Question 1

One of your roommates is an extravert and the other is an introvert.When you come home, you slam the door, surprising them both.According to biological trait theory, who would show more physiological arousal to this event?

Accepted Answer

A) the extravert 
B) the introvert 
C) They would both show the same level of arousal. 
D) This theory does not allow one to predict the outcome.

Question 2

Most contemporary trait theorists believe in interactionism, which means that

Accepted Answer

A) behavior is jointly determined by biological and psychological processes. 
B) behavior is influenced by both situations and personality traits. 
C) central traits interact with weak situations to predict behavior. 
D) secondary traits interact with strong situations to predict behavior.

Question 3

One of the earliest pieces of evidence that personality has a genetic component was the fact that

Accepted Answer

A) adopted children in the same family are not very similar in personality. 
B) identical twins are more similar in personality than fraternal twins. 
C) people in the same culture, who apparently share similar genes, are similar in personality. 
D) men are more similar to other men in personality, and women are more similar to other women.

Question 4

Kara, a 2-year-old, is a participant in a research study on infant temperament.Which of the following characteristics is most likely to be assessed in this study?

Accepted Answer

A) Kara's attention span 
B) Kara's memory for objects 
C) Kara's social behaviors 
D) Kara's alertness on mental tasks

Question 5

Factor analysis is useful to psychologists because it allows them to

Accepted Answer

A) separate real traits from imaginary traits. 
B) group traits together based on their similarities. 
C) identify the causal factor behind each trait. 
D) predict behavior on the basis of traits.

Question 6

One of your roommates is an extravert and the other is an introvert.According to research on biological trait theory, who has higher baseline levels of arousal?

Accepted Answer

A) the extravert 
B) the introvert 
C) They would both show the same baseline level of arousal. 
D) This theory does not allow one to predict the outcome.

Question 7

Which of the following accurately summarizes current research on twin studies in personality?

Accepted Answer

A) Genetics can explain 75 percent of the variance between individuals for all personality traits. 
B) The genetic basis of traits varies across cultures. 
C) Genetics can explain about half the variance in specific attitudes that reflect personality traits. 
D) The relationship between genetics and personality varies depending on whether the twins or an observer rates their personality traits.

Question 8

Temperamental differences in humans are primarily a function of

Accepted Answer

A) different early environments. 
B) different parenting styles. 
C) underlying differences in biological processes. 
D) gender differences.

Question 9

Freud argued that defense mechanisms are

Accepted Answer

A) strategies the id uses to satisfy the pleasure principle. 
B) conscious mental strategies that we use to deal with unacceptable sexual urges. 
C) unconscious strategies that the mind uses to protect itself from distress. 
D) strategies that the superego employs to satisfy the reality principle.

Question 10

Personality traits associated with behavioral, cognitive, or emotional tendencies are referred to as

Accepted Answer

A) sociability traits. 
B) humanistic traits. 
C) dispositions. 
D) characteristics.

Question 11

When Jon scored a 95 on his first psychology exam, he reported that he had spent a great deal of time studying.When he scored a 60 on his second psychology exam, he stated that the exam was poorly written.These responses are an example of

Accepted Answer

A) social comparisons. 
B) self-evaluative maintenance. 
C) self-serving bias. 
D) None of the answer options is correct.

Question 12

If a trait is a single concept, then personality is

Accepted Answer

A) a collection of concepts. 
B) an element of a concept. 
C) the opposite of a concept. 
D) None of the answer options is correct.

Question 13

As a college student, Pearl worried constantly about dating, friendships, and her grades.In her 40s, she now worries about her health, her finances, and the environment.This change in the focus of her worrying is called a

Accepted Answer

A) functional adjustment. 
B) peripheral adaptation. 
C) characteristic adaptation. 
D) basic tendency.

Question 14

An important criticism of the Rorschach inkblot test is that it

Accepted Answer

A) identifies too many normal people as psychologically disturbed. 
B) works well for women but not for men. 
C) cannot be administered to children. 
D) reveals unconscious, but not conscious, motives and conflicts.

Question 15

Although most projective measures of personality are viewed as too subjective and not properly validated, the is still considered useful for predicting some aspects of behavior.

Accepted Answer

A) Rorschach inkblot test 
B) Thematic Apperception Test TAT) 
C) draw-a-person test 
D) imaginary friend test

Question 16

The BAS behavior, whereas the BIS behavior.

Accepted Answer

A) activates; inhibits 
B) suppresses; facilitates 
C) controls; modulates the intensity of 
D) selects the appropriate; activates the selected

Question 17

Jackie is very aware of situational demands.She acts wild at a dance party but stays quiet and calm at a very fancy restaurant.Jackie would be considered

Accepted Answer

A) high in self-monitoring. 
B) low in self-monitoring. 
C) high in openness to experience. 
D) low in openness to experience.

Question 18

You are a high self-monitor and your roommate is a low self-monitor.What can we expect regarding the consistency of you and your roommate's behaviors?

Accepted Answer

A) Your behavior will be more consistent than your roommate's behavior. 
B) Your roommate's behavior will be more consistent than yours. 
C) We cannot say unless we know whether there are strong or weak situations. 
D) We cannot say because behavioral consistency is not related to self-monitoring.

Question 19

The fact that age-related changes in personality are similar across cultures

Accepted Answer

A) indicates that genetic factors are primarily responsible for personality formation. 
B) tells us nothing about what factors may be causing such changes. 
C) indicates that such changes are not entirely a function of the environment. 
D) suggests that all cultures have similar stereotypes related to aging.

Question 20

Most people

Accepted Answer

A) are unrealistically optimistic about their futures. 
B) overestimate their control over events. 
C) overestimate their abilities. 
D) All of the answer options are correct.

Exam 13: Personality