Chapter 1,2,3 Flashcards
Which of the following would be an inductive approach to the study of personality?
After observing people at a party, you decide that extroverts enjoy parties more than introverts do
Of the eight perspectives discussed in your text, which of the following is NOT true?
Very few of the perspectives are still regarded as useful.
An early supporter of psychological testing (and where much testing is still conducted was
The U.S. armed forces
Which of the following most emphasized the importance of life-span, longitudinal study of
personality?
Murray
If you read of a new “finding” in the newspaper one morning but noticed that only Caucasian subjects from Seattle were used in the experiment you might not give a lot of credibility to the study. This would be because of possible __________ limitations.
Generalizability
Gestalt psychologists hold a fundamental belief that
people are more than the sum of their parts.
Nomothetic approach to personality
seeks to formulate general laws
Nomothetic and idiographic approaches to the study of personality are different in that
nomothetic approaches tend to be more general, while idiographic focus on the unique aspects of the individual.
What doesn’t describe a good theory
parsimonious- unwilling to spend money
Personalty psych that is focused on the study of individuals is called
idiographic
A correlation coefficient is a mathematical index of.
the degree of agreement (or association) between two measures.
A high, negative correlation between sleep deprivation and anxiety would indicate that
the more sleep deprived a person is, the less likely he/she is to be anxious
The notion that there are personality “types,” clusters of characteristics that tend to occur
together,
can be traced back to ancient Greeks at least
Margaret Mead’s view on the role of culture in personality was influenced by her findings from several different cultures that
in some cultures, both the males and the females had the characteristics that our culture identifies as “masculine.”
An early representation of personality psychology can be traced back to what
Theater
According to Allport, what is the method by which personality should be studied?
Idiographic
Which term applies to the tendency to believe that vague generalities are a good description of one’s personality?
The Barnum effect
An approach to psychology in which the conclusions follow logically from premises or
assumptions is called a(n)
Deductive approach
the eight perspectives on personality are
Psychoanalytic, neo-analytic/ego, biological, behaviorist, cognitive, trait, humanistic/existential, and interactionist
Nomothetic science
searches for universal laws that can be applied to all people
The tendency to believe vague generalities about one’s personality is called the
Barnum effect
Reliability refers to
the ability of a scale to give consistent results
A reliable personality test should have
internal consistency reliability
Validity refers
whether a test measures what it is suppose to measure
Suppose you complete a personality questionnaire where scores usually range from 1-35, and
you receive a score of “10.” Suppose you then take the test again the next day and receive a
score of “9.5.” This questionnaire appears to have
test-retest reliability
In tests that are to be widely employed, the coefficient of internal consistency reliability
generally should be about
.80
Biases in testing may include
ethnic bias
Criterion-related item selection refers
selection of items that predict to outcome criteria
Biological factors which may be related to personality are
levels of mercury or lead in the body
Because it may be difficult to assess the validity of a psychotherapeutic interview, which of the following is often used as the measure of validity?
the results of the therapeutic treatment
One problem with using observable expressive behaviors as a method of personality assessment is that
expressive style is often strongly influenced by cultural and social norms.
) Projective tests do NOT include
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.
If an assessment is not related to what it should not be related to, this is
discriminant validity
Test-retest reliability refers to
temporal stability of measure
When a person is given a stack of cards naming various characteristics and asked to sort them into piles on a dimension such as “least characteristic” to “most characteristic” of oneself, this is termed a
Q-sort
The usefulness of projective measurement techniques derives from
NONE OF THESE
A) their use of a multiple-choice format.
B) the use of an objective scoring system.
C) item response theory.
D) their simple and reliable scoring methods.
An important difference between projective techniques and self-report measures is the much greater reliance of the self-report measures on
the willingness of the examinee to disclose personal information overtly.
Which of the following approaches to the construction of a self-report test will eliminate or reduce the effect of the social desirability response set?
including items that have response options that are equal in social desirability
The use of multiple methods to assess an individual’s personality
allows the limitations of any single method to be minimized.
A correlational design can be useful because it helps to determine
the strength of the relationship between two variables.
An experiment
the only research design that allows for causal inferences.
In an experiment, a __________ group is a comparison group that does not receive the treatment administered to the __________ group.
Control; treatment
Alfred Kinsey’s research on human sexual behaviors addressed many private issues with participants through the use of
Interviews
Why is reliability in measurement instruments important in the study of personality?
Unreliable measures can give misleading results
) Which of the following statements best describes the nature of construct validity?
The extent to which a test truly measures a theoretical construct
Which of the following statements best describes a social desirability response set?
A bias to pick responses that the respondent believes are expected by society
Which of the following is a significant disadvantage of interviews?
