Question 1

_______________ is a fundamental personality dimension that describes the extent to which people are imaginative and questioning, or conforming and predictable.

Accepted Answer

Openness to experience versus resistance to new experience is the personality dimension that describes the extent to which people are imaginative and questioning, or conforming and predictable. This dimension measures traits such as creativity, intellectual curiosity, and openness to new ideas and experiences. People high in openness are adventurous, flexible and open-minded, while those low in openness tend to be more traditional, routine-oriented and resistant to change.

Question 2

Professor Benvolio's personality course emphasizes the importance of Gordon Allport's contributions to the field of psychology. Professor Benvolio would be most likely to agree that:

Accepted Answer

Professor Benvolio emphasizes the importance of Gordon Allport's trait theory, which asserts that individuals have a small number of central traits that describe their typical behaviors, emotions, and thoughts. This aligns with option D, which states that most individuals have five to ten central traits that reflect a characteristic way of behaving, dealing with others, and reacting to new situations. Option A refers to cultural norms, which is not directly related to Allport's trait theory. Option B pertains to Freud's psychoanalytic theory and option C discusses existentialism, both of which are not closely related to Allport's contributions to psychology.

Question 3

Raymond Cattell advanced the study of personality by:

Accepted Answer

Raymond Cattell advanced the study of personality by using factor analysis, which allowed him to identify common traits and group them together as factors. This led to the creation of his 16 Personality Factors (16PF) theory, which has been widely used in personality research and assessment.

Question 4

_______________ is a fundamental personality dimension that describes whether people are steadfast and persevering, or fickle and careless.

Accepted Answer

Conscientiousness versus impulsiveness is the personality dimension that describes whether people are steadfast and persevering or fickle and careless. This dimension is characterized by traits such as dependability, organization, and responsibility. People high in conscientiousness are often diligent, goal-oriented, and reliable, while those low in conscientiousness may be impulsive, disorganized, and unreliable.

Question 5

Amir is constantly worrying about things, even though he really doesn't have anything to worry about. He constantly complains about his coursework and gives up on difficult projects easily. Amir is best described as highly:

Accepted Answer

Amir's behavior of constantly worrying and giving up easily on difficult projects suggests high neuroticism. Neuroticism is a personality trait characterized by emotional instability, anxiety, moodiness, and worry. This trait is often associated with negative outcomes such as poor coping skills, difficulty managing stress, and poor academic and work performance.

Question 6

Which trait among the Big Five typically decreases by age 30?

Accepted Answer

Neuroticism tends to decrease as people age, particularly around the age of 30, as individuals often become more emotionally stable.

Question 7

What does the empirical evidence show about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator's ability to predict a person's behaviour on the job or in relationships?

Accepted Answer

The majority of empirical evidence does not support the ability of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to predict a person's behavior on the job or in relationships. While some individuals may find the test useful for self-reflection and personal growth, it should not be relied upon as a tool for making important decisions in professional or personal settings.

Question 8

Howard's psychologist asks him to take a personality test. The test consists of a series of standardized multiple-choice items. The test also includes a section where Howard is asked to rate himself on a series of scales. It is most likely that this is a(n):

Accepted Answer

The use of standardized multiple-choice items in the personality test indicates that it is an objective test. The section where Howard rates himself on a series of scales also supports this, as objective tests often include self-report measures. Projective tests involve open-ended or ambiguous stimuli, such as the Rorschach test, which is not mentioned as a possible answer. The term "humanist test" is not a recognized term in psychology.

Question 9

Early philosophers suggested that human personality is based on:

Accepted Answer

Early philosophers, particularly those from the Humorism school of thought such as Hippocrates and later Galen, posited that human personality and health were based on the balance of four bodily fluids or humors: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. This theory, known as the four humors theory, suggested that an imbalance among these fluids affected both physical health and personality traits.

