(PSYC 1103) Chapter 11: Personality

Which personality assessment employs a series of true/false questions? a. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) b. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) c. Rotter Incomplete Sentence Blank (RISB) d. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

a

Your level of confidence in your own abilities is known as ________. a. self-efficacy b. self-concept c. self-control d. self-esteem

a

reciprocal determinism

belief that one's environment can determine behavior, but at the same time, people can influence the environment with both their thoughts and behaviors

locus of control

beliefs about the power we have over our lives; an external locus of control is the belief that our outcomes are outside of our control; an internal locus of control is the belief that we control our own outcomes

The Oedipus complex occurs in the ________ stage of psychosexual development. a. oral b. anal c. phallic d. latency

c

The universal bank of ideas, images, and concepts that have been passed down through the generations from our ancestors refers to ________. a. archetypes b. intuition c. collective unconscious d. personality types

c

traits

characteristic ways of behaving

collective unconscious

common psychological tendencies that have been passed down from one generation to the next

According to the Eysencks' theory, people who score high on neuroticism tend to be ________. a. calm b. stable c. outgoing d. anxious

d

According to the findings of the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart, identical twins, whether raised together or apart have ________ personalities. a. slightly different b. very different c. slightly similar d. very similar

d

Personality is thought to be ________. a. short term and easily changed b. a pattern of short-term characteristics c. unstable and short term d. long term, stable and not easily changed

d

The idea that people's ideas about themselves should match their actions is called ________. a. confluence b. conscious c. conscientiousness d. congruence

d

The long-standing traits and patterns that propel individuals to consistently think, feel, and behave in specific ways are known as ________. a. psychodynamic b. temperament c. humors d. personality

d

________ is credited with the first comprehensive theory of personality. a. Hippocrates b. Gall c. Wundt d. Freud

d

projection

ego defense mechanism in which a person confronted with anxiety disguises their unacceptable urges or behaviors by attributing them to other people

rationalization

ego defense mechanism in which a person confronted with anxiety makes excuses to justify behavior

regression

ego defense mechanism in which a person confronted with anxiety returns to a more immature behavioral state

reaction formation

ego defense mechanism in which a person confronted with anxiety swaps unacceptable urges or behaviors for their opposites

displacement

ego defense mechanism in which a person transfers inappropriate urges or behaviors toward a more acceptable or less threatening target

repression

ego defense mechanism in which anxiety-related thoughts and memories are kept in the unconscious

sublimation

ego defense mechanism in which unacceptable urges are channeled into more appropriate activities

temperament

how a person reacts to the world, including their activity level, starting when they are very young

personality

long-standing traits and patterns that propel individuals to consistently think, feel, and behave in specific ways

conscious

mental activity (thoughts, feelings, and memories) that we can access at any time

unconscious

mental activity of which we are unaware and unable to access

self-concept

our thoughts and feelings about ourselves

archetype

pattern that exists in our collective unconscious across cultures and societies

ideal self

person we would like to be

real self

person who we actually are

heritability

proportion of difference among people that is attributed to genetics

oral stage

psychosexual stage in which an infant's pleasure is focused on the mouth

anal stage

psychosexual stage in which children experience pleasure in their bowel and bladder movements

latency period

psychosexual stage in which sexual feelings are dormant

genital stage

psychosexual stage in which the focus is on mature sexual interests

phallic stage

psychosexual stage in which the focus is on the genitals

inferiority complex

refers to a person's feelings that they lack worth and don't measure up to others' or to society's standards

individual psychology

school of psychology proposed by Adler that focuses on our drive to compensate for feelings of inferiority

self-efficacy

someone's level of confidence in their own abilities

psychosexual stages of development

stages of child development in which a child's pleasure-seeking urges are focused on specific areas of the body called erogenous zones

congruence

state of being in which our thoughts about our real and ideal selves are very similar

incongruence

state of being in which there is a great discrepancy between our real and ideal selves

neurosis

tendency to experience negative emotions

Five Factor Model

theory that personality is composed of five factors or traits, including openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism

defense mechanism

unconscious protective behaviors designed to reduce ego anxiety

Compare the personality of someone who scores high on agreeableness to someone who scores low on agreeableness.

A person with a high score on agreeableness is typically pleasant, cooperative, trustworthy and good-natured. People who score low on agreeableness tend to be described as rude and uncooperative. They may be difficult with which to work.

Why would a clinician give someone a projective test?

A projective test could give the clinician clues about dreams, fears, and personal struggles of which the client may be unaware, since these tests are designed to reveal unconscious motivations and attitudes. They can also help clinicians diagnose psychological disorders.

How might a temperament mix between parent and child affect family life?

An easygoing parent may be irritated by a difficult child. If both parent and child have difficult temperaments, then conflicts in the parent-child relationship might result quite often.