They are subject to bias by the behaviors of the interviewer
Which of the following is NOT a biological measure?
Rorschach
What is a definition of a case study?
A study in which information is gathered about one individual
) What is the greatest strength of experimental designs that other designs lack?
Experimental designs have the ability to show cause-and-effect relationships
Measurement that relies on interpretations is called
subjective assessment
What assessment is not dependent on the individual making the assessment
objective assessment
Validity
is the extent to which a test truly measures the intended theoretical construct.
Tests that fail to take into account the relevant culture of the person being tested display a(n)
ethnic bias
Q-sort
the test is a method of personality assessment in which a person is given a stack of cards naming various characteristics and is asked to sort them into piles according to the degree to which they characterize himself or herself.
Assessing personality through human hormone level or the nervous system is a(n
biological measure of personality
The classic interview
in psychology is psychotherapeutic, where the client talks about important or troubling parts of his or her life.
Measurement of expressive behaviors
such as loudness and rate of speech, posture, and gesturing, can be used in personality assessment.
is an assessment technique that studies personality through use of a relatively unstructured stimulus, task, or situation such as the “draw-a-person” task.
Projective test
A new measure has been developed to assess personality, but women always score lower on this measure than men do. It is possible that this test has a bias called a(n)
gender bias
Sigmund Freud was formally trained as a
biologist and physician
“Hysteria,” common in the 1800s, most often exhibited itself through the following symptom(s).
various forms of paralysis
According to Freudian theory, how might dreams be similar to icebergs?
a small part shows and much is hidden
Freudian theory uses the term “libido” to refer to
the psychic energy that is the basis of drive or motivation.
The ego
looks for realistic ways to satisfy the Id
The __________ operates under the “pleasure principle,
Id
the __________ operates under the “reality principle.”
ego
From Freud’s perspective, a likely reason for someone to become fixated at the oral stage is
he/she was weaned too early
phobia
an excessive or incapacitating fear
what is the period between the phallic and genital stages
Latency
Freud believed that women in abusive relationships were there because
they were masochistic
A current controversy that is relevant to the idea of repression deals with
implantation of false memories by therapists
Reaction formation is when
unacceptable urges are transformed into their “opposites.”
Jewel does not get along with her employer, and today she found out that she is going to be demoted next week. She didn’t confront her boss; instead, when she got home, she yelled at her children and spanked her youngest child for a minor wrongdoing. Jewel’s behavior is a classic example of
displacement
Regression in adults
is difficult to document
Hypermnesia refers to
remembering something on a later recall attempt that was not previously remembered.
What is the “latent content” of a dream, according to Freud?
the underlying hidden meaning
“Explicit memory” refers to what?
Memories that can be directly recalled or recognized
In his book Totem and Taboo, Freud traced the origin of civilization to the time when
brothers came together and murdered the primal father of the tribe.
When Freud commented that “sometimes a cigar is just a cigar” he was referring to the fact that
he tended to interpret many long, pointy objects as phallic symbols.
When the ego and superego do not do their job properly
elements of the id may slip out and be seen.
The fact that there are lots of jokes about and euphemisms for the penis supports
Freud’s idea that repressed sexual drives underpin much of what we do.
Freud attributed Little Hans’ phobia of horses to
oedipal conflict
In Freud’s usage, a “defense mechanism” has the effect of
protecting the person’s consciousness from threatening material.
Explaining great creativity like da Vinci’s in terms of a re-direction of tremendous sexual energy describes a process of
sublimation
A stressed woman who hides from her problems by climbing into her (older) husband’s lap for comfort may be showing which defense mechanism?
regression
Freud went to Paris to study with the famous neuropathologist J. M. Charcot, who was studying
Hysteria
) Freud’s theory dealt with sexuality because
his sexually repressed Victorian-era patients were troubled by inner conflicts and tensions.
According to modern researchers such as Drew Westen
Freud’s most central insight was that much of mental life is unconscious
Freud’s view on free will is that:
Humans are driven by unconscious motivations, not free will
What is a major flaw in Freud’s theory of “infantile amnesia”
It does not explain why all memories, even pleasant ones, are repressed.
An 11 year-old boy is getting bullied at school and has to make a decision what to do about it. According to Freud’s theory on the structure of the mind, which scenario best describes a decision made by the ego?
The boy realizes that if he were to get into a fight with the bullies during the school day, he might get in trouble with the school, so he decides to wait until after school to teach the bullies a lesson.
What best describes behaviors that would result from a fixation in the oral stage of development?
