Deck 8: Trait Theory: the Five-Factor Model: Applications and Evaluation of the Trait Approach

Question 1

Studies on animal personality suggest

A) fundamental differences between human and chimp personality structures.
B) personality descriptions of other species express anthropomorphizing.
C) non-primates have the same personality structure as humans.
D) there is evidence for continuity of personality structure among the species.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The existence of universal terms for describing individual differences would be __________ an evolutionary perspective.

A) consistent with
B) inconsistent with
C) simultaneously consistent AND inconsistent with
D) irrelevant to

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The fundamental lexical hypothesis suggests that people

A) encode into language important individual differences.
B) encode into language basic biological determinants.
C) are different from one another.
D) rely on language to communicate ideas.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The best measure of OCEAN is

A) EPI.
B) 16PF.
C) NEO-PI.
D) water jug test.

Question 5

Five-factor model is to NEO-PI as

A) Freud is to id.
B) Rogers is to self.
C) Cattell is to 16 PF.
D) Allport is to factor analysis.

Question 6

The person responsible for the fundamental lexical hypothesis is

A) Allport.
B) Eysenck.
C) Goldberg.
D) Costa.

Question 7

The NEO-PI provides for

A) self-ratings.
B) spouse ratings.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 8

Which of the following is not a basis for support for the five factor model?

A) results from questionnaires.
B) results from projective tests.
C) results from ratings.
D) all of the above provide support.

Question 9

The NEO-PI is a

A) projective test.
B) questionnaire.
C) disguised test.
D) instructional test.

Question 10

The Five-factor model is most similar to

A) Allport.
B) Eysenck.
C) Cattell.
D) Mischel.

Question 11

Which of the following is not a pair?

A) Eysenck - EPI, EPQ.
B) Cattell - 16PF.
C) Five-factor model - NEO-PI.
D) all of the above are pairs.

Question 12

Results from the NEO-PI would be expected to be most similar to those from the

A) Rorschach.
B) TAT.
C) clinical interview.
D) none of the above.

Question 13

Costa and McCrae argue that the NEO-PI in relation to the basic dimensions of personality is

A) necessary.
B) sufficient.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 14

The NEO-PI correlates well with scores from the

A) EPI.
B) 16PF.
C) Q-sort.
D) all of the above.

Question 15

The term Big 5 comes from

A) Goldberg.
B) Costa.
C) McCrae.
D) Buss.

Question 16

DeYoung and colleagues (2010) were able to identify brain regions correlated with variations in Big Five traits. Your textbook authors note that one reason one must exercise caution when interpreting these results is that "the brains' various regions are enormously interconnected." What did they mean by this?

A) The connectivity makes it difficult to figure out whether variations in brain volume caused variations in traits or vice-versa.
B) The connectivity suggests that studying the brain, even with an MRI, will always lead one to draw false conclusions about traits.
C) The connectivity makes focusing on more than one brain area problematic because only one brain area is ever active during a given complex task.
D) The connectivity makes focusing on one brain area problematic because several brain areas are active during a given complex task.

Question 17

DeYoung and colleagues (2010) were able to identify brain regions correlated with variations in Big Five traits. Can they claim that variations in volume of the brain regions caused variations in the Big Five?

A) Yes, because MRI evidence enables one to identify brain regions that cause behavior.
B) Yes, because past research indicates that the direction of causality is always from brain to behavior.
C) No, because MRI evidence is infamously unreliable.
D) No, because correlation does not enable one to establish the direction of causality.

Question 18

Self-ratings on the NEO-PI would be expected to show greatest agreement with

A) OT data.
B) spouse ratings.
C) projective test scores.
D) clinical interviews.

Question 19

Which of the following is not one of the Big 5?

A) conscientiousness.
B) honesty.
C) neuroticism.
D) agreeableness.

Question 20

According to the fundamental lexical hypothesis

A) language determines thinking.
B) language determines behavior.
C) language expresses observations.
D) none of the above.

Question 21

Cattell's factors seem most comparable to the NEO-PI's

A) factors.
B) facets.
C) items.
D) none of the above.

Question 22

Research on age differences during adulthood are faced with the problem of

A) age effects.
B) cohort effects.
C) cultural differences.
D) gender differences.

