Q&A Hero

Q: charles is a 75-year-old male. his family has recently told him that he has changed as he has aged. if charles is typical of aging people, which of these changes in charless personality is most likely? a.charles is more neurotic than he used to be. b.charles is less conscientious than he used to be. c.charles is more agreeable than he used to be. d.charles is more extraverted than he used to be.

Q: janeesa is 7 years old, tyree is 15 years old, evelyn is 30 years old, and lashonda is 50 years old. which person will tend to show a highly stable personality if measured today and again after 1 year? a.janeesa b.tyree c.evelyn d.lashonda

Q: personality traits: a.are relatively stable over time b.change from decade to decade c.change from season to season d.none of the above

Q: some evolutionary psychologists, such as david buss, believe that: a.the five-factor theory is inadequate to account for normal personality variation b.eysencks personality model best describes the characteristics needed for human survival c.the five-factor theory describes the personality characteristics that are important in mate selection d.most personality theories cannot describe personality in a way that fits well with evolutionary theory

Q: which of the following statements is not a view that evolutionary psychologists would hold about human personality? a.some traits evolved because of the advantages associated with having those traits. b.human personality is based on both free will and biological processes. c.having several different personality traits present in a community ensures that many different tasks are accomplished. d.traits provide information about desirable and undesirable qualities in potential mates.

Q: todd is a very conscientious person, jane is a very extraverted person, and tyrone is a very agreeable person. in terms of human evolution, which of these people have a personality trait that is highly adaptive? a.todd and tyrone b.jane only c.tyrone only d.todd, jane, and tyrone

Q: according to the biological theory of personality the _____ is the go system, whereas the _____ is the stop system. a.behavioral approach system (bas); behavioral inhibition system (bis) b.behavioral inhibition system (bis); behavioral approach system (bas) c.reward; punishment d.punishment; reward

Q: people who are very _____ may seek out so much environmental stimulation that they get into trouble. people who are very _____ may be so overstimulated by their environments that they feel chronically overwhelmed and uncomfortable. which brain structure is responsible for consistent differences in understimulation or overstimulation in personality? a.extraverted; introverted; descending reticular activating system b.extraverted; introverted; ascending reticular activating system c.introverted; extraverted; descending reticular activating system d.introverted; extraverted; ascending reticular activating system

Q: imagine that eysenck has classified one of your roommates as an extravert and the other as an introvert. when you come into the room, you slam the door very loudly, surprising them both. who would show more physiological arousal to this event? a.the extravert b.the introvert c.they would both show the same level of arousal d.this personality dimension does not allow one to predict the outcome

Q: if, by a strange accident of fate, people born in the next decade did not have full use of their frontal lobes, what kind of personality trait would become increasingly common? a.extreme introversion b.impulsive sensation seeking c.behavioral restraint d.conscientiousness

Q: katya prefers to be in calm and quiet environments. she feels nervous and exhausted when she is in loud places with noisy people. in fact, she admits she would rather spend almost all her time alone. in katya, the _____ is more active than the _____. a.bis; bas b.bas; bis c.bis; reticular formation d.bas; reticular formation

Q: yaakov can be easily bored, so he seeks out situations that increase his excitement and arousal. he prefers thrilling activities to calm and safe ones. according to research presented in your textbook, a gene related to _____ regulation may be responsible for these tendencies. a.testosterone b.serotonin c.dopamine d.acetylcholine

Q: in terms of arousabililty, _____ are more arousable and have a more active _____ system. a.extraverts; behavioral inhibition b.extraverts; behavioral approach c.introverts; behavioral inhibition d.introverts; behavioral approach

Q: according to research on physiological arousal and personality, which brain structure has been associated with inhibiting behavior? a.cerebellum b.amygdala c.temporal lobes d.hippocampus

Q: in grays model, the bas responds to _____, whereas the bis responds to _____. a.genetic factors; environmental factors b.rewards; punishments c.pain; pleasure d.social rejection; social approval

Q: in extraverts, the _____ is more active. in introverts, the _____ is more active. a.bis; bas b.bas; bis c.prefrontal cortex; amygdala d.amygdala; prefrontal cortex