Smoking, biting, chewing and sucking hard candy
Which is the term given to the female version of the “Oedipus complex”?
electra complex
- the oedipus complex involves issues in relationships & identity
A 5 year-old boy has his first day of kindergarten the next day. The night before his first day he begins to eat with his hands at the dinner table, cry when his mother won’t dress him for bed, suck his thumb, and whine when his mother won’t stay with him until he falls asleep. Which of Freud’s defense mechanisms best describes this situation?
regression
Freud saw dreams as pieces and hints about the _ __, which is the portion of the mind inaccessible to usual, conscious thought.
unconscious
In psychoanalytic theory, the primal, basic motivating force of the structure of the psyche that is not shaped by the external world is known as the
id- acts towards the pleasure principle; the only component of personality that is present from birth
——- the psychic force that motivates the tendency to seek immediate gratification of any impulse
what is the personality structure that emerges to internalize social and moral rules.
super ego- closet thing to a conscience to be found in Freudian psychology
——–reflects the internalization of cultural rules, mainly taught by parents applying their guidance/influence
Because solving real problems is essential in dealing with the world, the ego operates according to the
reality principle
Our sexual energy is called the __________, which strives for relief from inner tensions, and sometimes becomes directed at fetishes.
libido - instinctual drives that are unresponsive to the demands of reality
The unconscious fear of castration that results from a boy’s struggle to deal with his love for his mother while knowing that he cannot overcome his father is called
castration anxiety
The processes that distort reality to protect the ego against the painful and threatening impulses arising from the id are called
defense mechanisms
Adler emphasized on personal responsibility in mentally healthy subjects who seek their own and social good.
Late work: A Challenge to Mankind (1938) turns the subject of metaphysics (integrates holism with the ideas of teleology & community
-ecological connection with nature and cosmos as a whole
Adler believed there to be two kinds of personalities:
1) those whose final fiction is primarily motivated by social interest
2) those whose final fiction is motivated by a self-centered drive for personal superiority
Fixation
occurs when developing person refuses to face the challenges brought about by a new stage of life
In the psychoanalytic theory, defense mechanisms
are psychoanalytic strategies brought into play by the unconscoius mind to manipulate, deny, or distort reality in order to defend against feelings of anxiety & unacceptable impulses to maintain one’s self schema
Anal expulsive personality may be characterized with
- an inconsideration of others
- an inferiority complex may lead to superioty complex which could be expressed in a condescending attitude
Freud explains
that the lack of discipline in toilet training may lead to cruel behaviors
Adler explains
that insecurities may drive the individual to put others down
The self is the true core of personality, not the ego
The self designates the whole range of psychic phenomena in man. It express the unity of personality as a whole
Jung
relativizes & deliteralizes the ego & focuses on the psych or the soul
- the ego is the center of the consciousness; the self is the center of the total psyche, including both the conscious & unconscious
The Ego - reality principle
responsible for balancing: regulating the power of the id while keeping in mind the demands of the superego
According to freud, the ego
develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id can be expressed in manner acceptable in the real world
Reality principle
weighs the costs & benefits of an action before deciding to act on impulses
Freud’s five stages of psychosexual development:
1) oral — infancy
2) anal—toddlerhood
3) phallic—early childhood
4) latency—late childhood
5) Genital—- puberty & on
Freud- as an individual grows, he moves from one erogenous zone to the other with respect to satisfying his primal need
Freud observed that during predictable stages of early childhood development, the child’s behavior is oriented towards certain parts of his/her body
The core system of the human mind– id
houses a force of energy called the libido, that unconsciously drives us to get pleasure for ourselves on the demand (pleasure principle)
The ego tames the id
- waiting in line adapts to reality (ego)
- eating entails satisfying basic needs (id)
The ego is a set of psychic functions such as judgement, tolerance, planning
The id acts according to those psychic functions to seek immediate gratification of any impulse
Direct observation
– to see if the individuals will do it properly
involves a psychologist or other observer using specific guidelines to look for particular behaviors
—the reliability is assured when everyone engaged is perfectly clear for what is being looked for and what evidence is required to determine competence
Barnum Effect
observation that individuals will give high accuracy ratings to descriptions of their personality that are “tailored” to them.
- vague & general enough to apply to a wide range of people
- can explain for widespread acceptance of some beliefs
Projective tests (the psychological X-rays)
- attempt to view unexpressed information
- designed to let a person respond to ambiguous stimuli, may reveal hidden emotions & internal conflicts
- aim is towards the unconscious
self-report bias is a disadvantage of which methods of personality assessments?
interviews & personality inventories
Self- report studies have validity problems
patients may exaggerate symptoms in order to make the situation seem worse
- or some may be too embarrassed to reveal the truth
Personality inventories
- involve the administration of many questions/items who respond by rating the degree.
- scored objectively
