Exam 14: Theories of Personality

Renu is a perfect example of extroversion, whereas her sister, Radhika, has personality traits that reflect introversion. Write a short scenario describing likely experiences of each sister during her first two weeks at college.

Members of individualist cultures:

Professor Samuilow wants to estimate the heritability of moodiness, and so she must infer it by studying people whose degree of genetic similarity is known.

Theorists within the psychodynamic tradition would agree that:

Carl Jung had a psychotic breakdown after his split with Sigmund Freud.

Violating the principle of falsifiability is illustrated when a professor's case study presentation is criticized and he tells his supporters that the critic is in denial.

It is not easy to see how cultural rules affect our own personalities.

What is meant by the "Barnum effect"? Why is this a source of concern for many psychologists? Describe three ways that a person can avoid being taken in by the Barnum effect.

What is meant by "nonshared environment"?

Defence mechanisms are used by the ego to prevent threatening thoughts from entering consciousness.

In Freud's theory of personality, in order to defend itself against the demands of the id, the ego will call upon:

According to Carl Rogers, if a man loves his wife only when she is looking her best, then:

In Freud's theory of personality, the ________ corresponds roughly to the common notion of conscience.

The defence mechanism of regression is illustrated by the behaviour of a nine-year-old boy who starts having tantrums after his family moves to a different province.

________ occurs when people refuse to admit to an event, feeling, or memory that causes them anxiety or distress.

Although modern psychodynamic theorists differ in many ways, they share a general belief that the way to understand personality is to explore its unconscious dynamics.

Sybil's father was cruel to her throughout the early years of her childhood. His discipline was harsh and he constantly taunted her. As an adult, Sybil frequently sends him elaborate gifts to show the extent of her love. What Freudian concepts does this example suggest?

In social-cognitive theories, ________ is the two-way interaction between aspects of the environment and aspects of the individual in the shaping of personality traits.

A well-respected politician finds himself aroused by erotic images. His ego relieves his tension through the unconscious use of the defence mechanism of reaction formation. Explain how this defence mechanism works according to psychoanalytic theorists. Incorporate into your answer specific ways that the politician might display the results of reaction formation in his career.

Which defence mechanism involves reversion to an earlier phase of psychological development?