D564 Exam 2 Actual Exam Style V2 | WGU
D564 Theories of Personality | Western
Governors University
1. According to Albert Bandura, which concept describes the mutual influence between
person variables, environmental factors, and behavior?
A. Self-Efficacy
B. Reciprocal Determinism
C. Locus of Control
D. Cognitive Person Variables
Answer: B
Rationale: Reciprocal determinism is a core component of Bandura’s social cognitive
theory. It suggests that personality is shaped by the continuous interaction between an
individual’s internal factors, their actions, and the external environment. This perspective
moves away from one-sided views of behavior being solely driven by either traits or
situations.
2. When a child receives a sticker for finishing their homework, which type of operant
conditioning is being applied?
A. Positive Reinforcement
B. Positive Punishment
,C. Negative Reinforcement
D. Negative Punishment
Answer: A
Rationale: Positive reinforcement involves the addition of a desirable stimulus following a
behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. In this case, the sticker
serves as the reward that encourages future homework completion. This principle is
fundamental to behavioral theories developed by B.F. Skinner.
3. Which of the following describes an ‘Internal Locus of Control’ as defined by Julian Rotter?
A. The belief that one’s own actions directly influence life events.
B. The belief that outcomes are determined by fate or luck.
C. The belief that powerful others control one’s destiny.
D. The tendency to attribute success to external circumstances.
Answer: A
Rationale: An internal locus of control refers to the generalized expectancy that rewards
and punishments are the result of one’s own behavior. Individuals with this mindset feel
empowered to change their circumstances through effort and skill. Rotter emphasized that
this belief significantly impacts motivation and psychological adjustment.
, 4. In the ‘Bobo Doll’ experiment, Bandura demonstrated that children could learn aggressive
behaviors through:
A. Direct reinforcement
B. Observational learning
C. Classical conditioning
D. Subliminal messaging
Answer: B
Rationale: The Bobo Doll study showed that children who observed an adult model acting
aggressively toward a doll were more likely to imitate that behavior themselves. This
finding highlighted the importance of modeling in personality development without the
need for immediate direct reinforcement. It remains a foundational study in social learning
theory.
5. Walter Mischel’s ‘Personality Paradox’ refers to the discrepancy between:
A. Intrinsic motivation and the use of extrinsic rewards.
B. Intuitive beliefs about trait consistency and empirical evidence of situational variability.
C. Self-efficacy and actual performance levels.
D. Biological predispositions and environmental influences.
Answer: B
D564 Theories of Personality | Western
Governors University
1. According to Albert Bandura, which concept describes the mutual influence between
person variables, environmental factors, and behavior?
A. Self-Efficacy
B. Reciprocal Determinism
C. Locus of Control
D. Cognitive Person Variables
Answer: B
Rationale: Reciprocal determinism is a core component of Bandura’s social cognitive
theory. It suggests that personality is shaped by the continuous interaction between an
individual’s internal factors, their actions, and the external environment. This perspective
moves away from one-sided views of behavior being solely driven by either traits or
situations.
2. When a child receives a sticker for finishing their homework, which type of operant
conditioning is being applied?
A. Positive Reinforcement
B. Positive Punishment
,C. Negative Reinforcement
D. Negative Punishment
Answer: A
Rationale: Positive reinforcement involves the addition of a desirable stimulus following a
behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. In this case, the sticker
serves as the reward that encourages future homework completion. This principle is
fundamental to behavioral theories developed by B.F. Skinner.
3. Which of the following describes an ‘Internal Locus of Control’ as defined by Julian Rotter?
A. The belief that one’s own actions directly influence life events.
B. The belief that outcomes are determined by fate or luck.
C. The belief that powerful others control one’s destiny.
D. The tendency to attribute success to external circumstances.
Answer: A
Rationale: An internal locus of control refers to the generalized expectancy that rewards
and punishments are the result of one’s own behavior. Individuals with this mindset feel
empowered to change their circumstances through effort and skill. Rotter emphasized that
this belief significantly impacts motivation and psychological adjustment.
, 4. In the ‘Bobo Doll’ experiment, Bandura demonstrated that children could learn aggressive
behaviors through:
A. Direct reinforcement
B. Observational learning
C. Classical conditioning
D. Subliminal messaging
Answer: B
Rationale: The Bobo Doll study showed that children who observed an adult model acting
aggressively toward a doll were more likely to imitate that behavior themselves. This
finding highlighted the importance of modeling in personality development without the
need for immediate direct reinforcement. It remains a foundational study in social learning
theory.
5. Walter Mischel’s ‘Personality Paradox’ refers to the discrepancy between:
A. Intrinsic motivation and the use of extrinsic rewards.
B. Intuitive beliefs about trait consistency and empirical evidence of situational variability.
C. Self-efficacy and actual performance levels.
D. Biological predispositions and environmental influences.
Answer: B
