Psy 351: Chapters 9-12
Which cliché that you might find on an Internet meme or an inspirational poster would be reflective of a key component of the humanistic model?
"Don't sacrifice today just thinking about tomorrow."
After she does not earn a passing grade in her chemistry class, Toya tells her parents that the teacher was totally incomprehensible, that the material made no sense, and that the textbook was too difficult. Which response would her parents give her that would mirror one of the critical components of the humanistic approach?
"It is important for you to accept responsibility for your own actions, whether you succeed or fail."
Which saying encapsulates the psychological construct of self-esteem?
"do i like myself"
Mahindra is talking with four of her friends about getting married someday, and they discuss the "kind of guy" they'd each want to marry. All five ladies are from different countries. Based on the research presented in your text about cultural opinions of a marital partner's age, how many of the women will want to marry a man younger than themselves?
0
Why is it that students in the United States might regard their own academic performance as better than it truly is (i.e., seeing themselves as a top student when they earn C's in most of their classes), while students in Japan might see themselves more poorly than they should?
Because the United States is an individualistic culture, while Japan is a collectivist culture.
When extroverts and introverts were asked about their overall levels of happiness during the week, what was discovered?
Both groups were happiest on Fridays and Saturdays, but extroverts reported higher happiness levels on every day.
Fully functioning is to ______ as self-actualization is to _______.
Carl Rogers; Abraham Maslow
What is the relationship between global self-esteem and contingencies of self-worth?
Contingencies of self-worth are more specific and combine to contribute to global self-esteem.
What procedure might researches use to study individual preferences for solitude?
Experience sampling method
Research has found that those who are more extraverted report overall higher levels of happiness than those who report being more introverted. What is one possible explanation for this relationship as noted by the textbook?
Extraverts are either more sensitive to rewards or may enjoy the pursuit of rewards more than introverts.
With regard to the concept of free will, what argument is forwarded by critics of the humanistic approach?
Free will may, in fact, exist, but it cannot be explored in a truly scientific manner.
effortful control temperament
Girls are more likely than boys to exhibit an effortful control temperament, which includes the ability to focus attention and exercise control over impulsive urges.
Which personality theorist, who was one of the first to discuss the trait of extraversion, paid special attention to the role of heritability in the development of this trait?
Hans Eysenck
In which way did the theory of Carl Rogers bear a resemblance to that of Sigmund Freud?
He did feel that we use defense mechanisms to keep unpleasant information below the level of consciousness.
Hans Eysenck believed that personality traits are "hard-wired" into our biological make-up. What led him to this conclusions?
He noted that the trait of extraversion-introversion was relatively stable across time.
Which of the following is a reasonable criticism of the "blank slate" view of children, which speculates that they are born with no pre-existing tendencies or biologically determined attributes?
It can lead to blaming parents for any problems the child has.
For what reason does the assessment technique noted in this section of the chapter fit so well with Rogers's theory of client-centered therapy?
It is based on the principle that the client is the expert on the client's life.
A number of research studies noted in the text have examined the relationship between levels of extraversion and preference for external stimulation. Based on these studies, which of the following individuals might perform best on their associated task?
Jim is an extravert. He is trying to rebuild the engine in his car while blasting rock and roll music on the radio.
Which of the following represents the correct association between cerebral hemispheres and emotional states?
Left hemispheric activity is associated with more positive mood states.
Mr. Utts is a very animated teacher who likes to engage his students from the first day of class. He notices that one of his students, Malcolm, does not participate actively and seems uncomfortable with the active nature of the class. If Malcolm's temperament does not fit with Mr. Utts's teaching style, what would be the best course of action?
Mr. Utts can adapt his style so that Malcolm has more "space" to adjust to the class.
Erika's mother notices that Erika has a rather small circle of friends, and when she asks, Erika says, "I just like having fewer people who I spent time with, Mom." Erika's mother tells her, "I'm afraid that you are lonely too much." Is Erika's mother correct in her concern?
Probably not, since Erika has the number of social relationships that she wants rather than wanting more and not having them.
