Chapter 1—Personality: What It Is and Why You Should Care
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. We research theories of personality to:
a. establish one of them as superior amongst all.
b. describe their use for real-world problems.
c. show how personality theories are superior to any other theories.
d. generalize that all people are the same across cultures.
ANS: B
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Take a Look at the Word
REF: 2
FEEDBACK: We discuss research conducted on these theories of personality to describe their
use for real-world problems of diagnosis and therapy. It's important to recognize that personality
theorists from the last century rarely considered the importance of ethnic and cultural differences.
2. Which of the following is true about personality?
a. Personality is a characteristic exhibited by only a few people.
b. Personality can limit or expand the choices one has in life.
c. Personality is characterized by most psychologists as either terrific or terrible.
d. Personality remains constant in all circumstances.
ANS: B
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Take a Look at the Word
REF: 2
FEEDBACK: Your personality can limit or expand your options and choices in life, prevent you
from sharing certain experiences, or enable you to take full advantage of them. It restricts,
constrains, and holds back some people and opens up the world of new opportunities to others.
3. Which of the following statements can be used to sum up personality?
a. Personality is how we perceive ourselves and also how others perceive us.
b. Personality shows that we are deterministic, mechanical, and do not change throughout
our lives.
c. Personality is entirely the reflection of fantasies and past recollections of repressed
memories.
d. Personality is entirely based on how we were treated during our childhood years.
ANS: A
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Take a Look at the Word
REF: 4
, FEEDBACK: One psychologist suggested that we can get a very good idea of the meaning of
personality if we examine our intentions—what we mean—whenever we use the word I. Our
personality can also be defined in terms of the impression we make on others—that is, what we
appear to be.
4. Around 1500, the Latin word persona was used to refer to:
a. a person's mechanistic behavior. c. a mask used by actors in a play.
b. predictable and automatic responses. d. a robe worn by noblemen.
ANS: C
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Take a Look at the Word
REF: 4
FEEDBACK: The word personality goes back to about the year 1500 and derives from the Latin
word persona, which refers to a mask used by actors in a play. It's easy to see how persona came
to refer to our outward appearance, the public face we display to the people around us.
5. Identify a true statement about an individual's personality.
a. It can be stable and predictable. c. It is based on personal traits and behavior.
b. It is generally resistant to sudden changes. d. All of these are correct.
ANS: D
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Take a Look at the Word
REF: 5
FEEDBACK: We assume that personality is relatively stable and predictable. Sometimes our
personality can vary with the situation. Yet although it is not rigid, it is generally resistant to
sudden changes.
6. The personality of an individual is _____.
a. completely based on self-perception c. a unique cluster of characteristics
b. unstable and unpredictable d. determined at birth and stays unchanged
ANS: C
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Take a Look at the Word
REF: 6
FEEDBACK: Personality is an enduring and unique cluster of characteristics that may change in
response to different situations. We see similarities among people, yet we sense that each of us
possesses special properties that distinguish us from all others.
7. Which of the following is true of people using social networking sites, such as Facebook?
a. They tend to portray an idealized self-image of themselves.
b. They feel they are able to express their true selves.
c. They have a tendency to present themselves as much more emotionally stable.
, d. All of these are correct.
ANS: D
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Personality and the Social Media
REF: 6
FEEDBACK: Increasingly, many of us display another face, not in person, but through the
Internet on social networking Web sites such as Facebook. Some research suggests that most
people are honest about their online faces. A recent large-scale study in Germany found that
many people have a tendency to present themselves online as being much more emotionally
stable than they really are (Blumer & Doring, 2012).
8. Research that was conducted in diverse countries, such as the Netherlands, Serbia, Hong Kong,
and Korea, suggests that those who have a high level of social network use are _____ than those
who use it less.
a. more introverted
b. less irritable
c. less anxious
d. more emotionally stable
ANS: A
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Personality and the Social Media
REF: 7
FEEDBACK: Psychologists have found that the use of online social networking sites like
Facebook can both shape and reflect our personalities. Studies conducted in such diverse
countries as the Netherlands, Serbia, Hong Kong, and Korea have demonstrated that those who
reported excessive use of social media tend to be more lonely, introverted, and low in self-esteem
than those who use it less.
