Question 1

Selma's teachers believe she may be struggling with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), so her mother, father, and teachers are all asked to meet with the school psychologist to answer the same set of specific questions. Based on this information, the school psychologist is using a(n) _______________ as part of the assessment.

Accepted Answer

The school psychologist is using an interview to gather information from Selma's mother, father, and teachers about her potential ADHD symptoms. This is a common assessment method for ADHD and allows for gathering specific information from multiple sources. Projective instruments and personality tests may not provide relevant information for ADHD diagnosis, and a parental survey alone may not give a full picture of Selma's symptoms.

Question 2

Cerys has read all the books on mythology in his school's library and he has become intrigued by how the stories all seem to have similar elements and themes. In each story there is a hero and a villain, a damsel in distress, a wise old man or woman to guide the hero, and a funny sidekick. Jung would tell Cerys that the commonalities are there because the stories' creators were all tapping the

Accepted Answer

Jung believed that the collective unconscious was a reservoir of shared human experiences and archetypes that influenced the creation of myths, stories, and other cultural symbols. Therefore, the commonalities that Cerys observed in mythology would be attributed to creators tapping into this collective unconscious.

Question 3

Octavia enjoys being around others and is well-known for her social grace. She is warm and engaging with everyone she meets, regardless of whether the setting is the classroom, her workplace, a restaurant, or her own home. Based on this information and relying on the five-factor model, we can say that she would be most likely to score high in

Accepted Answer

Octavia's social grace and warm engagement with everyone she meets suggest that she possesses traits associated with high levels of agreeableness.

Question 4

Cerys has read all the books on mythology in his school's library and is intrigued by how the stories all seem to have similar elements and themes. In each story there is a hero and a villain, a damsel in distress, a wise old man or woman to guide the hero, and a funny sidekick. Jung would tell Cerys that the hero, the villain, the wise mentor, the love interest, and the sidekick are all patterns of interpreting experience called

Accepted Answer

The consistent patterns of characters and themes in mythology that Cerys has noticed align with the concept of archetypes in Jungian psychology. Archetypes are universal symbols and patterns of behavior that represent shared human experiences and are inherited from our ancestors.

Question 5

Tracy was involved in a study of open field behaviour in rats. She and two of her colleagues all had to score the movement of a rat in the open field to be sure they all got similar results. They are testing their

Accepted Answer

Inter-rater reliability refers to the consistency between different raters when observing and scoring behavior. In this scenario, Tracy and her colleagues are testing their inter-rater reliability by scoring the movement of a rat in the open field to ensure that they all get similar results. Thematic apperception is a method in psychology for revealing the personality traits and emotions of an individual based on their interpretation of ambiguous pictures. Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in their ability to achieve a specific goal or perform a specific task. Validity refers to the extent to which a test or measurement accurately measures what it is intended to measure.

Question 6

Venice enjoys spending time by herself. As much as she values her friends, she is easily overwhelmed by crowds and noise. She particularly likes the peacefulness of nature trails and quiet beaches, and recently turned down a lucrative job offer because she would have had to live in a city. Hans Eysenck would say that

Accepted Answer

According to Eysenck's theory of personality, individuals differ in their optimal levels of arousal. Venice's preference for peaceful and quiet environments suggests that her brain may be too electrically active, leading her to seek lower levels of stimulation to reach her optimal arousal level.

Question 7

Dr. Vartan shows his client Dallas 12 different pictures and asks him to tell a story about each one. When Dallas has looked at all the cards, the two of them review the stories together, looking for recurrent themes. Dallas has just taken the

Accepted Answer

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) is a projective test in which a client is shown a series of pictures and asked to tell a story about each one. The therapist then looks for recurring themes in the stories, which can provide insights into the client's personality and life experiences. This is exactly what Dr. Vartan is doing with Dallas, so the TAT is the best choice. The Rorschach, MMPI-2, and NEO-PI are different types of psychological assessments that are not used in the same way as the TAT.

Question 8

One method used to study behavioural genetics is twin studies. This allows researchers to obtain estimates of how heritable personality traits are. If a trait is genetically influenced,

Accepted Answer

If a trait is genetically influenced, identical twins should be more similar on that trait than fraternal twins. This is because identical twins share 100% of their genetic material, while fraternal twins share 50% on average. Therefore, any differences in the similarity of the trait between identical and fraternal twins can be attributed to genetic factors.