Hans Eysenck, like many of the other personality theorists of his time, believed that personality consisted of specific traits. He believed that there are three basic personality traits, including which of the following?
Psychoticism
Dr. Garcia is working with a client, Dennis, to help him figure out some relationship problems that he has been having. Dr. Garcia asks Dennis to take a deck of cards that has various self-descriptive terms on them, and to arrange them into piles ranging from "doesn't describe me at all" all the way up to "describes me completely." When he is done there will be such such piles. This assessment technique is called a(n)
Q-sort
Dr. Pelfrey's therapy client has just asked her a question to which the honest answer could be hurtful. She does not want to be mean, and worries that if she is honest, it could damage the relationship with her client. How would Carl Rogers advise Dr. Pelfrey to respond to this question?
Rogers would advise her to be honest and firm, without being unnecessary harsh or cruel.
person centered therapy
Rogers' answer was that the therapist provides an atmosphere within which clients are able to help themselves. He called this approach person-centered therapy.
What is the relationship between a person's self-esteem and his or her self-concept?
Self-esteem is one's evaluation of one's own self-concept.
How might a personality psychologist distinguish between someone the experience of solitude and the experience of loneliness?
Solitude is something people may choose to seek out, while loneliness is not a voluntary choice.
In what important manner does the profession of teaching today differ from the same profession in past generations?
Teachers today recognize that not all children learn in the same way.
What is the relationship between a person's temperament and his or her personality?
Temperament appears early in life and develops into personality traits.
What two perspectives in psychology gave rise to the development of the "third force" of humanistic approach?
The Freudian view and the behavioral view
Why would Carl Rogers support the idea that the Q-sort technique is an effective way for a client to be assessed within a humanistic approach to personality?
The Q-sort is based on the notion that the client knows him- or herself the best.
Carl Rogers was the founder of person-centered therapy, which differed in important ways from the psychotherapy systems that had come before. Which was a main principle of this therapy approach?
The client is capable of helping him- or herself, and the therapist's job is to facilitate this process.
How does the difficult child differ from the slow-to-warm-up child in Thomas and Chess's early distinctions of infantal temperaments?
The difficult child has a hard time adapting to new situations, while the slow-to-warm-up can adapt but just takes more time to do so.
How did the field of psychology respond to the emergence of the humanistic approach in the 1960s?
The field was fiercely impacted, as therapists from different orientations "converted" to a humanistic orientation.
According to evolutionary psychologists, what is the explanation for why men are found to be more interested in younger than older women for romantic partners?
The men are interested in fertility, not necessarily attractiveness.
slow to warm up child
These children are similar to the inhibited children described earlier in the chapter. They tend to withdraw from unfamiliar situations and are slow to adapt to new academic tasks and new activities. 15%
difficult child
These children have difficulty adapting to new environments and are often in a negative mood. 10%
Ben and Dove have a child with a high level of inhibition. They love him very much and are concerned that he will become an adult who is painfully shy. What steps can they take to help avoid this outcome?
They can teach him how to deal with new situations and new acquaintances.
In what way have psychologists recently reconceptualized the relationship between cerebral asymmetry and differential emotional experiences?
They have suggested that cerebral asymmetry is related to approach and withdrawal tendencies.
Marvin believes that the anxiety that human beings experience is a negative mood state that provides no utility or advantage. How would critics of the biological approach to personality respond to Marvin's position?
They might argue that anxiety can be adaptive because it encourages people to avoid social isolation.
In terms of evolutionary theory, why do many cultures permit (and perhaps even promote) the idea that males should attempt to reproduce with as many females as possible?
This increases the probability that his genes will survive into the next generation.
Chayvonne's mother is playing a trick on her. She bought some chocolate covered almonds (Chayvonne's favorite) that were colored green and made to look like olives. Chayvonne hates olives. When her mother hands her one and tells her to eat it, Chayvonne feels sick. When she finally eats it and realizes it is chocolate, she smiles and starts laughing. Which brain activity might be occurring during this interaction?
When Chayvonne is disgusted, there is more activity in the right cerebral hemisphere. When she is happy, there is more electrical activity in the left cerebral hemisphere.