Q: according to grays model of personality, extraverts are likely to _____ new situations and people and introverts are likely to _____ new situations and people. a.approach; approach b.avoid; avoid c.avoid; approach d.approach; avoid

Q: the bas _____ behavior, whereas the bis _____ behavior. a.activates; inhibits b.suppresses; facilitates c.controls; modulates the intensity of d.selects the appropriate; activates the selected

Q: for eysenck, the important difference between extraverts and introverts is that: a.extraverts are chronically overaroused b.extraverts seek arousal, whereas introverts try to avoid it c.introverts seek environments that increase their level of arousal, whereas extraverts seek environments that decrease it d.the ascending reticular activating system is found primarily in extraverts and rarely in introverts

Q: if silva and stanton had classified you as having an undercontrolled temperament at age 3, by age 21 you would: a.show little evidence of this temperament b.be at risk for alcohol and criminal behavior problems c.be more inhibited than the average person d.be better adjusted than most of your peers

Q: studies of the relationship between infant temperament and adult personalities show: a.lack of a valid, reliable relationship between the two b.infant temperament can predict aspects of adult personality c.that positive but not negative social behaviors can be predicted by early temperament d.that children classified as inhibited at age 3 were likely to be outgoing by young adulthood

Q: kara, a 2-year-old, is a participant in a research study on infant temperament. which of the following characteristics will likely not be assessed in this study? a.karas activity level b.karas emotional reactions c.karas social behaviors d.karas alertness on mental tasks

Q: temperament in infancy consists of: a.activity level b.emotionality c.sociability d.all of the above

Q: shyness as a personality disposition is: a.associated with depression and reduced social support in adulthood b.associated with an underactive amygdala c.remarkably stable across the life span d.not affected by culture

Q: according to kagan and snidman, when do we see the first evidence of a shy temperament in children? a.6 weeks b.10 months c.2 years d.5 years

Q: which of the following is not an aspect of temperament? a.activity level b.emotionality c.sociability d.agreeableness

Q: which of the following have buss and plomin identified as basic traits or temperaments in infants? a.novelty seeking, shyness, and activation b.inhibition, extraversion, and sociability c.activity level, emotionality, and sociability d.shyness, sensation seeking, and agreeableness

Q: your roommate is an extremely shy person. research suggests that she: a.probably acquired this disposition during a difficult time in her adolescence b.displayed signs of inhibition and social distress even as a very young child c.was raised by parents who provided supportive and calm environments that fostered her quiet character d.may have suffered some trauma as an infant

Q: what is the difference between temperaments and personality traits? a.traits are broader than temperaments. b.temperaments are broader than traits. c.there is no difference; traits and temperaments are equally broad. d.it depends on the personalities of the people one is investigating.

Q: temperamental differences in humans are primarily a function of: a.exposure to different early environments b.different parenting styles c.underlying differences in biological processes d.gender differences

Q: how does infant temperament relate to adult personality? a.infant temperament affects the general structure of personality but does not predict specific behavior patterns. b.temperament changes so much over early development that no consistent relationships have been documented. c.infant temperament correlates with both the general structure of adult personality and specific behavioral patterns shown by adults. d.infant temperament predicts negative but not positive behaviors.

Q: what factor distinguishes the degree of similarity in identical twins versus dizygotic twins over time? a.nothing; both types of twins become less similar over time. b.identical twins raised together become less similar while nonidentical twins raised together become more similar over time. c.identical twins become more similar over time. d.fraternal twins become more similar over time, whereas identical twins become less so.

Q: two infants are adopted by the same family. research suggests that their personality characteristics will be: a.quite similar b.similar to those of their same-sex adoptive parent c.highly similar to their adoptive parents but not their biological parents d.different from each other and different from their adoptive parents

Q: greg has grown up to be a very aggressive person. neither of his parents is aggressive. in addition, neither his schoolmates nor his neighbors are particularly aggressive. according to behavior geneticists, what might be happening? a.greg is using his own free will to engage in aggressive behavior. b.greg has a condition called negative sociability, which is considered to be neither environmental nor genetic in origin. c.genes from gregs parents combined in a unique (though random) way to create gregs aggressive tendencies. d.greg probably inherited a gene called rh5, which is associated with aggression.

