Question 1

________________ profiling uses general principles and patterns that have been gleaned from analyses of a relatively large database.

Accepted Answer

Inductive profiling uses general principles and patterns that have been gleaned from analyses of a relatively large database.

Question 2

What problems limit the usefulness of profiling?

Accepted Answer

Profiling is limited by outdated research, lack of comprehensive theoretical approaches, and the varying skill levels of profilers, making all the options valid concerns.

Question 3

When Mary walks by Mark in the hall without saying 'hello' Mark attributes this to Mary being an impolite person rather than to the fact that Mary is late for class and in a rush. This is an example of what kind of bias?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the actor-observer bias, where Mark attributes Mary's behavior to her character (dispositional factors) rather than considering situational factors (Mary being late for class).

Question 4

An employer who is trying to find out which employee is stealing large amounts of office supplies has a suspect, employee A, in mind. The employer selectively focuses on any evidence that employee A is the guilty party. The employer has a __________________.

Accepted Answer

The employer is exhibiting confirmatory bias, which is the tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one's preconceptions or beliefs.

Question 5

A patient was verbally abused by his parents for the first 20 years of his life, and sexually molested twice by a neighbour when he was 11. Doctor Uno believes that all of the patient's problems can be traced to the trauma of being sexually abused. Doctor Uno has engaged in the fallacy of:

Accepted Answer

The answer of A patient was verbally abused by his...

Question 6

The tendency for a psychobiographer to focus on negative characteristics rather than positive characteristics is an example of _____________________

Accepted Answer

Over-pathologizing refers to the tendency to emphasize or overemphasize negative traits or behaviors, often at the expense of recognizing positive characteristics.

Question 7

According to Irving Alexander, if Betty omits her teenage years when discussing her life, this likely means that:

Accepted Answer

Irving Alexander suggests that omitting significant periods in one's life story often indicates that those periods were very important, possibly due to unresolved issues or emotional significance.

Question 8

Erikson's triple bookkeeping approach evaluates a person on all levels except:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Erikson's triple bookkeeping approach evaluates a person...

Question 9

According to the __________________approach, peoples' lives are structured and experienced in a "storylike manner."

Accepted Answer

The narrative approach suggests that people understand and give meaning to their lives through stories, structuring their experiences in a storylike manner.

Question 10

_______________is based on the premise that emotion is the key motivating force in one's life.

Accepted Answer

The answer of _______________is based on the premise that emotion...

Question 11

__________________ made a substantial contribution to psychobiography by drawing attention to the importance of cultural forces in personal identity.

Accepted Answer

Erik Erikson made a substantial contribution to psychobiography by emphasizing the role of cultural and societal influences in shaping personal identity.

Question 12

An analysis of a person's psychological features at a particular point in history and how the era influenced the individual is called a ____________________

Accepted Answer

The answer of An analysis of a person's psychological features...

Question 13

Glad conducted a psychobiographical analysis of Hitler, Stalin, and Mao Zedong. In her book she reported on the similarities and differences of these figures, and compared them with other tyrants who had less political influence. Glad used a ___________ approach.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Glad conducted a psychobiographical analysis of Hitler,...

Question 14

In your textbook the author noted that despite shortcomings in psychobiographical accounts of Mao Zedong by Sheng (2002), and Chang and Halliday (2005), the accounts are still valuable. According to Flett, what makes these accounts valuable?

Accepted Answer

These accounts are valuable because they highlight the significant role Mao played in shaping culture and the impact of his policies, while also acknowledging the reciprocal influence of culture on individuals.

Question 15

A book that compares and contrasts the attributes of two or more political leaders from different countries is said to take a:

Accepted Answer

A cross-cultural comparative approach involves analyzing and comparing the attributes of political leaders from different countries, focusing on cultural differences and similarities.

Question 16

A key contributing event to Salvador Dali's great need to be original is:

Accepted Answer

Salvador Dali was told by his parents that he was the reincarnation of his brother, who had died before Dali was born. This belief significantly influenced his personality and his drive to be unique and original.

Question 17

In his relationship with his wife Gala, Salvador Dali:

Accepted Answer

Salvador Dali was known to be dependent and subservient to his wife Gala, who played a significant role in managing his career and personal life.

Question 18

Since his teenage years, Dan has been extremely self absorbed, believes himself to be a genius, and has an extreme need to be seen as unique or special. Dan is likely suffering from which disorder?

Accepted Answer

Dan's traits of being self-absorbed, believing himself to be a genius, and needing to be seen as unique or special align with narcissistic personality disorder, which involves a pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy.

Question 19

Salvador Dali's sister wrote a book about her brother that suggested he had a normal and happy childhood. Dali was enraged by the depiction of him as normal and typical, and responded by creating a highly unflattering painting that depicted his sister.
The best interpretation of Dali's response is that he:

Accepted Answer

Dali's response suggests that he was prone to narcissistic injury, as he was upset by the portrayal of him as normal, which likely threatened his self-image and led to a retaliatory act.

Question 20

According to Salvador Dali:

Accepted Answer

Salvador Dali's life included all these aspects: he admitted to mistreating his first girlfriend, his family believed he was the reincarnation of his deceased brother, and his wife, Gala, was known to be very controlling, sometimes locking him in a room to ensure he completed his work.

Quiz 14: Psychobiography and Personology