Question 1

When David is asked to describe his best friend Josh, he responds: "Josh is very friendly, pretty intelligent, and a really nice guy. He seems laid-back, but he actually works hard at keeping up with his college classes. He's a lot of fun because he's always ready to try something new." David's description of his friend's personality would be most consistent with which of the following approaches to personality?

Accepted Answer

David's description of his friend's personality focuses on specific traits such as friendliness, intelligence, hardworking, laid-back, and adventurous. This is consistent with the trait approach to personality, which suggests that individual differences in personality can be explained by identifying and measuring stable characteristics of behavior, thought, and emotion.

Question 2

According to Hans Eysenck, personality can be best described in terms of which basic trait dimensions?

Accepted Answer

Hans Eysenck proposed a three-factor model of personality which includes introversion-extraversion, stability/neuroticism, and low psychoticism/high psychoticism. This model is also known as the PEN model.

Question 3

Identify the correct way in which the social cognitive perspective on personality differs from both the psychoanalytic and the humanistic perspectives.

Accepted Answer

The social cognitive perspective differs from both the psychoanalytic and humanistic perspectives in that it emphasizes information derived from empirical research and experimental data, rather than insights from case studies or the importance of unconscious influences. Additionally, the social cognitive perspective focuses on individual differences and how people's thoughts, behaviors, and environments interact to shape their personalities.

Question 4

Holly is a salesperson who spends her workday constantly interacting with the public. Though she works long hours, Holly still feels exhilarated at the end of the day. In fact, the greater her interaction with other people, the better she feels. According to Eysenck's theory, Holly is probably a(n):

Accepted Answer

According to Eysenck's theory, extraverted individuals seek out and enjoy high levels of social interaction, so Holly's love of interacting with others suggests she is an extravert. This makes options A, B, and D unlikely, as they all imply the opposite personality traits.

Question 5

A focus on similarities among people is to the _____ perspective what a focus on differences among people is to the _____ perspective.

Accepted Answer

The psychoanalytic perspective often emphasizes universal human experiences and similarities, while the trait perspective focuses on individual differences.

Question 6

Raymond Cattell used a statistical technique called _____ to sort through a large number of personality traits and identify those that represented the most basic dimensions of personality.

Accepted Answer

Raymond Cattell used factor analysis to identify the most basic dimensions of personality by examining correlations among a large number of personality traits. Factor analysis involves identifying groups of related variables and combining them into broader dimensions or factors, allowing for a more parsimonious understanding of complex phenomena.

Question 7

Alyssa is a quiet, rather shy young woman who lives at home while attending college. She would rather meet an old friend for coffee than meet new people or go to parties. In terms of Hans Eysenck's model of personality, Alyssa appears to rate high on the trait of:

Accepted Answer

Alyssa's qualities of being quiet and preferring solitary activities suggest that she is introverted, and thus rates high on the introversion trait according to Eysenck's personality model.

Question 8

Traits that are easy to infer from observable behaviors are called:

Accepted Answer

Surface traits are easily observable behaviors or characteristics that can be inferred from a person's actions or outward appearance. They are the building blocks of more complex personality traits and can give insight into a person's behavior and motivations. Source traits, on the other hand, are underlying factors that drive behavior and are not as easily observable. Personality types and manifest traits are more complex concepts and do not specifically relate to observable behaviors.

Question 9

Lisa was upset after reading an article about children forced to work as prostitutes. Lisa believed that the adults involved had naturally fallen prey to their own cruel, aggressive impulses. If existing laws about prostitution were weakened, Lisa felt, such situations would only become more commonplace. Lisa's views are most similar to those of:

Accepted Answer

Sigmund Freud's theory of personality includes the concept of the id, which is the source of human instinctual drives and is primarily associated with aggression and sexuality. Freud believed that society's restrictions and moral standards, such as laws, are necessary to control these innate impulses. Lisa's belief that weakening laws would lead to an increase in cruel, aggressive behaviors aligns with Freud's view on the necessity of societal constraints to manage human instincts.

Question 10

Which approach to personality focuses primarily on describing individual differences?