Q: kyoung and sohee, identical twins from korea, were adopted when they were infants by two different families. kyoung and sohee grew up in different cities, went to different schools, and had sets of parents with quite different personalities. which of the following people will be most similar to kyoung in personality? a.her adoptive mom b.a female sibling in her adoptive family c.her biological mom d.sohee

Q: jered was adopted as an infant in 1973. jered has an identical twin who was also adopted in 1973 but by a different family. as an adult, jereds personality should most resemble that of: a.a sibling in his adoptive family b.one or both of his adoptive parents c.one or both of his biological parents d.his identical twin

Q: in terms of the similarities in their personalities over time, what happens to identical twins? a.the similarity between the twins remains constant. b.they become more different from one another as they experience different environments. c.they become more similar to one another. d.they become less similar once they escape the direct influence of their parents.

Q: although specific genes seem to be involved in personality, the effects of these genes on behavior are small. why? a.environmental factors, such as culture, typically override gene effects. b.free will is more important in determining behavior because it stems from personality and character. c.multiple genes interact, and they may act in opposite ways. d.genetic effects weaken over time.

Q: recent psychological research suggests that parental influence on the personality of childrenis: a.less influential than had been previously assumed b.more influential than psychologists had previously believed c.strongest during the identity development stage of adolescence d.strong in collectivistic cultures but weak in individualistic cultures

Q: one of the earliest pieces of evidence that personality has a genetic component is the fact that: 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 men in personality, and women are more similar to women

Q: genetics accounts for about _____ of differences between individuals personality traits. a.20-40 percent b.5-10 percent c.40-60 percent d.70-80 percent

Q: an advantage of studying personality across species is that: a.researchers do not need to use subjective ratings b.stereotypes can be avoided c.this evidence provides some support for a biologically based explanation for personality traits d.researchers can avoid having to use ethical considerations when conducting research

Q: imagine that your college or university has a number of campus dogs that roam freely. you decide to test whether students have similar views of the personalities of these animals. research suggests that: a.students will project their own personality traits onto the dogs b.most students will agree that the dogs have individual personalities, but there will be big differences in the traits attributed to them c.owners of the dogs will rate the dogs personalities as less positive than will nonowners d.there will be a very high level of agreement regarding the personality traits displayed by the dogs

Q: your friend says her dog, a cocker spaniel, has a very outgoing personality. on the basis of research reported in your textbook, you argue that: a.your friend is projecting her views of humans onto other animals b.that is entirely possible c.your friend is using her stereotype of cocker spaniels to come to this conclusion d.animals do not possess personality in the sense that psychologists use that term

Q: a science teacher takes her class to a wildlife refuge so the students can observe monkeys in their natural habitats. the teacher states that monkeys, like humans, have different personalities. the students think it is ridiculous to say that animals have personality. who is correct? a.the students are right; humans have personality and animals do not. b.the students are mostly right; people may perceive that animals have personality, but in fact humans only project personality characteristics onto animals. c.the teacher is right; but monkeys show their personality differences only in basic survival behaviors, such as eating and sleeping. d.the teacher is right; monkeys show differences on basic human personality dimensions, such as extraversion and agreeableness.

Q: in terms of animal personality, conscientiousness has been observed: a.only in humans b.only in humans and chimpanzees c.in humans and many other land-dwelling animals d.in almost all species studied, including aquatic animals

Q: space aliens land on earth and wonder what kinds of organisms live here. they study human and nonhuman animal personality. what do they conclude? a.personality across human and nonhuman animals cannot be compared. b.only nonhuman animals show the trait of assertiveness, or dominance. c.only nonhuman animals show the trait of agreeableness. d.there are a few basic personality traits that can be seen in and compared across human and nonhuman animals.