Question 23

McCrae and Costa suggest that

A) progressions of personality development depend on culture.
B) progressions of personality development depend on historical context.
C) progressions of personality development are fixed in order and time.
D) none of the above.

Question 24

Relative to personality structure in adulthood, that in childhood is

A) more complex.
B) less integrated.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 25

According to the concept of intrinsic maturation, personality traits are

A) largely uninfluenced by the environment.
B) largely influenced by the environment.
C) unpredictable in their development.
D) developed out of characteristic adaptations.

Question 26

A problem with cross-cultural research on the Big Five is

A) translations across languages.
B) nationalism.
C) obtaining subjects.
D) all of the above.

Question 27

Concerning the convergence between ratings using self-report and observer-report, three major findings have emerged. Which is NOT one of them?

A) self-report and observer-report are correlated
B) observer-report and observer-report are correlated
C) self-report ratings are always more accurate
D) observer reports are sometimes more accurate than self-reports

Question 28

The text suggests that cross-cultural trait comparisons may depend on whether

A) subjects are of comparable age.
B) subjects are of comparable intelligence.
C) indigenous terms are used.
D) researchers are from the US.

Question 29

Cross-cultural research on age trends suggests

A) the same pattern of personality trait change.
B) varying patterns of personality trait change.
C) western vs. nonwestern differences in personality trait change.
D) developing countries vs. developed countries differences in personality trait change.

Question 30

Research by Ravenna Helson and colleagues examining the lives of women who were studied over long periods of time found that

A) women's personalities did not change over time no matter what their life experiences.
B) women who were involved in the women's movement became more confident and empowered.
C) women who entered the workforce became neurotic.
D) None of the above.

Question 31

McCrae and Costa's view of the Big Five is that they are similar to

A) motives.
B) cognitions.
C) temperament.
D) the self.

Question 32

The text suggests that the Big Five model can integrate the work of

A) Eysenck.
B) Cattell.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 33

Differences between self- and observer-ratings of the Big Five have been observed for traits that are not highly:

A) socially desirable
B) descriptive
C) visible
D) a and c

Question 34

Disagreement concerning trait measures is greatest concerning

A) factors.
B) facets.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 35

According to McCrae and Costa, life choices and the self-concept are formed out of

A) basic biological tendencies.
B) characteristic adaptations.
C) external events.
D) all of the above.

Question 36

According to McCrae and Costa, the Big Five have

A) a biological basis.
B) an environmental basis.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 37

Overall, cross-cultural research on the Big Five suggests that

A) none of the traits are universal
B) all of the Big Five are pretty universal.
C) at least three of the Big Five are universal.
D) only one of the Big Five is universal.

Question 38

The factor that shows least cross-cultural replicability is

A) neuroticism.
B) extraversion.
C) conscientiousness.
D) openness to experience.

Question 39

McCrae and Costa's view of the basis for the Big Five is captured by the term

A) unshared environment.
B) shared environment.
C) characteristic adaptations.
D) intrinsic maturation.

Question 40

In their study of conscientious behavior, Mischel and Peake found that such behavior

A) shows little temporal stability.
B) shows little cross-situational consistency.
C) shows high levels of both temporal stability and cross-situational consistency.
D) (a) and (b).

Question 41

The text suggests that the data support the view that

A) personality is more stable over short than long periods of time.
B) personality is more stable in adulthood than childhood.
C) there are individual differences in trait stability.
D) all of the above.

Question 42

A limitation of trait theory is that it

A) does not get at individual differences.
B) investigates but few variables at a time.
C) uses static rather than dynamic concepts.
D) cannot integrate science and religion the way Rogers did.

Question 43

At an extreme end of a trait dimension, personality can be

A) adaptive.
B) pathological.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 44

A problem with the trait concept is that

A) there is little evidence of constitutional differences in people.
B) it presents too static a picture.
C) it cannot be applied to individuals.
D) all of the above.

Question 45

Laboratory situations are problematic for the study of traits because

A) they emphasize one variable at a time.
B) the results don't agree with questionnaire results.
C) they restrict the range of individual differences.
D) they are low in reliability.

Question 46

Critics of trait theory mostly focus on the problem of

A) cross-situational consistency.
B) longitudinal consistency.
C) multivariate research.
D) hierarchical organization.