Question 9

Mila is a psychology graduate student taking a course in assessment methods. The students are expected to take each of the instruments about which they are learning so they can practice interpreting the results. Working with a fellow student, they each look at 10 inkblots, asking each other, "What might this be?" and "Show me where you see that so I can see it as you do." Mila is learning about the

Accepted Answer

Mila and her fellow student are using inkblots, which are the stimuli in the Rorschach test. The TAT involves looking at pictures and creating stories about them, the MMPI-2 is a self-report questionnaire, and the NEO-PI measures the Big Five personality traits through self-report.

Question 10

Since her physician told Fabienne that she needs to lose weight to improve her health, she has been trying to eat healthfully. But every time she goes out to a restaurant, she can't resist ordering several unhealthy desserts. Her friends suggest that she should try to eat the foods she craves in moderation, but she tells them that when she sees the sweets she's not supposed to eat, she can focus on nothing but how badly she wants them. Freud would say that Fabienne's _____________ is encouraging her to overeat certain foods.

Accepted Answer

According to Freud's theory, the id is the part of the psyche that is responsible for primitive urges and desires, including those related to food and pleasure. It operates on the pleasure principle, meaning it seeks to attain pleasure and avoid pain. Fabienne's inability to resist unhealthy desserts despite her desire to eat healthfully suggests that her id is overpowering her attempts at self-control.

Question 11

Octavia enjoys being around others and is well-known for her social grace. She is warm and engaging with everyone she meets, regardless of whether the setting is the classroom, her workplace, a restaurant, or her own home. Since Octavia has a fairly stable way of relating to other people, we can say that her behaviour is probably

Accepted Answer

Octavia's behaviour is described as a consistent pattern of social grace, which suggests that it is a manifestation of a personality trait. It is not necessarily related to a desire for achievement (option A), the superego (option C), or the Electra complex (option D).

Question 12

Iona has been in trouble with the law several times for fighting with other people and has been court-ordered into anger management therapy. As part of the initial assessment, the therapist asks Iona to take a personality test. When the test is done, she and Iona sit down to look at the results. The therapist explains that Iona has high scores on depression, paranoia, psychopathic deviance, and hypomania. The therapist gave Iona the

Accepted Answer

The MMPI is a commonly used personality test, specifically designed to assess mental health and identify psychological disorders. It includes scales to measure depression, paranoia, psychopathic deviance, and hypomania, which are the same dimensions that Iona scored high on. The MMPI is therefore the best choice for this assessment. The Rorschach and TAT are projective tests that may be useful in helping clients express their thoughts and feelings, but they do not have specific scales for these dimensions. The NEO-PI is a personality test designed to measure the Five Factor Model of personality, which is not directly related to Iona's issues with mental health and behavioral problems.

Question 13

Elijah often worries about his future. He almost always lies awake the night before a test, concerned that he will fail. On the rare occasion that he does receive a grade that is lower than the one for which he had hoped, he becomes depressed and irritable. His friends tease him that he takes everything far too seriously or is going to have a nervous breakdown before he reaches 20. Based on this information and relying on the five-factor model, we can say that Elijah would be most likely to score high in

Accepted Answer

Elijah's worry about his future and his response to receiving a lower grade suggest that he may score high in neuroticism, which is characterized by an individual's tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, worry, and sadness.

Question 14

Likert scales present an individual with scalar dimensions along which they are to rate their attitudes and ideas. A teacher, for example, might be asked to rate students on the degree to which the behaviour of each reflects leadership capacity, shyness, or creativity. Peers might rate each other along dimensions such as friendliness, trustworthiness, and social skills. Several standardized, printed rating scales are available for describing the behaviour of psychiatric hospital patients. Rating scales are one way of gathering personality data using the

Accepted Answer

Rating scales are a type of self-report methodology since individuals are asked to rate their own attitudes or behaviors, or to rate the attitudes or behaviors of others based on their own perception. The other options (B) experimental approach, (C) observational method, and (D) correlational approach, all involve different methods of data collection that do not involve rating scales.

