Deck 15: Personality and Physical Health

Question 1

What is social inhibition?

A) stifling the urge to pursue social activities
B) the rejection of forming long-term relationships
C) a reluctance to express emotions that risk others' disapproval
D) denying the motivation to make friends and seek new social partners

Answer 1

a reluctance to express emotions that risk others' disapproval

Question 2

The participants in Lewis Terman's longitudinal study were referred to as __________.

A) Turtles
B) Tarantulas
C) Termites
D) Turkeys

Answer 2

Termites

Question 3

Rose has a personality type that combines high neuroticism and high social inhibition. Which type is it?

A) Type D
B) Type A
C) Type T
D) Type B

Answer 3

Type D

Question 4

Why is conscientiousness the best personality predictor of longevity?

A) People low in conscientiousness tend to have a genetic tendency toward ill health.
B) Conscientious people practice behaviors that contribute to longevity.
C) People high in conscientious are inherently more fit than people low in conscientiousness.
D) Conscientious people exercise more often than people with other personality profiles.

Question 5

Which strategy is most effective for developing self-control?

A) Evaluate each life element in need of control, and exert effort in each of those areas simultaneously.
B) Pick a date in the future to begin changing bad habits, and become more purposeful after that date.
C) Identify one or two areas in need of change, and develop routines to meet desired goals in those areas.
D) Practice mindfulness meditation until a conception of self-control guides your thoughts and actions.

Question 6

Which personality trait does impulsivity represent?

A) low conscientiousness
B) low agreeableness
C) high neuroticism
D) high openness to experience

Question 7

Which of the Big Five personality traits is linked to social inhibition?

A) high conscientiousness
B) low neuroticism
C) high agreeableness
D) low extraversion

Question 8

Which behavioral profile would be consistent with a person high in neuroticism?

A) displaying creativity and openness to experience
B) soliciting social support and engaging in mindfulness meditation
C) smoking cigarettes and experiencing depression
D) practicing yoga and maintaining a vegan diet

Question 9

How is self-control best conceptualized?

A) as a reservoir
B) as a muscle
C) as a concrete foundation
D) as an infinite resource

Question 10

Which behavioral profile would be consistent with a person high in conscientiousness?

A) avoiding drugs, exercising, smoking cigarettes
B) having unprotected sex, getting drunk, starting fights
C) taking medication, wearing a seat belt, eating vegetables
D) avoiding danger, keeping doctor's appointments, overeating

Question 11

What did Terman's longitudinal study of California schoolchildren involve?

A) investigating different forms of instruction from primary school through college
B) correlating height and weight as children grew from infancy to adolescence
C) examining their social connections, friendships, and parental relationships during middle school
D) measuring personality, habits, and behaviors at regular intervals every few years

Question 12

Who was the Stanford University psychologist who initiated the longest-running longitudinal study ever conducted?

A) Lewis Terman
B) Mary Ainsworth
C) Gordon Allport
D) Solomon Asch

Question 13

When a psychologist talks about "types," what is being referred to?

A) a pattern of responses to a personality test
B) specific states of physiological arousal
C) personality profiles linked to certain diseases
D) a system for identifying mental disorders

Question 14

Casey is high in the personality trait that best predicts who will live the longest. Which trait is that?

A) extraversion
B) openness to experience
C) agreeableness
D) conscientiousness

Question 15

What does the "D" in "Type D personality" stand for?

A) distraught
B) disorganized
C) depressed
D) distressed

Question 16

Which personality factor is linked to obesity?

A) impulsivity
B) narcissism
C) indecisiveness
D) agreeableness

Question 17

__________ involves overriding inner responses and regulating behaviors.

A) Self-esteem
B) Self-control
C) Self-worth
D) Self-exploration

Question 18

A large longitudinal study found that women high in anxiety were more than __________ likely to have a heart attack compared to those lower in anxiety.

A) five times less
B) seven times less
C) five times more
D) seven times more

Question 19

People high in __________ experience more negative emotions, regardless of whether those emotions are inner-directed or outer-directed.

A) neuroticism
B) aggressiveness
C) conscientiousness
D) extraversion

Question 20

Highly impulsive people weigh __________ pounds more than people very low in impulsivity.

A) 6
B) 12
C) 24
D) 35

Question 21

A Type A person is __________ more likely to have a heart attack than a Type B person.

A) 23%
B) 43%
C) 67%
D) 82%

Question 22

What degree of association between hostility and heart disease would allow researchers to conclude that one definitively causes the other?

A) a correlation of 1.00
B) a correlation of .50
C) a correlation of -.75
D) a correlation of -1.00

Question 23

What bodily state exists when tissues swell in response to a perceived or a real threat?

