Deck 2: Personality Assessment, Measurement, and Research Design

Question 1

Which of the following is an example of an unstructured questionnaire?

A)Rorschach test
B)Open-ended
C)Forced choice
D)True/False

Answer 1

Open-ended

Question 2

One strength of experience-sampling data is that

A)it is a completely objective form of self-report data.
B)one is able to detect rhythms over time in behaviour or feelings.
C)it is free of biases associated with other self-report data.
D)it is easier to collect than other self-report data.

Answer 2

one is able to detect rhythms over time in behaviour or feelings.

Question 3

Which type of data is most commonly used to measure personality?

A)T-data
B)O-data
C)S-data
D)L-data

Answer 3

S-data

Question 4

Research has shown that compared to people from Western cultures, people from Eastern cultures tend to have more references to in their self-concept.

A)themselves
B)their culture
C)other people
D)their environment

Question 5

Dr. Larsen conducts a study in which participants are given pagers. Every time the participants are paged they complete a short questionnaire. Participants are paged three times for eight days. This type of research is called

A)life sampling.
B)experience sampling.
C)observer query.
D)experiential research.

Question 6

A person's police record would be considered

A)T-data.
B)O-data.
C)L-data.
D)S-data.

Question 7

How a person performs on an intelligence test would be considered

A)O-data.
B)S-data.
C)T-data.
D)L-data.

Question 8

I conduct a study of safe drivers for a major insurance company and collect data from a sample of 1,000 drivers and examine their driving records over a 10-year period. This study is using

A)test data.
B)observer-report data.
C)self-report data.
D)life-outcome data.

Question 9

The Twenty Statements Test (i.e., the "Who am I?" test)is an example of a(n)

A)bias-free test.
B)structured questionnaire.
C)projective test.
D)unstructured questionnaire.

Question 10

Which of the following has been noted as a potential problem with the Twenty Statements Test, i.e., the "Who am I?" test?

A)It can show biases due to the participants' cultural differences.
B)It can show differences between people in adjusted and unadjusted marriages.
C)It can be biased by intelligence differences in participants.
D)It can show biases due to the gender of the participants.

Question 11

In the Twenty Statements Test (i.e., the "Who am I?" test), which of the following is important to the scoring?

A)The order and content of the statements
B)The order and syntax of the statements
C)The context and structure of the statements
D)The complexity and syntax of the statements

Question 12

Among Chinese-born Canadian university students, completing the Twenty Statement Test in Chinese resulted in

A)fewer references to Canadian culture.
B)more incomplete responses due to lack of sufficient completion time.
C)more references that were in line with a collectivistic cultural orientation.
D)reduced reliability of responses over time.

Question 13

What a person's friend tells you about that person would be considered

A)T-data.
B)S-data.
C)O-data.
D)L-data.

Question 14

You are asked to describe Dr. Larsen's personality on a questionnaire. This is an example of

A)observer data.
B)omniscient data.
C)subordinate data.
D)student data.

Question 15

Of the different ways to collect self-report data, which is most common?

A)Questionnaires
B)Interviews
C)Periodic reports
D)Experience sampling

Question 16

What a person tells you about his or her attitudes would be considered

A)S-data.
B)L-data.
C)T-data.
D)O-data.

Question 17

Personality scales are usually made up of

A)the sum of a few individual ratings.
B)open-ended questions.
C)one rating on a Likert scale.
D)projective ratings of personality.

Question 18

In order to collect experience sampling data, a researcher might

A)manipulate participants' experiences in the lab.
B)conduct a telephone survey.
C)record participants' physiological reactions in the lab.
D)ask participants to fill out the same questionnaire many times.

Question 19

Which of the following is the best reason for collecting self-report data?

A)There is an almost total lack of bias in self-report data.
B)Observer bias is very difficult to remove from the data.
C)The desire to portray oneself in a positive light is very prevalent.
D)Individuals have access to a wealth of information about themselves.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a weakness of self-report data?

A)People may not know how to answer questions accurately.
B)People may intentionally distort reports on unusual experiences.
C)Self-report data is especially difficult to collect.
D)People may intentionally lie about themselves.

Question 21

Naturalistic observation occurs

A)when we observe people in a natural setting like a forest, beach, or desert.
B)only when humans, not machines, provide the personality ratings.
C)when we observe people in the normal course of their daily lives.
D)only when a person does not know that he or she is being observed.