Question 10

In the object-relations view of development:

Accepted Answer

In the object-relations theory of development, it is posited that children of both sexes initially form their primary identification with the mother. This theory emphasizes the importance of the mother-child relationship in the early stages of psychological development.

Question 11

The "objects" in the object-relations school of thought refer to:

Accepted Answer

The object-relations school of thought focuses on how individuals form relationships and attachments with others, including both real and mental representations of those individuals. The term "objects" in this context refers to people as perceived and experienced by the individual. This can include internalized representations of significant others, such as a mother or father figure, as well as real-life interpersonal relationships. The other answer choices (B, C, and D) do not accurately reflect the focus of this theoretical perspective.

Question 12

When asked about a recently published study showing that little girls do not have penis envy, a psychodynamic theorist immediately says that the little girls are all in denial and do not want to admit to the feelings that they have. This response is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The psychodynamic theorist's response is an example of violating the principle of falsifiability because they are dismissing evidence that contradicts their theory by suggesting the little girls are in denial, making their theory non-testable and unfalsifiable.

Question 13

Which of the following is the scientific failing in which a researcher concludes from a few cases that something is true for all?

Accepted Answer

Generalizing from small sample sizes is the scientific failing in which a researcher concludes from a few cases that something is true for all. This is a common error in research, as it is important to use large and diverse sample sizes to ensure that results are representative and can be generalized to the larger population.

Question 14

According to Gordon Allport, the number of central traits that most individuals have is:

Accepted Answer

Gordon Allport believed that most individuals have five to ten central traits, which are the most predominant and influential traits that shape a person's behavior and personality. These traits are highly generalized and can be used to describe a person in various situations.

Question 15

Which of the following is one of the Big Five personality traits?

Accepted Answer

The Big Five personality traits are openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Out of the given options, only openness to experience is one of the Big Five traits. Boringness, cleanliness, and psychopathy are not considered as one of the Big Five traits.

Question 16

For Gordon Allport, our personalities reflect:

Accepted Answer

Gordon Allport believed that our personalities reflect between five to ten central traits and additional secondary traits. He emphasized the importance of individual differences and the unique organization of personal dispositions that make up our personalities, rather than trying to categorize people into specific personality types or traits.

Question 17

Some psychologists critique psychodynamic theories because they are largely based on the retrospective accounts of adults. One reason this is a problem is that:

Accepted Answer

Adult memories of childhood experiences may be flawed, which can lead to misconceptions about the causes of adult personality traits. This can result in inaccurate theories and treatments based on these theories.

Question 18

_______________ is a fundamental personality dimension that describes the extent to which people are anxious and impulsive.

Accepted Answer

Neuroticism versus emotional stability is the personality dimension that describes the extent to which people are anxious and impulsive. This dimension is one of the Big Five personality traits that are widely used to measure personality in psychological research. The other dimensions are agreeableness versus antagonism, extroversion versus introversion, openness to experience versus resistance to new experience, and conscientiousness versus lack of direction.

Question 19

_______________ is a fundamental personality dimension that describes the extent to which people are outgoing or shy.

Accepted Answer

Extroversion versus introversion is the personality dimension that describes the extent to which people are outgoing or shy. Agreeableness versus antagonism relates to how cooperative and empathetic or competitive and uncooperative one is. Neuroticism versus emotional stability measures how emotionally stable or unstable a person is. Openness to experience versus resistance to new experience measures one's interest in and openness to new experiences and ideas.

Question 20

_______________ is a fundamental personality dimension that describes whether people are cooperative and secure, or irritable and abrasive.

Accepted Answer

The fundamental personality dimension that describes whether people are cooperative and secure or irritable and abrasive is Agreeableness versus antagonism. It is one of the Big Five personality traits, which are commonly used to describe human personality. Agreeableness is characterized by traits such as kindness, warmth, and cooperation, whereas antagonism is characterized by traits such as aggression, hostility, and irritability.

Quiz 14: Theories of Personality