9. Which of the following is true of the personality differences among cell phone users as
discovered by research?
a. Those who were less conscientious spent more time texting than those who were more
conscientious.
b. Individuals with a weak sense of self-identity spent much more time making calls than
individuals who scored higher on that personality characteristic.
c. Those who were shy spent less time texting when compared to those who were
extraverted.
d. Introverts spent much more time changing their ring tones and wallpapers than extraverts.
ANS: A
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Personality and the Social Media
REF: 8
FEEDBACK: Studies found that those who were more neurotic and less conscientious and shy
, spent more time texting on their phones than those who were less neurotic and more
conscientious. Research involving teenagers and adults in Australia found that extraverts and
those with a strong sense of self-identity spent much more time making calls and changing their
ring tones and wallpaper than those scoring lower on these personality characteristics.
10. In the past, _____ were more likely to be used in research on personality theory.
a. White women c. White men
b. Latino men d. Black men
ANS: C
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: The Role of Race and Gender in Shaping Personality
REF: 8
FEEDBACK: In the field of personality theory, virtually all the patients and subjects the earlier
theories were based on were White. Also, the majority of the patients and subjects were men. Yet,
the personality theorists confidently offered theories that were supposed to be valid for all people,
regardless of gender, race, or ethnic origin.
11. Which of the following is true of the assumptions made by early personality theorists?
a. Personality theories were valid for all people, regardless of gender and race.
b. Siblings growing up together had highly identical personality types.
c. Social and environmental forces do not have any effect on shaping personality.
d. A person's ethnic background largely influences his or her personality.
ANS: A
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: The Role of Race and Gender in Shaping Personality
REF: 8
FEEDBACK: The personality theorists confidently offered theories that were supposed to be
valid for all people, regardless of gender, race, or ethnic origin. Although the theorists accepted,
to some degree, the importance of social and environmental forces in shaping personality, they
tended to ignore or minimize the influence of gender and ethnic background.
12. Girls and boys are usually reared according to:
a. the norms of the neighborhood where they were raised.
b. the explicit wishes of the grandparents.
c. books on parenting.
d. traditional stereotypes.
ANS: D
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: The Role of Race and Gender in Shaping Personality
REF: 9
FEEDBACK: We know that boys and girls are usually reared according to traditional gender
stereotypes, and this upbringing also influences personality in different ways. Research has
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. We research theories of personality to:
a. establish one of them as superior amongst all.
b. describe their use for real-world problems.
c. show how personality theories are superior to any other theories.
d. generalize that all people are the same across cultures.
ANS: B
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Take a Look at the Word
REF: 2
FEEDBACK: We discuss research conducted on these theories of personality to describe their
use for real-world problems of diagnosis and therapy. It's important to recognize that personality
theorists from the last century rarely considered the importance of ethnic and cultural differences.
2. Which of the following is true about personality?
a. Personality is a characteristic exhibited by only a few people.
b. Personality can limit or expand the choices one has in life.
c. Personality is characterized by most psychologists as either terrific or terrible.
d. Personality remains constant in all circumstances.
ANS: B
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Take a Look at the Word
REF: 2
FEEDBACK: Your personality can limit or expand your options and choices in life, prevent you
from sharing certain experiences, or enable you to take full advantage of them. It restricts,
constrains, and holds back some people and opens up the world of new opportunities to others.
3. Which of the following statements can be used to sum up personality?
a. Personality is how we perceive ourselves and also how others perceive us.
b. Personality shows that we are deterministic, mechanical, and do not change throughout
our lives.
c. Personality is entirely the reflection of fantasies and past recollections of repressed
memories.
d. Personality is entirely based on how we were treated during our childhood years.
ANS: A
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Take a Look at the Word
REF: 4
, FEEDBACK: One psychologist suggested that we can get a very good idea of the meaning of
personality if we examine our intentions—what we mean—whenever we use the word I. Our
personality can also be defined in terms of the impression we make on others—that is, what we
appear to be.
4. Around 1500, the Latin word persona was used to refer to:
a. a person's mechanistic behavior. c. a mask used by actors in a play.
b. predictable and automatic responses. d. a robe worn by noblemen.
ANS: C
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Take a Look at the Word
REF: 4
FEEDBACK: The word personality goes back to about the year 1500 and derives from the Latin
word persona, which refers to a mask used by actors in a play. It's easy to see how persona came
to refer to our outward appearance, the public face we display to the people around us.