Accepted Answer

The trait perspective focuses on identifying and describing individual differences in personality traits. It seeks to explain behavior as a result of the combination and interaction of different traits, which are relatively stable over time and across situations. The other perspectives (psychoanalytic, humanistic, social cognitive) may touch on individual differences, but are not primarily focused on describing them.

Question 11

O'Higgins believes that the study of personality should focus on identifying, describing, and measuring individual differences. Dr. O'Higgins probably would identify with the _____ perspective on personality.

Accepted Answer

The trait perspective on personality focuses on identifying and measuring individual differences in personality traits, which is consistent with Dr. O'Higgins' belief. The other perspectives - psychoanalytic, humanistic, and social cognitive - do not emphasize individual differences in the same way.

Question 12

According to Raymond Cattell, the most basic dimensions of personality can be described in terms of _____ factors.

Accepted Answer

Raymond Cattell proposed that there are 16 basic dimensions of personality, which he called the 16PF (16 Personality Factors). These factors include traits such as warmth, reasoning, emotional stability, dominance, and sensitivity.

Question 13

Nicki's job requires her to attend a lot of social functions where she is expected to network and make new contacts for her company. She finds these events to be exhausting. According to Eysenck's theory, Nicki is probably a(n):

Accepted Answer

According to Eysenck's theory, introverts find social situations exhausting and tend to prefer solitude over large gatherings. Neurotics may feel anxious in social situations, but exhaustion is not a defining trait of neuroticism. Extraverts, on the other hand, generally thrive in social situations and gain energy from interacting with others. Psychopathy is not relevant in this context.

Question 14

Barkulis is a trait theorist. He would be most likely to describe an individual in terms of her:

Accepted Answer

Barkulis' focus on trait theory suggests that he would view individuals in terms of their unique combination of characteristics or attributes, rather than unconscious conflicts, self-concept, or self-efficacy.

Question 15

According to Eysenck's theory, _____ tend to seek out stimulating environments, while _____ tend to avoid stimulating environments.

Accepted Answer

Eysenck's theory proposes that extraverts seek out stimulating environments and enjoy socializing, while introverts tend to avoid stimulation and prefer quiet environments.

Question 16

Ravi was upset after reading an article about children forced to work as prostitutes. Ravi told his friends about the problem, pointing out that a well-established, underground industry exists to supply children to brothels. Ravi argued that the suppliers were methodically preying upon desperately poor families, deliberately capitalizing on their difficulties. Ravi felt that the suppliers justified their actions by convincing themselves that the children at least had a chance at a good life this way. Ravi's views are most in line with those of:

Accepted Answer

Ravi's views align with Albert Bandura's theory of social learning, which emphasizes the role of observation, imitation, and modeling in behavior. Bandura's theory suggests that individuals can learn and adopt behaviors by observing others, including justifications for morally questionable actions. Ravi's description of suppliers justifying their actions reflects this concept of learning and rationalization of behavior within a social context.

Question 17

Identify the trait theorist who believed that personality could be described in terms of 16 personality dimensions.

Accepted Answer

Raymond Cattell believed that personality could be described in terms of 16 basic dimensions, which he referred to as the 16 Personality Factor (16PF) model. Each dimension represented a unique aspect of personality, such as warmth, social boldness, and emotional stability. Cattell believed that these dimensions could be used to create a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of personality than earlier trait theorists had proposed.

Question 18

Which of the following represents a key strength of the social cognitive perspective?

Accepted Answer

Social cognitive concepts, such as self-efficacy, can be operationally defined and empirically tested, which provides a strong scientific basis for the social cognitive perspective. This also allows for practical applications of social cognitive theory in fields such as education and therapy.

Question 19

Trait theorists tend to believe that:

Accepted Answer

Trait theorists believe that there are a small number of source traits, such as the Big Five (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism), that represent a universal way of describing individual personality differences. This suggests that there are universal patterns of behavior across different cultures and situations that can be used to describe and understand individuals' personalities.

Question 20

Which of the following represents a key weakness of the social cognitive perspective?

Accepted Answer

The social cognitive perspective has been criticized for focusing too narrowly on certain aspects of personality (such as cognition and learning), while neglecting other important factors (such as emotions and biological influences).

Quiz 10: Section 2: Personality