PSY 352 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS
Which of the following are factors that might affect why individuals have different levels
of consistency in their personality? - Answers - Factor: mental health, maturity, age,
psychological adjustment
Not a factor: environment, pessimism,
In Funder and Ozer's (1983) reanalysis of several famous studies of cognitive
dissonance, bystander intervention, and obedience, what did their algebraic comparison
reveal? - Answers - The size of the effects of personality and of the situation in
predicting behavior were much more similar than many had assumed
Which of the following are examples of interactionism in behavior? - Answers -
Examples: Joey and Geraldo going to the prom, Adriana is a foodie, Samuel's manager
and new policies,
Not: Teacher enters classroom, Jacinda's analytical mind
Consider that the subtraction method suggests removing the variance in behavior
attributed to each factor in order to end with the amount attributed to a given trait. Which
of the following are alternative options for the source of variance that could be
"subtracted" using this method? - Answers - Alt Opts: other unmeasured person
variables, indiv. diff. in responding to the relevant situation, any other situational
variables
Not alt Opts: measures personality variables
Identify each scenario faced by Camila as illustrating either a situational or trait
influence on her behavior. Labels can be used more than once. - Answers - Trait:
Camila is shy, Camila likes to try new things
Situational: Camila and dinner with parents talking about coursework, Camila talking to
her friends on the first day of school, Camila waits in line for her audition
A(n) _____ approach to behavior allows for multiple factors to influence people's
behavior. This view suggests that people remain ______in comparison to peers, while
still allowing for differences in behavior based on the _______. This view also suggests
that people can be _______ and maintain a level of consistency, and that they therefore
do not behave in erratic ways. - Answers - interactionist, consistent, environment,
adaptable
, Which of the following are benefits of the trait approach's focus on individual
differences? - Answers - Benefits: it allows for a better understanding of how people
differ from one another, there is no zero point of any given trait, an individual's trait level
is compared to the trait level of other's
trait measurements are almost always made on ordinary scales.
Not benefits: it does not consider personality processes that are universal, trait
measurements are almost made on ratio scales
This figure shows the variance in behaviors that are due to persons and situations.
Place the labels on the areas in the graph that include the traits that best represent
each argument. - Answers - situationaist- top left, interactionist- top right.
trait- bottom right
Variance in behavior that is due to traits is approximately .16. The situationist argument
suggests that, therefore, 1.0 - .16, or .84 of variance is due to the situation. Why is this
logic flawed? - Answers - includes all unmeasured variables, not just situational ones
Match each behavior to whether it is best predicted by person variance, situation
variance, or both, based on research by Leikas, Lonnqvist & Verkasalo (2012). -
Answers - Person: gestures, positive affect
Situation: questions, mutual gaze frequency
Both: talk, arousal
The idea that people are psychologically different and that it is important and interesting
to note these differences is made evident by what? - Answers - words arising to
describe individual differences
Funder & Colvin (1991) conducted a study to examine the influence of both the person
and the situation on behavior. In this study, the researchers had participants come in on
two separate occasions to sit and talk to a stranger of the opposite sex.
Fill in the blanks to complete the passage about their first analysis of this study.
In the first analysis, the researchers measured differences in ______that illustrated how
_______ the participants felt. They found that people were much more comfortable
during the second session in which they participated. This is an example of a _______
effect on behavior. - Answers - behavioral variables, awkward, situational
Funder & Colvin (1991) conducted a study to examine the influence of both the person
and the situation on behavior. In this study, the researchers had participants come in on
two separate occasions to sit and talk to a stranger of the opposite sex. The only thing
that changed for the second visit was that the person participants spoke to was
different.
Fill in the blanks to complete the passage about the researchers' second analysis of this
study.
ANSWERS
Which of the following are factors that might affect why individuals have different levels
of consistency in their personality? - Answers - Factor: mental health, maturity, age,
psychological adjustment
Not a factor: environment, pessimism,
In Funder and Ozer's (1983) reanalysis of several famous studies of cognitive
dissonance, bystander intervention, and obedience, what did their algebraic comparison
reveal? - Answers - The size of the effects of personality and of the situation in
predicting behavior were much more similar than many had assumed
Which of the following are examples of interactionism in behavior? - Answers -
Examples: Joey and Geraldo going to the prom, Adriana is a foodie, Samuel's manager
and new policies,
Not: Teacher enters classroom, Jacinda's analytical mind
Consider that the subtraction method suggests removing the variance in behavior
attributed to each factor in order to end with the amount attributed to a given trait. Which
of the following are alternative options for the source of variance that could be
"subtracted" using this method? - Answers - Alt Opts: other unmeasured person
variables, indiv. diff. in responding to the relevant situation, any other situational
variables
Not alt Opts: measures personality variables
Identify each scenario faced by Camila as illustrating either a situational or trait
influence on her behavior. Labels can be used more than once. - Answers - Trait:
Camila is shy, Camila likes to try new things
Situational: Camila and dinner with parents talking about coursework, Camila talking to
her friends on the first day of school, Camila waits in line for her audition
A(n) _____ approach to behavior allows for multiple factors to influence people's
behavior. This view suggests that people remain ______in comparison to peers, while
still allowing for differences in behavior based on the _______. This view also suggests
that people can be _______ and maintain a level of consistency, and that they therefore
do not behave in erratic ways. - Answers - interactionist, consistent, environment,
adaptable
, Which of the following are benefits of the trait approach's focus on individual
differences? - Answers - Benefits: it allows for a better understanding of how people
differ from one another, there is no zero point of any given trait, an individual's trait level
is compared to the trait level of other's
trait measurements are almost always made on ordinary scales.
Not benefits: it does not consider personality processes that are universal, trait
measurements are almost made on ratio scales
This figure shows the variance in behaviors that are due to persons and situations.
Place the labels on the areas in the graph that include the traits that best represent
each argument. - Answers - situationaist- top left, interactionist- top right.
trait- bottom right
Variance in behavior that is due to traits is approximately .16. The situationist argument
suggests that, therefore, 1.0 - .16, or .84 of variance is due to the situation. Why is this
logic flawed? - Answers - includes all unmeasured variables, not just situational ones
Match each behavior to whether it is best predicted by person variance, situation
variance, or both, based on research by Leikas, Lonnqvist & Verkasalo (2012). -
Answers - Person: gestures, positive affect
Situation: questions, mutual gaze frequency
Both: talk, arousal
The idea that people are psychologically different and that it is important and interesting
to note these differences is made evident by what? - Answers - words arising to
describe individual differences
Funder & Colvin (1991) conducted a study to examine the influence of both the person
and the situation on behavior. In this study, the researchers had participants come in on
two separate occasions to sit and talk to a stranger of the opposite sex.
Fill in the blanks to complete the passage about their first analysis of this study.
In the first analysis, the researchers measured differences in ______that illustrated how
_______ the participants felt. They found that people were much more comfortable
during the second session in which they participated. This is an example of a _______
effect on behavior. - Answers - behavioral variables, awkward, situational
Funder & Colvin (1991) conducted a study to examine the influence of both the person
and the situation on behavior. In this study, the researchers had participants come in on
two separate occasions to sit and talk to a stranger of the opposite sex. The only thing
that changed for the second visit was that the person participants spoke to was
different.
Fill in the blanks to complete the passage about the researchers' second analysis of this
study.
