Deck 5: Personality

Question 1

Which of the following is a core aspect of personality?

A) Stability
B) Volatility
C) Distinctness
D) Both A and B
E) Both A and C

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Which theoretical perspective views personality as the product of a dynamic interaction between conscious and unconscious mental structures?

A) The psychodynamic perspective
B) The trait perspective
C) The humanistic perspective
D) The behaviourist perspective
E) The neuropsychological perspective

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is true, according to Freud?

A) The eros operates according to the pleasure principle and the thanatos operates according to the reality principle.
B) The superego operates according to the pleasure principle and the id operates according to the reality principle.
C) The id operates according to the pleasure principle and the ego operates according to the reality principle.
D) The ego operates according to the pleasure principle and the id operates according to the reality principle.
E) The id operates according to the pleasure principle and the superego operates according to the reality principle.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

According to Freud, the superego was particularly relevant to the onset of antisocial behaviour as an adult. That is, individuals with a weak superego were more likely to become criminals. What did the development of a strong superego depend upon?

A) Peer relations in adolescence
B) Socialization processes in the family
C) Early interactions with same-age peers
D) Genetic variations in phenotypic traits
E) Academic success in early elementary school

Question 5

The psychodynamic perspective believed that which of the following was the source of a maladaptive personality?

A) Emotional dissociation
B) Personality habituation
C) Ego deconstruction
D) Shadow development
E) Fixation

Question 6

Which criminal subtype described by the psychodynamic perspective suggests that the individual is acting out to initiate a legal sanction to punish him or herself for feelings of unconscious guilt?

A) Weak superego offender
B) Confused ego offender
C) Deviant superego offender
D) Neurotic offender
E) Strong id offender

Question 7

In the Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho, Norman Bates, experiencing tremendous guilt over killing his mother, begins dressing up as his mother and committing murders. Psychodynamic theorists might describe Bates as which of the following?

A) Weak superego offender
B) Neurotic offender
C) Weak ego offender
D) Strong id type offender
E) Normal antisocial offender

Question 8

A man who has been recently rejected by a female co-worker commits a brutal assault against an unknown woman who closely resembles his co-worker. This would be an example of which of Freud's defence mechanisms?

A) Projection
B) Rationalization
C) Repression
D) Reaction formation
E) Displacement

Question 9

Despite expressing strong anti-homosexual feelings and attitudes in public, John Wayne Gacy sexually assaulted and killed over 30 young boys. Freud might argue that Gacy was using which of the following defence mechanisms to conceal his homosexual tendencies?

A) Reaction formation
B) Isolation
C) Projection
D) Repression
E) Displacement

Question 10

Catharsis refers to which of the following?

A) A band of nerve fibres that provides communication between the brain hemispheres
B) A constellation or group of personality traits
C) Impoverished speech (i.e., little content in a person's speech)
D) A release of built-up emotional tension
E) Avoidance of stress and emotions

Question 11

Which theory of aggression believes that unexpressed innate aggressive tendencies build up over time until the pressure explodes into violent behaviour?

A) General aggression model
B) Hydraulic model of aggression
C) Moral disengagement theory
D) Cognitive dissonance theory
E) Excitation transfer theory

Question 12

According to attachment theory, antisocial behaviour may best be explained by which of the following?

A) Unresolved conflicts with parents that have been pushed into the unconscious
B) A poor early relationship with the primary caretaker
C) Early exposure to violent television and film
D) Strict and constant parental supervision during adolescence
E) Pervasive marijuana use

Question 13

Mary Ainsworth developed which research procedure to observe children's responses to separation from, and reunion with, their mothers or primary caretakers?

A) Strange situation
B) Learned helplessness paradigm
C) Avoidance learning task
D) Stanford prison paradigm
E) Asch conformity paradigm

Question 14

Early patterns of attachment with primary caretakers result in the development of which of the following, or expectations about the trustworthiness and helpfulness of other people?

A) Neural connections
B) Cognitive expectancies
C) Parental schemas
D) Caretaker attachments
E) Internal working models

Question 15

Which attachment style, characterized by emotional insecurity and fear of rejection in relationships, might be associated with criminal behaviour, such as stalking?

A) Fearful or disorganized
B) Dismissing
C) Secure
D) Pessimistic
E) Preoccupied

Question 16

Forensic psychologist Bruce Arrigo believes that Aileen Wuornos, a serial killer convicted of murdering six men along Florida's highways, exhibited which of the following attachment styles?

A) Secure
B) Dismissing
C) Preoccupied
D) Trusting
E) Fearful or disorganized

Question 17

Marvel comic book character Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) is often described as extraverted and impulsive. According to psychologist Gordon W. Allport, who believed that traits are hierarchically organized, Tony Stark's extraversion would be what kind of trait?

