Deck 3: The Big Five Personality Traits

Question 1

On a personality test, Arlo rates himself high on talkativeness, assertiveness, and seeking attention and low on shyness, quietness, and lethargy. Which Big Five dimension is Arlo endorsing?

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

Answer 1

extraversion

Question 2

Self-report personality measures ask people to __________.

A) describe their behaviors with self-generated adjectives
B) write a list of their strengths and weaknesses
C) rank their favorite attributes
D) rate themselves on a list of personality-relevant items

Answer 2

rate themselves on a list of personality-relevant items

Question 3

Which Big Five personality dimension has the highest number of adjectives or trait terms associated with it?

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

Answer 3

extraversion

Question 4

The comprehensive personality domains that researchers generally agree on currently are called the __________.

A) 16PF
B) Comprehensive Personality Model
C) Big Five
D) Multidimensional Axis Scales

Question 5

The opposite of __________ is being messy and impulsive.

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

Question 6

The opposite of __________ is being combative and self-centered.

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

Question 7

Which Big Five trait is associated with caring for others and getting along with people?

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

Question 8

The opposite of __________ is introversion or shyness.

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

Question 9

Which Big Five trait is associated with being outgoing and experiencing positive emotions?

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

Question 10

The opposite of __________ is being conventional and less comfortable with change.

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

Question 11

What is the main design principle underlying self-rating questionnaires that measure personality traits?

A) Trait terms mean the same thing to all respondents, so a minimum number of adjective descriptors can be used for reliable assessment.
B) People who respond in a certain way to one trait adjective should respond in similar ways to other, related trait adjectives.
C) People should recognize that any given trait adjective represents a more fundamental personality dimension, so they aren't really rating the adjective but instead thinking more deeply about themselves.
D) Each respondent should show a unique pattern of self-ratings when considering a collection of trait adjectives.

Question 12

Which Big Five trait is associated with being organized, ambitious, and self-controlled?

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

Question 13

How does factor analysis contribute to the identification of basic traits?

A) It speeds the counting of trait terms, such as those found in a dictionary or thesaurus.
B) Trait terms that have the greatest number of synonyms are classified as factors.
C) It provides an agreed-on template for researchers to classify newly proposed trait terms.
D) Patterns of correlations among responses to questionnaire items can identify traits that cluster together.

Question 14

Why are the Big Five not the Big Twelve, the Big Eight, or the Big Seventeen?

A) Although twenty trait dimensions have been reliably identified, it's simpler to look at a smaller set of five.
B) Five dimensions encompass all possible personality traits.
C) Clusters of related traits that reliably emerge from factor analytic studies identify five core dimensions.
D) Four traits are generally recognized, but a fifth is in dispute; it's easier to include the last for now.

Question 15

What is the lexical hypothesis?

A) Important traits become embedded in a language as single words.
B) Traits need to be interpreted or "decoded" before they can be studied.
C) People can accurately describe their own personalities using words.
D) An infinite number of traits can be used to model human personality.

Question 16

Who was the earliest proponent of the lexical approach to understanding personality traits?

A) Gordon Allport
B) Raymond Cattell
C) Francis Galton
D) Hans Eysenck

Question 17

Which Big Five trait is associated with being interested in trying new activities?

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

Question 18

The relatively stable tendencies of individuals are called __________.

A) traits
B) dispositions
C) behaviors
D) cognitions

Question 19

The opposite of __________ is calmness and emotional stability.

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

Question 20

Which Big Five trait is associated with negative emotions such as worry and anger?

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

Question 21

Are the Big Five dimensions a comprehensive system of personality?

A) Yes; evidence confirms that these five dimensions capture the totality of personality.
B) No; it's just a convenient shorthand for researchers to simplify analyzing the Big Twenty.
C) Yes; that's why they are the Big Five rather than the Perhaps Five.
D) No; there are many other important ways that people differ from one another.

Question 22

Sympathy is considered a facet of __________.

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

Question 23

Salim lives in a state in which residents scored low on extraversion. Where is he likely to reside?

A) Alaska
B) District of Columbia
C) North Dakota
D) Wisconsin

Question 24

Cheerfulness is considered a facet of __________.

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

Question 25

While studying, a person high in introversion will most likely __________.

