Personality

Question 1

Why do personality theories differ?

Answer 1

• Lacking agreement on the nature of humanity
• Different backgrounds of theorists

Question 2

What is personality?

Answer 2

A pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics
- Provides consistency and individuality to behavior

Question 4

Traits

Answer 4

• Traits contribute to individual differences, consistency over time, and stability across situations

Question 5

The word “Personality”

Answer 5

• Originates from ‘persona,’ the theatrical mask worn by Roman actors

Question 6

What is a theory?

Answer 6

• A set of related assumptions allowing scientists to formulate testable hypotheses
• Must be internally consistent, logically structured, and precise
• Components are assumptions, not proven facts

Question 7

What are the six perspectives on concepts of human nature?

Answer 7

• Determinism vs. Free choice
• Pessimism vs. Optimism
• Causality vs. Teleology
• Conscious vs. Unconscious determinants
• Biological vs. Social factors
• Uniqueness vs. Similarities in people

Question 8

What is the case history method in developing personality theories?

Answer 8

Intensive observations of a single individual; useful for unique cases but not always generalizable.

Question 9

What is the correlational method in developing personality theories?

Answer 9

Identifies relationships between variables; does not establish causation.

Question 10

What is the experimental method in developing personality theories?

Answer 10

Identifies causation through controlled manipulation of independent variables; may lack real-world applicability.

Question 11

What is reliability in personality tests?

Answer 11

Consistency of test results over time.

Question 12

What is validity in personality tests?

Answer 12

Measures what it is intended to measure (content and construct validity).

Question 13

What are projective tests?

Answer 13

Unstructured stimuli allowing free responses (e.g., Thematic Apperception Test, Rorschach Inkblot Test).

Question 14

What are objective tests?

Answer 14

Structured questionnaires with clear scoring (e.g., multiple-choice or true/false questions).

Question 15

What is an example of a projective test?

Answer 15

• Thematic Apperception Test (TAT): Interpretation of ambiguous images
• Rorschach Test: Interpretation of inkblots

Question 16

What is an example of an objective test?

Answer 16

Example question: ‘When I go to a party, I am (a) a wallflower, (b) the life of the party, (c) blending in, (d) discouraging fun.’