5. Identify a true statement about an individual's personality.
a. It can be stable and predictable. c. It is based on personal traits and behavior.
b. It is generally resistant to sudden changes. d. All of these are correct.
ANS: D
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Take a Look at the Word
REF: 5
FEEDBACK: We assume that personality is relatively stable and predictable. Sometimes our
personality can vary with the situation. Yet although it is not rigid, it is generally resistant to
sudden changes.
6. The personality of an individual is _____.
a. completely based on self-perception c. a unique cluster of characteristics
b. unstable and unpredictable d. determined at birth and stays unchanged
ANS: C
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Take a Look at the Word
REF: 6
FEEDBACK: Personality is an enduring and unique cluster of characteristics that may change in
response to different situations. We see similarities among people, yet we sense that each of us
possesses special properties that distinguish us from all others.
7. Which of the following is true of people using social networking sites, such as Facebook?
a. They tend to portray an idealized self-image of themselves.
b. They feel they are able to express their true selves.
c. They have a tendency to present themselves as much more emotionally stable.
, d. All of these are correct.
ANS: D
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Personality and the Social Media
REF: 6
FEEDBACK: Increasingly, many of us display another face, not in person, but through the
Internet on social networking Web sites such as Facebook. Some research suggests that most
people are honest about their online faces. A recent large-scale study in Germany found that
many people have a tendency to present themselves online as being much more emotionally
stable than they really are (Blumer & Doring, 2012).
8. Research that was conducted in diverse countries, such as the Netherlands, Serbia, Hong Kong,
and Korea, suggests that those who have a high level of social network use are _____ than those
who use it less.
a. more introverted
b. less irritable
c. less anxious
d. more emotionally stable
ANS: A
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Personality and the Social Media
REF: 7
FEEDBACK: Psychologists have found that the use of online social networking sites like
Facebook can both shape and reflect our personalities. Studies conducted in such diverse
countries as the Netherlands, Serbia, Hong Kong, and Korea have demonstrated that those who
reported excessive use of social media tend to be more lonely, introverted, and low in self-esteem
than those who use it less.
9. Which of the following is true of the personality differences among cell phone users as
discovered by research?
a. Those who were less conscientious spent more time texting than those who were more
conscientious.
b. Individuals with a weak sense of self-identity spent much more time making calls than
individuals who scored higher on that personality characteristic.
c. Those who were shy spent less time texting when compared to those who were
extraverted.
d. Introverts spent much more time changing their ring tones and wallpapers than extraverts.
ANS: A
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: Personality and the Social Media
REF: 8
FEEDBACK: Studies found that those who were more neurotic and less conscientious and shy
, spent more time texting on their phones than those who were less neurotic and more
conscientious. Research involving teenagers and adults in Australia found that extraverts and
those with a strong sense of self-identity spent much more time making calls and changing their
ring tones and wallpaper than those scoring lower on these personality characteristics.
10. In the past, _____ were more likely to be used in research on personality theory.
a. White women c. White men
b. Latino men d. Black men
ANS: C
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: The Role of Race and Gender in Shaping Personality
REF: 8
FEEDBACK: In the field of personality theory, virtually all the patients and subjects the earlier
theories were based on were White. Also, the majority of the patients and subjects were men. Yet,
the personality theorists confidently offered theories that were supposed to be valid for all people,
regardless of gender, race, or ethnic origin.
11. Which of the following is true of the assumptions made by early personality theorists?
a. Personality theories were valid for all people, regardless of gender and race.
b. Siblings growing up together had highly identical personality types.
c. Social and environmental forces do not have any effect on shaping personality.
d. A person's ethnic background largely influences his or her personality.
ANS: A
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: The Role of Race and Gender in Shaping Personality
REF: 8
FEEDBACK: The personality theorists confidently offered theories that were supposed to be
valid for all people, regardless of gender, race, or ethnic origin. Although the theorists accepted,
to some degree, the importance of social and environmental forces in shaping personality, they
tended to ignore or minimize the influence of gender and ethnic background.
12. Girls and boys are usually reared according to:
a. the norms of the neighborhood where they were raised.
b. the explicit wishes of the grandparents.
c. books on parenting.
d. traditional stereotypes.
ANS: D
PTS: 1
A-HEAD: The Role of Race and Gender in Shaping Personality
REF: 9
FEEDBACK: We know that boys and girls are usually reared according to traditional gender
stereotypes, and this upbringing also influences personality in different ways. Research has
