PSY1PAC: Week 9

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Questions and Answers

How is personality commonly defined?

A temporary state influenced by situational factors

An accumulation of external experiences and learning

A fixed set of behaviors regardless of context

Individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving (correct)

Which of the following pairs represents the two dimensions Hans Eysenck arranged human personality upon?

Extraversion - Introversion (correct)

Sensation - Intuition

Conscientiousness - Agreeableness

Openness - Neuroticism

What characterizes neuroticism in terms of emotional stability?

Individuals who consistently exhibit high self-esteem

Individuals who experience broad emotional range with ease

Individuals prone to anxiety and have poor coping strategies (correct)

Individuals who thrive in stable and predictable environments

Which statement about introverts is true?

They prefer solitude and their energy is depleted by social interactions Signup and view all the answers

What is a major criticism of trait theories of personality?

They do not address the role of situational factors in behavior Signup and view all the answers

What can be said about individuals who score high on the Openness to Experience factor?

They may be imaginative, creative, and curious. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of low scorers in the Agreeableness factor?

They are often cynical and antagonistic. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of Eysenck's Personality Inventory?

Identifying how personality traits influence behavior. Signup and view all the answers

How many basic source traits did Cattell's factor analysis identify?

16 Signup and view all the answers

Which factor in the NEO Personality Inventory is associated with being organized and detail-oriented?

Conscientiousness Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a criticism often leveled at personality trait theories?

They oversimplify the complexities of human behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the five factors measured by the NEO Personality Inventory?

To assess personality along various dimensions. Signup and view all the answers

What does Walter Mischel suggest about personality across different contexts?

Personality varies considerably across different situations. Signup and view all the answers

Which trait is identified as a substantial predictor of marital quality and stability?

Neuroticism Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between personality similarity and marital satisfaction according to recent studies?

Greater similarity may predict lower marital satisfaction. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following traits are included in the 'lack of self-control' cluster associated with mental illness?

High neuroticism, low agreeableness, and low conscientiousness Signup and view all the answers

What combination of traits is predictive of successful job performance?

Low neuroticism, high conscientiousness, and high agreeableness Signup and view all the answers

In the context of organizational psychology, which statement is true?

It applies psychological principles to workplace behavior and performance. Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT a characteristic of highly neurotic individuals?

Consistent self-control Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the trait theory as proposed by Mischel?

Traits can vary significantly over time but have some stability. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following traits is least likely to predict good marital outcomes?

Irresponsibility Signup and view all the answers

How does compatibility differ from similarity in the context of relationships?

Compatibility encompasses diverse traits and behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Personality

Individuals display distinct patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving, which are the basis of personality

Perspectives On Personality

Psychodynamic Theories emphasize the internal workings of the self, particularly unconscious conflicts.
Humanistic Theories focus on individual experiences, growth, and self-image.
Behavioural Theories examine external environmental influences and the effects of conditioning on behaviour.
Personality Trait Theories focus on identifying traits that make up a person's personality and how these traits manifest in behaviour.

Eysenck’s Personality Inventory

Eysenck arranged personality along two dimensions: Extraversion-Introversion and Stable-Unstable (also known as Neuroticism).
Later, Eysenck added a third dimension: Psychoticism.

Introversion-Extraversion

Introverts prefer solitary activities, smaller gatherings, and have smaller friendship groups. Socialising depletes their energy.
Extraverts prefer stimulation, crowds, loud parties, and large gatherings. They have large friendship groups and gain energy from socialising.

Neuroticism

Neuroticism is also known as emotional instability.
Individuals high in neuroticism are prone to anxiety and/or depression and tend to have poor coping strategies.

The NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI)

Developed in 1978 by Costa and McCrae
Measures five factors: Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism (OCEAN).
Each factor falls along a continuum.
Each factor has six facets.
The NEO-PI-Revised (NEO-PI-R) is gender and age normed.

Openness to Experience

High scorers are open-minded, enjoy new experiences, may be imaginative and creative, have unconventional approaches, are curious, and have a wide range of interests.
Low scorers are more traditional, down-to-earth, have rigid habits and routines, and have a narrower range of interests.

Agreeableness

High scorers are trusting, forgiving, warm, generous, tolerant, sympathetic, and cooperative.
Low scorers are cynical, sceptical, antagonistic, stubborn, and competitive.

Conscientiousness

High scorers are efficient, thorough, organised, methodical, and detail-oriented.
Low scorers are disorderly, leisurely, impulsive, disorganised, and careless.

Personality Stability

Walter Mischel questioned the stability of personality, finding evidence that personality varies over time and across situations.
Research indicates that personality traits can correlate to varying degrees across different situations.

Applications of Personality Traits

Love: Neuroticism is a major predictor of higher marital quality and stability, and a lower likelihood of divorce.
Mental Health: Increased neuroticism is associated with various mental illnesses and disorders.
Work: A combination of low neuroticism, high conscientiousness, and high agreeableness predicts successful job performance across different occupations.

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Description

Explore the fascinating concepts of personality through various theories including psychodynamic, humanistic, behavioral, and trait theories. This quiz also covers Eysenck's Personality Inventory and the distinctions between introversion and extraversion. Test your understanding of how these theories shape our views on individual behavior and personality.