Research studies, including one by Dindia and Allen (1992), have found what tendency with regard to self-disclosure among men and women?
Women tend to disclose more intimately and to more people than men do.
Bernard is a 43-year-old man with a wife, two kids, and a good career. He is happy with his work and his family, he and his wife make enough money so that they have a good standard of living, and he has hobbies that fulfill him. Bernard feels a strong sense of satisfaction with his life. Carl Rogers would describe Bernard as
a fully functioning person.
Arguably the most important part of person-centered therapy is the
a relationship between the client and the threapist
Dr. Shaw is conducting a research study where two siblings who share exactly the same genetic code and who are raised in the same home are examined to see how similar (or different) their personalities are. Due to the common genetic background, it is generally accepted that differences between them would be due to environmental factors. Dr. Shaw is conducting what kind of research?
a twin study
effortful control
ability to focus attention and exercise restraint over impulsive urges
The biological model of personality has a significant strength in its
ability to stimulate a lot of research that has generated empirical support for its hypotheses.
unconditional positive regard
acceptance and respect for people regardless of their behavior
conditional positive regard
acceptance and respect for people when they act as one desires
self-disclosure
act of revealing intimate information about oneself to another person
When monozygotic (identical) twins were examined for concordance on the Big Five personality factors, the correlations were over .50 for four of the five traits. Which trait had the lowest concordance?
agreeableness
Elijah is taken to a neurologist's office to see if they can figure out why he has occasional seizures that only last 3 to 5 seconds. The physician attaches sticky pads to Elijah's scalp to measure the electrical activity of his brain. This simple, painless procedure is called
an electroencephalograph (EEG).
While playing his violin, Greg closes his eyes and lets his fingers glide over the strings. He knows the music so well that he does not have to look at it, and when he just loses himself in these moments, he feels that the music is speaking to his soul. Csikszentmihalyi refers to an experience such as this as
an optimal experience
Perhaps you've heard the following expression: "Dance like there's nobody watching. Love like you'll never get hurt. Sing like there's nobody listening." The first and last parts of this quotation refer to a positive aspect of solitude called
anonymity.
Evolutionary psychologists have pointed to a number of emotions that have an adaptive purpose and helped our ancestors survive. Which emotion was among that list?
anxiety
evolutionary personality theory
approach that seeks to identify human psychological traits as adaptations from natural origins
Q-sort
assessment procedure in which test takers distribute personal descriptions along a continuum The basic procedure was developed several decades ago and has been used to assess a wide variety of psychological concepts, including parent-child attachment , defense mechanisms , temperament, and strength of romantic relationships The California Q-Sort (Block, 2008) is a good example of a Q-Sort procedure used by many humanistic therapists. The materials for this test consist of a deck of 100 cards. A self-descriptive phrase is printed on each card, such as "is a talkative individual," "seeks reassurance from others," or "has high aspiration level for self." you might be instructed to read the cards and sort them into categories. On the first sort, you would be asked to place the cards into nine categories according to how much you believe the description on the card applies to you. The nine categories represent points on a normal distribution ( Figure 11.2), with the categories on the extreme ends representing characteristics most descriptive of you (Category 9) and least descriptive of you
Experience Sampling Method
assessment tool that asks participant to record their experience in real time
surgency
behavioral predisposition pattern that includes high levels of activity and sociability
temperament
behavioral predisposition present in infancy and assumed to be inherited
behavioral inhibition system (BIS)
biological organization that is focused on avoiding dangerous and unpleasant experiences - People with a highly active BIS tend to be more apprehensive than others. - They approach new situations warily, are on a constant lookout for signs of danger, and are quick to retreat from a situation that they sense might lead to problems. - Not surprisingly, they also are more likely to experience anxiety than people low on this dimension.
behavioral approach system (BAS)
biological organization that is focused on seeking out and achieving pleasurable goals People with a highly active BAS are intensely motivated to seek out and achieve pleasurable goals. they get more pleasure out of rewards and more enjoyment out of simply anticipating that rewards are coming. Individuals with an active BAS also experience more anger and frustration when they fall short of reaching anticipated sources of pleasure.
surgency temperament
boys are more likely than girls to be identified with a surgency temperament. - This temperament pattern includes high levels of activity and sociability. These gender differences can be seen in children as young as 3 months of age.
activity
capacity of one's general level of energy Activity refers to a person's general level of energy. Children high in this temperament move around a lot, prefer games that require running and jumping, and tend to fidget and squirm when forced to sit still for an extended period of time. Adults high on this dimension are always on the go and prefer high-energy activities like playing sports and dancing.
