Question 1

Which statement best describes the findings from most longitudinal studies of personality stability?
A) Personality traits are fairly stable across adulthood.
B) Individuals become more psychopathic with age.
C) Personality traits at age 20 predict virtually nothing at age 60.
D) Individuals become more extroverted and open to experience with age.

Accepted Answer

Most longitudinal studies have found that personality traits tend to be fairly stable throughout adulthood. While there can be some changes, the core aspects of personality often remain consistent over time.

Question 2

Which of these is TRUE about expertise?
A) It is inefficient
B) It is inflexible
C) It is selective
D) It cannot be learned

Accepted Answer

Expertise is selective because it involves the development of skills or knowledge in a specific area, rather than being universally applied across all domains.

Question 3

What is an example of an internal motivator for adults to learn something new?
A) Job promotion
B) Family time
C) Personal satisfaction
D) Pay raise

Accepted Answer

Personal satisfaction is an internal motivator because it comes from within the individual, driven by personal goals, interests, or the desire for self-improvement, unlike external motivators such as job promotion or pay raise, which are influenced by external factors.

Question 4

An individual low on the ____ characteristic would likely be described as even-tempered and comfortable.
A) neuroticism
B) openness to experience
C) conscientiousness
D) agreeableness

Accepted Answer

Neuroticism is a personality trait associated with emotional instability, anxiety, and moodiness. Individuals low on neuroticism tend to be more even-tempered and comfortable, as they experience fewer negative emotions.

Question 5

Darejeh and Singh (2014) concluded that self-learning is improved by taking ____ differences into account.
A) instructor
B) learner
C) generativity
D) external motivators

Accepted Answer

Darejeh and Singh (2014) concluded that taking learner differences into account improves self-learning, as it tailors the learning experience to individual needs and preferences.

Question 6

Because she has what Costa and McCrae would classify as an "agreeable" personality, one would expect that Marcy would be described by others as a:
A) "wallflower."
B) "party animal."
C) "meanie."
D) "joy to be around."

Accepted Answer

Agreeableness, according to Costa and McCrae's Five Factor Model of personality, is characterized by attributes such as kindness, trustworthiness, and a cooperative nature. Therefore, someone with an agreeable personality like Marcy would likely be described as a "joy to be around" due to these positive interpersonal traits.

Question 7

Kevin is described by friends as having a great imagination and being willing to try anything once. Given this description, Kevin would MOST likely score very high on a scale of:
A) agreeableness.
B) openness to experience.
C) neuroticism.
D) conscientiousness.

Accepted Answer

Kevin's characteristics of having a great imagination and being willing to try anything once align with the personality trait of openness to experience. This trait includes a broad range of interests and a willingness to engage in new and varied activities, as well as being imaginative and creative.

Question 8

How is expert problem-solving different from problem-solving by a novice?
A) Novices are more curious
B) Experts come to solutions faster
C) Novices follow fewer rules
D) Experts demonstrate less flexibility in thought

Accepted Answer

Experts typically have a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw from, allowing them to reach solutions more quickly than novices.

Question 9

Ruth is determined to become president of the corporation. She works more than 10 hours per day, is meticulous in her work, and sticks with the most difficult projects until they are completed. Ruth would MOST likely score highly on a scale that measured:
A) conscientiousness.
B) agreeableness.
C) extroversion.
D) openness to experience.

Accepted Answer

Ruth's behavior—working long hours, being meticulous, and persisting with difficult projects—aligns with characteristics of conscientiousness, which includes being diligent, disciplined, and well-organized.

Question 10

Which trait fits someone who scores low on an openness to experience assessment?
A) Risk-taking
B) Antagonistic
C) Ambitious
D) Uncurious

Accepted Answer

Openness to experience is a personality trait that involves the appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination, curiosity, and variety of experience. Scoring low on this trait suggests a person is more conventional and prefers routine, making "Uncurious" the trait that fits someone with a low score on openness to experience.

Question 11

Mark is asked to describe what it is like to work with Kelly. In response, he says, "She is mean, anxious, and really self-conscious." This description best matches a person scoring high on Costa and McCrae's ____ personality dimension.
A) neuroticism
B) openness to experience
C) extroversion
D) agreeableness

Accepted Answer

The description of being mean, anxious, and really self-conscious aligns with the characteristics of high neuroticism, according to Costa and McCrae's Five Factor Model of personality. Neuroticism involves emotional instability and negative emotions.

Question 12

Costa and McCrae's model of personality, which includes dimensions like conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience, is commonly referred to as the ____ model.
A) humanistic
B) centrality
C) five-factor
D) psychodynamic

Accepted Answer

Costa and McCrae's model of personality is known as the five-factor model, which outlines five broad dimensions of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Question 13

Newt is known for being very opinionated, extremely sociable, and loving a challenge. According to the five-factor model, Newt is BEST thought of as being:
A) neurotic.
B) introverted.
C) extroverted.
D) agreeable.

