Theory of Personality

• Trait theories propose that personality consists of universal traits that are inherited and shape behavior in stable ways.
• Psychologists generally agree that personality

  can be explained by several different theories.
• A useful theory should be parsimonious, meaning that it should be

  simple.
• Which of the following is NOT a dimension used by the authors to assess a theorist's concept of humanity?

  order versus disorder
• Descriptive research


  contributes to expanding a theory
• What is the relationship between theory and observation?

  There is a mutual and dynamic interaction between them.
• Part of the internal consistency of a theory is

  a set of operational definitions.
• The two MOST important functions of a theory are its

  ability to generate research and organize observations.
• A theory may be set aside when it

  loses its usefulness.
• Personality theorists have evolved different systems because

  Any or all the above are correct.
• Statements formed in an if-then framework are most likely

  theories.
• Which statement best characterizes the relationship between a theory and a hypothesis?

  A theory may generate one or more hypotheses.
• Theories are built primarily on

  scientific observations.
• Any test that correlates with future behaviors is said to have

  predictive validity.
• According to the authors of the text, personality theories


  originate from the historical, social, and psychological world of their originators.
• A useful theory must be falsifiable, which means that


  it must be precise enough to suggest research that may either support or fail to support its major tenets.
• An educated guess that can be scientifically tested is a definition of

  hypothesis.
• A set of related assumptions from which, by logical deductive reasoning, testable hypotheses can be drawn is


  the definition of theory.
• The basic data of science are

  observations.
• The ultimate value of any theory depends on its

  usefulness.
• 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

  convergent validity.
• A researcher uses the number of times a person smiles at others a a measure of friendliness. This is example of

  an operational definition.
• A taxonomy is best defined as

  a classification system.
• The word "theory" is most closely associated with


  science.
• What is the proper place of theory within science?

  Theories are tools used by scientist to give meaning to observations.
• The personalities, cognitive processes, developmental histories, and social experiences of personality theorists help shape their theories, The discipline that deals with these factors is called


  the psychology of science.
• A test that can accurately divide extraverts from introverts is said to have

  discriminant validity.
• Which statement is most nearly true?

  A theory can be a practical guide for a psychotherapist
• Personality theorists who adopt a teleological approach generally believe that people's behavior is a function of

  people's expectation of future events.
• A researcher uses the number of times a person smiles at others as a measure of friendliness. This an example of

  an operational definition
• The word personality comes from the Latin word "persona," meaning

  theatrical mask.
• A reliable test


  yields consistent results.
• The extent that a test predicts some future behavior is referred to as:

  a.) test-retest reliability

  b.) predictive validity

  c.) divergent validity

  d.) internal consistenct

  b.) predictive validity
• Which of the following statements is true about a reliable test?

  a.) it is always valid

  b.) it measures what it purports to measure

  c.) it correlates positively with its validity

  d.) it yields constant results

  d.) it yields consistent results
• _____ argue that the unique and long-term tendencies to behave in particular ways are the essence of human personality

  a.) dispositional theorists

  b.) psychodynamic theorists

  c.) biological-evolutionary theorists

  d.) learning-cognitive theorists


  a.) dispositional theorists
• Which of the following statements is true about humanistic-existential theories?

  a.) they hold that all behaviors are learned through association and its consequences, whether it is reinforced or punished

  b.) they argue that the personality people have is shaped by how they think and perceive the world

  c.) they assume primarily that people strive toward meaning, growth, well-being, happiness, and psychological health

  d.) they suggest that there are five main trait dimensions in human personality that serve the function of making certain behaviors likely in some people

  c.) they assume primarily that people strive toward meaning, growth, well-being, happiness and psychological health
• A set of related assumptions that allow scientists to use logical deductive reasoning to formulate testable hypotheses is

  a.) the definition of philosophy

  b.) the definition of scientific theory

  c.) the definition of taxonomy

  d.) an armchair speculation

  b.) the definition of scientific theory
• Which of the following statements is true about theory?

  a.) a theory can be a practical guide for a psychotherapist

  b.) theory and practice are mutually exclusive

  c.) other things being equal, the more complex the theory, the better

  d.) a good theory gives opposing answers to a single question

  a.) a theory can be a practical guide for a psychotherapist
• A useful theory must be falsifable, which means that

  a.) it will eventually be proven false

  b.) it must be precise enough to suggest research that may either support or fail to support its major tendencies

  c.) it should be flexible enough to encompass opposing data into its framework

  d.) it must be either true or false


  b.) it must be precise enough to suggest research that may either support or fail to support its major tendencies
• Which of the following statements is true about descriptive research?

  a.) it is designed to test hypotheses

  b.) it contributes to expanding a theory

  c.) it is that which uses an experimental design

  d.) it is expressed by if-then statements

  b.) it contributes to expanding a theory