Question 22

The Megargee study of sex roles and dominance found that

A)women did not want to be followers as they generally lacked mechanical ability.
B)there are no significant differences in dominance between men and women.
C)dominant men became submissive under certain experimental conditions.
D)dominant women behave differently than equally dominant men.

Question 23

Projective techniques are examples of

A)L-data.
B)T-data.
C)S-data.
D)O-data.

Question 24

The "bridge-building test" is an example of

A)S-data.
B)L-data.
C)T-data.
D)O-data.

Question 25

Research from the University of Toronto has suggested that observer ratings of personality are better predictors of performance behaviours at work compared to

A)online surveys.
B)survey data.
C)self-ratings.
D)interview data.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a potential problem in collecting T-data?

A)The testing situation might not be viewed the same by participants and researchers.
B)A researcher can inadvertently influence behaviour in the testing situation.
C)Attempts to gather T-data often elicit behaviour from the participants.
D)Participants might guess what is being measured and alter their behaviour.

Question 27

The best way to measure the speed at which people process information would be to use

A)physiological data.
B)projective tests.
C)fMRI data specifically.
D)an actometer.

Question 28

The "actometer" has been used to measure

A)activity level.
B)length of the activity.
C)actor influence.
D)action counts.

Question 29

Which of the following statements about O-data is FALSE?

A)Intimate observers may have hidden agendas unknown to investigators.
B)Intimate observers are useless if they do not understand personality psychology.
C)Intimate observers can fail to see flaws in loved ones they report about.
D)Intimate observers may not have access to the information the researcher is seeking.

Question 30

The best reason to use a mechanical device, such as an actometer, is that

A)it is easier to use with children than using questionnaires.
B)it permits the researcher to be free to measure other things in the study.
C)mechanical devices can assess a wide range of overt and covert behaviours.
D)it is free from biases associated with human raters.

Question 31

Test data differs from observer-report data in that

A)people who collect test data are more objective than observers.
B)test data usually requires less inference about the behaviour of the participants.
C)test data is always more expensive to collect than other types of data.
D)test data always is more reliable than observer data.

Question 32

When most people (but not psychopaths)look at fear-inducing photographs

A)their startle response is slower than usual.
B)their startle response is no different than usual.
C)their startle response is faster than usual.
D)they cannot be startled.

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of observer-report data?

A)Observers can best capture the subjective experience of the person being measured.
B)Many observers' data can be combined.
C)It provides another point of view to self-report data.
D)Observers have unique access to information about a person.

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT a limitation of physiological data?

A)It usually requires an artificial setting.
B)It is easy to fake desirable responses.
C)Participants may not construe the testing situation as the researchers do.
D)It shares most of the other limitations of other types of test data.

Question 35

Usually, combining the data from many observers is

A)less reliable and valid than the data from a single clinical psychologist.
B)more valid and reliable than the data from a single observer.
C)more confusing and less precise than using data from a single observer.
D)more reliable and valid than using single measures of personality.

Question 36

The use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

A)measures oxygen flow in the brain due to blood concentrations.
B)is extremely useful for eliciting eyeblink responses when individuals are startled.
C)is used to discover individuals with "magnetic" personalities.
D)can be used to assess an individual's activity level.

Question 37

Megargee found that dominant women tend to leadership roles when placed in mixed gender dyads with _.

A)assume; dominant males
B)delegate; submissive males
C)delegate; submissive females
D)assume; submissive males

Question 38

A study discussed in the text showed that activity level measured by a mechanical device at age 3 correlated with all of the following EXCEPT

A)activity level measured by the same device at age 4.
B)activity level in adulthood.
C)teacher's ratings of traits other than activity level.
D)teacher's ratings of activity level.

Question 39

Which of the following is a good reason to use many intimate observers to collect O-data?

A)You are interested in studying multiple social personalities.
B)Professional observers are especially biased.
C)It is important to know if a person has lots of friends.
D)You are interested in studying personality in a public context.

Question 40

The Megargee study highlights all of these features of T-data EXCEPT

A)it is possible to set up conditions that make indicators of personality observable.
B)there are often interesting links between self-report data and test data.
C)laboratory test data is sensitive to personality characteristics.
D)the interpersonal style of the experimenter changed the results of the study.

