PSY 255 Quiz 3: Chapters 7-8 Practice Exam
Trait & Biological Perspectives of Personality
2026/2027 Academic Year
DOMAIN 1: The Big Five & Cattell's 16PF Trait Taxonomy (10 Questions)
Question 1 (Multiple-Choice)
A researcher collects self-report data on 500 adjectives describing personality (e.g., "talkative,"
"assertive," "sociable," "quiet," "reserved," "shy") and applies a statistical technique that identifies
which adjectives cluster together based on shared variance. The analysis reveals that "talkative,"
"assertive," and "sociable" load heavily on a single latent dimension, while "quiet," "reserved,"
and "shy" load negatively on that same dimension. What is the name of this statistical data-
reduction technique?
A. Multiple regression analysis
B. Factor analysis [CORRECT]
C. Structural equation modeling
D. Meta-analysis
Rationale: Factor analysis is the specific statistical data-reduction method that clusters a large set
of surface-trait adjectives into smaller, latent source-trait dimensions
. In this case, the correlated adjectives "talkative," "assertive," and "sociable" are surface traits that
statistically cohere into the latent source trait of Extraversion. This technique was pioneered by
Raymond Cattell and later refined by researchers who extracted the Big Five. The negative
loadings of "quiet," "reserved," and "shy" confirm the bipolar nature of the Extraversion-
Introversion dimension.
Question 2 (Multiple-Choice)
,According to the lexical hypothesis, which of the following statements is most accurate?
A. Personality traits are best measured through behavioral observation in controlled laboratory
settings.
B. The most important personality differences between people will be encoded in natural
language. [CORRECT]
C. Genetic factors account for the majority of lexical differences in personality descriptions.
D. Factor analysis is unnecessary because language already provides perfect trait categories.
Rationale: The lexical hypothesis, first proposed by Francis Galton in 1884 and later
operationalized by Allport and Odbert (1936), posits that if a personality dimension is important
in human affairs, people will have invented words for it
. This hypothesis drove the extraction of approximately 4,500 personality-descriptive terms from
Webster's dictionary, which became the raw material for Cattell's 16PF and eventually the Big Five
model. The hypothesis does not claim language is perfect or that observation is inferior—it
asserts that important individual differences become lexicalized over time.
Question 3 (Select-All-That-Apply)
Which of the following statements accurately describe the relationship between Cattell's 16PF
and the Big Five (OCEAN) model? (Select all that apply)
A. Both models share the same lexical origin in Allport and Odbert's (1936) taxonomy of
personality-descriptive words. [CORRECT]
B. Cattell used orthogonal rotation, which naturally yields fewer factors than the oblique rotation
used by Big Five researchers.
C. The Big Five emerged as the more replicable solution across independent samples,
languages, and methods. [CORRECT]
D. Cattell's 16 factors capture real variance but at a resolution where measurement noise
rivals signal; the Big Five represents the most replicable level of the personality hierarchy.
[CORRECT]
Rationale: Both models descend from the same lexical data
, . Cattell actually used oblique rotation (allowing correlated factors), which supports finer-grained
solutions, while Big Five researchers often used orthogonal rotation yielding broader factors
. The critical difference is replication: the Big Five consistently replicated across studies, whereas
some of Cattell's 16 factors proved difficult to replicate independently
. The 16PF captures meaningful narrow traits, but the Big Five represents the most robust, cross-
culturally stable level of the hierarchy.
Question 4 (Multiple-Choice)
Dr. Martinez is conducting a personality assessment of a 45-year-old novelist. The novelist scores
in the 95th percentile on a trait measure, showing extreme intellectual curiosity, vivid
imagination, preference for abstract ideas over concrete facts, and a strong appreciation for art
and beauty. The novelist recently traveled to Southeast Asia specifically to try exotic cuisines
unavailable in their home country. Which OCEAN domain best captures this individual's profile?
A. Conscientiousness
B. Openness to Experience [CORRECT]
C. Extraversion
D. Agreeableness
Rationale: Openness to Experience is characterized by intellectual curiosity, imagination,
aesthetic sensitivity, preference for novelty and variety, and willingness to engage with
unconventional experiences
. The vignette specifically highlights: (1) intellectual curiosity (abstract ideas), (2) imagination
(vivid imagination), and (3) willingness to try new exotic cuisine—all hallmark behavioral
descriptors of high Openness. This domain is distinct from Extraversion (which emphasizes
sociability and positive emotionality) and Conscientiousness (which emphasizes organization and
dutifulness).
