Question 1

Calvin says, "To understand human personality, you have to know if people behave to get rewards or to avoid punishments." Hobbes says, "I think that you also have to take into account each person's unique way of looking at the world and consider how that viewpoint determines personality." Calvin uses the __________ approach, while Hobbes takes the __________ approach to understanding personality.

Accepted Answer

Calvin is using the social-cognitive approach, focusing on how people's behaviors are influenced by their interactions with the environment and their thoughts about rewards or punishments. Hobbes is using the humanistic psychology approach, emphasizing the individual's subjective view and intrinsic growth potential.

Question 2

The trait dimension of emotionality-stability in the theory of Hans Eysenck is most similar to the trait of ________ in the five-factor model.

Accepted Answer

Hans Eysenck's emotionality-stability dimension is most similar to neuroticism in the five-factor model, as both involve the tendency to experience negative emotions and emotional instability.

Question 3

The results of Demetrius's personality assessment showed that he scored low on extraversion and high on emotionality-stability. Which approach was Demetrius's assessment measure based on?

Accepted Answer

Eysenck's biological trait theory includes dimensions such as extraversion and emotional stability (neuroticism), which align with the traits mentioned in Demetrius's assessment.

Question 4

Complete the following personal ad: Seeking an outgoing individual who enjoys social activities. Must also be adventurous and willing to try anything. In other words, must be high in __________ and high in __________.

Accepted Answer

The ad describes someone who is outgoing and enjoys social activities, which aligns with high extraversion, and someone who is adventurous and willing to try anything, which aligns with high openness to experience.

Question 5

Val pries open her sister's diary and is shocked to read that her sister believes Val is an anxious, nervous, and tense person. Upset at this discovery, Val takes a personality test to prove she does not rate high on the dimension of

Accepted Answer

The traits described by Val's sister, such as anxiety and nervousness, are commonly associated with high levels of neuroticism. Therefore, taking a personality test to prove that she does not rate high on this dimension would be the appropriate response. Options A, C, and D are not directly related to the traits Val's sister described.

Question 6

Which of the following is not a basic assumption of the social-cognitive approach?

Accepted Answer

The social-cognitive approach emphasizes learned behaviors, thoughts, and interactions with others as central to personality development, but it does not inherently assume that all behavior is meaningful to the person displaying it. This perspective focuses more on how cognitive processes and social learning shape behavior rather than finding inherent meaning in all actions.

Question 7

After learning about personality in school, Becky came home and told her sister, Darlene, that she was introverted because her brain is relatively insensitive to rewards but highly sensitive to punishment. Darlene does not seem impressed by her sister's knowledge of __________ theory of personality.

Accepted Answer

Gray's reinforcement sensitivity theory suggests that introverts have a brain system that is more sensitive to punishment and less sensitive to rewards, aligning with Becky's description.

Question 8

Roger is an extroverted showman, sensitive to rewards and motivated to obtain exciting and sometimes dangerous video footage of his encounters with crocodiles. He does not worry about whether he might embarrass himself or get injured in front of his television viewers. Roger appears to have a sensitive

Accepted Answer

Roger's motivation to seek rewards and excitement, despite potential risks, aligns with a sensitive behavioral approach system, which is associated with extroversion and reward-seeking behavior.

Question 9

Andre is very organized and efficient but also very anxious and tense. On which two of the five-factor personality model dimensions would Andre rate highly?

Accepted Answer

Andre's organization and efficiency suggest high conscientiousness, while his anxiety and tension indicate high neuroticism.

Question 10

Anastasia is writing a paper about the weaknesses of the trait approach to personality. Which of the following would be the best title for her paper?

Accepted Answer

The trait approach to personality is criticized for describing behavior but not explaining it. This is the weakness that Anastasia is writing about, making it the best choice for the title of her paper. The other options do not accurately capture the main weakness of the trait approach.

Question 11

After Eduardo takes a personality assessment based on the five-factor personality model, the results indicate he is a gregarious and outgoing person who gains energy from being with other people. In other words, Eduardo has scored high on the dimension of

Accepted Answer

The description of Eduardo's personality traits aligns with the dimension of extraversion, which is characterized by being outgoing, assertive, sociable, and energetic.

