PSY 352 Midterm 1 questions and
correct answers
6 approaches to personality - Answ✔✔psychoanalytic
traits
biological
humanistic
behavioral/social learnings
cognitive
psychoanalytic approach - Answ✔✔focuses on unconscious forces
trait approach - Answ✔✔stable defining characteristics
biological approach - Answ✔✔inherited predispositions, physiological processes
humanistic approach - Answ✔✔self-actualization, growth potential, feelings of self-worth
behavioral/social learnings approach - Answ✔✔conditioning, learned expectation
cognitive approach - Answ✔✔info processing
grand theories of personality vs. contemporary approaches - Answ✔✔historically it has been grand
theories
grand theories focus on broad, human nature analyses
Ex: Freud and psychoanalysis
contemporary personality psychology focuses on individual differences
Ex: men vs. women, individualistic vs. collectivist
,what is self-report data? - Answ✔✔the information a person reveals
can be obtained through interviews, periodic reports and questionnaires
Strengths of self-report data - Answ✔✔individuals have access to a wealth of information about
themselves that is inaccessible to anyone else
can report on self-esteem, feelings, emotions, desires, beliefs, fears, fantasies, private experiences,
emotions, etc.
Likert rating scale - Answ✔✔type of self-report data
individual is able to express with numbers the degree to which a particular trait describes him or her
weaknesses of self-report data - Answ✔✔participants may not be able or willing to answer the
questions
people aren't always honest
participants may lack accurate self-knowledge
observer report data - Answ✔✔capitalize on sources of observations
we form impressions and make evaluations of each other
strengths of observer report data - Answ✔✔observers may have access to information not obtainable
through other sources
multiple observers can be used to assess each individual
the use of multiple observers allows investigators to evaluate the degree of agreement amongst
observers (inter-rater reliability)
weaknesses of observer report data - Answ✔✔selecting observers
naturalistic or artificial setting
selecting observers for observer report data - Answ✔✔2 types of observers:
, 1. Professional personality assessors
2. People who actually know the target person
-Often in better position to observe target's natural behaviors than professional personality assessors
-Allows for assessment of multiple social personalities: different personalities manifested due to social
settings and relationships to that person
-Because of relationship to target, however, observer may be biased (mothers see positive and not
negative)
naturalistic or artificial setting for observer report data - Answ✔✔____ Observers witness and record
events that occur in the normal course of lives of the participants
Has the advantage of being able to secure information in realistic context, but at the cost of not being
able to control events witnessed
____ Occurs in artificial settings or situations
Has the advantage of controlling conditions and eliciting relevant behavior, but at the cost of sacrificing
realism
what is test data - Answ✔✔Information provided by standardized tests or testing situations
Idea is to see if different people behave differently in identical situations
Situation designed to elicit behaviors that serve as indicators of personality
Elicited behavior "scored" without reliance on inference
strengths of test data - Answ✔✔can set up conditions to reveal key indicators of personality
weaknesses of test data - Answ✔✔Participants might try to guess what trait is being measured and then
alter their behavior to create certain impressions
Difficult to know if participants define testing situation as intended by experimenter
Researcher might influence how participants behave
mechanical recording devices of test data - Answ✔✔Actometer: used to access children's activities
Strengths:
correct answers
6 approaches to personality - Answ✔✔psychoanalytic
traits
biological
humanistic
behavioral/social learnings
cognitive
psychoanalytic approach - Answ✔✔focuses on unconscious forces
trait approach - Answ✔✔stable defining characteristics
biological approach - Answ✔✔inherited predispositions, physiological processes
humanistic approach - Answ✔✔self-actualization, growth potential, feelings of self-worth
behavioral/social learnings approach - Answ✔✔conditioning, learned expectation
cognitive approach - Answ✔✔info processing
grand theories of personality vs. contemporary approaches - Answ✔✔historically it has been grand
theories
grand theories focus on broad, human nature analyses
Ex: Freud and psychoanalysis
contemporary personality psychology focuses on individual differences
Ex: men vs. women, individualistic vs. collectivist
,what is self-report data? - Answ✔✔the information a person reveals
can be obtained through interviews, periodic reports and questionnaires
Strengths of self-report data - Answ✔✔individuals have access to a wealth of information about
themselves that is inaccessible to anyone else
can report on self-esteem, feelings, emotions, desires, beliefs, fears, fantasies, private experiences,
emotions, etc.
Likert rating scale - Answ✔✔type of self-report data
individual is able to express with numbers the degree to which a particular trait describes him or her
weaknesses of self-report data - Answ✔✔participants may not be able or willing to answer the
questions
people aren't always honest
participants may lack accurate self-knowledge
observer report data - Answ✔✔capitalize on sources of observations
we form impressions and make evaluations of each other
strengths of observer report data - Answ✔✔observers may have access to information not obtainable
through other sources
multiple observers can be used to assess each individual
the use of multiple observers allows investigators to evaluate the degree of agreement amongst
observers (inter-rater reliability)
weaknesses of observer report data - Answ✔✔selecting observers
naturalistic or artificial setting
selecting observers for observer report data - Answ✔✔2 types of observers:
, 1. Professional personality assessors
2. People who actually know the target person
-Often in better position to observe target's natural behaviors than professional personality assessors
-Allows for assessment of multiple social personalities: different personalities manifested due to social
settings and relationships to that person
-Because of relationship to target, however, observer may be biased (mothers see positive and not
negative)
naturalistic or artificial setting for observer report data - Answ✔✔____ Observers witness and record
events that occur in the normal course of lives of the participants
Has the advantage of being able to secure information in realistic context, but at the cost of not being
able to control events witnessed
____ Occurs in artificial settings or situations
Has the advantage of controlling conditions and eliciting relevant behavior, but at the cost of sacrificing
realism
what is test data - Answ✔✔Information provided by standardized tests or testing situations
Idea is to see if different people behave differently in identical situations
Situation designed to elicit behaviors that serve as indicators of personality
Elicited behavior "scored" without reliance on inference
strengths of test data - Answ✔✔can set up conditions to reveal key indicators of personality
weaknesses of test data - Answ✔✔Participants might try to guess what trait is being measured and then
alter their behavior to create certain impressions
Difficult to know if participants define testing situation as intended by experimenter
Researcher might influence how participants behave
mechanical recording devices of test data - Answ✔✔Actometer: used to access children's activities
Strengths:
