarding) are likely to score high on the personality dimension of

A) neuroticism.
B) psychoticism.
C) conscientiousness.
D) extroversion.
E) agreeableness.

Question 44

Those who were classified as shy when children, showed greater activity in the __________ as adults when shown photographs of unfamiliar faces rather than familiar.

A) hypothalamus
B) prefrontal cortex
C) hippocampus
D) amygdala
E) thalamus

Question 45

Byron is a shy 2-year-old toddler. According to research on shyness, Byron will

A) eventually outgrow his shyness.
B) become less shy depending on his social experiences during adolescence.
C) have about a 50 percent chance of remaining shy as an adult.
D) develop into a shy child.
E) become increasingly shy over the years.

Question 46

The idea that both the consequences of behaviour and an individual's beliefs about them determine personality is at the heart of the __________ approach to personality.

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

Question 47

Social cognitive theory is based partially on the work of

A) Skinner.
B) Allport.
C) Cattell.
D) Zuckerman.
E) Eysenck.

Question 48

A person's belief that a specific consequence will follow the performance of a specific action is referred to as

A) self-efficacy.
B) locus of control.
C) self-reinforcement.
D) an expectancy.
E) a precept.

Question 49

One's perception of the contingencies of reinforcement in a given situation is called a(n)

A) cognition.
B) thought.
C) expectancy.
D) precept.
E) locus of control.

Question 50

An important figure in the history of the social learning approach who blended his ideas on cognition with Skinner's ideas on behaviour is

A) Bandura.
B) Adler.
C) Zuckerman.
D) Maslow.
E) Beck.

Question 51

Katie and Karie are 3-year-old twins. Katie, who has never opened a door before, watches with interest as Karie reaches for the doorknob on the bathroom door, twists it to the left and the right, and then pushes the door open. Later that day, Katie confronts a closed door (her brother's bedroom door). She reaches up, grabs the knob, twists, and then pushes the door open. Katie's learning of how to open a door may be described as being

A) social.
B) based on vicarious reinforcement.
C) based on observation.
D) based on a model's behaviour.
E) all of the above

Question 52

A kind of learning in which an expectancy regarding the relationship between behaviour and its consequences is formed while watching a model's behaviour is called

A) operant conditioning.
B) observational learning.
C) reciprocal determinism.
D) instrumental conditioning.
E) the three-term contingency.

Question 53

According to Bandura, vicarious reinforcement is possible through

A) reciprocal determinism.
B) the formation of expectancies.
C) self-efficacy.
D) delayed gratification.
E) self-actualization.

Question 54

When Ben watches his older brother receive praise from their parents for tidying his room, Ben begins to think that tidying his own room might be a good idea. In Bandura's theory, Ben has experienced

A) vicarious reinforcement.
B) cognitive reinforcement.
C) self-efficacy expectancies.
D) reciprocal reinforcement.
E) delayed gratification.

Question 55

The idea that behaviour, environment, and person variables interact to determine personality is called

A) self-efficacy.
B) the three-term contingency.
C) reciprocal determinism.
D) locus of control.
E) observational learning.

Question 56

According to Bandura, personality is determined by

A) the interaction of person variables and situational variables.
B) traits that people inherit from their parents.
C) expectations of the prevailing contingencies of reinforcement.
D) the interaction of behavioural, environmental, and person variables.
E) the ability to learn vicariously.

Question 57

Marcus is considering trying out for the third base position on his college's baseball team. After watching the team's regular third baseman at practice, he changes his mind. In the language of social learning theory, Marcus's decision was based on his

A) ability to learn vicariously.
B) ability to modify his behaviour and thinking through observational learning.
C) locus of control.
D) self-efficacy.
E) none of the above

Question 58

Lucinda has a positive view of life and is optimistic about what the future holds for her as a teacher. Lucinda most likely has a(n) __________ where teaching is concerned.

A) low degree of self-efficacy
B) external locus of control
C) high degree of self-efficacy
D) expectancy of reciprocal determinism
E) unstable locus of control

Question 59

Although Bandura and Mischel's views on personality are similar, Mischel probably places more emphasis on different kinds of __________ than Bandura does.

A) environmental variables
B) reciprocal determinism
C) self-efficacy
D) person variables
E) physiological variables

Question 60

Mischel's term for individual differences in cognition is

A) locus of control.
B) person variables.
C) reciprocal determinism.
D) subjective values.
E) centred locus.

Question 61

The formulation, monitoring, and modifying of one's goals reflects which of Mischel's person variables?