A) Cardinal trait
B) Implicit trait
C) Secondary trait
D) Tertiary trait
E) Central trait

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT one of the "big five" personality traits identified in the five-factor model of personality?

A) Hostility
B) Extroversion
C) Neuroticism
D) Openness
E) Agreeableness

Question 19

Hans Eysenck believed that personality was the result of an interaction between the environment and the functioning of which of the following?

A) Central nervous system
B) Parental disciplinary system
C) Evolutionary adaptive system
D) Endocrine system
E) Autonomic nervous system

Question 20

Which of the following is typical of a person who ranks high on psychoticism?

A) Suffering from hallucinations
B) Suffering from delusions
C) Thought-disordered
D) Egocentric
E) Disorganized

Question 21

According to Hans Eysenck's theory of personality and crime, which of the following personality types poses the greatest risk for criminal or violent behaviour?

A) Stable extravert
B) Neurotic introvert
C) Stable introvert
D) Neurotic narcissist
E) Neurotic extravert

Question 22

Which of the following might describe neurotic individuals?

A) Emotional
B) Impoverished speech (i.e., little content in a person's speech)
C) Sociable
D) Both A and B
E) All of the above

Question 23

The general theory of crime proposes that most criminal behaviour is the result of which of the following?

A) Low serotonin levels
B) Neurotic personality traits
C) Unconscious personality conflicts
D) Poor self-control
E) Fixation at early stages of psychosexual development

Question 24

Which of the following would describe low self-control individuals?

A) Low levels of emotional tolerance
B) Impulsive
C) Engage in stimulation-seeking behaviours
D) Both A and C
E) All of the above

Question 25

Several longitudinal studies have found a relationship between which of the following personality traits and delinquency and adult criminal behaviour?

A) Openness
B) Impulsivity
C) Irritability
D) Extraversion
E) Argumentativeness

Question 26

A personality disorder adversely impacts which of the following areas of functioning?

A) Cognition
B) Impulsiveness
C) Interpersonal functioning
D) Both A and C
E) All of the above

Question 27

If you took a random sample of 1000 inmates and had a psychologist conduct assessments of each inmate, which of the following personality disorders would be most commonly observed?

A) Antisocial personality disorder
B) Schizotypal personality disorder
C) Borderline personality disorder
D) Paranoid personality disorder
E) Narcissistic personality disorder

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT a symptom of antisocial personality disorder?

A) Irritability
B) Impulsivity
C) Deceitfulness
D) Excessive levels of jealousy in interpersonal relationships
E) Reckless disregard for the safety of others

Question 29

Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by all of the following traits EXCEPT which of the following?

A) Chronic lack of confidence
B) Frequent envy of others or belief that others are envious
C) Belief of being "special" and unique
D) Need for excessive admiration
E) Lack of empathy

Question 30

Highly narcissistic individuals may use aggression under which of the following circumstances?

A) In response to a child's persistent whining
B) Competitive situations
C) Unfavourable evaluations by another
D) Numerous looming deadlines
E) To obtain a promotion at work

Question 31

Identify and describe two core aspects of personality.

Question 32

Compare and contrast the psychodynamic and trait perspectives of personality.

Question 33

What are defence mechanisms? Identify and describe two examples of defence mechanisms.

Question 34

Identify and describe the four major types of offenders outlined in psychodynamic theory.

Question 35

What are internal working models? What are the two dimensions of internal working models?

Question 36

Identify the four major adult attachment style patterns.

Question 37

Identify and describe the three major traits outlined in Eysenck's theory of personality and crime. Which combination of traits is most typically associated with criminal behaviour?

Question 38

According to the general theory of crime, what are the three personality pathways through which low self-control is manifested?

Question 39

What is antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)? Identify three examples of traits associated with ASPD.

Question 40

According to psychologist Roy Baumeister, how can threatened egotism result in violent behaviour among narcissistic individuals?

Question 41

Discuss how a poor early relationship or attachment with parents or a primary caretaker can be related to later criminal behaviour in adulthood.

Question 42

Serial killer Edmund Kemper was convicted of killing several young women and his own mother. Several sources suggest that Kemper had a difficult childhood. For instance, Kemper's mother struggled with alcoholism and treated Edmund harshly, often humiliating and verbally abusing him. Kemper also claimed he was forced to sleep in the basement of the house.
Using psychodynamic theory, explain why Kemper may have grown up to become a serial killer. Be sure to include all relevant information in your answer.

Question 43

According to the trait perspective of personality, why might an individual categorized as a neurotic-extravert be at a higher risk for criminal behaviour. In your answer, be sure to discuss the trait perspective and Eysenck's theory of personality and crime.