A) magnification
B) exacerbation
C) exaggeration
D) inflammation

Question 24

Reggie is visiting the bank to deposit some money. As he reaches for the deposit slip, he notices that one pen is balanced crossways over another. "Look!," he says to the person next to him. "I'll bet I can flip this pen in the air and have it land in my shirt pocket! Check it out, man!" What personality type is Reggie exhibiting?

A) Type C
B) Type A
C) Type D
D) Type T

Question 25

Among men high in neuroticism, those whose neuroticism decreased were __________ less likely to die over the next 18 years than men whose neuroticism increased.

A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 40%
D) 50%

Question 26

A correlation between neuroticism and illness has been established over many studies. What can be concluded from this result?

A) Being more neurotic causes people to become ill.
B) Becoming ill causes people to become more neurotic.
C) A third variable causes both neuroticism and illness to occur.
D) There is an association between neuroticism and illness.

Question 27

If a person with a Type D personality develops heart disease, she or he is __________ times as likely to have a heart attack, develop cancer, or die from any cause compared to a non-Type D person.

A) one to five
B) two to seven
C) three to five
D) four to seven

Question 28

Cynthia lets stressful thoughts run over and over in her mind, dwelling on them, examining them, and concentrating on them. What behavior is Cynthia engaging in?

A) reality monitoring
B) negative reasoning
C) rumination
D) rationalization

Question 29

What are the defining features of hostility?

A) rumination and self-regulation
B) constipation and lung disease
C) low self-esteem and high extraversion
D) feelings of anger and frustration

Question 30

Which bodily system is responsible for fighting disease?

A) circulatory system
B) immune system
C) respiratory system
D) nervous system

Question 31

People with a Type D personality are __________ times more likely to have had psychotherapy in the past month compared to non-Type D people.

A) four
B) six
C) ten
D) twenty

Question 32

Which personality type is associated with being hardworking, scheduled, and impatient?

A) Type A
B) Type B
C) Type D
D) Type T

Question 33

Which behavioral profile would be consistent with a person who has a Type A personality?

A) planning a vacation, leaving work early, watching television
B) attending a sporting event, preparing a four-course meal, getting a massage
C) keeping a detailed calendar, showing impatience, reacting with hostility to setbacks
D) practicing meditation, practicing yoga, practicing Reiki

Question 34

Teenagers with a Type D personality are __________ more likely to have trouble sleeping compared to non-Type D teenagers.

A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five

Question 35

What does the "T" in "Type T personality" stand for?

A) tenacious
B) thrill-seeking
C) traumatized
D) turbulent

Question 36

In one investigation, people high in hostility were __________ more likely to have a heart attack compared to people displaying less hostility.

A) 27%
B) 39%
C) 56%
D) 65%

Question 37

Ingo is visiting the bank to deposit some money. As he completes the deposit slip, the ink in the pen suddenly runs dry. "Huh," he says, to no one in particular. "No ink. We all reach the end sometime. Circle of life, baby. . . ." What personality type is Ingo exhibiting?

A) Type A
B) Type B
C) Type C
D) Type D

Question 38

Hostility leads to __________, which in turn damages and inflames arteries, which in turn leads to heart disease.

A) elevated body temperature
B) elevated blood pressure
C) shortness of breath
D) chest pains

Question 39

Chester is visiting the bank to deposit some money. As he completes the deposit slip, the ink in the pen suddenly runs dry. "You've gotta be kidding me with this!!" he screams, to no one in particular. "Don't waste my time!! Somebody get me a pen that works!!!" What personality type is Chester exhibiting?

A) Type A
B) Type B
C) Type C
D) Type D

Question 40

Vernon is visiting the bank to deposit some money. As he completes the deposit slip, the ink in the pen suddenly runs dry. Vernon feels an odd combination of anger, sadness, and worry. "Why has this happened now?! I don't need another setback in my life. I'm not going to be able to complete this transaction! This is yet another failure in a failed life," he thinks to himself. What personality type is Vernon exhibiting?

A) Type A
B) Type B
C) Type C
D) Type D

Question 41

Which hormone has been associated with feelings of closeness to others?

A) progesterone
B) testosterone
C) epinephrine
D) melatonin

Question 42

Defensive pessimism and a pessimistic explanatory style __________.

A) refer to the same thing
B) differ, because defensive pessimists are not convinced that the worst will continue to happen but try to prepare in case it does
C) are similar, because both styles assume that the worst will continue to happen
D) differ, because defensive pessimists are convinced that the worst will continue, whereas those with a pessimistic explanatory style are not

Question 43

The comfort, care, and help that is available to us from a network of friends and family members is known as __________.

A) kindness personified
B) social support
C) misery reduction
D) loving compassion

Question 44

A large longitudinal study found that the only Big Five trait not related to self-reported health or living longer was __________.

A) extraversion
B) agreeableness
C) neuroticism
D) openness to experience

Question 45

Optimists believe that good events are __________.

A) transient
B) stable
C) external
D) specific

Question 46

Pedro is a pessimist. Based on longitudinal evidence, he is more likely to die __________ than his optimistic brother.

