PSYCH 121 MIDTERM 2 EXAM QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE 2026
CHAPTER 12: PERSONALITY - Answers
What is personality? - Answers Enduring (unchanging), distinct patterns of thoughts, emotions and
behaviours that influence how a person adapts to the world
What is the psychodynamic approach? - Answers Personality is determined by the interplay of
unconscious mental processes.
What are the 3 assumptions of the psychodynamic approach? - Answers 1. The mind operates largely
outside of our awareness
2. Events from childhood affect the adult versions of us
3. Thoughts are neither random nor accidental
Topographic model - Answers The 3 levels of personality
What is the conscious mind? - Answers Thoughts and perceptions we are aware of
What is the preconscious? - Answers Information not currently aware of but easily retrieved
(memories, knowledge)
What is the unconscious? - Answers Mental processes outside awareness that influence behavior.
Unspoken driver of adult personality (selfish, immoral, violent urges/motivations)
What is the id? - Answers Unconscious part of the mind that operates on pleasure principle seeks
immediate gratification, operating impulsively
What is the ego? - Answers Operates on reality principle mediates between id and superego.
Balanced, logical, rational
What is the superego? - Answers Moral conscience operating on idealist principles. Personality
dominated by superego is restrained and overcontrolled
What are defense mechanisms? - Answers Unconscious responses of the ego used to ward off anxiety
about the demands of id.
What is repression? - Answers Blocking distressing thoughts from awareness
What is projection? - Answers Attributing your own feelings to others
What is displacement? - Answers Redirecting emotions to a safer target
What is reaction formation? - Answers Acting opposite to true feelings
What is rationalization? - Answers Creating logical excuses to feel better
What is sublimation? - Answers Channeling unacceptable urges into finding acceptable behavior
What is fixation? - Answers Being stuck in a developmental stage due to over or under gratification
What is the oral stage? - Answers Pleasure from mouth feeding and sucking
What does oral fixation lead to? - Answers Smoking overeating nail biting
What is the anal stage? - Answers Focus on control and toilet training
What does anal fixation lead to? - Answers Messy or overly neat personality
What is the phallic stage? - Answers Attraction to opposite sex parent
What is the Oedipus complex? - Answers Attraction to opposite sex parent and rivalry with same sex
parent
Phallic fixation? - Answers Problems with adult relationships and difficulty with authority figures
What is the latency stage? - Answers Sexual impulses suppressed (5 y/o - puberty)
What is the genital stage? - Answers Physical and emotional mature state
What is the lexical hypothesis? - Answers Language captures the key ways of differentiating people.
Factor analysis identified which describing words "group together"
Assumptions of trait analysis - Answers Traits are stable over time and situation, used to understand
how we are alike and different
What are the Big Five traits? - Answers Openness to new experiences, conscientiousness,
extraversion, agreeableness, & neuroticism
Openness to new experiences - Answers Creativity, intelligence, divergent thinking.
High = open to new things, broad interests, imaginative
Low = Practical, traditional, down to Earth
Conscientiousness - Answers Control of impulses.
High = well organized, high standards, goal oriented
Low = Easygoing, unorganized, careless
Extraversion - Answers Degree of sociability & outgoingness
High = Outgoing, active, high-spirited
Low = Introverted, reserved, serious
CHAPTER 12: PERSONALITY - Answers
What is personality? - Answers Enduring (unchanging), distinct patterns of thoughts, emotions and
behaviours that influence how a person adapts to the world
What is the psychodynamic approach? - Answers Personality is determined by the interplay of
unconscious mental processes.
What are the 3 assumptions of the psychodynamic approach? - Answers 1. The mind operates largely
outside of our awareness
2. Events from childhood affect the adult versions of us
3. Thoughts are neither random nor accidental
Topographic model - Answers The 3 levels of personality
What is the conscious mind? - Answers Thoughts and perceptions we are aware of
What is the preconscious? - Answers Information not currently aware of but easily retrieved
(memories, knowledge)
What is the unconscious? - Answers Mental processes outside awareness that influence behavior.
Unspoken driver of adult personality (selfish, immoral, violent urges/motivations)
What is the id? - Answers Unconscious part of the mind that operates on pleasure principle seeks
immediate gratification, operating impulsively
What is the ego? - Answers Operates on reality principle mediates between id and superego.
Balanced, logical, rational
What is the superego? - Answers Moral conscience operating on idealist principles. Personality
dominated by superego is restrained and overcontrolled
What are defense mechanisms? - Answers Unconscious responses of the ego used to ward off anxiety
about the demands of id.
What is repression? - Answers Blocking distressing thoughts from awareness
What is projection? - Answers Attributing your own feelings to others
What is displacement? - Answers Redirecting emotions to a safer target
What is reaction formation? - Answers Acting opposite to true feelings
What is rationalization? - Answers Creating logical excuses to feel better
What is sublimation? - Answers Channeling unacceptable urges into finding acceptable behavior
What is fixation? - Answers Being stuck in a developmental stage due to over or under gratification
What is the oral stage? - Answers Pleasure from mouth feeding and sucking
What does oral fixation lead to? - Answers Smoking overeating nail biting
What is the anal stage? - Answers Focus on control and toilet training
What does anal fixation lead to? - Answers Messy or overly neat personality
What is the phallic stage? - Answers Attraction to opposite sex parent
What is the Oedipus complex? - Answers Attraction to opposite sex parent and rivalry with same sex
parent
Phallic fixation? - Answers Problems with adult relationships and difficulty with authority figures
What is the latency stage? - Answers Sexual impulses suppressed (5 y/o - puberty)
What is the genital stage? - Answers Physical and emotional mature state
What is the lexical hypothesis? - Answers Language captures the key ways of differentiating people.
Factor analysis identified which describing words "group together"
Assumptions of trait analysis - Answers Traits are stable over time and situation, used to understand
how we are alike and different
What are the Big Five traits? - Answers Openness to new experiences, conscientiousness,
extraversion, agreeableness, & neuroticism
Openness to new experiences - Answers Creativity, intelligence, divergent thinking.
High = open to new things, broad interests, imaginative
Low = Practical, traditional, down to Earth
Conscientiousness - Answers Control of impulses.
High = well organized, high standards, goal oriented
Low = Easygoing, unorganized, careless
Extraversion - Answers Degree of sociability & outgoingness
High = Outgoing, active, high-spirited
Low = Introverted, reserved, serious
