Chapter: Chapter 07: Trait Approaches to Personality - Allport, Eyesneck and Cattell
Multiple Choice
1. The basic assumption of the trait point of view is that
a) people are similar in some ways.
b) people possess broad predispositions to respond.
c) people are unique in some ways.
d) people possess energies that can be directed in multiple directions.
Ans: b
2. Which is a characteristic of trait theorists?
a) hierarchical organization of personality.
b) use of bivariate research.
c) emphasis on cross-situational variability.
d) emphasis on longitudinal variability.
Ans: a
3. The hierarchy emphasized by trait theorists is
a) types, habits, responses, traits.
b) habits, types, responses, traits.
c) habits, responses, types, traits.
d) responses, habits, traits, types.
Ans: d
4. In his view of the person Allport would be most similar to
a) Freud.
b) Rogers.
c) both (a) and (b).
d) neither (a) nor (b).
Ans: b
5. Allport believed that traits are based in the
a) endocrine system.
b) circulatory system.
c) nervous system.
d) hormonal system.
Ans: c
6. Which is not a property of traits?
a) frequency.
b) centrality.
c) intensity.
d) range of situations.
Ans: b
7. According to Allport, traits are defined by
a) frequency, intensity, and distinctiveness.
b) frequency, intensity, and range of situations.
c) distinctiveness, frequency, and range of situations.
d) intensity, frequency, and variability.
Ans: a
8. To Allport, the trait with the most pervasive influence is
a) central.
b) cardinal.
c) secondary.
d) primary.
Ans: b
9. According to Allport, which of the following represent the least conspicuous and generalized dispositions?
a) cardinal traits.
b) secondary traits.
c) tertiary dispositions.
d) central traits.
Ans: b
10. Allport's ordering of traits from most to least generalized and consistent is
a) cardinal, central, secondary.
b) secondary, central, cardinal.
c) central, secondary, cardinal.
d) central, cardinal, secondary.
Ans: a
11. Which statement is not expressive of Allport's views?
a) Traits are more important than situations.
b) Traits can be transformed in function.
c) Idiographic research is valued.
d) Some traits are unique to individuals.
Ans: a
12. Allport's concept of functional autonomy suggests that
a) people are capable of functioning autonomously.
b) from birth there is a motive to function autonomously.
c) pleasure motives can function independently (autonomously) from other motives.
d) motives originally based on tension-reduction can become independent sources of pleasure.
Ans: d
13. For Allport, evidence for the existence of a trait was
a) consistency in behavior.
b) physiological data.
c) identical behavior in various situations.
d) reliability of observations.
Ans: a
14. According to Allport, a trait could be defined in terms of
a) frequency.
b) intensity.
c) range of situations.
d) all of the above.
Ans: d
15. According to Allport, people generally describe others in terms of
a) secondary dispositions.
b) cardinal traits.
c) central traits.
d) source traits.
Ans: c
16. According to Allport, a trait
a) expresses itself in all situations.
b) is discounted by evidence of inconsistency.
c) can be determined by factor analysis.
d) is expressed over a range of situations.
Ans: d
17. According to Allport, the concept of trait expresses
a) a range of possible behavior.
b) a specific response in a specific situation.
c) the uniqueness of personality.
d) the stability of personality over the course of a life-time.
Ans: a
18. According to Allport, situation characteristics
a) are unimportant in influencing behavior.
b) help to explain variability in behavior.
c) can be measured objectively.
d) can completely determine behavior.
Ans: b
19. According to Allport, to account for behavior one had to consider
a) traits.
b) situation characteristics.
c) both (a) and (b).
d) neither (a) nor (b).
Ans: c
20. Allport's emphasis on the individual is seen in his support for
a) psychoanalysis.
b) idiographic research.
c) nomothetic research.
d) statistical prediction.
Ans: b
21. The concept of idiographic research suggests that
a) individuals cannot be studied.
b) good ideas form the basis for good research.
c) computers are useful in predicting behavior.
d) none of the above.