Question 5 (Multiple-Choice)
Trait & Biological Perspectives of Personality
2026/2027 Academic Year
DOMAIN 1: The Big Five & Cattell's 16PF Trait Taxonomy (10 Questions)
Question 1 (Multiple-Choice)
A researcher collects self-report data on 500 adjectives describing personality (e.g., "talkative,"
"assertive," "sociable," "quiet," "reserved," "shy") and applies a statistical technique that identifies
which adjectives cluster together based on shared variance. The analysis reveals that "talkative,"
"assertive," and "sociable" load heavily on a single latent dimension, while "quiet," "reserved,"
and "shy" load negatively on that same dimension. What is the name of this statistical data-
reduction technique?
A. Multiple regression analysis
B. Factor analysis [CORRECT]
C. Structural equation modeling
D. Meta-analysis
Rationale: Factor analysis is the specific statistical data-reduction method that clusters a large set
of surface-trait adjectives into smaller, latent source-trait dimensions
. In this case, the correlated adjectives "talkative," "assertive," and "sociable" are surface traits that
statistically cohere into the latent source trait of Extraversion. This technique was pioneered by
Raymond Cattell and later refined by researchers who extracted the Big Five. The negative
loadings of "quiet," "reserved," and "shy" confirm the bipolar nature of the Extraversion-
Introversion dimension.
Question 2 (Multiple-Choice)
,According to the lexical hypothesis, which of the following statements is most accurate?
A. Personality traits are best measured through behavioral observation in controlled laboratory
settings.
B. The most important personality differences between people will be encoded in natural
language. [CORRECT]
C. Genetic factors account for the majority of lexical differences in personality descriptions.
D. Factor analysis is unnecessary because language already provides perfect trait categories.
Rationale: The lexical hypothesis, first proposed by Francis Galton in 1884 and later
operationalized by Allport and Odbert (1936), posits that if a personality dimension is important
in human affairs, people will have invented words for it
. This hypothesis drove the extraction of approximately 4,500 personality-descriptive terms from
Webster's dictionary, which became the raw material for Cattell's 16PF and eventually the Big Five
model. The hypothesis does not claim language is perfect or that observation is inferior—it
asserts that important individual differences become lexicalized over time.
Question 3 (Select-All-That-Apply)
Which of the following statements accurately describe the relationship between Cattell's 16PF
and the Big Five (OCEAN) model? (Select all that apply)
A. Both models share the same lexical origin in Allport and Odbert's (1936) taxonomy of
personality-descriptive words. [CORRECT]
B. Cattell used orthogonal rotation, which naturally yields fewer factors than the oblique rotation
used by Big Five researchers.
C. The Big Five emerged as the more replicable solution across independent samples,
languages, and methods. [CORRECT]
D. Cattell's 16 factors capture real variance but at a resolution where measurement noise
rivals signal; the Big Five represents the most replicable level of the personality hierarchy.
[CORRECT]
Rationale: Both models descend from the same lexical data
, . Cattell actually used oblique rotation (allowing correlated factors), which supports finer-grained
solutions, while Big Five researchers often used orthogonal rotation yielding broader factors
. The critical difference is replication: the Big Five consistently replicated across studies, whereas
some of Cattell's 16 factors proved difficult to replicate independently
. The 16PF captures meaningful narrow traits, but the Big Five represents the most robust, cross-
culturally stable level of the hierarchy.
Question 4 (Multiple-Choice)
Dr. Martinez is conducting a personality assessment of a 45-year-old novelist. The novelist scores
in the 95th percentile on a trait measure, showing extreme intellectual curiosity, vivid
imagination, preference for abstract ideas over concrete facts, and a strong appreciation for art
and beauty. The novelist recently traveled to Southeast Asia specifically to try exotic cuisines
unavailable in their home country. Which OCEAN domain best captures this individual's profile?
A. Conscientiousness
B. Openness to Experience [CORRECT]
C. Extraversion
D. Agreeableness
Rationale: Openness to Experience is characterized by intellectual curiosity, imagination,
aesthetic sensitivity, preference for novelty and variety, and willingness to engage with
unconventional experiences
. The vignette specifically highlights: (1) intellectual curiosity (abstract ideas), (2) imagination
(vivid imagination), and (3) willingness to try new exotic cuisine—all hallmark behavioral
descriptors of high Openness. This domain is distinct from Extraversion (which emphasizes
sociability and positive emotionality) and Conscientiousness (which emphasizes organization and
dutifulness).
Question 5 (Multiple-Choice)
