PSYC 3010 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS
How do psychologists define personality? - ANSWER a person's usual pattern of
behavior, feelings, and thoughts
Personality reflects shared human tendencies, but how are those tendencies typically
conceptualized? - ANSWER as individual differences that vary from person to person
How is personality shaped? - ANSWER through a combination of genetic tendencies and
environmental influences
At its core, what does personality psychology deal with? - ANSWER fundamental
questions about who we are and how we got that way
Personality psychology is considered a ________________ topic because of its
relationship to other areas within psychology. - ANSWER hub
Dwight is a middle manager at a midsized paper wholesaler. His office furniture consists
of his desk, his chair, a table lamp, and a single chair to accommodate one visitor at a
time. Apart from work-related items (such as his computer or telephone), there are no
personal photographs or knick-knacks on his desk. What would you conclude about
Dwight's personality? - ANSWER He is high in introversion.
What do Facebook posts, text messages, or computer preferences have in common in
an investigation of personality? - ANSWER They are behavioral measures that can
reveal underlying personality traits.
Some researchers argue that genetics is the primary cause of personality traits,
whereas other researchers argue that environmental factors cause personality traits.
This disagreement is generally known as the ____________________ debate. - ANSWER
nature-nurture
You and your friends enroll in different universities. Over time, you notice that your
friends seem different from who they were in high school. This is an example of
_________________. - ANSWER personality being impacted by experiences
How is the psychodynamics root of personality psychology represented? - ANSWER by
acknowledging unconscious drives and impulses that influence thought and behavior
Why would a test developer include reverse-scored items in a self-report measure of
personality? - ANSWER to assess whether a test taker showed a consistent and logical
pattern of responding
What do correlations reveal to a researcher? - ANSWER both the strength and direction
,of the relationship between two variables
Ice cream sales tend to increase as the temperature outside increase. This relationship
is an example of a _____________________. - ANSWER positive correlation
When a scale, questionnaire, or other instrument demonstrates consistent
measurement, it is described as having __________. - ANSWER reliability
The mean, mode, and median are all examples of ___________________. - ANSWER
descriptive statistics
Five test takers completed a questionnaire, and their responses to the first item were
10, 10, 12, 12, and 6. What is the mean score for this item? - ANSWER 10
A group of test takers provided the following responses for an item on a scale: 10, 10,
11, 15, 15, 15, 15, 16, 17, and 17. What is the mode of this set of scores? - ANSWER 15
Dr. Caligari is assessing Matteo's physical reactions to stimuli such as bright lights and
loud sounds in order to estimate Matteo's degree of openness to experience. Dr.
Caligari is using a __________ to collect information. - ANSWER physiological measure
Using different methods to answer the same research question is called
_________________. - ANSWER triangulation
Murray wants to examine stability and change in personality over time. He enlists a
group of elementary school children and measures their personality when they are in
the first grade, then again when they are in the third grade, and then again when they
progress to the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades. What kind of study is Murray
conducting? - ANSWER a longitudinal study
The relatively stable tendencies of individuals are called ______________________. -
ANSWER traits
Self-report personality measures ask people to _________________. - ANSWER rate
themselves on a list of personality-relevant items
Which Big Five traits is associated with caring for others and getting along with people?
- ANSWER agreeableness
Which Big Five trait is associated with negative emotions such as worry and anger? -
ANSWER neuroticism
The opposite of ____________ is calmness and emotional stability. - ANSWER neuroticism
, On a personality test, Arlo rates himself high on talkativeness, assertiveness, and
seeking attention and low on shyness, quietness, and lethargy. Which Big Five
dimension is Arlo endorsing? - ANSWER extraversion
The term ________________ refers to how personality psychologists conceptualize more
specific components of the Big Five dimensions of personality. - ANSWER facets
What does a person's score on a measure of the Big Five personality dimensions
indicate? - ANSWER how that person compares to a norm sample on each of the five
traits
Judd enjoys socializing with others and is a great host. He always makes sure his house
guests are comfortable and have what they need, and he greets both lifelong friends
and new acquaintances with the same warmth and enthusiasm. Judd is likely to score
__________. - ANSWER high on extraversion and high on agreeableness
Introverts generally prefer ______________. (meeting new people, hanging out with close
family and friends, attending concerts, or skiing the tallest mountain) - ANSWER
hanging out with close family and friends
People generally rate extraverts as _________________. (shy, aggressive, popular,
unfriendly) - ANSWER popular
While studying, a person high in introversion will most likely _________________. (check
social media repeatedly; call a friend and talk about the material; sit quietly and read;
play music) - ANSWER sit quietly and read
Which of these people would be most likely to rank lowest in agreeableness? (Brianna,
who takes care of feral cats; Trevon, who says what he thinks without censoring it;
Anthony, who often writes on Facebook about how blessed he is; Sydney, who holds
open a door for others when entering a building) - ANSWER Trevon, who says what he
thinks without censoring it
Disagreeable people tend to _____________________. (manage their emotions easily;
CORRECT ANSWERS
How do psychologists define personality? - ANSWER a person's usual pattern of
behavior, feelings, and thoughts
Personality reflects shared human tendencies, but how are those tendencies typically
conceptualized? - ANSWER as individual differences that vary from person to person
How is personality shaped? - ANSWER through a combination of genetic tendencies and
environmental influences
At its core, what does personality psychology deal with? - ANSWER fundamental
questions about who we are and how we got that way
Personality psychology is considered a ________________ topic because of its
relationship to other areas within psychology. - ANSWER hub
Dwight is a middle manager at a midsized paper wholesaler. His office furniture consists
of his desk, his chair, a table lamp, and a single chair to accommodate one visitor at a
time. Apart from work-related items (such as his computer or telephone), there are no
personal photographs or knick-knacks on his desk. What would you conclude about
Dwight's personality? - ANSWER He is high in introversion.
