Personality

Question 1

What theory of personality posits that personalities are comprised of unconscious memories, emotions, and thoughts?

According to this theory, dreams are a window to the subconscious.

Answer 1

Psychoanalytic

It is also known as Freudian theory. As its name indicates, this theory was developed by Sigmund Freud.

Question 2

What are the three parts of the personality according to Freud?

Answer 2

1. id
2. ego
3. superego

Freud developed the psychoanalytic theory of personality, and part of that theory involved his proposal of these three parts of the personality.

Question 3

According to Freud, which part of the personality is focused on morality, right and wrong, and fostering acceptable behavior?

Answer 3

superego

This part of the personality is similar to the “conscience” and clashes with the id, a relationship that is balanced by the ego.

Question 4

According to Freud, which part of the personality is driven by basic needs, such as hunger and libido?

Answer 4

id

According to Freud, the id is the unrefined collection of our urges and desires.

Question 5

Fill in the blank.

According to Freud, the id (set of basic instincts) and the superego (sense of higher morality) are balanced by the _____.

Answer 5

ego

The ego is the mediator between the id and the superego. It organizes thoughts and behavior so that the id does not get out of control but is still satisfied when possible.

Question 6

Which of the three parts of personality, according to Freud, is entirely unconscious?

Answer 6

id

Of the three parts of personality (id, ego, and superego), the id is the only part to be entirely unconscious. This means that the individual is unaware of its presence, although the thoughts and feelings it embodies can still influence behavior.

Question 7

Freud proposed a model of the mind that contains three “levels”: unconscious, preconscious, and conscious. In this context, what is the preconscious?

Answer 7

The preconscious consists of feelings and thoughts that the individual is not aware of (therefore, they are not conscious), but that can be pulled into consciousness relatively easily.

Question 8

Which of the three parts of personality, according to Freud, is/are at least partially conscious?

More than one answer may be correct.

Answer 8

ego and superego

While the ego is mostly conscious, the superego is also partially conscious.

Question 9

What theory of personality posits that human nature is inherently good and emphasizes free will?

Answer 9

Humanistic

This personality theory was developed by Carl Rogers.

Question 10

What theory or perspective of personality is most closely related to the concept of self-actualization, the highest need on Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Answer 10

humanistic perspective

The humanistic perspective or humanistic theory takes an optimistic view of human nature. It focuses on the ability of people to use free will and reach their full potential, which is perfectly in line with the concept of self-actualization.

Question 11

What theory of personality suggests that personality is determined by the presence or absence of specific characteristics?

Answer 11

trait perspective

Traits are pervasive characteristics or patterns of behavior, such as extraversion. Trait perspectives of personality focus on individuals’ embodiment of different traits.

Question 12

Gordon Allport, a trait theorist, organized personality into which three types of traits?

Answer 12

1. cardinal
2. central
3. secondary

Question 13

Fill in the blank.

According to Gordon Allport, ________ traits are those that everyone has to some degree, such as friendliness or irritability.

Answer 13

central

You can remember this because together, “central” traits are “central” to our personalities; a personality can be essentially thought of as the sum of one’s central traits.

Question 14

Fill in the blank.

Jane, an executive, is consumed by ambition and spends almost every waking minute thinking about how she can increase her personal power. According to Gordon Allport, ambition is a ________ _____ for Jane.

Answer 14

cardinal trait

Allport posited that cardinal traits are traits that dominate an individual’s personality. Here, Jane has a single cardinal trait (ambition), but individuals may have up to a handful.

Question 15

What term did Gordon Allport use to describe traits that are generally specific and exist only in certain situations?

Answer 15

secondary traits

Secondary traits might include something like a person with a sweet tooth getting very excited when faced with dessert. They may not always be excitable/enthusiastic, but they are when sweets are around.

Question 16

Which of Allport’s three types of traits can explain apparent “exceptions” to a person’s central traits?

Answer 16

secondary traits

Central traits, such as agreeableness or irritability, are those that are present to varying degrees in everyone and that form the essence of a personality. However, secondary traits are only present under certain circumstances, at which time they can create exceptions to central traits.

For instance, a normally irritable person who loves dessert may get very excited and friendly at an ice cream shop.

Question 17

Raymond Cattell, a psychologist who proposed the concepts of fluid and crystallized intelligence, also proposed which personality test?

Answer 17

16 Personality Factors

(16PF)

This is a self-report questionnaire that rates each individual along a spectrum for each of 16 personality traits. (You don’t need to memorize which 16 traits these are for the MCAT.)