Question 41

I measure dominance in male business executives in a variety of ways. The executives complete a dominance questionnaire and their employees complete observer reports of their boss' dominance. I examine the executives' employment histories and measure their serum testosterone. Collecting all this data about one specific personality characteristic is called

A)cross-validation.
B)triangulation.
C)data manipulation.
D)cross-fertilization.

Question 42

"Triangulation" refers to

A)assessing personality traits in geometric space.
B)a method for plotting personality profiles.
C)assessing personality with various types of data.
D)a statistical technique that compares three traits.

Question 43

I conduct a study of drivers convicted of speeding for a major insurance company and collect a sample of data from 500 drivers and examine their driving records over a 1- year period. This study is using

A)test data.
B)self-report data.
C)life-report data.
D)observer-report data.

Question 44

Projective techniques are unlike other types of T-data because

A)everyone receives the same instructions.
B)they reveal responses that indicate personality.
C)responses are usually interpreted.
D)they use a standard testing situation.

Question 45

The best reason to use multiple sources of data in personality research is to

A)increase the validity of each of the data sources under investigation.
B)average out any idiosyncrasies of any particular single source of data.
C)establish cross-data source consistency across all of the sources of data.
D)increase the resultant split half reliability coefficients.

Question 46

A study discussed in the text showed that children who had more temper tantrums also had

A)more negative life outcomes.
B)more temper tantrums as adults.
C)more positive life outcomes.
D)life outcomes similar to children with fewer temper tantrums.

Question 47

S-data will agree more with O-data when

A)the trait being assessed is unconscious.
B)T-data is not available.
C)the trait being assessed is not easily observable.
D)the trait being assessed requires few inferences.

Question 48

Proponents of projective tests believe that these tests

A)are useful in eliciting unconscious anger and inciting arguments in married couples during laboratory sessions.
B)are best used in areas of personality psychology that relate to psychopathology and mental illness.
C)are useful for assessing wishes, desires, fantasies, etc. a person may not be aware of and cannot disclose in other ways.
D)are useful for determining the reactions individuals have when they are placed in ambiguous situations.

Question 49

When scoring an inkblot test, a psychologist considers all of these EXCEPT

A)what the person saw in the inkblots.
B)the length of time taken by the person.
C)where the person saw things in the inkblots.
D)how the person acted while taking the inkblot test.

Question 50

David is asked to tell the researcher what he sees in a series of inkblots. He is completing a(n)

A)ambiguous test.
B)visual span test.
C)psychoanalytic test.
D)projective test.

Question 51

Proponents of projective tests argue that they are the best measure of

A)social expectations.
B)physiology.
C)unconscious material.
D)subjective experience.

Question 52

A study discussed in the text showed that childhood temper tantrums predicted divorce. This is an example of ________ predicting _.

A)S-data; T-data
B)O-data; L-data
C)L-data; T-data
D)T-data; S-data

Question 53

Benjamin is trying to buy a new car. He finds that he can only get a loan at a very unfavourable interest rate due to the financial trouble he created for himself with a credit card he got while in university. Benjamin's poor credit rating is an example of ________
At work.

A)observer-report data
B)life-report data
C)investment-report data
D)commercial-report data

Question 54

New measures of personality are often designed in ways that minimize participants' efforts to

A)fake their responses.
B)Both "fake their responses" and "appear in socially desirable ways."
C)appear in socially desirable ways.
D)None of the choices are correct.

Question 55

Projective tests are considered test data for all of these reasons EXCEPT

A)personality characteristics are believed to be elicited by the stimuli.
B)all persons are placed in a standardized testing situation.
C)the stimuli are ambiguous to all of the participants in the study.
D)all participants are given the same instructions during the testing session.

Question 56

The use of differentiates projective tests from other kinds of test data.

A)video projectors
B)standardized scoring
C)psychoanalytic assumptions
D)ambiguous stimuli

Question 57

Impression management is most highly correlated with which 2 'Big Five' traits?

A)Conscientiousness, Extraversion
B)Agreeableness, Conscientiousness
C)Agreeableness, Extraversion
D)Agreeableness, Openness to Experience

Question 58

Canadian research suggests that positive illusions about oneself are maladaptive in which kind of circumstances?

