Question 1

Some of your friends love going to parties, whereas others refuse to attend or simply put in an appearance and then leave quickly. This is an example of __________.
A) personality being impacted by experiences
B) people responding differently to the same situation
C) people choosing their situation
D) people changing the situations they enter

Accepted Answer

This scenario shows that different individuals are responding differently to the same situation of parties. Some enjoy it, while others do not. This indicates individual differences in personality traits, preferences, and attitudes towards social gatherings.

Question 2

Based on behavioral measures of personality, a reliable association between being anxious and depressed and __________ can be established.
A) hosting large parties
B) wearing dark clothing
C) having many pets
D) being sociable

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that individuals who are anxious and depressed tend to wear darker clothing.

Question 3

Why was the original person-situation debate ill-conceived?
A) It is unreasonable to assume that typical or usual personality tendencies will predict behavior perfectly across the vast variety of situations in which people find themselves.
B) Personality had not yet been established as an identifiable discipline in the 1960s; any outcomes based on personality measures were tentative at best.
C) Nature-versus-nurture is a much more important question to ask than whether it is the person or the situation that determines behavior.
D) The situations social psychologists investigated were usually mundane or trivial; high-impact situations were needed to reveal the true contributions of traits and the situation.

Accepted Answer

The original person-situation debate was ill-conceived because it is unrealistic to expect personality traits to predict behavior perfectly across all situations. Situations also have an impact on behavior, and the interaction between personality and situational factors needs to be considered.

Question 4

Which social psychologist conducted a well-known and controversial experiment that found most people would obey an experimenter's orders to administer a high level of shock to another person?
A) Sigmund Freud
B) William James
C) Walter Mischel
D) Stanley Milgram

Accepted Answer

Stanley Milgram conducted the controversial obedience experiment in the 1960s where participants were instructed by an authority figure to administer increasingly painful electric shocks to a person in another room. The experiment found that most participants continued to obey even when they believed the shocks were causing harm to the other person.

Question 5

The view that stable personality traits predict behavior versus the view that circumstances have much greater predictive power is called the __________ debate.
A) nature-nurture
B) situation-person
C) person-situation
D) extraversion-introversion

Accepted Answer

The debate between stable personality traits versus situational factors as predictors of behavior is known as the person-situation debate. This debate remains a central issue in the field of personality psychology, and there is ongoing research and discussion on the extent to which traits and situations interact to influence behavior.

Question 6

__________ is a personality trait that includes being neat, organized, and achievement motivated.
A) Agreeableness
B) Conscientiousness
C) Openness to experience
D) Extraversion

Accepted Answer

Conscientiousness is the personality trait that includes being neat, organized, and achievement motivated. Agreeableness refers to being cooperative and kind-hearted. Openness to experience refers to creativity, imagination, and a preference for novelty. Extraversion refers to being outgoing and sociable.

Question 7

When personality is measured, such as by using questionnaire self-reports, respondents are asked to report their __________ traits and behaviors.
A) preferred
B) least preferred
C) unusual
D) usual

Accepted Answer

Personality questionnaires typically ask individuals to report on their usual or typical traits and behaviors, rather than their preferred, least preferred, or unusual traits and behaviors.

Question 8

The person-situation debate caused a crisis in the field of psychology during the __________.
A) 1940s
B) 1950s
C) 1960s
D) 1970s

Accepted Answer

The person-situation debate occurred in the 1960s, and it caused a significant crisis in the field of psychology. This debate was focused on the relative contributions of personality and situational factors in determining behavior. It challenged many of the assumptions and beliefs that had been prevalent in psychology up to that point and led to significant changes in the field.

Question 9

You and your friends enroll in different universities. Over time, you notice that your friends seem much different from who they were in high school. This is an example of __________.
A) personality being impacted by experiences
B) people responding differently to the same situation
C) people choosing their situation
D) people changing the situations they enter

Accepted Answer

This is an example of personality being impacted by experiences. As your friends are exposed to new environments, challenges, and opportunities in their respective universities, they may undergo personal growth and change in their beliefs, interests, and values. This can lead to observable changes in their behavior and personality traits.

Question 10

Some researchers argue that genetics is the primary cause of personality traits, whereas other researchers argue that environmental factors cause personality traits. This disagreement is generally known as the __________ debate.
A) nature-nurture
B) situation-context
C) person-situation
D) extraversion-introversion

Accepted Answer

The nature-nurture debate is the disagreement over whether genetics (nature) or environmental factors (nurture) are the primary cause of personality traits. Option B (situation-context) and option D (extraversion-introversion) are not relevant to this particular debate, and option C (person-situation) refers to a different debate about whether personality or situational factors have a greater influence on behavior.

Question 11

What do most scientific studies of personality try to determine?
A) how a single score on a personality measure reveals an overall pattern of behavior
B) the life history of a specific individual based on her or his scores on a questionnaire
C) general answers to important questions about the personality and behaviors of a group of people
D) why maladaptive personality traits lead people to perform harmful behaviors

Accepted Answer

Most scientific studies of personality try to determine general answers to important questions about the personality and behaviors of a group of people. They aim to understand the patterns and correlates of personality traits, as well as how personality develops and changes over time. Studies typically involve samples of individuals who complete various personality measures or participate in behavioral assessments, and the results are analyzed using statistical methods to identify meaningful patterns or associations. The goal is to gain insights into the fundamental nature of personality and its impact on a range of outcomes, from mental health and well-being to social behavior and occupational success.