Q: which of the following personality traits exist in most species? a.extraversion b.neuroticism c.agreeableness d.all of the above

Q: a major change in how psychologists have approached the study of personality over the last several decades is that: a.genes have become less important over time b.more emphasis is now placed on the important role played by parenting styles c.there is now less interest in what are called the big five personality traits d.psychologists have increasingly recognized the importance of biological factors in determining personality

Q: fowsia and ahmed live in somalia, and anna and frank live in the united states. based on what you have learned about personality, you can safely assume that _____ will show more gender-based differences in personality. a.neither couple b.fowsia and ahmed c.anna and frank d.this question cannot be answered, because no research in personality has been conducted in africa.

Q: anna is a college student from the united states and michiko is a college student from japan. both have taken the same personality assessment as part of a psychology research study. which of these young women is likely to score higher in neuroticism, and why? a.anna, because americans tend to be more neurotic in general b.anna, because americans tend to have relatively low self-esteem c.michiko, because the japanese on average report higher levels of neuroticism d.no significant difference would be expected

Q: jayda and lemario had a disagreement and began to attack each others character. jayda told lemario that he is assertive. lemario told jayda that she is neurotic. if jayda is a typical female and lemario is a typical male, which one has made an accurate personality assessment? a.jayda b.lemario c.neither a nor b d.both a and b

Q: cataline is from zimbabwe in africa. wakako is from japan. which person is likely to rate herself higher on agreeableness? a.cataline b.wakako c.both will rate themselves equally high d.both will rate themselves equally low

Q: in terms of gender differences in personality: a.women and men are most similar in personality in industrialized countries such as the united states b.women tend to be more agreeable and more neurotic than men c.women tend to be more extraverted and more open to experience than men d.more data has been collected on men, so it is difficult to compare personalities across genders

Q: according to research, which of the following traits is found by personality research on sex differences to be higher in men than women? a.attentive b.assertive c.thrill seeking d.neurotic

Q: your textbook discusses reasons for the modest cultural differences in personality traits found across cultures. it is possible that factors other than culture are responsible for these differences. to know for certain that personality is affected by culture and not other factors, which of the following would be necessary? a.a measurement of people across time, from infancy to adulthood, across all cultures b.the creation of standardized cultural norms across the world and then a measurement of personality traits c.a measurement of people using assessments that are unique to their culture (e.g., use projective tests in some cultures and objective tests in others) d.the use of culturally specific teams of researchers to conduct the research

Q: naoko is a college student from japan. as part of a psychology research study, she has just taken a personality trait assessment. how is naoko likely to rate herself on the dimensions of agreeableness and neuroticism, compared to the average college student in the united states? a.higher on agreeableness and lower on neuroticism b.higher on both dimensions c.lower on both dimensions d.lower on agreeableness and higher on neuroticism

Q: using standardized questionnaires that provide reliable assessment of broad personality traits is essential for: a.evaluating the validity of freudian theories b.understanding which personality trait theory is the most parsimonious one c.evaluating the similarities and differences of personality traits across cultures d.finding evidence for humanistic versus behaviorist trait theories

Q: which personality trait(s) are seen across all cultures? a.neuroticism b.extraversion c.openness d.all of the above

Q: according to your textbook, most contemporary trait theorists: a.continue to place a strong emphasis on unconscious processes b.believe behavior is jointly determined by situations and personality traits c.emphasize specific rather than general personality traits d.have failed to respond to mischels critique of trait theory generally

Q: according to interactionists, behavior at a funeral: a.is a weak situation b.is a strong situation c.has no effect on behavior d.none of the above

Q: as part of the general testing done in your psychology class, you turn out to be very high on the trait of self-monitoring, whereas your roommate scores low on this trait. what should others expect regarding the consistency in your and your roommates behaviors? a.your behavior will be more consistent than your roommates behavior. b.your roommates behavior will be more consistent than yours. c.it depends strongly on your and your roommates gender. d.research has found that self-ratings on this trait do not predict behavioral consistency or inconsistency.