A)Emotional
B)Interpersonal
C)Financial
D)Health

Question 59

The Self-Deceptive Enhancement subscale of the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR)measures

A)respondents' tendency to be dishonest with themselves in their daily lives.
B)respondents' tendency to exaggerate or inflate their social and intellectual status.
C)respondents' self-presentation motives.
D)more conscious motivations to respond in a socially desirable way.

Question 60

L-data are any data that are concerned with

A)the likeability of an individual.
B)the lability of the nervous system.
C)the life of a person.
D)the lies an individual tells.

Question 61

If a test of suggestibility measures suggestibility the test has

A)face validity.
B)construct validity.
C)test validity.
D)predictive validity.

Question 62

The type of validity that subsumes all other types of validity is

A)construct validity.
B)predictive validity.
C)discriminant validity.
D)face validity.

Question 63

"Reliability" refers to the ability

A)to measure what the personality test purports to measure.
B)to assign a personality test score to a person.
C)of a personality test to measure other personality traits.
D)of the personality test to produce the same test score for an individual at other testings.

Question 64

If a measure is equally valid in persons of different ages, genders, and cultures, it can be described as having high

A)statistical significance.
B)generalizability.
C)construct validity.
D)face validity.

Question 65

When three measures of extraversion correlate highly with each other they can be described as having

A)discriminant validity.
B)triangulated validity.
C)inter-test validity.
D)convergent validity.

Question 66

If a measure predicts behaviours in many contexts, it has high

A)generalizability.
B)discriminant validity.
C)reliability.
D)coherence.

Question 67

All personality variables are

A)unconscious.
B)highly heritable.
C)theoretical constructs.
D)easily assessed with questionnaires.

Question 68

When alternative measures of the same construct correlate highly with a test, the test can be described as having high

A)convergent validity.
B)face validity.
C)predictive validity.
D)discriminant validity.

Question 69

Shoe size is positively correlated with height and hand size, but not correlated with intelligence. Shoe size has ________ validity with height and hand size and ________
Validity with intelligence.

A)discriminant; convergent
B)convergent; discriminant
C)predictive; face
D)face; predictive

Question 70

is NOT a form of reliability.

A)Construct reliability
B)Test-retest reliability
C)Split-half reliability
D)Inter-rater reliability

Question 71

Establishing that a test does not correlate with measures of unrelated constructs indicates high

A)dysfunctional validity.
B)face validity.
C)convergent validity.
D)discriminant validity.

Question 72

I develop a Bleemness scale. It consists of one item, "How Bleem are you?" The most likely form of validity represented by this scale is

A)criterion.
B)construct.
C)internal.
D)face.

Question 73

Observer ratings of narcissism correlate with the number of times individuals refer to themselves during subsequent interviews. This relationship demonstrates

A)split-half reliability.
B)predictive validity.
C)discriminant validity.
D)inter-rater reliability.

Question 74

Which of the following terms describes the extent to which a test actually measures what it claims to measure?

A)Internal consistency
B)Correlation coefficient
C)Reliability
D)Validity

Question 75

If a questionnaire test of sociability correlates with the number of conversations people have, the sociability test has high

A)face validity.
B)discriminant validity.
C)predictive validity.
D)generalizability.

Question 76

If a personality measure is given to a person four times, and each time the person receives the same score, we know the measure is

A)statistically significant.
B)repetitive.
C)reliable.
D)valid.

Question 77

"Validity" refers to the ability

A)of the personality test to produce the same test score for an individual at other testings.
B)to measure what the personality test purports to measure.
C)to assign a personality test score to a person.
D)of a personality test to measure other personality traits.

Question 78

A test needs to be ________ to be a(n)________ test, but every test is NOT NECESSARILY a(n)test.

A)valid; reliable; valid; reliable
B)easy; good; easy; good
C)good; easy; good; easy
D)reliable; valid; reliable; valid

Question 79

If a person receives similar scores when taking a personality test many times, that test has high

A)alternative-form reliability.
B)internal consistency.
C)generalization.
D)test-retest reliability.

Question 80

Which of the following is NOT important in evaluating a personality measure?

A)Manipulation
B)Reliability
C)Validity
D)Generalizability