PSY 352-EXAM 1 QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS
What is personality? - Answers - a. An individuals characteristic pattern of thinking,
acting and feeling
How would you describe the traits vs. situationism debate? - Answers - -Situationism:
view of personality that view behavior as a function of the situation, not internal traits.
"multiple selves"
-Traits: intuitive appeal of perspective
psychoanalytic - Answers - unconscious forces
trait - Answers - stable, defining characteristics
biological - Answers - inherited predispositions, physiological processes
humanistic - Answers - self actualization, growth
behavioral - Answers - conditions, learned expectations
cognitive - Answers - information processing
What is self-report data, and what are its strengths and weaknesses? - Answers - Ask
someone about themselves ( 20 statement test)
Strengths: access to info others don't have (anxiety, self-esteem, goals)
Weaknesses: do people have accurate self knowledge and will they be honest
How does social desirability influence the validity of self-report data? - Answers - It is
the tendency to answer in attractive/likable ways (lying, distorted, self-perception). You
can control this by using a forced questionnaire. Ex: Crownes marlow scale. Do you like
soft or crunchy food?
What is observer-report data, and what are its strengths and weaknesses? - Answers -
Ask someone else about that person
Strengths: access to info not available to person, multiple perspective
Weaknesses: biased by own personality experiences with a person
What is test data, and what are its strengths and weaknesses? - Answers - Puts people
in identical situation
Strengths: controlled situation, allows hypothesis testing
Weaknesses: possibility of participants, researcher bias
, What is life-outcome data, and what are its strengths and weaknesses? - Answers -
Examines life events (marriage, divorce, jobs) Use S & O data to predict L data
What does it mean to say that a psychological measure is reliable, valid, and
generalizable? - Answers - Reliability: consistent results
Valid: measures what it claims to measure
Generalization: applies to whole population
What is descriptive research, and what are its strengths and weaknesses? - Answers -
In-depth examination of an individuals personality
Strengths: lots of detail, good source for ideas to test in larger groups
Weaknesses: low generalization
What is a correlation? - Answers - Is the measure of how closely related 2 variables are
(how much they predict one another)
Strengths: demonstrates covariation, easy to do, low cost, when a variable cannot be
manipulated
Weaknesses: correlation does not imply causation
3rd variable problem
Correlation coefficient - Answers - Statistic between -1 and +1 that indicates direction
and size of correlation
What is the difference between positive, negative, and zero correlations? - Answers - -
Positive: increase in 1 variable predicts increase in other (height & weight, health &
income level, studying & GPA)
-Negative: increase in 1 variable predicts decrease in other (self-esteem and
depression)
-Zero: no predictive relationship
Experiment - Answers - Research that includes IV and DV
Independent variable and dependent variable - Answers - IV: something we manipulate
to create groups (condition). Experimental vs control
DV: variable measured by researcher to compare conditions
What is a trait? - Answers - Characteristic pattern of behavior or dispositions to feel and
act a certain way. Internal causal properties
Describe the act frequency approach to defining traits. - Answers - Act frequency
approach
a.Traits=categories of acts
b.More acts performed=stronger trait
c.Prototypicality matters
d.Some members = "better" members of concept than others
ANSWERS
What is personality? - Answers - a. An individuals characteristic pattern of thinking,
acting and feeling
How would you describe the traits vs. situationism debate? - Answers - -Situationism:
view of personality that view behavior as a function of the situation, not internal traits.
"multiple selves"
-Traits: intuitive appeal of perspective
psychoanalytic - Answers - unconscious forces
trait - Answers - stable, defining characteristics
biological - Answers - inherited predispositions, physiological processes
humanistic - Answers - self actualization, growth
behavioral - Answers - conditions, learned expectations
cognitive - Answers - information processing
What is self-report data, and what are its strengths and weaknesses? - Answers - Ask
someone about themselves ( 20 statement test)
Strengths: access to info others don't have (anxiety, self-esteem, goals)
Weaknesses: do people have accurate self knowledge and will they be honest
How does social desirability influence the validity of self-report data? - Answers - It is
the tendency to answer in attractive/likable ways (lying, distorted, self-perception). You
can control this by using a forced questionnaire. Ex: Crownes marlow scale. Do you like
soft or crunchy food?
What is observer-report data, and what are its strengths and weaknesses? - Answers -
Ask someone else about that person
Strengths: access to info not available to person, multiple perspective
Weaknesses: biased by own personality experiences with a person
What is test data, and what are its strengths and weaknesses? - Answers - Puts people
in identical situation
Strengths: controlled situation, allows hypothesis testing
Weaknesses: possibility of participants, researcher bias
, What is life-outcome data, and what are its strengths and weaknesses? - Answers -
Examines life events (marriage, divorce, jobs) Use S & O data to predict L data
What does it mean to say that a psychological measure is reliable, valid, and
generalizable? - Answers - Reliability: consistent results
Valid: measures what it claims to measure
Generalization: applies to whole population
What is descriptive research, and what are its strengths and weaknesses? - Answers -
In-depth examination of an individuals personality
Strengths: lots of detail, good source for ideas to test in larger groups
Weaknesses: low generalization
What is a correlation? - Answers - Is the measure of how closely related 2 variables are
(how much they predict one another)
Strengths: demonstrates covariation, easy to do, low cost, when a variable cannot be
manipulated
Weaknesses: correlation does not imply causation
3rd variable problem
Correlation coefficient - Answers - Statistic between -1 and +1 that indicates direction
and size of correlation
What is the difference between positive, negative, and zero correlations? - Answers - -
Positive: increase in 1 variable predicts increase in other (height & weight, health &
income level, studying & GPA)
-Negative: increase in 1 variable predicts decrease in other (self-esteem and
depression)
-Zero: no predictive relationship
Experiment - Answers - Research that includes IV and DV
Independent variable and dependent variable - Answers - IV: something we manipulate
to create groups (condition). Experimental vs control
DV: variable measured by researcher to compare conditions
What is a trait? - Answers - Characteristic pattern of behavior or dispositions to feel and
act a certain way. Internal causal properties
Describe the act frequency approach to defining traits. - Answers - Act frequency
approach
a.Traits=categories of acts
b.More acts performed=stronger trait
c.Prototypicality matters
d.Some members = "better" members of concept than others