Question 12

Reggie has been hanging out with the wrong crowd, missing class, being disrespectful to his parents, and showing up late to his part-time job. He realizes that his behavior needs to change. He avoids his old friends and works hard at being punctual and polite. He joins a local bocce ball team to make new friends. What is Reggie trying to change?
A) his situation
B) his history
C) his personality
D) his career

Accepted Answer

Reggie is trying to change his situation by altering his behavior, distancing himself from negative influences, and engaging in new, positive activities.

Question 13

Dominique is high on the trait of conscientiousness. It is likely that Dominique will __________.
A) rarely be late to an event
B) consistently be late to scheduled events
C) never be late to scheduled events
D) not apologize after arriving late to an event

Accepted Answer

Conscientious people tend to be punctual and reliable, so it is likely that Dominique will rarely be late to an event.

Question 14

Beginning in the 1960s, social psychologists found compelling evidence that the presence of other people and the environment one was in, collectively known as the __________, was primarily responsible for eliciting a person's behavior.
A) personal environment
B) collective space
C) bystander effect
D) situation

Accepted Answer

The phrase "presence of other people and the environment one was in" suggests that the answer is referring to a specific context, rather than a person's individual surroundings (A) or a vague concept like "collective space" (B). Additionally, the phrase "bystander effect" refers to a specific phenomenon within social psychology, rather than being a general term for the context that influences behavior. Therefore, the best answer is D, situation.

Question 15

Psychologists now recognize that __________.
A) situational forces are the primary determinants of behavior
B) personality traits are the true determinants of behavior
C) neither the situation nor the person determines behavior; genetics does
D) personality traits within a situational context determine behavior

Accepted Answer

Psychologists currently believe that personality traits and situational context interact to determine behavior. This perspective is known as the person-situation interaction paradigm.

Question 16

Chico believes that people do not display consistent behavioral tendencies across situations. Chico is on the __________ side of an enduring debate between personality psychologists and social psychologists.
A) situation
B) nature
C) nurture
D) person

Accepted Answer

The enduring debate referred to in the question is the situation-versus-person debate in the field of personality psychology. Chico's belief that people do not display consistent behavioral tendencies across situations suggests that he favors the situation side of the debate, which holds that contextual factors are more important determinants of behavior than enduring personality traits.

Question 17

To what extent do personality traits and situational constraints predict behavior?
A) Only the situation influences a person's behavior.
B) Only personality influences a person's behavior.
C) Situations determine traits, which then determine behavior.
D) Both factors predict behavior about equally well.

Accepted Answer

Personality traits and situational constraints both play a role in predicting behavior, but to what extent can vary depending on the specific situation and individual. Both factors should be taken into consideration when predicting behavior.

Question 18

Which psychologist argued that the effects of personality on a person's behaviors were too small to matter?
A) George Herbert Mead
B) Sam Gosling
C) Walter Mischel
D) Stanley Milgram

Accepted Answer

Walter Mischel argued that the effects of personality on a person's behaviors were too small to matter in his book "Personality and Assessment."

Question 19

Beginning in the 1960s, many personality psychologists objected to the notion that situational constraints determined behavior. What argument did they advance instead?
A) Personality traits don't really exist.
B) The idea of a situational context is fictitious.
C) Stable personality traits can predict behavior reliably.
D) The effects of personality on behavior are too small to matter.

Accepted Answer

Many personality psychologists advanced the argument that stable personality traits can predict behavior reliably, rather than situational constraints determining behavior. This came to be known as the trait theory of personality.

Question 20

Simone believes that people have consistent behavioral tendencies that are identifiable and impactful across situations. She is on the __________ side of an enduring debate between personality psychologists and social psychologists.
A) situation
B) nature
C) nurture
D) person

Accepted Answer

Simone's belief aligns with the "person" side of the debate, emphasizing individual differences in behavior that are consistent across various situations, which is a central focus in personality psychology.

Quiz 1: Understanding Yourself and Others

Some of your friends love going to parties, whereas others refuse to attend or simply put in an appearance and then leave quickly. This is an example of __________.

Based on behavioral measures of personality, a reliable association between being anxious and depressed and __________ can be established.

Why was the original person-situation debate ill-conceived?

Which social psychologist conducted a well-known and controversial experiment that found most people would obey an experimenter's orders to administer a high level of shock to another person?

The view that stable personality traits predict behavior versus the view that circumstances have much greater predictive power is called the __________ debate.

__________ is a personality trait that includes being neat, organized, and achievement motivated.

When personality is measured, such as by using questionnaire self-reports, respondents are asked to report their __________ traits and behaviors.

The person-situation debate caused a crisis in the field of psychology during the __________.

You and your friends enroll in different universities. Over time, you notice that your friends seem much different from who they were in high school. This is an example of __________.

Some researchers argue that genetics is the primary cause of personality traits, whereas other researchers argue that environmental factors cause personality traits. This disagreement is generally known as the __________ debate.

What do most scientific studies of personality try to determine?

Dominique is high on the trait of conscientiousness. It is likely that Dominique will __________.

Beginning in the 1960s, social psychologists found compelling evidence that the presence of other people and the environment one was in, collectively known as the __________, was primarily responsible for eliciting a person's behavior.

Psychologists now recognize that __________.

Chico believes that people do not display consistent behavioral tendencies across situations. Chico is on the __________ side of an enduring debate between personality psychologists and social psychologists.

To what extent do personality traits and situational constraints predict behavior?

Which psychologist argued that the effects of personality on a person's behaviors were too small to matter?

Beginning in the 1960s, many personality psychologists objected to the notion that situational constraints determined behavior. What argument did they advance instead?

Simone believes that people have consistent behavioral tendencies that are identifiable and impactful across situations. She is on the __________ side of an enduring debate between personality psychologists and social psychologists.