Accepted Answer

Newt's characteristics of being very opinionated, extremely sociable, and loving a challenge align with the extroversion trait in the five-factor model of personality. Extroversion is characterized by sociability, assertiveness, and excitement-seeking behaviors.

Question 14

On which personality dimension would someone who is stingy, critical, and suspicious most likely score the lowest?
A) Neuroticism
B) Extroversion
C) Agreeableness
D) Conscientiousness

Accepted Answer

These traits are opposite to those typically found in individuals who score high on Agreeableness, which includes being trusting, sympathetic, and cooperative. Stinginess, criticism, and suspicion are indicative of low Agreeableness.

Question 15

Which statement about adult learners and their younger counterparts is TRUE?
A) Adults are more willing to learn about abstract problems.
B) Adults tend to be more motivated by internal factors.
C) Younger learners tend to have a larger variety of experiences on which they can build.
D) Younger learners have a higher need to know why they should learn something.

Accepted Answer

Adult learners are often more motivated by internal factors such as personal growth, career advancement, or the desire to achieve their goals, compared to younger learners who might be more influenced by external factors like grades, parental expectations, or school requirements.

Question 16

Expert performance tends to peak in ____ and drop off ____.
A) young adulthood; significantly thereafter
B) young adulthood; slightly thereafter
C) middle adulthood; significantly thereafter
D) middle adulthood; slightly thereafter

Accepted Answer

The answer of Expert performance tends to peak in ____...

Question 17

Ahmed is in charge of hiring new employees for his company. He wants to hire people who are very organized, responsible, and will work hard for the company. In which trait is Ahmed MOST interested?
A) Agreeableness
B) Extroversion
C) Conscientiousness
D) Openness to experience

Accepted Answer

Conscientiousness is the trait that best describes individuals who are organized, responsible, and hardworking, which matches the qualities Ahmed is looking for in new employees.

Question 18

Paula is an expert on the history of rock music, while Donald is a novice. This means that Paula ____ than Donald.
A) is less curious about rock music
B) is more intelligent
C) uses more steps in the thinking process when coming up with answers about rock music
D) is more effective at determining correct solutions concerning rock music

Accepted Answer

Paula, being an expert, is more effective at determining correct solutions concerning rock music due to her extensive knowledge and experience in the field.

Question 19

At which age is the debate of personality stability versus change MOST heated?
A) The teen years
B) Young adulthood
C) Middle age
D) Old age

Accepted Answer

The answer of At which age is the debate of...

Question 20

Since she has what Costa and McCrae would classify as a "highly extroverted" personality, one would expect that Samantha would be described by others as:
A) "a psychopath."
B) "nice as you could imagine."
C) "lazy and disorganized."
D) "loving the spotlight."

Accepted Answer

Costa and McCrae's Five Factor Model of personality includes extroversion as one of the key traits. Individuals high in extroversion are typically outgoing, energetic, and enjoy being around others. They often seek excitement and are comfortable in social situations, which aligns with "loving the spotlight."

Quiz 13: Making It in Midlife: the Biopsychosocial Challenges of Middle Adulthood

Which statement best describes the findings from most longitudinal studies of personality stability?

Which of these is TRUE about expertise?

What is an example of an internal motivator for adults to learn something new?

An individual low on the ____ characteristic would likely be described as even-tempered and comfortable.

Darejeh and Singh (2014) concluded that self-learning is improved by taking ____ differences into account.

Because she has what Costa and McCrae would classify as an "agreeable" personality, one would expect that Marcy would be described by others as a:

Kevin is described by friends as having a great imagination and being willing to try anything once. Given this description, Kevin would MOST likely score very high on a scale of:

How is expert problem-solving different from problem-solving by a novice?

Ruth is determined to become president of the corporation. She works more than 10 hours per day, is meticulous in her work, and sticks with the most difficult projects until they are completed. Ruth would MOST likely score highly on a scale that measured:

Which trait fits someone who scores low on an openness to experience assessment?

Mark is asked to describe what it is like to work with Kelly. In response, he says, "She is mean, anxious, and really self-conscious." This description best matches a person scoring high on Costa and McCrae's ____ personality dimension.

Costa and McCrae's model of personality, which includes dimensions like conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience, is commonly referred to as the ____ model.

Newt is known for being very opinionated, extremely sociable, and loving a challenge. According to the five-factor model, Newt is BEST thought of as being:

On which personality dimension would someone who is stingy, critical, and suspicious most likely score the lowest?

Which statement about adult learners and their younger counterparts is TRUE?

Expert performance tends to peak in and drop off .

Ahmed is in charge of hiring new employees for his company. He wants to hire people who are very organized, responsible, and will work hard for the company. In which trait is Ahmed MOST interested?

Paula is an expert on the history of rock music, while Donald is a novice. This means that Paula ____ than Donald.

At which age is the debate of personality stability versus change MOST heated?

Since she has what Costa and McCrae would classify as a "highly extroverted" personality, one would expect that Samantha would be described by others as: