Chapter 6: Culture and Personality

Which of the following statements is true of the social dominance theory? a) It states that behavior related to personality occurs at several levels based ultimately on the motivating aspects of evolved personality systems. b) It views personality structure as a universal psychological mechanism, a product of natural selection that serves both social and nonsocial functions in problem solving and environmental adaptation. c) It states that people from all cultures share basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, but that the specific ways in which these needs are met and expressed differ according to context and culture. d) It concerns the maintenance and stability of social hierarchies, and suggests that cultural ideologies, values, attitudes, and worldviews provide the justification for intergroup behaviors such as discrimination and prejudice.

It concerns the maintenance and stability of social hierarchies, and suggests that cultural ideologies, values, attitudes, and worldviews provide the justification for intergroup behaviors such as discrimination and prejudice.

Hofstede, Bond, and Luk (1993) analyzed data from 1,300 individuals in Denmark and the Netherlands, and found six personality dimensions. Five of these were related to the five-factor model, and the sixth dimension was labeled _____. a) authoritarianism b) collaborationism c) narcissism d) associationism

a) authoritarianism

In the context of the five-factor model, which of the following is a subtrait of conscientiousness? a) Trust b) Dutifulness c) Warmth d) Modesty

b) Dutifulness

Which of the following is NOT a personality dimension of the five-factor model? a) Conscientiousness b) Introversion c) Neuroticism d) Agreeableness

b) Introversion

According to McCrae & Costa (1999), which of the following is a core component of the five-factor theory? a) External disposition b) Motive dispositions c) Characteristic adaptations d) National character

c) Characteristic adaptations

Which of the following traits was included in the indigenous scale developed by Cheung and colleagues to measure personality in China? a) Tempermentalness b) Dominance c) Defensiveness d) Aggressiveness

c) Defensiveness

_____, one of the dimensions of the five-factor model, refers to the degree of organization, persistence, control, and motivation in goal-directed behavior. a) Agreeableness b) Neuroticism c) Openness d) Conscientiousness

d) Conscientiousness

Which of the following statements is true of the hierarchical model of motivation? a) It rejects the notion of universality of personality. b) It states that humans possess evolved motive dispositions, which are serviced by a universal set of personality dispositions that help individuals achieve their affective goals by managing personal and environmental resources. c) It states that people from all cultures share basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. d) It concerns the maintenance and stability of social hierarchies, and suggests that cultural ideologies, values, attitudes, and worldviews provide the justification for intergroup behaviors such as discrimination and prejudice.

It states that humans possess evolved motive dispositions, which are serviced by a universal set of personality dispositions that help individuals achieve their affective goals by managing personal and environmental resources.

In the context of measuring personality, which of the following statements is true of the NEO PI-3? a) It is a 240-item instrument in which respondents rate the degree to which they agree or disagree that the item is characteristic of them. b) It is a statistical technique that allows researchers to group items on a questionnaire. c) It is a test that consists of 180 items rated on a seven point scale. d) It is a self-report personality test and can be used as a clinical instrument to help diagnose psychiatric disorders.

a) It is a 240-item instrument in which respondents rate the degree to which they agree or disagree that the item is characteristic of them.

Which of the following statements best defines the term personality? a) It is a set of relatively enduring behavioral and cognitive characteristics, traits, or predispositions that people take with them to different situations, contexts, and interactions with others, and that contribute to differences among individuals. b) It refers to the conscious knowledge of one's own character, feelings, motives, and desires. c) It is the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another, which includes customs, traditions, and social behavior. d) It refers to the stage of human social development and organization that is considered the most advanced.

a) It is a set of relatively enduring behavioral and cognitive characteristics, traits, or predispositions that people take with them to different situations, contexts, and interactions with others, and that contribute to differences among individuals.

In the context of personality, which of the following statements best describes the term "identity"? a) It refers to our perceived roles in life, aggregate role and life experiences, narratives, values, and motives. b) It refers to a predisposition or a tendency to respond positively or negatively toward a certain idea, object, person, or situation. c) It refers to a consistent pattern of behavior that a person would usually display in relevant circumstances. d) It refers to a process of promoting oneself as being powerful or important.

a) It refers to our perceived roles in life, aggregate role and life experiences, narratives, values, and motives.

Which of the following statements is true of the cultural indigenous perspective to personality? a) It rejects the possibility of biological and genetic mechanisms underlying the universality of personality. b) It suggests that personality organization and dimensions are universal. c) It views personality as something discrete and separate from culture. d) It attributes importance to the learning of personality in an environment through biological factors.

a) It rejects the possibility of biological and genetic mechanisms underlying the universality of personality.