Question 15

Elka lends a friend some money but the friend doesn't pay her back when he said he would. Though Elka feels angry, her mother taught her that it is rude to yell or say anything that might upset someone else, so she pretends she isn't angry and asks the friend to pay her back in a month. Freud would say that Elka's __________________ told her she shouldn't show anger toward others.

Accepted Answer

Freud's theory of personality includes the id (our primitive, instinctual desires), the ego (our rational, decision-making self), and the superego (our moral compass that seeks to control the impulses of the id). Elka's superego is telling her not to express her anger in a way that might harm her relationship with her friend.

Question 16

Pablo enjoys work that involves finding a single right answer. He rarely sees any need to test an approach that works and is uncomfortable when asked to do something that is not already in his intellectual or emotional repertoires. He prefers simplicity in his everyday life and doesn't understand why anyone would invest large amounts of time or money in art or music, because to him neither serves any true purpose. Based on this information and relying on the five-factor model, we can say that Pablo would be most likely to score low in

Accepted Answer

Pablo's tendency towards finding a single right answer and his discomfort with approaches that aren't already in his repertoire suggest a lack of openness to new experiences.

Question 17

Machiko recently started college. Her freshman orientation includes information on date rape and personal safety. Machiko realizes that she has few if any self-defense skills so, determined to become more competent, she joins a martial arts club at her university. After several months she is aware that her ability to take care of herself has improved dramatically. Machiko's feelings of ________________ regarding her personal safety have increased.

Accepted Answer

Self-efficacy refers to a person's belief in their own ability to achieve goals and handle challenging situations. In this scenario, Machiko's decision to join a martial arts club and improve her self-defense skills suggests that she has developed a sense of self-efficacy when it comes to her personal safety.

Question 18

Dr. Drust asks his client Nairi to complete a test that will help him pinpoint the type of depression she has and which personality characteristics may be contributing to her problem. The test, which consists of 567 true-false questions, addresses attitudes and emotions, behaviours and symptoms, and life history. Dr. Drust has given Nairi the

Accepted Answer

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a standardized questionnaire that measures personality traits and psychological disorders, including depression. It has a large number of true-false questions, similar to the test described in the scenario. The Rorschach and TAT are projective tests that assess personality characteristics by having subjects respond to ambiguous stimuli, while the NEO-PI measures personality traits related to the Five Factor Model of personality. These tests are less likely to be useful for diagnosing specific psychological disorders like depression.

Question 19

While Layne's friends enjoy her sense of humour and warmth, they are often frustrated by her inability to arrive at places on time. Worse, she rarely calls to say she will be late, and sometimes she doesn't show up at all. She hates to commit to anything beforehand and seems to make decisions based on her moods, regardless of how her behaviour might affect others. Based on this information and relying on the five-factor model, we can say that Layne would be most likely to score low in

Accepted Answer

Layne's behavior is indicative of low conscientiousness, which includes traits such as being irresponsible, not adhering to schedules or commitments, and lacking self-discipline.

Question 20

Xerxes considers himself a cynical, temperamental person, an approach he feels is justified, since just about everyone he meets is unpleasant with him. What Xerxes doesn't realize is that most people greet him pleasantly enough; it is when he treats them rudely that they become rude in response. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

This is an example of reciprocal determinism, which refers to the idea that behavior is influenced by both personal factors (such as Xerxes' cynical and temperamental outlook) and environmental factors (such as the way he treats others, and their subsequent response to him). In this case, Xerxes' behavior is contributing to the unpleasant interactions he has with others, rather than solely being a result of the way others treat him.

Quiz 13: Personality: The Uniqueness of the Individual

Tracy was involved in a study of open field behaviour in rats. She and two of her colleagues all had to score the movement of a rat in the open field to be sure they all got similar results. They are testing their

Dr. Vartan shows his client Dallas 12 different pictures and asks him to tell a story about each one. When Dallas has looked at all the cards, the two of them review the stories together, looking for recurrent themes. Dallas has just taken the

One method used to study behavioural genetics is twin studies. This allows researchers to obtain estimates of how heritable personality traits are. If a trait is genetically influenced,