Ans: d
22. Which of the following would support the utility of idiographic research?
a) Freud.
b) Rogers.
c) Kelly.
d) all of the above.
Ans: d
23. Allport is noteworthy in suggesting that people
a) select situations.
b) cannot be studied.
c) are motivated by the unconscious.
d) are always full of conflict.
Ans: a
24. Traits are similar to
a) states.
b) activities.
c) both (a) and (b).
d) neither (a) nor (b).
Ans: d
25. Behaviors that appear to be similar but do not actually vary together are known as
a) surface traits.
b) source traits.
c) temperament traits.
d) factors.
Ans: a
26. According to Cattell, which traits represent the building blocks of personality?
a) surface.
b) ability.
c) dynamic.
d) source.
Ans: d
27. Traits are to superfactors as
a) habits are to traits.
b) feelings are to cognitions.
c) source traits are to surface traits.
d) none of the above.
Ans: a
28. Which is not a dimension of Eysenck's theory?
a) introversion-extraversion.
b) narcissism.
c) neuroticism.
d) psychotocism.
Ans: b
29. According to Eysenck, it is necessary to
a) develop adequate measures.
b) develop a theory of performance.
c) establish biological foundations for traits.
d) all of the above.
Ans: d
30. Eysenck was concerned with definitions of traits that were
a) redundant.
b) circular.
c) empirical.
d) all of the above.
Ans: b
31. The following theorists use factor analysis in their research efforts
a) Allport and Cattell.
b) Eysenck and Cattell.
c) Allport and Eysenck.
d) all of the above.
Ans: b
32. According to factor analysis
a) traits and types exist.
b) single item responses form the best level of analysis.
c) things that vary together are related.
d) all of the above.
Ans: c
33. For Eysenck, the concept of superfactor
a) allows one to say that people are one type or another.
b) allows one to avoid dealing with dimensions.
c) refers to basic dimensions.
d) is the basis for using factor analysis.
Ans: c
34. The dimension listed below that is not one of the dimensions emphasized by Eysenck is
a) introversion-extraversion.
b) neuroticism (stable-unstable).
c) complexity-simplicity.
d) all of the above are emphasized by Eysenck.
Ans: c
35. People who are solitary and uncaring of others would be described by Eysenck as high on
a) selfishness.
b) psychoticism.
c) extroversion.
d) introversion.
Ans: b
36. According to Eysenck, extraversion is defined by
a) sociability.
b) sensation-seeking.
c) both (a) and (b).
d) neither (a) nor (b).
Ans: c
37. According to Eysenck, traits can be measured
a) by questionnaires.
b) by objective methods.
c) both (a) and (b).
d) neither (a) nor (b).
Ans: c
38. According to Eysenck, the basis for individual differences in introversion-extraversion is differences in
a) physiological functioning.
b) intelligence.
c) neither (a) nor (b).
d) both (a) and (b).
Ans: a
39. According to Eysenck, some people are more influenced by punishments than are others and generally learn social prohibitions more rapidly. Such individuals would be high on
a) introversion.
b) extraversion.
c) complexity.
d) simplicity.
Ans: a
40. Eysenck predicted that individuals high on extraversion would experience lower cortical arousal in response to environmental stimuli. What pattern of results did Kehoe et al. find when looking at the fMRI activity of those high in extraversion?
a. Activity in the cerebellum was lower than those low in extraversion, whereas activity in the insula was higher than those low in extraversion.
b. Activity in the cerebellum and in the insula was higher than those low in extraversion.
c. Activity in the cerebellum was lower than those low in extraversion, whereas activity in the insula was lower than those low in extraversion.
d. There were no differences in activity of the cerebellum and insula among those high and low in extraversion.
Ans: a
41. Kehoe et al. found that among those high in extraversion, there was greater activity in the insula, an area of the brain that contributes to our subjective conscious experience of emotion. Which of the following summarizes how well this fits with Eysenck’s prediction about the biological basis of extraversion?
a. It contradicts it.
b. It supports it.
c. It partially supports it.
d. It is irrelevant to it.