Question 47

The text suggests that trait theory is

A) growing in popularity.
B) declining in popularity.
C) in a state of disarray.
D) similar to Rogerian theory.

Question 48

People may be stable in their behavior because

A) they select as well as respond to situations.
B) stereotypes are formed of people.
C) constitutional factors predispose toward some trait stability.
D) all of the above.

Question 49

At this point in time, evidence in support of trait stability

A) is better for longitudinal stability than for cross-situational stability.
B) is better for cross-situational stability than for longitudinal stability.
C) is very good for both kinds of stability.
D) is very good for neither kind of stability.

Question 50

Concerning the number of basic trait factors,

A) five is just about right.
B) some suggest more and some suggest fewer.
C) ultimately factor analysis will tell us exactly how many is best.
D) it all depends on the subject being studied.

Question 51

The trait position suggests

A) consistency over a range of situations.
B) many behaviors expressive of a trait.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 52

The Five-Factor Model appears to be useful in

A) describing personality disorders.
B) explaining personality disorders.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 53

Which of the following is not a likely contribution to trait stability?

A) genes.
B) people select their environments.
C) others respond in stable ways.
D) all of these contribute to stability.

Question 54

Concerning developmental aspects of traits, research suggests a relationship between

A) early temperament and later traits.
B) childhood and greater trait complexity.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 55

Which is not a strength of trait theory?

A) investigation of relationships among many variables.
B) emphasis on multiple research strategies.
C) development of assessment devices.
D) development of static concepts.

Question 56

Relative to older adults, adolescents and young adults score

A) higher on neuroticism.
B) higher on extraversion.
C) lower on agreeableness.
D) all of the above.

Question 57

The text suggests support for the following

A) the child is father to the man.
B) change does occur in traits.
C) stability of overall structure with individual change.
D) all of the above.

Question 58

Trait psychologists favor questionnaires because they

A) permit sampling over a range of situations.
B) trust people.
C) basically are phenomenologists.
D) all of the above.

Question 59

The evidence is best that people behave consistently

A) within domains of situations.
B) across domains of situations.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 60

According to the Five-Factor Model, personality disorders are best understood as

A) stereotypes.
B) distinct categories.
C) extremes of traits.
D) all of the above.

Question 61

Women but not men become increasingly conscientious with age.

Question 62

According to Ashton and colleagues' analyses, what sixth factor did proponents of the Big Five miss?

A) Openness.
B) Honesty/humility.
C) Conscientiousness.
D) Psychoticism.

Question 63

If research suggests that some traits are universal, whereas others are unique to specific cultures, then the fundamental lexical hypothesis is completely invalid.

Question 64

McCrae and Costa give equal emphasis to genes and environment.

Question 65

According to the Big Five, intelligence is a major component of personality.

Question 66

The NEO-PI was specifically designed to measure the basic five factors.

Question 67

Eysenck's three factors can be located in the Big Five.

Question 68

Trait data on Jim brought out his

A) mood swings.
B) strong appetite.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 69

Proponents of the NEO-PI also advocate the use of projective tests in the study of personality.

Question 70

NEO-PI data on Jim suggested that he and his wife disagreed on the trait(s) of

A) N.
B) A.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 71

The Big Five can usefully integrate the work of Cattell and Eysenck.

Question 72

A problem with the five-factor model is that it shows no links with other personality concepts.

Question 73

The discovery of the basic structure of personality through the factor analysis of ratings is comparable to the methods used in physics and chemistry.

Question 74

Recent research on the five-factor model indicates that

A) all individual persons display all of the personality traits in the five-factor model
B) no individual people have any of the five-factor personality traits
C) individual people may show personality tendencies that vary from the population structure
D) none of the above

Question 75

McCrae and Costa suggest there is an intrinsic maturation to personality.

Question 76

People become increasingly conscientious with age.

Question 77

Research by Twenge indicates that, in the past few decades, scores on the personality trait of anxiety have ___________ in the population at large.

A) increased
B) decreased
C) remain unchanged

Question 78

The fundamental lexical hypothesis suggests that people basically are language oriented.

Question 79

Research by Twenge on historical changes in personality traits scores _____ five-factor theory.

A) supports
B) contradicts
C) is irrelevant to

Question 80

The Big Five factor showing the least cross-instrument agreement is Openness.