Which of the following is NOT a projective test? a. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) b. Rorschach Inkblot Test c. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) d. Rotter Incomplete Sentence Blank (RISB)

a

social-cognitive theory

Bandura's theory of personality that emphasizes both cognition and learning as sources of individual differences in personality

Describe the difference between extroverts and introverts in terms of what is energizing to each.

Extroverts are energized by social engagement. Introverts are recharged by solitary time.

Discuss Horney's perspective on Freud's concept of penis envy.

Horney disagreed with the Freudian idea that women had penis envy and were jealous of a man's biological features. Horney discussed that the jealousy was more likely culturally based, due to the greater privileges that males often have, and that differences between men and women's personalities were cultural, not biologically based. Horney also suggested that men may have womb envy, because men cannot give birth.

Describe the personality of someone who is fixated at the anal stage.

If parents are too harsh during potty training, a person could become fixated at this stage and would be called anal retentive. The anal-retentive personality is stingy, stubborn, has a compulsive need for order and neatness, and might be considered a perfectionist. On the other hand, some parents may be too soft when it comes to potty training. In this case, Freud said that children could also become fixated and display an anal-expulsive personality. As an adult, an anal-expulsive personality is messy, careless, disorganized, and prone to emotional outbursts.

analytical psychology

Jung's theory focusing on the balance of opposing forces within one's personality and the significance of the collective unconscious

Why might it be important to consider cultural influences on personality?

Since culture influences one's personality, then Western ideas about personality may not be applicable to people of other cultures. In addition, Western-based measures of personality assessment may not be valid when used to collect data on people from other cultures.

How might the common expression "daddy's girl" be rooted in the idea of the Electra complex?

Since the idea behind the Electra complex is that the daughter competes with her same-sex parent for the attention of her opposite-sex parent, the term "daddy's girl" might suggest that the daughter has an overly close relationship with her father and a more distant—or even antagonistic—relationship with her mother.

How stable are the Big Five traits over one's lifespan?

The Big Five traits are relatively stable over our lifespan with a tendency for the traits to increase or decrease slightly. Researchers have found that conscientiousness increases through young adulthood into middle age, as we become better able to manage our personal relationships and careers. Agreeableness also increases with age, peaking between 50 to 70 years. However, neuroticism and extroversion tend to decline slightly with age.

What makes a personal quality part of someone's personality?

The particular quality or trait must be part of an enduring behavior pattern, so that it is a consistent or predictable quality.

Why might a prospective employer screen applicants using personality assessments?

They can help an employer predict a candidate's reactions and attitudes to various situations they might encounter on the job, thus helping choose the right person for the job. This is particularly important in hiring for a high-risk job such as law enforcement. Personality tests can also reveal a potential employee's desirable qualities such as honesty, motivation, and conscientiousness.

An early science that tried to correlate personality with measurements of parts of a person's skull is known as ________. a. phrenology b. psychology c. physiology d. personality psychology

a

Temperament refers to ________. a. inborn, genetically based personality differences b. characteristic ways of behaving c. conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, and extroversion d. degree of introversion-extroversion

a

The concept that people choose to move to places that are compatible with their personalities and needs is known as ________. a. selective migration b. personal oriented personality c. socially oriented personality d. individualism

a

id

aspect of personality that consists of our most primitive drives or urges, including impulses for hunger, thirst, and sex

ego

aspect of personality that represents the self, or the part of one's personality that is visible to others

superego

aspect of the personality that serves as one's moral compass, or conscience

A personality assessment in which a person responds to ambiguous stimuli, revealing unconscious feelings, impulses, and desires ________. a. self-report inventory b. projective test c. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) d. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

b

Brianna is 18 months old. She cries frequently, is hard to soothe, and wakes frequently during the night. According to Thomas and Chess, she would be considered ________. a. an easy baby b. a difficult baby c. a slow to warm up baby d. a colicky baby

b

Jane believes that she got a bad grade on her psychology paper because her professor doesn't like her. Jane most likely has an _______ locus of control. a. internal b. external c. intrinsic d. extrinsic

b

Self-concept refers to ________. a. our level of confidence in our own abilities b. all of our thoughts and feelings about ourselves c. the belief that we control our own outcomes d. the belief that our outcomes are outside of our control

b

Self-regulation is also known as ________. a. self-efficacy b. will power c. internal locus of control d. external locus of control

b

The United States is considered a ________ culture. a. collectivistic b. individualist c. traditional d. nontraditional

b

The ego defense mechanism in which a person who is confronted with anxiety returns to a more immature behavioral stage is called ________. a. repression b. regression c. reaction formation d. rationalization

b

The id operates on the ________ principle. a. reality b. pleasure c. instant gratification d. guilt

b

The way a person reacts to the world, starting when they are very young, including the person's activity level is known as ________. a. traits b. temperament c. heritability d. personality

b