What do Facebook posts, text messages, or computer preferences have in common in
an investigation of personality? - ANSWER They are behavioral measures that can
reveal underlying personality traits.
Some researchers argue that genetics is the primary cause of personality traits,
whereas other researchers argue that environmental factors cause personality traits.
This disagreement is generally known as the ____________________ debate. - ANSWER
nature-nurture
You and your friends enroll in different universities. Over time, you notice that your
friends seem different from who they were in high school. This is an example of
_________________. - ANSWER personality being impacted by experiences
How is the psychodynamics root of personality psychology represented? - ANSWER by
acknowledging unconscious drives and impulses that influence thought and behavior
Why would a test developer include reverse-scored items in a self-report measure of
personality? - ANSWER to assess whether a test taker showed a consistent and logical
pattern of responding
What do correlations reveal to a researcher? - ANSWER both the strength and direction
,of the relationship between two variables
Ice cream sales tend to increase as the temperature outside increase. This relationship
is an example of a _____________________. - ANSWER positive correlation
When a scale, questionnaire, or other instrument demonstrates consistent
measurement, it is described as having __________. - ANSWER reliability
The mean, mode, and median are all examples of ___________________. - ANSWER
descriptive statistics
Five test takers completed a questionnaire, and their responses to the first item were
10, 10, 12, 12, and 6. What is the mean score for this item? - ANSWER 10
A group of test takers provided the following responses for an item on a scale: 10, 10,
11, 15, 15, 15, 15, 16, 17, and 17. What is the mode of this set of scores? - ANSWER 15
Dr. Caligari is assessing Matteo's physical reactions to stimuli such as bright lights and
loud sounds in order to estimate Matteo's degree of openness to experience. Dr.
Caligari is using a __________ to collect information. - ANSWER physiological measure
Using different methods to answer the same research question is called
_________________. - ANSWER triangulation
Murray wants to examine stability and change in personality over time. He enlists a
group of elementary school children and measures their personality when they are in
the first grade, then again when they are in the third grade, and then again when they
progress to the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades. What kind of study is Murray
conducting? - ANSWER a longitudinal study
The relatively stable tendencies of individuals are called ______________________. -
ANSWER traits
Self-report personality measures ask people to _________________. - ANSWER rate
themselves on a list of personality-relevant items
Which Big Five traits is associated with caring for others and getting along with people?
- ANSWER agreeableness
Which Big Five trait is associated with negative emotions such as worry and anger? -
ANSWER neuroticism
The opposite of ____________ is calmness and emotional stability. - ANSWER neuroticism
, On a personality test, Arlo rates himself high on talkativeness, assertiveness, and
seeking attention and low on shyness, quietness, and lethargy. Which Big Five
dimension is Arlo endorsing? - ANSWER extraversion
The term ________________ refers to how personality psychologists conceptualize more
specific components of the Big Five dimensions of personality. - ANSWER facets
What does a person's score on a measure of the Big Five personality dimensions
indicate? - ANSWER how that person compares to a norm sample on each of the five
traits
Judd enjoys socializing with others and is a great host. He always makes sure his house
guests are comfortable and have what they need, and he greets both lifelong friends
and new acquaintances with the same warmth and enthusiasm. Judd is likely to score
__________. - ANSWER high on extraversion and high on agreeableness
Introverts generally prefer ______________. (meeting new people, hanging out with close
family and friends, attending concerts, or skiing the tallest mountain) - ANSWER
hanging out with close family and friends
People generally rate extraverts as _________________. (shy, aggressive, popular,
unfriendly) - ANSWER popular
While studying, a person high in introversion will most likely _________________. (check
social media repeatedly; call a friend and talk about the material; sit quietly and read;
play music) - ANSWER sit quietly and read
Which of these people would be most likely to rank lowest in agreeableness? (Brianna,
who takes care of feral cats; Trevon, who says what he thinks without censoring it;
Anthony, who often writes on Facebook about how blessed he is; Sydney, who holds
open a door for others when entering a building) - ANSWER Trevon, who says what he
thinks without censoring it
Disagreeable people tend to _____________________. (manage their emotions easily;