Question 12

After filling out a personality test, students were given individual personality profiles. Most said that their profiles were fairly good descriptions of themselves, and they were amazed to discover that they had all received the same profile. This illustrates one of the main criticisms of the __________ approach.

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates the "Barnum effect," which is a criticism of the trait approach. It refers to the tendency for people to accept vague, general personality descriptions as uniquely applicable to themselves.

Question 13

Based on research with adopted children and twins, which of the following is a justifiable statement about the contribution of heredity to personality?

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that people inherit predispositions for certain personality factors, meaning that genetics can influence the likelihood of developing certain traits, but there are no specific "personality genes."

Question 14

Mookie is outgoing and sociable, seeks excitement, and loves a good time. According to Eysenck, Mookie's personality is a result of all of the following except

Accepted Answer

Eysenck's theory of personality focuses on three major dimensions: extraversion/introversion, neuroticism/stability, and psychoticism/superego. Self-efficacy, which refers to one's belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations, is not one of the dimensions that Eysenck uses to explain personality. Rather, he emphasizes genetics, biology, and environmental factors that influence one's physiological responses to stimulation, leading to certain personality traits.

Question 15

Dr. Evil is finally captured and forced to undergo psychological testing. Dr. Evil's results reveal that he shows the characteristics of moodiness, anxiety, and restlessness. If the psychological tests were based on Eysenck's biological trait theory, Dr. Evil has been assessed on the __________ dimension of personality.

Accepted Answer

Eysenck's biological trait theory includes the dimension of emotionality-stability, which relates to moodiness, anxiety, and restlessness.

Question 16

Researchers assessed the personalities of the children who were adopted at an early age by Julene and Jay. The researchers compared the children's personalities to those of their biological and adoptive parents. Based on the studies described in the text, the children's personalities will be most similar to

Accepted Answer

Studies on adopted children have shown that their personalities are strongly influenced by their biological parents, even when they are raised by adoptive parents from an early age. Therefore, the children's personalities will be most similar to their biological parents' personalities.

Question 17

After reading the Henry Potter books, Dawn describes Henry Potter as insightful, original, curious, and intellectual, as well as generous, kind, considerate, and forgiving. According to the five-factor personality model, Henry is high in __________ and high in __________.

Accepted Answer

Henry Potter is described as insightful, original, curious, and intellectual, which are traits associated with high openness to experience. He is also described as generous, kind, considerate, and forgiving, which are traits associated with high agreeableness.

Question 18

You are listening to a psychologist describe her approach to personality. She argues that through past learning, expectations about event outcomes are formed. Further, she suggests that one must consider the person, the environment, and the person-environment interaction. This psychologist follows a __________ theory.

Accepted Answer

The psychologist's emphasis on learning, expectations, and the person-environment interaction aligns with the social-cognitive theory. The other options are unlikely, as psychodynamic theory emphasizes unconscious processes, trait theory focuses on identifying and categorizing personality traits, and humanistic theory emphasizes free will and self-actualization.

Question 19

Marshall is a harsh, critical person. More often than not, he is in a bad mood and acts grumpily toward other people. According to Gray's reinforcement sensitivity theory, Marshall is more likely to experience more negative emotions because

Accepted Answer

According to Gray's reinforcement sensitivity theory, an active behavioral inhibition system (BIS) is associated with sensitivity to punishment and negative emotions, leading to anxiety and cautious behavior. Marshall's tendency to experience negative emotions aligns with an active BIS.

Question 20

According to psychologist Jeffrey Gray, the brain's __________ system affects sensitivity to rewards, whereas the __________ system affects sensitivity to punishment and the motivation to avoid punishment.

Accepted Answer

Jeffrey Gray proposed that the behavioral approach system (BAS) is responsible for sensitivity to rewards and the motivation to pursue them, while the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) is responsible for sensitivity to punishment and the motivation to avoid it.

Quiz 11: Personality