Question 1

Psychologists' methods for assessing personality are extensive and formal because their methods must be _____, which means the methods produce consistent results.

Accepted Answer

Reliability in psychological testing and assessment refers to the consistency of the results obtained from the methods used. If a method is reliable, it means that it would produce consistent results over repeated applications under similar conditions.

Question 2

The study of personality was founded on the theory of:

Accepted Answer

The study of personality is often traced back to the work of Sigmund Freud, who is considered one of the founding figures in psychology and developed the psychoanalytic theory of personality.

Question 3

Jason has an aggressive personality, yet even though his wife, Melinda, is generally calm and kind, he constantly accuses her of being the one with an anger management problem. Jason's ego is MOST likely the use of the defense mechanism of:

Accepted Answer

Jason is displaying projection, a defense mechanism where an individual attributes their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or motives to another person. In this case, Jason accuses Melinda of having an anger management problem, which is likely a reflection of his own aggressive personality.

Question 4

Kevin has a group project in his speech class to complete for a major grade. His group members are not really taking the assignment seriously, so Kevin decides to create an outline for them all to follow. He comes up with a completion plan and highlights the important dates. Kevin would MOST likely score high on which scale of the Big Five?

Accepted Answer

Kevin's actions demonstrate a high level of conscientiousness, as he is organized, responsible, and forward-thinking in planning and managing the group project.

Question 5

Lucas regularly goes to the casino and has been accused of having a gambling addiction. Even though Lucas continues to lose a lot of money, putting his family in a very bad financial situation, he always tells people that he doesn't have a problem and can stop gambling whenever he wants. Lucas is MOST likely exhibiting the defense mechanism of:

Accepted Answer

Lucas is exhibiting denial, a defense mechanism where an individual refuses to accept reality or facts, thereby blocking external events from awareness. In this case, Lucas denies having a gambling problem despite clear evidence to the contrary, such as significant financial losses and negative impacts on his family.

Question 6

Monica took a $50 bill from her register to help pay her rent. She selfishly believed it was no big deal to steal the money from the register. Monica MOST likely listened to her:

Accepted Answer

Monica's action of taking money based on her selfish belief and immediate desire aligns with the characteristics of the id, which operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification without considering the morality or consequences of actions.

Question 7

Who believed our primary motivation is to strive for superiority over our own perceived weaknesses?

Accepted Answer

Alfred Adler, a psychologist and founder of the school of individual psychology, proposed that the primary human drive is to overcome feelings of inferiority. He believed that this striving for superiority influences our personality and behaviors.

Question 8

Freud believed our _____ mind strongly drives and influences our thoughts and actions, and affects our lives.

Accepted Answer

Freud's theory posits that the unconscious mind, a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories outside of our conscious awareness, has a significant influence on our behavior and experiences.

Question 9

Your belief about how much control you have over circumstances in your life is called:

Accepted Answer

Locus of control refers to an individual's belief system regarding the causes of his or her experiences and the factors to which that person attributes success or failure. This concept is about how much control one believes they have over the events in their life.

Question 10

The neo-Freudian who believed it would be a mistake to assume Freud's theories applied equally to men and women is:

Accepted Answer

Karen Horney is known for her critique of Freud's theories, particularly his views on women. She argued against the notion of "penis envy" and believed that cultural and social conditions, rather than innate sexual differences, played a significant role in personality development.

Question 11

According to Jung, _____ are people who tend to focus inward and need little interaction with others.

Accepted Answer

Introverts, according to Carl Jung, are individuals who primarily focus on their internal thoughts and feelings rather than seeking external stimulation. They often require less interaction with others compared to extraverts.

Question 12

The _____ is a personality assessment instrument that most resembles an abstract art interpretation.

Accepted Answer

The Rorschach inkblot technique involves individuals interpreting ambiguous inkblot designs, which is similar to interpreting abstract art, to reveal aspects of their personality.

Question 13

Moments in which we are overcome with transcendent joy and fulfillment are called:

Accepted Answer

Peak experiences are moments of maximum psychological health, marked by feelings of euphoria, deep fulfillment, and profound meaning. They were described by psychologist Abraham Maslow as the highest moments in human consciousness, distinct from everyday reality.

Question 14

Fernando is visiting his childhood friend, Enrique, whom he has not seen in 5 years. When the two friends meet, they interact as if no time had passed. According to research on personality stability, this is because their personalities are _____, and they know what to expect from each other.

Accepted Answer

Personalities are generally stable over time, which means people tend to maintain their characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, making it easier for long-time friends to reconnect as if no time has passed.

Question 15

Regression is a defense mechanism characterized by the ego:

Accepted Answer

Regression is a defense mechanism where an individual reverts to an earlier stage of development or adopts more childish mannerisms when faced with stress or uncomfortable situations, essentially retreating to a time when life was simpler and the current stressor didn't exist.

Question 16

The id operates according to the _____ principle, whereas the ego operates according to the _____ principle.

Accepted Answer

The id operates according to the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of its desires and needs, while the ego operates according to the reality principle, mediating between the desires of the id and the constraints of the external world.

Question 17

Carl Rogers believed that _____, which is a mismatch between your real self and your ideal self, can lead to unhappiness and mental illness.

Accepted Answer

Carl Rogers, a humanistic psychologist, introduced the concept of incongruence as a mismatch between the real self (who you are) and the ideal self (who you want to be), which he believed could lead to unhappiness and mental illness.

Question 18

The personality test that has been used by the U.S. military since the 1940s and is the most frequently used test for hiring decisions is the:

Accepted Answer

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) is the most frequently used personality test in the U.S. military since the 1940s and for hiring decisions. It is a standardized psychometric test of adult personality and psychopathology.

Question 19

_____ is an approach to assessment that assumes client behaviors are themselves the problem, rather than signs of deeper problems.

Accepted Answer

Behavioral assessment focuses on observing and measuring people's actions in specific contexts, rather than interpreting these actions as indicators of underlying psychological issues. This approach is based on the principle that the observed behaviors are the problem and targets them directly for intervention.

Question 20

Which statement is a VALID criticism of the trait theory of personality?

Accepted Answer

Trait theory, including models like the Big Five, has been criticized for potentially not capturing the full spectrum of human personality traits. This criticism points to the possibility that there are more traits or nuances in personality that the Big Five or similar models do not account for.

Quiz 12: Personality