Personality Theories- PSYC 356
Exam Study Guide
According to the authors of the text, personality theories: - ANSWER originate
from the historical, social, and psychological world of their originators.
If scores on an instrument that measures introversion correlate highly with a
number of other measures of introversion—for example, shyness and
inhibition—then that instrument is said to have: - ANSWER convergent validity
What is the relationship between theory and observation? - ANSWER There is a
mutual and dynamic interaction between them
Any test that correlates with future behaviours is said to have: - ANSWER
predictive validity
Descriptive research - ANSWER contributes to expanding a theory
The goal of psychoanalytic therapy is to: - ANSWER transform unconscious
material into consciousness
According to Freud, all people possess two major instincts or drives. They are: -
ANSWER sex and aggression.
Freudian slips" are a product of: - ANSWER preconscious and unconscious
forces
Freud's enduring popularity is most likely due to his: - ANSWER gifts as a writer
and his emphasis on sex and aggression.
Freud called the nonsexual love a child has for a sibling: - ANSWER aim-inhibited
love.
Freud believed that a girl's superego: - ANSWER was not as fully developed as a
boy's superego.
The use of Freudian defense mechanisms requires an: - ANSWER expenditure of
psychic energy.
According to Adler, ______________ is the "barometer of normality." - ANSWER
social interest
,The most important factor for the child in Adler's family constellation is: -
ANSWER subjective perception of self and environment
Early in his career, Adler used which term to refer to the single force behind all
human motivation? - ANSWER Will to power.
Adler's break with Freud was due to the fact that: - ANSWER Adler could not
accept Freud's strong emphasis on sexual factors as motivators of behaviour.
Adler's notion of moving backward is similar to Freud's notion of: - ANSWER
Regression
Adler maintained that social interest is: - ANSWER inborn, but brought to
expression through experience.
Adler first postulated the aggressive drive and the will to power as the
fundamental motivations that shape human personality. He later extended his
view to include the: - ANSWER striving for superiority or success.
Describe Freud's three provinces of the mind. - ANSWER ID: Completely
unconscious, no contact with reality, strives constantly to reduce tension by
satisfying basic desires, sole function is to seek pleasure, serves the pleasure
principle. Fully Unconscious.
EGO: The only region of the mind in contact with reality, grows out of the ID
during infancy, governed by the reality principle, the decision-making and
executive branch of personality. Partly conscious.
Superego: The moral and idealistic aspects of personality, grows out of the ego
but has no contact with the outside world and like the ego, has no energy of its
own. Moralistic and idealistic principles.
List and explain the criteria of a useful theory. - ANSWER Does the theory
generate research?- A useful theory will generate and guide further research. It
enerates both descriptive research and hypothesis testing.
Is it falsifiable?- A theory mus be precise enough to suggest research that either
supports, or fails to support its major points.
Does it organize and explain knowledge?- A useful theory should be able to
organize data and provide meaning to the findings.
Does it suggest practical solutions to everyday problems?- Theroy should be
able to guide practitioners, teachers, parents, students, therapists etc, and
stimulate thought in other diciplines.
, Is it internally consistent?- Components are logically compatible.
Is it parsimonious?- A theory should be straightforward.
Discuss Adler's ideas on birth order. - ANSWER Firstborns are likely to have
strong feelings of power and superiority, be overprotective as well as high levels
of anxiety.
Second born children are likely to have high levels of social interest, as long as
they do not fixate on trying to overcome their older sibling.
Younger children are likely to be pampered and lack independence.
Only children have characteristics of both oldest and youngest children. Only
children do not have to share their parents' attention. They may have a hard time
when they are told no, and school may be a difficult transition as they are not the
sole focus of the teacher. On a positive note, Adler believed that, compared to
others their age, only children tend to be more mature, feel more comfortable
around adults and even do better in intellectual and creative pursuits.
Defend the need for more than one theory. - ANSWER Multiple theories exixt
because the very nature of theories allows the theorist to make speculations and
stimulate thoughts from thier own unique points of views and experiences. All
theories are reflections of their authors personal backgrounds. Different
theories also examine different aspects of a broader topic.
Define reliability and validity. - ANSWER Reliability: The relaiability of a
measuring instrument (ex: personality test), is the extent to which it yeilds
consistent results.
Validity: The degree to which an instrument measures what it is supposed to
measure.
Construct Validity: degree to which a test measures what it claims, or purports,
to be measuring."
convergent Validity: refers to the degree to which two measures of constructs
that theoretically should be related, are in fact related.
divergent Validity: tests whether concepts or measurements that are not
supposed to be related are actually unrelated.
discriminant validity: Same as divergent.
Which function tells us the value of something, according to Jung? - ANSWER
Feeling
According to Jung, the confession of a pathogenic secret in psychotherapy
involves the: - ANSWER cathartic method.
