PSY 340 Personality Midterm Test Questions and Answers Already Passed Latest Update 2025
Psychologists following the phenomenological approach __________. - Answers are concerned with our
conscious experience of the world and the consequences of having free will
According to the text, personality's greatest strength, understanding the whole persons, is also its
greatest weakness. Which term describes this fundamental observation? - Answers Funder's First Law
__________ theories of personality apply the insights and methods derived from the study of
perception, memory, and thought to the study of personality. - Answers Cognitive
What is a primary goal of the biological approach to personality? - Answers understanding the
heritability of behavior and personality
One critique of personality psychology is that it "pigeonholes" people. What does "pigeonholing"
someone mean? - Answers categorizing and labeling people
Personality psychologists who adhere to the __________ approach focus on identifying, conceptualizing,
and measuring the ways in which people differ psychologically from one another. - Answers trait
Personality psychology shares with clinical psychology __________. - Answers a common obligation to
try to understand the whole person
Which of the following is NOT part of the psychological triad? - Answers psychological health
Personality is an individual's characteristic patterns of __________. - Answers behavior, emotion, and
thought
Jeff suspects that his roommate's sexist jokes may indicate that his roommate has some hidden,
unconscious hostility toward women or that he feels very insecure around women. Jeff's analysis
suggests a ________ approach to personality. - Answers psychoanalytic
In observing human behavior, it is impossible to __________. - Answers understand everything about a
person all at once
Which subfield of psychology has the greatest overlap with personality psychology? - Answers clinical
Is narcissism always a bad trait to have? - Answers No, narcissists are persuasive, but they also act
unethically
The purpose of a basic approach (or paradigm) is to __________. - Answers limit inquiry to certain kinds
of observations and patterns
Personality psychology and clinical psychology overlap most often when approaching which topic? -
Answers personality disorders
Which of the following is NOT one of the basic approaches to personality? - Answers assessment
, Personality psychology emphasizes how people are __________, whereas subfields such as cognitive
and social psychology emphasize how people are __________. - Answers different from each other;
similar to each other
Advocates of any particular basic approach to personality historically __________. - Answers claimed
that their approach explains everything worth explaining
Which of the following is an expression of Funder's First Law? - Answers characteristics that are
strengths in one sense are weaknesses in other ways
What are two topics covered under the phenomenological approach? - Answers humanistic and cross-
cultural perspectives on personality
Personality psychologists adhering to the __________ approach focus on psychic energy, the workings
of the unconscious mind, and the nature and resolution of internal mental conflict. - Answers
psychoanalytic
Which of the following is one of the basic approaches to personality? - Answers psychoanalytic
Funder writes that there are good reasons why personality psychologists have distinct theories versus
One Big Theory. Which is NOT one of those reasons? - Answers One Big Theory would undermine the
smaller theories; a theory that explains everything would probably not provide the best explanation for
any one thing
Thoughts, feelings, and behavior - Answers psychological triad
A basic approach to personality - Answers paradigm
Labeling and categorizing people - Answers pigeonholing
A framework that can predict everything about human behavior - Answers One Big Theory
The personality paradigm that focuses on rewards and punishments is known as the __________
paradigm. - Answers behaviorist
The unique mandate of personality psychologists is to attempt to __________. - Answers explain whole,
functioning persons and real life concerns
According to Funder, in what way do personality psychologists appreciate individual differences? -
Answers because they assess people, they appreciate rich individual differences
Personality psychology has a variety of theoretical perspectives that are sometimes seen as competing
with each other. Regarding this diversity, what is a major theme of this textbook? - Answers great
strengths are usually great weaknesses
To obtain S data, a psychologist can __________. - Answers develop a questionnaire
Psychologists following the phenomenological approach __________. - Answers are concerned with our
conscious experience of the world and the consequences of having free will
According to the text, personality's greatest strength, understanding the whole persons, is also its
greatest weakness. Which term describes this fundamental observation? - Answers Funder's First Law
__________ theories of personality apply the insights and methods derived from the study of
perception, memory, and thought to the study of personality. - Answers Cognitive
What is a primary goal of the biological approach to personality? - Answers understanding the
heritability of behavior and personality
One critique of personality psychology is that it "pigeonholes" people. What does "pigeonholing"
someone mean? - Answers categorizing and labeling people
Personality psychologists who adhere to the __________ approach focus on identifying, conceptualizing,
and measuring the ways in which people differ psychologically from one another. - Answers trait
Personality psychology shares with clinical psychology __________. - Answers a common obligation to
try to understand the whole person
Which of the following is NOT part of the psychological triad? - Answers psychological health
Personality is an individual's characteristic patterns of __________. - Answers behavior, emotion, and
thought
Jeff suspects that his roommate's sexist jokes may indicate that his roommate has some hidden,
unconscious hostility toward women or that he feels very insecure around women. Jeff's analysis
suggests a ________ approach to personality. - Answers psychoanalytic
In observing human behavior, it is impossible to __________. - Answers understand everything about a
person all at once
Which subfield of psychology has the greatest overlap with personality psychology? - Answers clinical
Is narcissism always a bad trait to have? - Answers No, narcissists are persuasive, but they also act
unethically
The purpose of a basic approach (or paradigm) is to __________. - Answers limit inquiry to certain kinds
of observations and patterns
Personality psychology and clinical psychology overlap most often when approaching which topic? -
Answers personality disorders
Which of the following is NOT one of the basic approaches to personality? - Answers assessment
, Personality psychology emphasizes how people are __________, whereas subfields such as cognitive
and social psychology emphasize how people are __________. - Answers different from each other;
similar to each other
Advocates of any particular basic approach to personality historically __________. - Answers claimed
that their approach explains everything worth explaining
Which of the following is an expression of Funder's First Law? - Answers characteristics that are
strengths in one sense are weaknesses in other ways
What are two topics covered under the phenomenological approach? - Answers humanistic and cross-
cultural perspectives on personality
Personality psychologists adhering to the __________ approach focus on psychic energy, the workings
of the unconscious mind, and the nature and resolution of internal mental conflict. - Answers
psychoanalytic
Which of the following is one of the basic approaches to personality? - Answers psychoanalytic
Funder writes that there are good reasons why personality psychologists have distinct theories versus
One Big Theory. Which is NOT one of those reasons? - Answers One Big Theory would undermine the
smaller theories; a theory that explains everything would probably not provide the best explanation for
any one thing
Thoughts, feelings, and behavior - Answers psychological triad
A basic approach to personality - Answers paradigm
Labeling and categorizing people - Answers pigeonholing
A framework that can predict everything about human behavior - Answers One Big Theory
The personality paradigm that focuses on rewards and punishments is known as the __________
paradigm. - Answers behaviorist
The unique mandate of personality psychologists is to attempt to __________. - Answers explain whole,
functioning persons and real life concerns
According to Funder, in what way do personality psychologists appreciate individual differences? -
Answers because they assess people, they appreciate rich individual differences
Personality psychology has a variety of theoretical perspectives that are sometimes seen as competing
with each other. Regarding this diversity, what is a major theme of this textbook? - Answers great
strengths are usually great weaknesses
To obtain S data, a psychologist can __________. - Answers develop a questionnaire