A) check social media repeatedly
B) call a friend and talk about the material
C) sit quietly and read
D) play music

Question 26

Extraverted people also tend to be __________.

A) disagreeable
B) agreeable
C) neurotic
D) introverted

Question 27

How should the Big Five personality traits be conceptualized?

A) as distinct categories
B) as individual, non-overlapping traits
C) as a set of continuums that people fall on somewhere
D) as theoretical abstractions not necessarily found in concrete measurements

Question 28

Judd enjoys socializing with others and is a great host. He always makes sure his house guests are comfortable and have what they need, and he greets both lifelong friends and new acquaintances with the same warmth and enthusiasm. Judd is likely to score __________.

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

Question 29

Imagination is considered a facet of __________.

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

Question 30

Modesty is considered a facet of __________.

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

Question 31

On a personality test, Sandi rates herself low on curiosity, creativity, and open-mindedness. Which Big Five dimension is Sandi rating?

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

Question 32

Introverts generally prefer __________.

A) meeting new people
B) hanging out with close family and friends
C) attending concerts
D) skiing the tallest mountain

Question 33

Neurotic people also tend to be __________.

A) extroverted
B) conscientious
C) agreeable
D) introverted

Question 34

According to personality psychologist Hans Eysenck, why do introverts prefer quiet and solitude?

A) They are more sensitive to stimuli.
B) They have higher rates of mental illness.
C) They are less sensitive to stimuli.
D) They have higher levels of dopamine in their brains.

Question 35

Friendliness is considered a facet of __________.

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

Question 36

The term __________ refers to how personality psychologists conceptualize more specific components of the Big Five dimensions of personality.

A) facets
B) attributes
C) characteristics
D) modules

Question 37

People generally rate extraverts as __________.

A) shy
B) aggressive
C) popular
D) unfriendly

Question 38

In the workplace, __________ tends to be associated with better performance in jobs such as sales that require interacting with many different people.

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

Question 39

On a personality test, Amber rates herself low on manipulativeness and boastfulness and high on honesty and sympathy. Which Big Five dimension is Amber endorsing?

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

Question 40

What does a person's score on a measure of the Big Five personality dimensions indicate?

A) whether the person is introverted or extraverted
B) which one of the Big Five traits applies to that person
C) whether that person has a socially acceptable personality or not
D) how that person compares to a norm sample on each of the five traits

Question 41

What is one benefit of disagreeableness that is supported by research evidence?

A) Disagreeable children tend to have more friends by the time they reach middle school.
B) Disagreeable men tend to earn more money than their agreeable counterparts.
C) Disagreeable women are less defensive toward others.
D) Disagreeable people are generally forgiving of others' transgressions.

Question 42

The tendency to see the worst in other people is called __________.

A) stereotype threat
B) hostile attribution bias
C) relational aggression
D) transference

Question 43

Alina scores high on openness to experience. She is creative, interested in social activism, and likely to be __________.

A) organized
B) politically conservative
C) politically liberal
D) deeply religious

Question 44

Sara has a long-standing substance abuse problem and regularly engages in unprotected sex while she is high on drugs. She lies, cheats, and steals to support her habits and, if she were ever tested, she would likely be classified as a psychopath. Why is it incorrect to conclude that Sara's low levels of conscientiousness caused her obvious shortcomings?

A) Conscientiousness is not associated with these antisocial behaviors; Sara is much more likely to be high in neuroticism, caused by abnormalities in her brain structure.
B) Sara's behaviors are more reflective of a person low in agreeableness, high in introversion, and low in openness to experience.
C) Although low conscientiousness is associated with these behaviors, these behaviors are fairly rare to begin with; therefore, most low-conscientious people are unlikely to engage in them.
D) To plan for, execute, and maintain a drug, prostitution, and criminal habit, a person actually needs to be high in conscientiousness.

Question 45

What does the "Big One" model of personality advocate?

A) a single personality dimension identified as "social consciousness"
B) a pattern of high agreeableness and conscientiousness and low standing on any other dimension
C) a pattern of high extraversion, agreeableness, openness, and conscientiousness and low neuroticism
D) abandonment of all multidimensional models that include any kind of measurement component

Question 46

The term __________ refers to the tendency to experience negative emotions, such as anger, depression, and shame.