Q: mischel has argued that trait theories have difficulty predicting behavior because: a.the typical trait measures have low reliability b.our behavior is more responsive to situational variables than such theories assume c.the traits thus far identified relate to conscious rather than unconscious motives d.they depend on self-report rather than on objective measures of traits

Q: one response to mischels situationism critique of trait theory is to argue that: a.traits are more predictive of behavior if they are central rather than secondary b.some people may be more consistent than are others c.when behaviors are averaged across many situations, traits are better predictors of behavior d.all of the above

Q: according to your textbook, scoring low on the trait of _____ is associated with relatively high consistency in your behavior across situations. a.neuroticism b.self-monitoring c.agreeableness d.subjective well-being

Q: mischel has been a major critic of trait theories of personality in arguing that behavior is: a.not as influenced by the unconscious as trait theorists predict b.consistent only for familiar situations c.not as consistent as trait theorists predict d.less dependent on the situation than trait theories assume

Q: according to this view, behavior is determined more by situations than by personality: a.the big five b.nomothetic approaches c.situationism d.none of the above

Q: imagine you have just met the person who is going to be your roommate next year. on the basis of what psychologists know about judgments of personality, to whom would you ask questions about what the new roommate is like, and why? a.the future roommate, because self-descriptions have been found to be the best predictors of behavior b.his or her current close acquaintances, because research has found that people are not always objective about some aspects of their own behavior c.other people in your dorm who do not know but can observe the new roommates behavior, because they will be the most objective d.no one, because research has found that such descriptions usually cannot predict future behavior

Q: maria isabel always believed she was a kind and good-hearted person. others, however, perceived her as somewhat cold and aloof. who would give the most accurate description of these aspects of maria isabels personality? a.a stranger, who may be more objective than friends and family b.maria isabel c.her adult children, who have lived with her for decades d.her doctor, who knows her medical history quite well

Q: janelle found that when asked to describe her friends personalities, she was good at it. when asked to describe her own personality, it took her a while to organize her thoughts and respond. her difficulty in responding to questions about her own personality provides evidence for which research finding? a.people tend to lie about their characters to fit others preconceptions. b.people have limited knowledge of their own behaviors because they often pay attention to others behavior. c.people like to appear thoughtful when asked questions about themselves directly. d.people try to mask their excessive self-interest by appearing disinterested in their own behaviors.

Q: research has shown that, in predicting the behavior of those we know, we: a.are more accurate in predicting their observable behavior than in predicting our own observable behavior b.tend to predict that their behavior will be more negative than it actually is c.are less accurate in predicting their observable behavior than in predicting our own observable behavior d.are unable to perform above chance in our predictions

Q: jason is involved in a personality research study, and he is asked to sort cards labeled with personality characteristics into different piles. the piles represent which characteristics describe jason very well, somewhat well, and not at all well. the assessment given to jason is very similar to the: a.california q-sort b.thematic apperception test c.neo inventory d.rorschach inkblot test

Q: the objective measures of personality described in your textbook: a.are able to reveal information about a person that the person may not wish revealed b.allow people to project their emotional conflicts onto neutral stimuli c.do not allow for the assessment of specific traits d.assess what respondents believe or observe

Q: where might someone look to get clues about a persons personality? a.that persons personal web page b.the condition of that persons bedroom c.that persons facebook profile d.all of the above

Q: dr. heinz, a therapist, views personality in terms of freuds ideas. which of the following techniques would dr. heinz be least likely to use with someone? a.the rorschach inkblot test b.the thematic apperception test c.the california q-sort d.dream analysis

Q: _____ measures assess personality through self-report questionnaires. a.projective b.nomothetic c.objective d.idiographic

Q: broadly speaking, your textbook divides personality assessment procedures into _____ measures. a.self-report and physiological b.descriptive and projective c.projective and objective d.psychodynamic and humanistic

Q: if a therapist gives a client the thematic apperception test, she is attempting to assess the clients: a.self-esteem b.degree of psychopathology c.sexual conflicts d.motivational traits

Q: 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. a.rorschach inkblot test b.thematic apperception test c.draw-a-family test d.imaginary friend test

Q: the rorschach inkblot test is an example of a(n) _____ measure of personality. a.projective b.nomothetic c.objective d.idiographic