The _____ approach tends to see personality as an etic or universal phenomenon that is equivalently relevant and meaningful in the cultures being compared. a) cross-cultural b) cultural indigenous c) psychological anthropological d) cultural relativism

a) cross-cultural

The _____ to personality assumes that psychological processes are not just influenced by culture but are thoroughly culturally constituted. a) cultural perspective b) cross-cultural perspective c) indigenous perspective d) psychological anthropological perspective

a) cultural perspective

According to Yamaguchi (2001), in _____, the self acts as an agent, and individuals feel themselves to be more self-efficacious when their agency is made explicit, leading to greater feelings of autonomy and efficacy. a) direct control b) indirect control c) proxy control d) collective control

a) direct control

The _____ was conceived after researchers noticed the similarities in the personality dimensions that had emerged across many studies, both within and between cultures. a) five-factor model b) biopsychosocial model c) hierarchical model of personality d) social dominance theory

a) five-factor model

In the context of control across cultures, people in _____ pretend as if they are not acting as an agent even though in reality they are doing so. a) indirect control b) direct control c) proxy control d) collective control

a) indirect control

The term _____ refers to a consistent pattern of behavior, feelings, and thoughts that a person would usually display in relevant circumstances. a) trait b) morale c) ethics d) preference

a) trait

Culture can substantially influence personality through the resources, social structures, and social systems available in a specific environment to help achieve goals. a) True b) False

a) true

In terms of research findings, evidence for indigenous conceptions of personality is not necessarily antithetical to the existence of universal personality traits. a) True b) False

a) true

In the context of the five-factor model, the subtraits of neuroticism are depression, self-consciousness, impulsiveness, and vulnerability. a) True b) False

a) true

Markus & Kitayama (1998) and Shweder & Bourne (1984) argue that the research supporting universality of personality and its possible biological substrates may be contaminated by the methods used. a) True b) False

a) true

Terraciano and colleagues (2005) suggested that one of the functions of stereotypes about other groups is to affirm, or reaffirm, the perceptions, and often the self-worth, of one's own group. a) True b) False

a) true

The cross-cultural validation of personality measures requires psychometric evidence from all cultures in which the test is to be used. a) True b) False

a) true

According to Yamaguchi (2001), which of the following statements is true of proxy control? a) It is a form of control in which one attempts to control the environment as a member of a group, and the group serves as the agent of control. b) It is a form of control that can be used when personal control, either direct or indirect, is not available or inappropriate. c) It is a type of control in which one's agency is hidden or downplayed. d) It is a type of control in which the self acts as an agent, and individuals feel themselves to be more self-efficacious when their agency is made explicit.

b) It is a form of control that can be used when personal control, either direct or indirect, is not available or inappropriate.

Which of the following statements is true of the study conducted by Terraciano et al. (2005) in 49 cultures on describing the "typical member" of a culture? a) The findings suggested that perceptions of national character may actually be substantiated by characteristics of members of those cultures. b) The respondents' perceptions of national character were not correlated with the actual, aggregate personality levels of individuals of those cultures. c) There was relatively high disagreement about the national character perceptions of various cultures. d) The study was conducted using a single measure to assess personality and national character.

b) The respondents' perceptions of national character were not correlated with the actual, aggregate personality levels of individuals of those cultures.

Which of the following statements is true of people with an external locus of control? a) They see their behavior and relationships with others as dependent on their own behavior. b) They see their behavior and relationships with the environment and others as contingent on forces outside themselves and beyond their control. c) They feel themselves to be more self-efficacious when their agency is made explicit, leading to greater feelings of autonomy and efficacy. d) They need to worry about interpersonal harmony less because their group shares the goal of control.

b) They see their behavior and relationships with the environment and others as contingent on forces outside themselves and beyond their control.

In the context of the five-factor model, compliance, modesty, and tender-mindedness are subtraits of _____. a) conscientiousness b) agreeableness c) neuroticism d) openness

b) agreeableness

According to Doi, all Japanese relationships can be characterized by _____, loosely translated as passive, childlike dependence of one person on another, which serves as a fundamental building block of Japanese culture and personality. a) cheong b) amae c) ren qing d) pakikisama

b) amae

One of the most contentious parts of the five-factor theory is its suggestion that the origin of the personality traits is at least partially _____ determined. a) behaviorally b) biologically c) situationally d) religiously

b) biologically

In the context of the five-factor model, _____ refers to the degree to which an individual experiences positive emotions, and is outgoing, expressive, and sociable or shy, introverted, and avoids contact. a) openness b) extraversion c) neuroticism d) conscientiousness

b) extraversion

People with a(n) _____ see their behavior and relationships with others as dependent on their own behavior. a) powerful locus of control b) internal locus of control c) external locus of control d) weak locus of control

b) internal locus of control

According to Church, Katigbak, & Reyes (1998) and Church, Reyes, Katigbak, & Grimm (1997), the two additional traits, apart from the five dimensions, that described the Filipino personality adequately were: a) cooperativeness and compassion. b) tempermentalness and self-assurance. c) responsiveness and hospitality. d) dutifulness and argumentative.

b) tempermentalness and self-assurance.