A) anxiety
B) neuroticism
C) disagreeableness
D) introversion

Question 47

Researchers have used the lexical method to identify adjectives in other languages that describe personality and cluster together. Which language has "the Big Seven" personality traits?

A) French
B) Spanish
C) Japanese
D) Latin

Question 48

Which of the Big Five traits is the strongest predictor of academic and professional success?

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

Question 49

A person high in agreeableness will generally display __________.

A) competitiveness
B) skepticism
C) cooperation
D) grandiosity

Question 50

People who score higher on neuroticism tend to experience more heart disease, higher cancer rates, and __________.

A) shorter life expectancies
B) fewer psychiatric problems
C) higher life expectancies
D) better mental health

Question 51

People who score high on conscientiousness are more likely to __________ compared to people who score lower.

A) be disorganized
B) be distracted
C) use swear words
D) use the word work on Facebook

Question 52

Emily often includes the words depressed and lonely in her Facebook posts. Based on this information, which conclusion is most reasonable?

A) Emily scores low on agreeableness.
B) Emily scores high on neuroticism.
C) Emily scores low on conscientiousness.
D) Emily scores high on openness to experience.

Question 53

Which of these people would be most likely to rank lowest in agreeableness?

A) Briana, who takes care of feral cats
B) Trevon, who says what he thinks without censoring it
C) Anthony, who often writes on Facebook about how blessed he is
D) Sydney, who holds open a door for others when entering a building

Question 54

Why would the Big Five personality dimensions have persisted in the human species?

A) Humans form societies, and societal pressures cause these traits to persist.
B) These traits are evolutionarily adaptive and therefore contribute to survival ability.
C) Each of them places a limit on social interactions, thereby making it more likely that an individual member of the species will grow to adulthood.
D) Each of these traits has a clearly identifiable genetic marker; therefore, all of them are present in all members of the species.

Question 55

People from Minnesota tend to score higher on agreeableness than people from other states. This supports the stereotype of __________.

A) "Minnesota mean"
B) "Minnesota nice"
C) "Minnesota cynic"
D) "Minnesota skeptic"

Question 56

Conscientiousness involves __________.

A) assertiveness
B) considering consequences before acting
C) distractibility
D) being adventurous

Question 57

Dawn prefers routine and favors tradition. She does not like to travel or try new foods. Dawn likely scores __________.

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

Question 58

Which of the Big Five traits is considered the most difficult to define?

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

Question 59

Scoring low on agreeableness is associated with __________.

A) acts of aggression and engaging in risky sex
B) high rates of gambling and maintaining good interpersonal relationships
C) low rates of drug abuse and abusive relationships
D) being humble and thankful

Question 60

Disagreeable people tend to __________.

A) manage their emotions easily
B) focus on being angry
C) approach unfamiliar situations with an open mind
D) forgive others easily

Question 61

In general, is an individual's personality stable? Explain.

Question 62

Which facets are associated with the openness to experience dimension of the Big Five?

Question 63

Some people are very disagreeable and may have a hostile attribution bias. Where does this negative view of the world come from?

Question 64

Why is it best to think of each of the Big Five personality traits as being on its own continuum?

Question 65

Is a little bit of disagreeableness a bad thing?

Question 66

What do research findings indicate about animals having personality traits?

Question 67

Does the Big Five Model translate across other cultures?

Question 68

Does the Big Five model capture all aspects of human personality?

Question 69

Compare the Big Five traits of extraversion and openness to experience.

Question 70

What does the Big Five teach us about people's ability to survive and reproduce?

Question 71

Can the Big Five incorporate traits used in other models of personality? Explain.

Question 72

Which facets are associated with the neuroticism dimension of the Big Five?

Question 73

Define facets as they relate to the core personality dimensions.

Question 74

How might being high in extraversion affect a student's study habits?

Question 75

Which facets are associated with the conscientiousness dimension of the Big Five?

Question 76

Compare and contrast introverts and extraverts.

Question 77

The development of the Big Five Model was guided by the lexical hypothesis. What is the lexical hypothesis?

Question 78

How were factor analysis and the lexical hypothesis employed during the development of the Big Five model?

Question 79

Openness is described as the "least intuitive" of the Big Five. What does this mean?

Question 80

Randy scores low on neuroticism. How does this probably affect how he performs under pressure?