Question 1

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a popular test designed to assess personality, social, and occupational attributes, based on a person's distinctive handwriting, doodles, and drawing style.

Accepted Answer

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assesses personality traits based on self-report questionnaires, not handwriting or drawing style.

Question 2

Special items are included in the MMPI in order to detect whether someone is lying, but people may still deliberately fake their responses or answer in what they think is a socially desirable way.

Accepted Answer

While the special items in the MMPI are designed to detect lying, individuals may still purposely fake their responses or answer in a socially desirable way. It is important to consider this possibility when interpreting results from the MMPI.

Question 3

Possible selves are escapist fantasies that represent a very primitive form of ego defense mechanisms and should be avoided whenever possible.

Accepted Answer

Possible selves are not necessarily escapist fantasies, but rather they are mental representations of potential future selves that individuals aspire to become. While they can be a form of coping or a motivational tool, they should not be relied upon as the sole source of fulfillment and should not be used to dissociate from present reality.

Question 4

There is no evidence for the existence of 16 distinctly different personality types as claimed by the developers of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

Accepted Answer

While the MBTI is a widely-used personality assessment tool, there is no scientific evidence to support the existence of 16 distinct personality types as defined by its creators. Critics argue that the MBTI lacks empirical validity and reliability, and its results should be interpreted with caution.

Question 5

People can receive different MBTI results on different test-taking occasions, and there is no support that MBTI personality types have a relationship with occupational success as claimed.

Accepted Answer

It is true that people can receive different MBTI results on different occasions and there is no conclusive evidence to support that MBTI types have a direct relationship with occupational success. While the MBTI can provide some insights into preferred work styles and tendencies, it should not be used as the sole basis for employment or career decisions.

Question 6

People who vividly imagine their possible selves as successful because of hard work expend greater effort on a task than do people whose possible selves involve being unsuccessful despite working hard.

Accepted Answer

This statement is supported by research on possible selves and motivation. People are more likely to pursue and work harder towards goals that align with their desired or imagined future selves. If a person envisions a successful future self that is achieved through hard work, they are more likely to put in effort towards achieving that goal. In contrast, if a person imagines a future self as unsuccessful despite working hard, they may feel demotivated and not put as much effort towards that goal.

Question 7

Personality tests can provide useful information about a particular individual, but other sources of information are usually needed to achieve a full description of a particular person's personality.

Accepted Answer

Personality tests can provide insights into a person's traits, tendencies, and preferences, but they may not capture the complexity and nuances of a person's personality. Other sources of information, such as observations, interviews, and self-reports, can provide a more comprehensive understanding of a person's personality.

Question 8

Shelly was assessed at a career counseling service using a self-report test that determined her personality type was introverted, sensing, feeling, and perceiving (ISFP). Shelly has been given the Rorschach Inkblot Test.

Accepted Answer

The statement does not provide any logical connection between Shelly's personality type and her being given the Rorschach Inkblot Test. Therefore, it is not possible to determine whether she was given the test or not based on the information given.

Question 9

Isabel Briggs Myers and Katharine Cook Briggs were influenced by Carl Jung's theory of personality development and his proposal that people could be categorized in discrete personality types.

Accepted Answer

Isabel Briggs Myers and Katharine Cook Briggs based their work on Carl Jung's theory of personality types and his ideas on human development. They developed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a popular personality assessment tool that categorizes individuals into one of sixteen personality types based on their preferences for various psychological functions.

Question 10

In general, self-report inventories, such as the CPI, the MMPI, and the 16PF, have greater validity and reliability than projective tests, such as the Rorschach Inkblot Test and the Thematic Apperception Test.

Accepted Answer

Self-report inventories like the CPI, MMPI, and 16PF have greater validity and reliability because they are structured tests with a clear scoring system and specific questions, whereas projective tests rely on subjective interpretations by the examiner and lack standardized scoring systems.

Question 11

The results of the MBTI can be used to accurately determine the best vocational choice and predict future occupational success for an individual.

Accepted Answer

While the MBTI is a useful tool for self-awareness and understanding personal preferences, it is not a tool for vocational testing or predicting occupational success. It is important to acknowledge that career choice is influenced by many factors beyond personality, such as interests, values, abilities, and education/ training. Therefore, it is advised to use multiple resources and assessments when making career decisions.

Question 12

Nathan's personality test results indicated that he has a distinct personality type, ESTJ (extraverted, sensing, thinking, feeling). It is most likely that Nathan has taken the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI).

Accepted Answer

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) does not measure personality types, but rather personality traits and psychopathology. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the most widely used personality test for identifying personality types such as ESTJ.

Question 13

During a career counseling assessment session, Frank's personality test results indicated that he has a distinct personality type, ESTJ (extraverted, sensing, thinking, feeling). It is most likely that the counselor administered the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

Accepted Answer

The ESTJ personality type corresponds to one of the 16 types assessed by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Thus, it is likely that the career counselor administered this test to Frank during his assessment session.

Question 14

Only negative or dreaded possible selves have been shown to have any impact on actual behavior.

Accepted Answer

Both positive (aspirational) and negative (feared) possible selves can influence behavior. Positive possible selves can motivate individuals towards goals, while negative possible selves can motivate individuals to avoid undesired outcomes.

Question 15

A self-report inventory that determines a person's personality type by measuring his or her preferred way of dealing with information, making decisions, and interacting with others, is called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

Accepted Answer

The statement accurately describes the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

Question 16

The MBTI differs from other self-report inventories, such as the MMPI, CPI, and 16PF, in that it has high reliability and validity, and test results are consistent on different test-taking occasions.

Accepted Answer

The MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) has faced criticism for its reliability and validity. Many psychologists argue that it lacks the consistency and predictive power found in other psychological assessments like the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), CPI (California Psychological Inventory), and 16PF (Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire). Test-retest reliability can vary, and its validity as a tool for making significant psychological predictions is debated within the scientific community.

Question 17

Positive possible selves can influence current choices and activate behavior in ways that move people closer to realizing the goals they imagine for themselves.

Accepted Answer

Positive possible selves refer to the goals and aspirations that individuals have for themselves in the future. Thinking about and visualizing these positive possible selves can motivate individuals to make choices and take actions that align with their goals, ultimately helping them to realize their desired future selves.

Quiz 10: Section 3: Personality