Exam Study Guide
According to the authors of the text, personality theories: - ANSWER originate
from the historical, social, and psychological world of their originators.
If scores on an instrument that measures introversion correlate highly with a
number of other measures of introversion—for example, shyness and
inhibition—then that instrument is said to have: - ANSWER convergent validity
What is the relationship between theory and observation? - ANSWER There is a
mutual and dynamic interaction between them
Any test that correlates with future behaviours is said to have: - ANSWER
predictive validity
Descriptive research - ANSWER contributes to expanding a theory
The goal of psychoanalytic therapy is to: - ANSWER transform unconscious
material into consciousness
According to Freud, all people possess two major instincts or drives. They are: -
ANSWER sex and aggression.
Freudian slips" are a product of: - ANSWER preconscious and unconscious
forces
Freud's enduring popularity is most likely due to his: - ANSWER gifts as a writer
and his emphasis on sex and aggression.
Freud called the nonsexual love a child has for a sibling: - ANSWER aim-inhibited
love.
Freud believed that a girl's superego: - ANSWER was not as fully developed as a
boy's superego.
The use of Freudian defense mechanisms requires an: - ANSWER expenditure of
psychic energy.
According to Adler, ______________ is the "barometer of normality." - ANSWER
social interest
,The most important factor for the child in Adler's family constellation is: -
ANSWER subjective perception of self and environment
Early in his career, Adler used which term to refer to the single force behind all
human motivation? - ANSWER Will to power.
Adler's break with Freud was due to the fact that: - ANSWER Adler could not
accept Freud's strong emphasis on sexual factors as motivators of behaviour.
Adler's notion of moving backward is similar to Freud's notion of: - ANSWER
Regression
Adler maintained that social interest is: - ANSWER inborn, but brought to
expression through experience.
Adler first postulated the aggressive drive and the will to power as the
fundamental motivations that shape human personality. He later extended his
view to include the: - ANSWER striving for superiority or success.
Describe Freud's three provinces of the mind. - ANSWER ID: Completely
unconscious, no contact with reality, strives constantly to reduce tension by
satisfying basic desires, sole function is to seek pleasure, serves the pleasure
principle. Fully Unconscious.
EGO: The only region of the mind in contact with reality, grows out of the ID
during infancy, governed by the reality principle, the decision-making and
executive branch of personality. Partly conscious.
Superego: The moral and idealistic aspects of personality, grows out of the ego
but has no contact with the outside world and like the ego, has no energy of its
own. Moralistic and idealistic principles.
List and explain the criteria of a useful theory. - ANSWER Does the theory
generate research?- A useful theory will generate and guide further research. It
enerates both descriptive research and hypothesis testing.
Is it falsifiable?- A theory mus be precise enough to suggest research that either
supports, or fails to support its major points.
Does it organize and explain knowledge?- A useful theory should be able to
organize data and provide meaning to the findings.
Does it suggest practical solutions to everyday problems?- Theroy should be
able to guide practitioners, teachers, parents, students, therapists etc, and
stimulate thought in other diciplines.
, Is it internally consistent?- Components are logically compatible.
Is it parsimonious?- A theory should be straightforward.
Discuss Adler's ideas on birth order. - ANSWER Firstborns are likely to have
strong feelings of power and superiority, be overprotective as well as high levels
of anxiety.
Second born children are likely to have high levels of social interest, as long as
they do not fixate on trying to overcome their older sibling.
Younger children are likely to be pampered and lack independence.
Only children have characteristics of both oldest and youngest children. Only
children do not have to share their parents' attention. They may have a hard time
when they are told no, and school may be a difficult transition as they are not the
sole focus of the teacher. On a positive note, Adler believed that, compared to
others their age, only children tend to be more mature, feel more comfortable
around adults and even do better in intellectual and creative pursuits.
Defend the need for more than one theory. - ANSWER Multiple theories exixt
because the very nature of theories allows the theorist to make speculations and
stimulate thoughts from thier own unique points of views and experiences. All
theories are reflections of their authors personal backgrounds. Different
theories also examine different aspects of a broader topic.
Define reliability and validity. - ANSWER Reliability: The relaiability of a
measuring instrument (ex: personality test), is the extent to which it yeilds
consistent results.
Validity: The degree to which an instrument measures what it is supposed to
measure.
Construct Validity: degree to which a test measures what it claims, or purports,
to be measuring."
convergent Validity: refers to the degree to which two measures of constructs
that theoretically should be related, are in fact related.
divergent Validity: tests whether concepts or measurements that are not
supposed to be related are actually unrelated.
discriminant validity: Same as divergent.
Which function tells us the value of something, according to Jung? - ANSWER
Feeling
According to Jung, the confession of a pathogenic secret in psychotherapy
involves the: - ANSWER cathartic method.