A) of cancer
B) of heart disease
C) from accidents or violence
D) of lung disease

Question 47

Lucille has a thwarted need for power. This will likely lead her to feelings of __________.

A) stress
B) relief
C) happiness
D) satisfaction

Question 48

People high in power motive usually __________ compared to people low in power motive.

A) suffer from heart disease at higher rates
B) suffer from heart disease at lower rates
C) suffer from heart disease and asthma at higher rates
D) do not suffer from heart disease at higher rates

Question 49

Heather has an optimistic explanatory style. What is a component of this explanatory style?

A) believing that bad events are specific to a situation
B) believing that bad events are stable in their nature
C) believing that bad events are global in their application
D) believing that bad events are due to internal causes

Question 50

Marcella believes that negative events are temporary and specific, rather than lingering and global. What kind of explanatory style is she showing?

A) optimistic
B) pessimistic
C) self-actualized
D) efficacious

Question 51

Which group tends to have better immune system functioning and recovers more quickly from heart attacks and surgery?

A) optimistic people
B) pessimistic people
C) women
D) men

Question 52

How are depression and optimism related?

A) People who report being less depressed generally are more optimistic than they should be.
B) Depression causes people to become more optimistic over time.
C) Optimism, when coupled with neuroticism, leads to greater depression.
D) Depressed people show little optimism and a great deal of pessimism.

Question 53

A longitudinal study of 1,000 men followed over a 50-year period investigated __________.

A) whether optimism predicted a longer life
B) whether conscientiousness predicted health issues
C) whether Type A or Type B individuals were happier
D) whether obedience affected mental and physical health

Question 54

Zuri believes that bad events are all-encompassing. She is __________.

A) catastrophizing
B) intensifying
C) personifying
D) generalizing

Question 55

Fito has a pessimistic explanatory style. How is he likely to interpret bad events?

A) He will see bad events as transient.
B) He will see bad events as specific.
C) He will see bad events as external.
D) He will see bad events as stable.

Question 56

Which of the Big Five personality traits is linked to sensation-seeking?

A) high neuroticism
B) high conscientiousness
C) high extraversion
D) high agreeableness

Question 57

In the study in which people agreed to be exposed to a cold virus, those who described themselves as happy, cheerful, and lively were __________ times less likely to catch a cold.

A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five

Question 58

In a longitudinal comparison, older men who described themselves as more creative were __________ likely to die over 18 years than those who were uncreative.

A) 6% less
B) 12% less
C) 6% more
D) 12% more

Question 59

The tend-and-befriend response to stress would predict that __________.

A) men faced with a stressful situation are likely to enlist social support from friends and loved ones
B) men faced with a stressful situation are likely to make new friends as a distraction from their worries
C) women faced with a stressful situation are likely to engage in affiliation-related behaviors
D) women faced with a stressful situation are likely to deny and devalue the impact of the stressor

Question 60

Adopting a pessimistic explanatory style is like embracing a __________ personality style, because both orientations assume there is little to lose.

A) Type A
B) Type B
C) Type D
D) Type T

Question 61

How does low conscientiousness manifest itself, and what health outcomes may result from this trait?

Question 62

Why is conscientiousness a strong predictor of longevity?

Question 63

Kathleen is considered a Type T personality. What are the notable features of her personality profile?

Question 64

Rollo is considered a Type A personality. What are the notable features of his personality profile?

Question 65

Cho has an optimistic explanatory style. How does he interpret negative events?

Question 66

Tamara has a pessimistic explanatory style. How does she interpret negative events?

Question 67

Judy is considered a Type B personality. What are the notable features of her personality profile?

Question 68

What does being high in power motive mean?

Question 69

Explain the links between conscientiousness, impulsivity, self-control, and self-regulation. Despite these different terms, why are similar underlying concepts present?

Question 70

Ashley is high in agreeableness. Will she live a healthier, longer life than others because of this?

Question 71

Who were the "Termites?"

Question 72

Why is extraversion not the most precise predictor of health-related behaviors such as engaging in unprotected sex, pursuing risky hobbies, or taking chances in life?

Question 73

Erika is a Type D personality type. Based on what you know about personality types, what is Erika's physical and mental health probably like?

Question 74

How does inflammation affect health? Explain how personality factors are implicated in this relationship.

Question 75

Audrey is considered a Type D personality. What are the notable features of her personality profile?

Question 76

Agreeableness shows an inconsistent pattern or predicting health outcomes, but a variable correlated with agreeableness does. What is that variable, and how is it related to health benefits? What are the likely links among these variables?

Question 77

What are the benefits of optimism?

Question 78

What relationship exists between journaling and immune system functioning?

Question 79

Why is journaling different from rumination?

Question 80

Based on what you know about research into self-control, should someone try to change her or his entire life at once?