Question 1

Assume that friendliness is a genetically influenced trait. Which of the following groups would you expect to be MOST similar on the trait of friendliness?

Accepted Answer

Identical twins share 100% of their genetic material, so if friendliness is a genetically influenced trait, they would be expected to be most similar on this trait compared to other groups. Other answers involve varying degrees of genetic relatedness, making them less likely to demonstrate as much similarity on the trait.

Question 2

_____ is to trait theory as _____ is to social cognitive theory.

Accepted Answer

Raymond Cattell is associated with trait theory, while Albert Bandura is associated with social cognitive theory.

Question 3

Brain imaging studies of the Big Five personality traits have found that _____ is associated with a large region of the frontal cortex called the middle frontal gyrus, which is known to be involved in planning, working memory, and self-regulation.

Accepted Answer

Conscientiousness is associated with the middle frontal gyrus, which is known for its role in planning, working memory, and self-regulation. This suggests that individuals who score high in conscientiousness may have a greater ability to plan and regulate their behavior.

Question 4

The Focus on Neuroscience box "The Neuroscience of Personality: Brain Structure and the Big Five" describes an MRI study that investigated whether personality traits are associated with differences in brain structure. Researchers found that _____ was associated with larger brain tissue volume in a brain region associated with sensitivity to rewarding stimuli, and _____ was associated with increased volume in a brain region associated with understanding the beliefs of others.

Accepted Answer

Extraversion was linked to larger brain tissue volume in areas related to reward sensitivity, while agreeableness was linked to increased volume in areas related to understanding others' beliefs.

Question 5

Which of the following personality theorists emphasized unconscious motives?

Accepted Answer

Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung were the personality theorists who emphasized unconscious motives. Rogers and Bandura focused on humanistic and social-cognitive theories, respectively. Eysenck and Cattell were primarily trait theorists, while Maslow was also associated with humanistic psychology.

Question 6

Sigmund Freud is to _____ as Carl Rogers is to _____.

Accepted Answer

Sigmund Freud is considered the father of psychoanalytic theory while Carl Rogers is considered one of the founders of the humanistic approach. Therefore, the correct response is choice C, which matches each theorist with their respective approach.

Question 7

Kelley and Madison are identical twins who were separated at birth and raised in different families. In a twin study, similarities in their personality traits would be judged to be due to _____, and differences in their personality traits would be considered to be due to _____.

Accepted Answer

Identical twins have almost identical DNA, so similarities in their personality traits are likely due to genetic influences. However, they were raised in different environments, so differences in their personality traits can be attributed to environmental influences.

Question 8

The data that provide evidence for the genetic influence on personality traits:

Accepted Answer

The data that provide evidence for the genetic influence on personality traits also provide evidence for the importance of environmental influences. While genetics may play a role in shaping personality traits, environmental factors such as upbringing, culture, and life experiences also contribute to individual differences in personality. Therefore, it is important to consider both genetic and environmental influences when studying personality traits. Choice B is incorrect because it suggests that genetics alone determine personality, which is not supported by research. Choice C is incorrect because it suggests that personality traits are entirely due to one factor or the other, which is not the case. Choice D is incorrect because it is not directly related to the influence of genetics on personality traits.

Question 9

According to Table 10.5, Carl Jung proposed:

Accepted Answer

Table 10.5 states that Carl Jung proposed the idea of the collective unconscious, archetypes, and psychological wholeness.

Question 10

One explanation discussed in the text for the similarities between adult identical twins who were separated at birth and raised in separate homes is that:

Accepted Answer

The text suggests that similarities between adult identical twins who were separated at birth and raised in separate homes may be due to coincidence or shared environmental factors, not solely their genetic makeup.

Question 11

According to Table 10.5, _____ was the person who stressed the importance of parent-child relationships in the development of personality, described three patterns of behavior that individuals use to defend against basic anxiety, and proposed the concept of womb envy.

Accepted Answer

Karen Horney stressed the importance of parent-child relationships in the development of personality, described three patterns of behavior (moving toward people, moving against people, and moving away from people) that individuals use to defend against basic anxiety, and proposed the concept of womb envy. Carl Jung focused on archetypes and the collective unconscious, Alfred Adler focused on the inferiority complex and striving for superiority, and Hans Eysenck focused on biological factors and personality traits.

Question 12

The Focus on Neuroscience box "The Neuroscience of Personality: Brain Structure and the Big Five" describes an MRI study that investigated whether personality traits are associated with differences in brain structure. What was a major conclusion of this study?

Accepted Answer

Preliminary findings suggest that there are biological influences on personality; however, the findings are correlational. This means that while there is an association between brain structure and personality traits, causation cannot be established.

Question 13

Brain imaging studies of the Big Five personality traits have found that _____ is associated with greater volume in the fusiform gyrus, an area of the cortex specialized for perceiving faces.

Accepted Answer

Agreeableness is associated with greater volume in the fusiform gyrus, which is specialized for perceiving faces. This suggests that individuals who are more agreeable may be more attuned to the facial expressions and emotional states of others, which may contribute to their tendency to be empathetic and cooperative in social situations.

Question 14

Daniel was adopted at birth. In a behavioral genetics study, similarities between Daniel and his adoptive parents are considered to be due to _____, and similarities between Daniel and his biological parents are considered to be due to _____.

Accepted Answer

Similarities between Daniel and his adoptive parents are due to shared environmental influences (such as the way he was raised), while similarities between Daniel and his biological parents are due to shared genetic influences. Therefore, option B is correct.

Question 15

Which of the following personality theorists emphasized conscious thoughts and experience?

Accepted Answer

Carl Rogers and Albert Bandura emphasized conscious thoughts and experience in their theories of human personality. Rogers' person-centered approach focused on the individual's inherent drive towards self-actualization, while Bandura's social cognitive theory stressed the importance of cognitive processes in shaping behavior. The other answer choices include theorists who emphasized unconscious processes and motivations, such as Freud, Adler, and Jung. Horney also recognized the importance of conscious thoughts, but she was primarily concerned with the role of interpersonal relationships in shaping personality.

Question 16

According to Table 10.5, Robert McCrae and Paul Costa, Jr. are best known for proposing:

Accepted Answer

Table 10.5 states that McCrae and Costa proposed the five-factor model of personality, also known as the Big Five.

Question 17

Brain imaging studies of the Big Five personality traits have found that _____ is associated with increased volume in the posterior cingulate cortex, a region associated with understanding the beliefs of others.

Accepted Answer

Agreeableness is associated with increased volume in the posterior cingulate cortex, according to brain imaging studies. This region is associated with understanding the beliefs of others, which is a key component of agreeableness.

Question 18

An emergenic trait is defined as a trait that:

Accepted Answer

An emergenic trait is the result of a unique configuration of many interacting genes, which means it cannot be attributed to a single gene or environmental factor. It is not related to race or ethnicity and can be measured by genetic analysis, making option C the correct answer. Options A and D are incorrect because emergenic traits can have genetic and environmental influences, and they can be measured through genetic testing. Option B is incorrect because emergenic traits are not limited to a particular racial or ethnic group.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT an important weakness of the trait approach to personality?

Accepted Answer

This statement is not accurate as there is substantial empirical research support for the trait approach. Therefore, it is not a weakness of the trait approach.

Question 20

Brain imaging studies of the Big Five personality traits have found that higher levels of _____ are associated with reduced volume in one area of the hippocampus. Previous studies found the same association with stress and depression.

Accepted Answer

Neuroticism. Studies have found that higher levels of neuroticism are associated with reduced volume in the hippocampus, the same association found with stress and depression.

Quiz 10: Personality