Ans: a
42. Though Eysenck had predicted that people high in neuroticism would show increased brain activity in the limbic system, Kehoe et al’s fMRI data indicated that the increased brain activity was actually in the:
a) cerebellum
b) insula
c) prefrontal cortex
d) hippocampus
Ans: c
43. Students withdrawing from college for academic reasons tend to be ___________ whereas those withdrawing for personal reasons tend to be ____________.
a) neurotics-psychotics.
b) extraverts-introverts.
c) extraverts-neurotics.
d) none of the above.
Ans: b
44. The study demonstrating that people could be influenced by suggestions of an epidemic is evidence for
a) the existence of individual differences.
b) the importance of introversion-extroversion.
c) the role of personality in health.
d) all of the above.
Ans: d
45. According to Eysenck,
a) genetic factors play a major role in personality.
b) environmental factors play a major role in personality.
c) the basis for individual differences is unknown.
d) the future of psychology lies in clinical work.
Ans: a
46. Factors determining psychopathology
a) lie outside Eysenck's range of convenience.
b) lie inside Eysenck's range of convenience.
c) are largely environmental in origin.
d) have yet to be determined.
Ans: b
47. According to Eysenck,
a) there is a strong genetic component to psychopathology.
b) neurotic disorders can never change.
c) both (a) and (b).
d) neither (a) nor (b).
Ans: a
48. Returning to Cronbach's discussion of the two disciplines in psychology, Eysenck
a) supports correlation research.
b) supports experimental research.
c) both (a) and (b).
d) neither (a) nor (b).
Ans: c
49. In one way or another, Eysenck's views conflict with those of
a) Freud.
b) Allport.
c) Cattell.
d) all of the above.
Ans: d
50. Introverts are
a) restrained.
b) easily aroused by events.
c) inhibited.
d) all of the above.
Ans: d
51. Which of the following is not a characteristic of extraverts?
a) sensitivity to pain.
b) energetic.
c) carelessness.
d) excitement enhances performance.
Ans: a
52. Which of the following statements is not true of extraverts?
a) They do better than introverts in school.
b) They prefer to interact with others.
c) They are more suggestible than introverts.
d) They are more sexually active than introverts.
Ans: a
53. Which of the following statements is true?
a) Extraverts are less suggestible than introverts.
b) Introverts are less sensitive to pain than extraverts.
c) Criminals are high on extraversion but low on neuroticism and psychotocism.
d) Introverts are more influenced by punishments, extraverts by rewards.
Ans: d
54. Which of the following statements is false?
a) Extraverts are more sexually active than introverts.
b) Introverts do better in school than extraverts.
c) Introverts tend to be more suggestible than extraverts.
d) Extraverts enjoy aggressive humor more than introverts.
Ans: c
55. In terms of school performance
a) introverts do better than extraverts.
b) extraverts do better than introverts.
c) they both do the same.
d) it all depends on the subject.
Ans: a
56. Of the following, the dimension most important for criminals is
a) neuroticism.
b) extraversion.
c) psychoticism.
d) openness to experience.
Ans: c
57. Evidence in support of the biological basis for Eysenck's dimensions comes from
a) cross-cultural research.
b) stability of individual differences.
c) twin and adoption studies.
d) all of the above.
Ans: d
58. Which of the following is not a trait category suggested by Cattell?
a) sociability.
b) ability.
c) temperament.
d) dynamic.
Ans: a
59. Intelligence illustrates which kind of trait?
a) dynamic.
b) source.
c) ability.
d) temperament.
Ans: c
60. The 16 PF is an example of
a) L-data.
b) OT-data.
c) Q-data.
d) none of the above.
Ans: c
61. Which form of data relates to behavior in everyday situations?
a) OT-data.
b) S-data.
c) Q-data.
d) L-data.
Ans: d
62. Which type of data relates to behavior in laboratory situations?
a) L-data.
b) Q-data.
c) Ot-data.