Question 1

Which technique would psychologists use to assess whether a cluster of characteristics that includes ambition, determination, persistence, and self-reliance reflects a single personality trait?

Accepted Answer

Factor analysis is a statistical technique used to identify clusters of related items (e.g., personality traits) and determine whether they reflect a single factor or multiple factors. In this case, psychologists would use factor analysis to assess whether ambition, determination, persistence, and self-reliance all load onto the same factor (indicating they reflect a single personality trait) or load onto different factors (indicating they reflect multiple personality traits). Projective testing, empirically derived testing, and free association are not relevant to this type of assessment.

Question 2

Which two dimensions of personality have the Eysencks emphasized?

Accepted Answer

The Eysencks have emphasized the dimensions of extraversion-introversion and emotional stability-instability in their personality theory. These two dimensions form the basis of their personality questionnaire, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ).

Question 3

We can better predict drivers' behavior at traffic lights from knowing the color of the lights than from knowing the drivers' personalities. This best illustrates the importance of

Accepted Answer

This question is asking about the importance of situational influences in predicting driver behavior at traffic lights. Knowing the color of the lights is a situational factor that has a direct and predictable impact on driver behavior. Personality, on the other hand, may have some influence on driver behavior, but it is not as reliable or predictable as situational factors like traffic lights. Therefore, the best choice is D - situational influences.

Question 4

Around the world, people describe others' personality traits in terms that are consistent with a set of factors called

Accepted Answer

The Big Five is a widely accepted set of factors used to describe personality traits. It includes openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. This set of factors is consistent across cultures and is considered a more reliable and accurate measure of personality traits compared to other models like defense mechanisms or psychosexual stages.

Question 5

One of the Big Five personality factors is

Accepted Answer

The Big Five personality factors are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (or Emotional Stability). Therefore, the correct choice is C) Agreeableness. None of the other choices are part of the Big Five personality factors.

Question 6

In studying personality, a trait theorist would most likely

Accepted Answer

Trait theory focuses on identifying and measuring specific personality traits, and personality inventories are specifically designed to assess and measure these traits. Projective tests and free association techniques are not as focused on specific traits and may not provide reliable or valid measures of personality. Observing a person in a variety of situations may provide valuable information about their behavior and personality, but it may not necessarily provide clear measures of specific traits.

Question 7

Although she is intelligent and a good athlete, Abigail believes that her low grades in school and losing the quarter-mile race are reflections of her own intellectual and athletic incompetence. Her conclusion best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Abigail's belief that her failures are a result of her own incompetence is an example of a pessimistic attributional style. This means that she tends to internalize negative events as being caused by stable and uncontrollable factors (in this case, her intelligence and athletic ability), which can lead to feelings of helplessness and low self-esteem.

Question 8

Sarah's optimism is both a contributor to and a product of her successful career accomplishments. This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Reciprocal determinism is the concept that our behavior, internal factors such as thoughts and feelings, and environmental factors all mutually influence each other. In Sarah's case, her optimism likely contributes to her successful career accomplishments, such as her ability to persist through challenges and see opportunities where others might see obstacles. At the same time, her career accomplishments likely reinforce her optimistic attitudes, creating a strong feedback loop between her behavior, internal factors, and environment.

Question 9

Regarding high self-esteem, psychologists who study the self have found that self-affirming thinking

Accepted Answer

Psychologists have found that self-affirming thinking, or positive self-talk, can be adaptive to the individual because it can reduce negative emotions such as shyness, anxiety, and loneliness. However, it is important to note that overinflating self-esteem can be maladaptive and that individuals who have experienced unconditional positive regard tend to have high self-esteem without needing to engage in self-affirming thinking.

Question 10

Marcy believes that the outcome of athletic contests depends so much on luck that it hardly pays to put any effort into her own athletic training. Her belief most clearly illustrates

Accepted Answer

Marcy's belief that athletic contests depend primarily on luck indicates an external locus of control, or the belief that outcomes are beyond one's personal control and determined by external factors such as luck or fate.

Question 11

Students perceive themselves as less likely than the average classmate to develop drinking problems or drop out of school. This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

This scenario is describing the unrealistic optimism bias, which is the tendency for individuals to overestimate their likelihood of experiencing positive events and underestimate their likelihood of experiencing negative events. This is evident in the students' perception that they are less likely than their peers to develop drinking problems or drop out of school. The other options do not fit this scenario as well. The Barnum effect refers to the tendency to accept vague and general personality descriptions as accurate, the spotlight effect involves overestimating the extent to which others notice and evaluate our appearance and behavior, and the false consensus effect involves overestimating the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors.

Question 12

During a phone call to the Psychic Network, Mark was told that "you often worry about things much more than you admit, even to your best friends." Mark's amazement at the psychic's apparent understanding of his personality best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The psychic's statement to Mark is an example of the Barnum effect, which occurs when general and vague statements are interpreted by individuals as accurate and specific to them. The statement is general enough that it could apply to many people, but Mark is likely to interpret it as uniquely reflective of his own personality.

Question 13

The stability of personality during adulthood best illustrates the value of

Accepted Answer

The stability of personality during adulthood can most accurately be explained by trait theories, which suggest that personality traits are relatively stable over time and across situations. Trait theories propose that individuals possess enduring characteristics that help explain consistency in behavior and are also useful in predicting future behavior.

Question 14

Research on locus of control indicates that internals are ________ than externals.

Accepted Answer

Research on locus of control indicates that internals tend to feel more in control of their lives and have a greater sense of self-efficacy, which allows them to better cope with stress compared to externals. There is no evidence to suggest that internals are more dependent, intelligent or sociable than externals.

Question 15

The social-cognitive perspective highlights the interaction of personal traits with our environment, a process that Albert Bandura called

Accepted Answer

The social-cognitive perspective emphasizes the concept of reciprocal determinism, which refers to the interaction of personal characteristics, behavior, and environment. It was introduced by Albert Bandura and suggests that these three factors influence each other and are interdependent. Therefore, the best choice is C - reciprocal determinism. Options A, B, and D are not consistent with Bandura's view of social-cognitive theory.

Question 16

After experiencing prolonged and seemingly inescapable physical abuse from her husband, Kayla became increasingly depressed and hopelessly resigned to her suffering. Her reaction best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Kayla's response is indicative of learned helplessness, which arises from repeated experiences of uncontrollable and unavoidable events. In this case, the physical abuse she experienced from her husband over a prolonged period could have led her to believe that she has no control over her situation, and as such, she becomes increasingly passive and hopeless.

Question 17

With regard to personality, it appears that

Accepted Answer

Personality traits tend to be stable over the lifespan, but behavior can vary significantly depending on the situation.

Question 18

A major criticism of trait theory is that it

Accepted Answer

Trait theory assumes that people’s behaviors are consistent over time and across situations. However, research has shown that behavior can vary greatly depending on the situation. Therefore, the trait theory overestimates the consistency of behavior in different situations.

Question 19

When Vanessa noticed that she was wearing mismatched socks, she overestimated the extent to which others would also notice. Her reaction best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The situation described in the question is an example of the spotlight effect. This is the tendency for people to overestimate the extent to which others are noticing and paying attention to their behaviors, actions, or appearance. In this case, Vanessa overestimated the extent to which others would notice her mismatched socks, which is a common manifestation of the spotlight effect.

Question 20

Card players who attribute their wins to their own skill and their losses to bad luck best illustrate

Accepted Answer

The statement describes the self-serving bias, which is the tendency to attribute successes to internal factors, such as skill or ability, and failures to external factors, such as bad luck or other people's actions.

Quiz 42: Trait Theories, Social-Cognitive Theories, and the Self