In the context of the five-factor model, which of the following is a subtrait of openness? a) Warmth b) Deliberation c) Fantasy d) Altruism

c) Fantasy

Which of the following is more likely to be "mutually constituted" in development, arising out of an interaction between an individual and the environment? a) Trait b) Gender c) Identity d) Race

c) Identity

_____, a component of the five-factor model, refers to the tendency to experience negative emotions, vulnerability to stress, and emotional stability. a) Agreeableness b) Openness c) Neuroticism d) Extraversion

c) Neuroticism

Which of the following traits were considered important in predicting behaviors such as smoking, drinking, gambling, praying, tolerance of homosexuality, and tolerance of premarital and extramarital relations in Filipinos, above and beyond what could be predicted by the five-factor model? a) Harmony, timidity, and dominance b) Aggressiveness, easy-going behavior, and lack of empathy c) Social curiosity, risk-taking behavior, and religiosity d) Calmness, obliging behavior, and authoritativeness

c) Social curiosity, risk-taking behavior, and religiosity

Which of the following is a difference between the five-factor model (FFM) and the five-factor theory (FFT)? a) The FFM is always consistent and reliable, whereas the FFT depends on the FFM for its validity. b) The FFM is a model about the sources of culture-specific traits, whereas the FFT is a theory of five dimensions of personality that are culture-specific. c) The FFM is a model of the universal personality traits, whereas the FFT is a theory about the source of those traits. d) The core components of the FFM are basic tendencies, characteristic adaptations, and self-concept, whereas the core components of the FFT are extraversion, neuroticism, and agreeableness.

c) The FFM is a model of the universal personality traits, whereas the FFT is a theory about the source of those traits.

The _____, one of the core components of the five-factor theory, representing the universal personality traits are not culturally variable. a) external dispositions b) characteristic adaptations c) basic tendencies d) motive dispositions

c) basic tendencies

According to MacDonald (1991, 1998), an evolutionary approach suggests a _____ model in which behavior related to personality occurs at several levels based ultimately on the motivating aspects of evolved personality systems. a) social learning b) universal personality c) hierarchical d) biological

c) hierarchical

In the context of an evolutionary approach, _____ is viewed as a universal psychological mechanism, a product of natural selection that serves both social and nonsocial functions in problem solving and environmental adaptation. a) social structure b) identity c) personality structure d) perception

c) personality structure

The _____ view of personality attributes more importance to the learning of psychological mechanisms and personality in the environment through cultural practices than to biological or evolutionary factors. a) cross-cultural b) cultural anthropological c) psychological anthropological d) nomothetic

c) psychological anthropological

Which of the following theories states that people from all cultures share basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, but that the specific ways in which these needs are met and expressed differ according to context and culture? a) Five-factor theory b) Social dominance theory c) Social learning theory d) Self-determination theory

d) Self-determination theory

In the context of the five-factor theory, which of the following statements is NOT true of culture? a) Characteristic adaptations can be substantially influenced by culture through the resources, social structures, and social systems available. b) Culture can influence mean levels of personality and values about the various personality traits. c) Culture defines context and provides differential meaning to the components of context. d) The basic tendencies representing the universal personality traits are culturally variable.

d) The basic tendencies representing the universal personality traits are culturally variable.

Which of the following is true of the early cross-cultural studies on personality that would take a personality scale developed in one country or culture and translate it to use in another culture? a) These studies did not impose an assumed etic construct upon the cultures studied. b) It was concluded that the personality dimensions represented by an imposed etic were equivalently represented in all cultures included in the studies. c) It provided sufficient evidence that the personality domains measured in these studies were equivalent in all the cultures studied. d) The researchers in these studies assumed that the methods of measuring personality dimensions were psychometrically valid and reliable.

d) The researchers in these studies assumed that the methods of measuring personality dimensions were psychometrically valid and reliable.

According to Yamaguchi (2001), in _____, one attempts to control the environment as a member of a group, and the group serves as the agent of control. a) proxy control b) direct control c) indirect control d) collective control

d) collective control

The findings of a study of chimpanzees by King and Figueredo (1997) and other studies involving orangutans and chimpanzees suggest that _____ is an inherited trait among animals. a) hostility b) attention c) sociability d) dominance

d) dominance

In the context of the five-factor model, two of the most important traits for describing behavioral differences are _____ and _____. a) tender-mindedness; self-discipline b) openness to experience; agreeableness c) agreeableness; conscientiousness d) extraversion; neuroticism

d) extraversion; neuroticism

Conceptualizations of cultures that focus on individualism versus collectivism suggest that people of collectivistic cultures are _____. a) autonomously self-reliant b) autonomously independent c) not heteronomous d) not autonomous

d) not autonomous

In the context of psychological anthropology, a national character refers to: a) the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture. b) the belief of a nation that every culture has its own significance and therefore needs to be preserved. c) a condition or system in which two or more states, groups, principles, or sources of authority coexist. d) the perception that each culture has a modal personality type, and that most persons in that culture share aspects of it.

d) the perception that each culture has a modal personality type, and that most persons in that culture share aspects of it.