Question 18

Cattell’s 16 Personality Factors test, which rates individuals along a spectrum for 16 factors, is an example of which perspective of personality?

Answer 18

trait perspective

Any personality test that attempts to subdivide personality into multiple characteristics or factors (or traits) exemplifies the trait perspective.

Question 19

Hans Eysenck, a controversial psychologist, originally proposed that personality was based on two factors: extraversion and neuroticism. This is an example of which perspective of personality?

Answer 19

trait perspective

As with Cattell’s 16PF test, any personality test that attempts to subdivide personality into multiple characteristics or factors (or traits) exemplifies the trait perspective.

Question 20

The five-factor model of personality includes five personality traits termed the “Big Five.” Name these traits.

Answer 20

1. openness
2. conscientiousness
3. extraversion
4. agreeableness
5. neuroticism

These traits can be remembered using the acronym “OCEAN.”

Question 21

Which of the following is not one of the “Big Five” personality traits?

• Openness
• Confrontationalism
• Neuroticism

Answer 21

Confrontationalism

However, openness and neuroticism are both listed among those traits, collectively known by the acronym OCEAN.

Question 22

Which of the following is not one of the “Big Five” personality traits?

• Introversion
• Agreeableness
• Extraversion

Answer 22

Introversion

Rather, a person who rates low on extraversion (which is one of the “Big Five”) can be thought of as an introvert.

Agreeableness is also one of these traits, collectively known by the acronym OCEAN.

Question 23

What is the name of the popular trait-perspective personality test abbreviated as “MBTI”?

Answer 23

Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator

You may have used this popular tool before! It exemplifies the trait perspective of personality by subdividing personality along four dimensions (or traits).

Question 24

Which category of the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test best relates to one’s relationship with social events?

Answer 24

introversion/extraversion

The four dimensions of the MBTI are intraversion/extraversion, sensing/intuiting, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving.

Question 25

Fill in the blank.

According to the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test, if one does not have a “judging” personality, then one must have a ________ personality.

Answer 25

perceiving

The four dimensions of the MBTI are introversion/extraversion, sensing/intuiting, thinking/feeling, and the dimension relevant to this question: judging/perceiving.

Question 26

Fill in the blank.

According to the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test, if one does not have an “intuiting” personality, then one must have a ________ personality.

Answer 26

sensing

The four dimensions of the MBTI are introversion/extraversion, sensing/intuiting, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving.

Question 27

Fill in the blank.

According to the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test, if one does not have a “feeling” personality, then one must have a ________ personality.

Answer 27

thinking

The four dimensions of the MBTI are introversion/extraversion, sensing/intuiting, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving.

Question 28

The use of online forums for MCAT studying leads many students to adopt the methods they see discussed by users who claim to have high exam scores. Which personality perspective would best explain this?

Answer 28

social cognitive perspective

This perspective posits that personality is formed through environmental and cognitive experiences. Through observational learning, people are likely to mimic positive behaviors that they observe in others.

Question 29

A man who expects his son to have an extremely similar personality to himself is most likely a believer in which personality theory?

Answer 29

biological perspective

This posits that some, if not most, of our personality is determined by our genes.

Question 30

A researcher doing twin studies finds that the personalities of identical twins raised apart in separate countries differed dramatically. This evidence most strongly supports which personality theory?

Answer 30

behaviorist perspective

This perspective posits that personalities are produced by patterns of behavior that one learns from their environment, often through operant conditioning.

Question 31

Which scientist, also notable for his contributions to the study of operant conditioning, was the founder of the behaviorist perspective of personality?

Answer 31

B.F. Skinner

While the MCAT will typically ask you for theories rather than the names of the psychologists who proposed them, you should know the name of B.F. Skinner, who was critical to the study of operant conditioning and its role in personality (which is the focus of the behaviorist perspective).

Question 32

What approach focuses on genetics, brain structure, and brain chemistry to explain psychological disorders?

Answer 32

biomedical approach

Question 33

What approach examines sociological, cultural, and societal expectations to analyze personality disorders?

Answer 33

biopsychosocial approach

This approach typically examines variables such as education, socioeconomic status, and peer expectations to diagnose and identify personality disorders.

Question 34

Fill in the blank.

The situational approach to explaining behavior contrasts two types of characteristics called ________ and ________.

Answer 34

traits, states

• Traits are personality characteristics that are stable, long-lasting, and internal. Traits are generally consistent, not situation-dependent.
• States are personality characteristics that are unstable, short-term, and situation-dependent.