Doug is described by his friends in a way that would be high on Eysenck's dimension of extraversion-introversion while low on the dimension of neuroticism. Which adjective might Doug's friends use about him?
carefree
This pioneer of the humanistic model believed in a "person-centered" approach to treatment, and also advocated the value of group therapy.
carl rogers
domain
category of performance, such as academics, ethical behavior and personal appearance
habitual response
choice made to repeat a behavior numerous times
within-pair correlation
comparison of two similar groups to determine which stated variables apply to both
intrasexual selection
competition among one gender for mating access to another gender
Ryan is very proud of his son, Shane; however, sometimes he makes Shane feel as if he is very disappointed. Recently, Ryan made Shane feel like a failure because he struck out three times during a little league baseball game. Shen felt that his father is only proud of him when he is successful at various activities. Carl Rogers would state that in these moments, Shane is being raised with
conditional positive regard.
Cody has been mowing the lawn for the last 2 hours and it is over 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside. He is now very dehydrated and goes inside to have several glasses of water before continuing his work. Abraham Maslow would say that Cody is currently experiencing a(n) ______ motive.
deficiency
cerebral asymmetry
difference in right and left hemisphere activity
Rico has just met a new man online and is interesting in exploring a romantic relationship with this other gentleman. He immediately begins to share a lot of details of his own life, but after 20 minutes, the other man stops responding and the conversation ends. Rico realizes that he has been talking a lot about himself but did not give the other man a chance to share information. Rico has violated the social rule of , and this has interfered with a new relationship.
disclosure reciprocity
When Lakita told her friend Jamie about how she's been struggling to decide if she wants to stay in school or drop out, she expected Jamie to share her own feelings on education. Lakita was surprised and a little insulted when Jamie didn't talk at all about her experience in school. Lakita was counting on to make the conversation feel even.
disclosure reciprocity
specific response level
division of personality into units that are arranged hierarchically
homophone
each of two or more words that are similar in sound to other words
Of the different temperamental styles that were identified by early researchers on this topic, the one seen with the highest frequency in those studied (around 40%) was the _______ child.
easy
According to Maslow, the need for ______ (which is the fourth level of his hierarchy of needs) can be divided into two basic processes. They include the need to perceive oneself as competent and the need to have the admiration and respect of others.
esteem
On Maslow's hierarchy, ______ would be considered the highest level of need that appears just below the need for self-actualization.
esteem needs
self-esteem
evaluation of one's stability and how a person feels about himself or herself
The idea that every human behavior must serve some adaptive function has been challenged in a criticism of the ________ model of personality.
evolutionary
well-adjusted children
exhibited self-control and self-confidence and approached new people and situations with little difficulty. well-adjusted children became relatively healthy, well-adjusted adults.
nature-nurture questions
exploration of the extent to which personality is the result of genetics or environment How much of your personality is the result of your genetic makeup, and how much is the result of the environment you grew up in? This "nature-nurture" question is one of the oldest and most enduring issues in psychology.
syncretic skill test
fake assessment tool used to measure response to feedback about levels of happiness
existential anxiety
feeling of dread and panic that follows the realization that one's life has no meaning
In a terrible car accident, Velma has landed her vehicle in a pond and it is sinking to the bottom. Velma is trying to stay calm but knows that in just a few minutes, there will not be any air left inside, so she is going to have to get out and swim for the surface. According to Abraham Maslow's theory, Velma is about to have a very big problem at the ______ level of the hierarchy of needs.
