Question 1

Emotional instability is most closely related to the Big Five trait dimension of

Accepted Answer

Emotional instability is another term for neuroticism, which is one of the Big Five trait dimensions. People who score high in neuroticism tend to experience negative emotions (e.g. anxiety, sadness, anger) more frequently and intensely than those who score low in this trait.

Question 2

Personality inventories are designed to assess several ________ at once.

Accepted Answer

Personality inventories are designed to assess traits, which are enduring characteristics that describe an individual's behavior across different situations. Possible selves refer to the different versions of oneself that individuals envision for the future, defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies that individuals use to cope with anxiety, and attributional styles refer to the patterns by which individuals attribute causes to events or outcomes.

Question 3

Dr. Zytowics wants to assess the extent to which a client is suffering from depression, social withdrawal, and other symptoms of an emotional disorder. Which personality inventory would be most helpful for this purpose?

Accepted Answer

The MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) is a widely used personality inventory that includes scales for measuring depression, social withdrawal, and other emotional disorders. It is specifically designed to assess psychopathology and is often used in clinical settings to aid in diagnosis and treatment planning. The other options, such as the Rorschach, Free Association Index, and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, are less focused on assessing psychopathology and are not as useful for this purpose.

Question 4

A person who is careless and disorganized most clearly ranks low on the Big Five trait dimension of

Accepted Answer

Conscientiousness is one of the Big Five personality traits that reflect the tendency to be responsible, dependable, and self-disciplined. A person who is careless and disorganized most clearly exhibits a low level of conscientiousness. The other options (A, B, and C) do not directly relate to being careless and disorganized.

Question 5

People who take personality inventories can lie in order to create a good impression. This best illustrates that the objectivity in scoring personality inventories does not guarantee that they

Accepted Answer

In this scenario, the fact that people can lie on personality inventories shows that the validity of the inventories is not guaranteed. Validity refers to the extent to which an assessment measures what it is intended to measure. If people can easily manipulate the results, then the validity is compromised. The other answer choices (B, C, and D) do not directly relate to the issue of validity in this context.

Question 6

People respond to stress with greater anxiety if they have

Accepted Answer

A reactive autonomic nervous system is the physiological response to stress that triggers the fight or flight response. This can increase anxiety levels in individuals. The other options are not directly related to physiological responses to stress.

Question 7

Which of the following tests was empirically derived?

Accepted Answer

The MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) is the only test in the list that was empirically derived. It was developed using a statistical technique called factor analysis, which identified clusters of related items based on responses from a large sample of people. The other tests, such as the Rorschach inkblot test and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, are based on theoretical concepts and subjective interpretations, rather than empirical data.

Question 8

The Eysencks believed that extraversion and emotionality are

Accepted Answer

The Eysencks believed that extraversion and emotionality (also known as neuroticism) are genetically influenced. They developed a theory that suggested that these traits are largely inherited and are present from birth.

Question 9

A frontal lobe area involved in ________ is ________ active in extraverts than in introverts.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that the frontal lobe area involved in restraining behavior is less active in extraverts than in introverts. This can partially explain why extraverts tend to engage in more impulsive behaviors compared to introverts.

Question 10

The MMPI is an example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

The MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) is a personality inventory that assesses a wide range of psychological traits and disorders. It consists of over 500 true/false questions and is often used in clinical settings to help diagnose mental health conditions. It is not a projective test, inkblot test, or self-esteem test.

Question 11

Being highly imaginative is most closely related to the Big Five trait dimension of

Accepted Answer

Openness is a trait dimension associated with creativity, curiosity, and open-mindedness. Being highly imaginative requires a willingness to think outside the box and consider unconventional ideas, which aligns with the openness dimension.

Question 12

Factor analysis has been used to identify the most basic

Accepted Answer

Factor analysis is commonly used to identify the underlying dimensions, or traits, that contribute to an individual's overall personality. It allows researchers to group together a set of related traits and determine which traits are most important in describing an individual's overall personality.

Question 13

Coretta is quiet, pessimistic, anxious, and moody. In terms of the Eysencks' basic personality dimensions, she would be classified as

Accepted Answer

Coretta's description matches the characteristics of the unstable-introverted dimension, which includes individuals who are anxious, moody, and easily overwhelmed by stress. She is also described as quiet and pessimistic, which are traits commonly associated with introversion.

Question 14

Assessing an individual's standing on the Big Five today has the advantage of providing a ________ personality description.

Accepted Answer

Assessing an individual's standing on the Big Five personality traits (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism) provides a comprehensive personality description. It covers a wide range of traits and provides a more complete understanding of an individual's personality compared to a fixated, flattering, or psychosexual description.

Question 15

The tendency to accept favorable descriptions of one's personality that could really be applied to almost anyone is known as

Accepted Answer

The description matches the Barnum effect, which refers to people's tendency to believe that vague and general personality descriptions are accurate and specifically apply to them. This effect is often used in astrology, fortune telling, and other pseudoscientific practices to seem accurate to individuals.

Question 16

Which of the following is a basic personality factor assessed by Eysenck Personality Questionnaire?

Accepted Answer

The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire assesses three basic personality factors: extraversion/introversion, neuroticism/emotional stability, and psychoticism. Emotional stability is one of these factors. Self-transcendence, individualism, and repression are not assessed by this questionnaire.

Question 17

By selective breeding, researchers can produce bold or shy birds. This best illustrates that some personality differences among birds are

Accepted Answer

Selective breeding relies on the phenomenon of genetic heritability, in which certain traits are passed down through genes. Therefore, if researchers can selectively breed for bold or shy birds, this suggests that personality differences among birds are genetically influenced.

Question 18

The Big Five trait dimensions were identified by means of

Accepted Answer

The Big Five trait dimensions were identified through factor analysis, a statistical method that analyzes the correlations among different traits to identify underlying dimensions.

Question 19

A personality inventory that utilizes only those items that have been shown to differentiate particular groups of people is a(n) ________ test.

Accepted Answer

An empirically derived test is a personality inventory that has been developed by selecting items based on how well they differentiate particular groups of people. This ensures that only the most effective items are used in the test. Factor analytic tests use statistical techniques to identify underlying factors that relate to personality traits, self-report tests ask individuals to describe their own personality, and projective tests present ambiguous stimuli to individuals in order to uncover unconscious thoughts and feelings. None of these tests necessarily utilize only items that have been shown to differentiate particular groups of people.

Question 20

Frida was informed by a professional palm reader: "You generally communicate openly with others, but you have certain dark secrets that even your closest friends could never guess." The fact that Frida was impressed by the palm reader's insight into her personality best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The Barnum effect is when people believe that general, vague statements about them are highly specific to their situation. In this scenario, Frida is impressed by the palm reader's ability to identify her supposed dark secrets, even though the statement is vague enough to apply to many people. Therefore, the Barnum effect best explains Frida's reaction.

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