A) subjective values
B) expectancies
C) competencies
D) self-regulatory systems and plans
E) encoding strategies and personal constructs

Question 62

Although Kenton realizes he could become more financially successful if he behaved unethically in his business, his strong sense of morality prevents him taking that course of action. Which of Mischel's person variables is most influential in his decision?

A) encoding strategies and personal constructs
B) expectancies
C) competencies
D) self-regulatory systems and plans
E) subjective values

Question 63

Which of the following is NOT one of the five variables that figure importantly in Mischel's view of personality?

A) competencies
B) expectancies
C) locus of control
D) subjective values
E) self-regulatory systems and plans

Question 64

According to the situationist perspective, the best predictor of behaviour is

A) a person's personality traits.
B) the situation in which a person finds himself or herself.
C) a person's score on the MMPI.
D) reciprocal determinism of person and situation.
E) an individual's personal expectancies.

Question 65

If you were a situationist, you would be most likely to explain the talkativeness of your teacher as due to

A) her personality traits.
B) the fact that she is teaching in a classroom.
C) her score on the MMPI.
D) her subjective values.
E) none of the above

Question 66

The CAPS (cognitive-affective processing system) approach to personality, by Mischel and Shoda, is an attempt to reconcile

A) locus of control theory and observational learning.
B) trait and social cognitive approaches.
C) psychobiological and trait approaches.
D) psychodynamic and humanistic approaches.
E) behavioural and psychodynamic approaches.

Question 67

Whether a person believes that the consequences of his or her actions are determined by person variables or by environmental variables is the heart of __________ view of personality.

A) Mischel's
B) Bandura's
C) Jorgenson's
D) Rotter's
E) Epstein's

Question 68

Jamaal has made three attempts to pass the road test for his driver's license. He now is beginning to think that no matter what he does or how much he practices he will never get his license. Jamaal's view of his present situation would seem to fit Rotter's idea of

A) self-efficacy.
B) reciprocal determinism.
C) internal locus of control.
D) external locus of control.
E) competency.

Question 69

According to Rotter, if you are a student who believes that your grades in a particular class depend wholly on the teacher and the difficulty of his or her tests, you most likely have a(n) __________ of control.

A) internal locus
B) external locus
C) centred locus
D) other-centred locus
E) interpersonal locus

Question 70

The fact that people tend to choose situations in which they find themselves most comfortable suggests that

A) situational factors exert little influence over behaviour.
B) personality traits interact with situational variables.
C) personality variables tend to be strong across most situations.
D) personal variables are likely to exert little influence over behaviour.
E) none of the above

Question 71

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Situational variables are stronger than personality traits in predicting behaviour.
B) Personality traits are stronger than situational variables in predicting behaviour.
C) Powerful situations have no impact on behaviour; rather, they impact cognition more.
D) Personality traits and situational variables interact to determine behaviour.
E) none of the above

Question 72

The people who have been found to have the highest levels of internal locus of control, based on scores from the I-E scale, were

A) Peace Corps volunteers.
B) environmentalists.
C) CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.
D) professional athletes.
E) university professors.

Question 73

According to research findings based on Rotter's notion of internal-external locus of control, people with internal orientations have been shown to

A) attribute failure to environmental causes.
B) exercise irregularly, even when a physician recommends that they exercise more often.
C) attribute failure to bad luck.
D) work hard to obtain a goal if they believe they can control the outcome of their actions.
E) all of the above

Question 74

The recent perspective that suggests that psychology has a negative bias and should focus on beneficial aspects of personality and well-being is

A) humanistic psychology.
B) object-relations theory.
C) social-cognitive theory.
D) positive psychology.
E) the five-factor model.

Question 75

Before Freud's work became well known, many people believed that behaviour was determined by

A) unconscious forces.
B) spirits and demons.
C) conscious rational forces.
D) the interaction of biological and environmental variables.
E) psychic energy.

Question 76

Freud's initial professional training was in the area of

A) psychoanalysis.
B) anatomy.
C) physiology.
D) neurology.
E) kinesiology.

Question 77

Freud's early laboratory work involved mostly

A) experimentation.
B) interviews with patients suffering from hysteria.
C) inferential thinking and data analysis.
D) anatomical observation.
E) hypnosis research.

Question 78

The effectiveness of hypnosis as a treatment for hysteria was originally investigated by

A) Charcot.
B) Freud.
C) Breuer.
D) Jung.
E) Monier.

Question 79

According to Freud, psychological problems result from

A) catharsis.
B) blockage of psychic energy.
C) repression.
D) organic disequilibrium.
E) regression.

Question 80

The case of Anna O.

A) was an important factor in the development of Freud's theory.
B) involved the use of hypnosis to treat symptoms of hysteria.
C) was later discovered to be largely fiction.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above