Questions for Chapter 15: Personality

Jaydon lacks any recognition that his alcohol abuse and neglect of his family are leading to the destruction of both family and career. A psychoanalyst would suggest that Jaydon shows signs of a: A. strong ego. B. weak id. C. strong superego. D. weak ego.

El Salvadorans have a saying: “The thief thinks everyone else is a thief.” This most clearly relates to the defense mechanism of: A. displacement. B. rationalization. C. projection. D. regression.

Bryce often acts so daring and overly confident that few people realize he is actually riddled with unconscious insecurity and self-doubt. Bryce best illustrates the use of a defense mechanism known as: A. reaction formation. B. projection. C. displacement. D. rationalization.

Children who have witnessed a parent’s murder report memories that most clearly challenge Sigmund Freud’s concept of: A. rationalization. B. the Oedipus complex. C. displacement. D. repression.

Which psychological assessment is NOT associated with the psychoanalytic tradition? A. TAT B. Rorschach C. MMPI D. Draw-A-Person test

Humanistic psychology has been most closely associated with an emphasis on the importance of: A. free association. B. empirically derived tests. C. reciprocal determinism. D. a positive self-concept.

Shari is a rather anxious person Shari is a rather anxious person. Since she is so insecure, she frequently seeks out the reassurance of others. On which of the Big Five characteristics would Shari likely score high? A. neuroticism B. extraversion C. openness D. conscientiousness

After experiencing prolonged and seemingly inescapable physical abuse from her husband, Kayla became increasingly depressed and hopelessly resigned to her suffering. Her reaction best illustrates: A. a reaction formation. B. an Electra complex. C. learned helplessness. D. an inferiority complex.

Researchers have found that when asked to rate themselves on socially desirable dimensions such as how ethical they are or how hard they work, most people rate themselves as: A. average. B. far below average. C. just a bit below average. D. above average.

Critical Thinking Question

In a job interview for a position as an elementary school teacher, you are asked to take a Rorschach test. How would you respond to this request? A. Take the test; after all, it is a well-known psychological tool. B. Take the test, because it has been successfully used to predict emotional disorders. C. Decline to take the test, because it is illegal to administer in this situation. D. Decline to take the test, because it has questionable reliability and validity and can lead to inaccurate evaluation.