first
A martial arts instructor is asked by a student, "when will I earn my black belt?" The sensei smiles at the student's impatience and cryptically responds, "focus not on the destination but rather on the journey." The student nods and walks away scratching his head, not understanding that the wise teacher was encouraging him to focus on the experience of
flow
Charlene is training for her first "Iron Man" triathlon. She exercises several hours a day, and often says that during the moments of intense exertion, she almost loses herself in the effort. "I love exercising so much that it becomes more fun than work." How would Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describe these moments for Charlene?
flow
non-additive effects
genetic influence of some personality traits when more than one gene is inherited
contingencies of self-worth
group of areas an individual uses to evaluate his or her subjective value as a person
A study of men and women from 37 different cultures found that, in all cases, the women were more likely than men to prefer a spouse who
had good financial prospects.
When researchers look at what men and women find most important in a potential spouse, the results tend to be very consistent. Among women, which of the following would not fall at the top of a list of words used to describe the most important characteristics of a spouse?
handsome
under controlled children
impulsive and restless and easily distracted. - During the elementary school and adolescent years, undercontrolled children were more likely to have problems with fighting, lying, and disobeying at both school and home. As young adults, they were more likely to experience legal, employment, and relationship problems. By the time they reached 32, these individuals were twice as likely to have a problem with excessive gambling as the participants who had been classified as well-adjusted.
When they are in new situations, Jonas tends to jump right into activities even if he is not familiar with them. Benji, on the other hand, is more apprehensive and needs to have time to acclimate to unfamiliar settings. One might argue that in these situations, Benji experiences greater activation of the system.
inhibition
emotionality
intensity of one's affect in response to a situation Emotionality refers to the intensity of emotional reactions. Children who cry frequently, who are easily frightened, and who often express anger are high in this temperament. As adults, these individuals are easily upset and may have a "quick temper."
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has done extensive study of happiness and positivity and has concluded that opportunities for happiness
lie all around us in everyday activities.
heritability
measure of how much of one's personality is transmitted from one's parents
Luis and Robert are identical twins. They look almost exactly alike, and their personality traits are quite similar to each other. They might also be accurately described as _______ twins.
monozygotic
Some bears are capable of storing massive amounts of calories and reducing their metabolism so that they can survive extended periods of famine. Other bears cannot do this and will die off during the same period. The fact that these survivors are more able than others to endure such circumstances demonstrates the power of ______ .
natural selection
One of the oldest and most enduring questions in all of psychology, one that is distinctly related to the study of personality, is the _____ question.
nature-nurture
moving away from people
neurotic style of relating that acts as a protection against anxiety
In a study conducted by AARP, more than half of those polled who had _______ fell into the chronically lonely category.
never been married
In a research study that asked people in 2005 about the number of confidantes they had, approximately ______ of the population reported that they felt they had no one with whom they could discuss important matters.
one-quarter
hierarchy of needs
order in which desires demand attention in Maslow's theory
dizygotic twins
pair of infants born at the same time who come from different fertilized eggs
monozygotic twins
pair of infants born at the same time who come from the same fertilized egg
disclosure reciprocity
part of a relationship building process where two individuals willingly share intimate detail about themselves
self-concept
perception of one's own personal characteristics
loneliness
perception of the quantity and quality of social interaction one has
introvert
person who is more inclined to spend time alone or in small groups
extravert
person who seeks out interaction with people and is energized by social contact
sociability
person's general tendency to affiliate and interact with others Sociability relates to a general tendency to affiliate and interact with others. Sociable children seek out other children to play with. Adults high in this temperament have a lot of friends and enjoy social gatherings.
global self-esteem
person's overall evaluation of themselves
twin-study method
procedure in genetics where pairs of monozygotic and dizygotic twins are compared
self-restoration process
procedure where one reestablishes a sense of who they are separate from who they present to others
fully functioning person
psychologically healthy individual who is able to enjoy life as completely as possible
The assessment technique associated with person-centered therapy helps to gauge the similarity between a client's ____ self and his or her _____ self.
