Question 1

Deborah is a new graduate student in psychology trying to decide which theoretical perspective she wants to study. She is intrigued by psychodynamic theory but confused by the terminology. A more experienced graduate student would explain to her that the term "dynamics" in psychodynamic theory most clearly refers to the __________.

Accepted Answer

The term "dynamics" in psychodynamic theory refers to the relations among the various unconscious psychological forces within an individual. These psychological forces, such as desires, fears, and memories, interact with each other to shape thoughts, emotions, and behavior.

Question 2

Now that he has started to undergo psychoanalysis, Beth has been instructed to say anything that comes into her mind, no matter how trivial, unrelated, or embarrassing. This procedure is called __________.

Accepted Answer

The procedure of saying anything that comes to mind during psychoanalysis is called free association. It involves speaking without censoring oneself and allowing unconscious thoughts and feelings to surface.

Question 3

If you've got a devil on one shoulder, telling you to do something "naughty," and an angel on the other, urging you to remain upright and moral, then the devil, according to Freud, would represent the __________.

Accepted Answer

Freud's theory of personality includes three parts: the id, ego, and superego. The id is the primitive part of our personality that is driven by instinctual desires and seeks immediate gratification. The devil on the shoulder encouraging naughty behavior would likely represent the id, which operates on the pleasure principle.

Question 4

In discussing the relative importance of within- and between-family differences, your textbook authors suggest that __________.

Accepted Answer

The statement encompasses all the points made: within-family differences often being more significant, the importance of between-family differences in intelligence development, and the increased importance of between-family differences when considering a broader socioeconomic and cultural range.

Question 5

Greg was certain that he could influence his adopted children and cause them to grow up happy, intellectually curious, and outgoing. He was very surprised 20 years later to find that his three adopted children had completely different personalities. The likely reason for Greg's experience is that __________.

Accepted Answer

While family environment does play a role in shaping personality, it is not the only factor. Genetics, individual experiences, and societal factors all also contribute to personality development. Therefore, it is not surprising that three adopted children raised in the same environment can have different personalities.

Question 6

A physician has ruled out any medical cause for Tammy's complaints of paralysis in her legs and believes that the cause is psychological instead. We would say that her paralysis is __________.

Accepted Answer

The term "psychogenic" refers to a medical condition that is caused by psychological factors rather than a physical one. In this case, Tammy's paralysis is believed to be psychogenic because there is no medical explanation for her symptoms.

Question 7

Robin has noticed that when she is in Brazil, her clients often show up 15 minutes late to meetings, whereas when she travels to Switzerland her clients usually arrive right on time. One likely reason for Robin's observation is that __________.

Accepted Answer

Cultural differences in punctuality can be attributed to differences in the degree of conscientiousness. This is a well-established cultural difference and has been studied extensively in cross-cultural psychology.

Question 8

According to Freudian theory, the__________ is governed by the __________ principle.

Accepted Answer

According to Freud, the ego is the part of the mind that operates on the reality principle, which means that it seeks to balance the demands of the id (which is governed by the pleasure principle) with the constraints of the external world. The superego, on the other hand, serves as the moral and ethical component of the psyche, striving for perfection and suppressing the impulses of both the id and the ego that are deemed unacceptable by society.

Question 9

The id is governed by the __________ principle.

Accepted Answer

The id is governed by the pleasure principle, which seeks immediate gratification of all desires and needs, regardless of consequences or social norms.

Question 10

Which of the following is probably not a between-family difference in environment?

Accepted Answer

Birth order and spacing of children are typically within-family differences in environment, as they are specific to the individual children within a family rather than being a broad difference between families. Child-rearing attitudes, socioeconomic status, and parental religion are all examples of between-family differences in environment.

Question 11

Sigmund Freud viewed adult human personality as composed of which of the following subsystems?

Accepted Answer

Freud believed that the human personality is composed of three subsystems: the id (primitive and instinctual), the ego (rational and conscious), and the superego (internalized moral standards). The id operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of basic needs and desires, while the superego acts as a moral compass, regulating behavior according to societal standards and values. The ego mediates between the conflicting demands of the id and the superego, using various defense mechanisms (such as repression) to cope with anxiety and maintain psychological stability.

Question 12

According to Sigmund Freud, __________ is the most primitive part of the human personality.

Accepted Answer

According to Sigmund Freud, the id is the most primitive part of the human personality, responsible for our most basic urges and impulses, such as hunger, thirst, and sexual desires. It operates on the pleasure principle and seeks immediate gratification of these impulses, regardless of societal or moral constraints. The ego and the unconscious are also important components of the human psyche, but they are not considered to be as primitive as the id. Repression, on the other hand, is a defense mechanism used by the ego to protect the conscious mind from overwhelming or traumatic experiences.

Question 13

In discussing how within-family differences arise, the textbook authors suggest that some within-family differences occur __________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In discussing how within-family differences arise, the...

Question 14

Which of the following is evidence that within-family effects, rather than between-family effects, operate to produce variations in personality?

Accepted Answer

The lack of correlation between the personality traits of adopted children and their adoptive siblings suggests that shared family environment has little effect on personality, indicating that within-family effects (such as individual experiences) are more influential.

Question 15

Dr. York feels that people's motives and desires generally lie hidden in the unconscious and are derived from early childhood experiences. Dr. York adheres to the __________ approach.

Accepted Answer

Dr. York's belief that people's motives and desires are derived from early childhood experiences suggests that he adheres to the Freudian approach, which emphasizes the role of the unconscious and childhood experiences in shaping behavior and personality.

Question 16

Which of the following is not a within-family difference in environment?

Accepted Answer

Child-rearing attitudes in parents generally apply to all children within a family, making it not a within-family difference in environment.

Question 17

Deafness or blindness, paralysis of parts of the body, uncontrollable trembling, and gaps in memory were the symptoms of __________, from which many of Sigmund Freud's patients suffered.

Accepted Answer

The symptoms mentioned are commonly associated with hysteria, which was a popular diagnosis in Freud's time.

Question 18

Studies of how between-family differences and personality development arise suggest that __________.

Accepted Answer

Adopted children and their adoptive siblings often show low correlations in personality traits, indicating that between-family differences have a limited impact on personality development compared to genetic factors.

Question 19

When David reads about the differences in the behavioral tendencies between the people of cultures on two different continents, he speculates about what possibly could have caused the two groups to differ so much. Researchers could inform him that __________.

Accepted Answer

All of the above are possible factors that might have contributed to differences in behavioral tendencies between people from different cultures. Personality traits, sustainability of a group, and self-selection based on trait perceptions could all play a role in shaping cultural differences.

Question 20

All of the following statements made by a patient during free association are examples of resistance except __________.

Accepted Answer

The other three statements could be seen as examples of difficulties with the process of free association, but D is an example of actual material that could be potentially threatening to the patient to bring into conscious awareness, hence an example of resistance.

Quiz 15: Personality