real; ideal
According to Larson (1990), the group of participants who reported spending the highest percentage of each day alone—around 50%—was
retired adults
Dr. Calvetti is a humanistic therapist who feels that he must have a close, open relationship with his clients in order to help them. He sometimes reveals personal information in the sessions to encourage a free flow of communication from his clients. Dr. Calvetti is using _______ as a technique in the counseling he provides.
self-disclosure
humanistic psychology
set of beliefs that assumes an individual is responsible for his/her actions
existential psychology
set of beliefs that explores the role of free will and the uniqueness of individuals
Shaytonyia's philosophy has just returned the class's first exams, and Shaytonyia is dismayed to find that she earned a D, just barely passing the test. According to the text, Shaytonyia is most likely to do poorly in future exams if
she has low self esteem
Five-year-old Eric always wants to be around other children. In his preschool class, he is everyone's best friend. His father sometimes gets flustered with the number of play dates Eric has, and he gets unhappy when he is not with others. From a temperament perspective, Eric has a high level of
sociability
In a popular movie, one politician is trying to get another to join his committee. The congressman says "you can run with the pack or you can be a lone wolf." The implication is that working with others is more advantageous than working on one's own. This is called the ________ explanation, and it relates to the adaptive nature of certain emotions.
social exclusion
subception
state in which one processes threatening information below the level of consciousness
solitude
state of being alone
optimal experience
state of happiness and satisfaction characterized by absorption in a challenging and rewarding task - Csikszentmihalyi created it - Optimal experiences are intensely enjoyable, but they usually are not restful, relaxing moments.
self-actualization
state of personal growth in which people fulfill their true potential
contemplation
state of thinking or reflecting on something
disorganization
state that results when one's protective barrier against threatening information collapses
genome-wide scan
study that involves rapid assessment of DNA markers to find genetic variations
Broad dispositions that are present at birth and describe general patterns of behavior and mood that can be expressed in a variety of ways are called ________
temperament
electroencephalograph (EEG)
the EEG enables researchers to record brain activity in very quick intervals. Some instruments can measure this activity within milliseconds. This sensitivity is particularly important when looking at emotions, which often change very rapidly.
In examining the wide-ranging application of _______ , a search of the Internet conducted in 2010 found that there were more images available for this concept than there were for Da Vinci's famous paintings the Mona Lisa or The Last Supper.
the hierarchy of needs
third-force approach
theory that promotes humanistic assumptions about personality
social renewal
time alone that can rejuvenate a person's outlook on life
inhibited children
toddler who has strong anxiety about novel and unfamiliar situations - fearful, reluctant to get involved in social activities, and uneasy in the presence of strangers. - inhibited children showed more signs of worrying and fussing when growing up, and as adults, they were less socially engaged and more likely to suffer from depression.
uninhibited children
toddler who is calm and has very little anxiety in unfamiliar situations Approximately 25% of the children in the researchers' samples fall into this category . These children jump right in to play with a new toy or to climb on a new piece of playground equipment.
In one study, people gave permission for researchers to intentionally expose them to a cold virus. Those who reported higher levels of loneliness were more likely than those with lower levels to actually develop cold symptoms. Your authors suggest five possible explanations for the relationship between loneliness and physical health Which of the following is not one of them?
trait optimism
social attribute
trait perceived as positive or negative in interpersonal interaction with others
neuroticism
trait represented by an unstable emotional response - high scores= emotional - unstable - strong emotional reactions to minor frustrations, take longer to recover - easily upset, angered, depressed
psychoticism
trait represented by egocentric, aggressive, impulsive behavior - described as egocentric, aggressive, impersonal, cold, lacking in empathy, impulsive, lacking in concern for others, unconcerned about the rights of welfare of other people
The strongest and most consistent evidence in favor of the influence of genetics on personality comes from _____ studies.
twin
blank state theory
view that personality is shaped by accrued experience
B-love
want, like helping others, that stems from a desire for growth
D-love
want, like hunger, that is needed to satisfy the emptiness we experience without it
easy child
who eagerly approaches new situations, is adaptive, and generally experiences a positive mood. 40%
