Psychology 144 Practice Test (MEMO)
1. Define personality.
An individual’s unique set of consistent behavioural traits.
2. Name and describe the two core concepts of personality.
Personality consists of two core concepts: consistency and distinctiveness.
Consistency refers to the stability in a person’s behaviour over time and across
situations while distinctiveness refers to the behavioural differences among people
reacting to the same situation. Consistency is the constant part of the personality
while distinctiveness is the unique to each individual part.
3. What is the 5-factor model?
The 5-factor model was created by R McCrae and P Costa and aims to identify the
basic traits that make up personality. According to this model there are five basic
traits. Extraversion, referring to the level of outgoing and socialness. Neuroticism
refers to anxiety, self-consciousness and overreaction level. Openness to Experience
referring to level of curiosity and artistic sensitivity. Agreeableness referring to level
of sympathy, trust and modesty. Conscientiousness referring to level of organisation,
discipline and dependability.
4. Name the four theories of personality, give a brief description of their main view
and list which sub theories fall under each.
Theories of personality:
1. Psychodynamic – focuses on the role that unconscious mental
processes play on personality (Freud’s psychoanalytic theory
and Jung’s analytical psychology theory)
2. Behavioural – focuses on the role that the external
environment plays on personality (Skinner’s ideas and
Bandura’s Social Cognitive theory)
3. Humanistic – focuses on positive human qualities like freedom
and personal growth and how they affect personality
development (Maslow self-actualisation theory and Rogers’
Person centred theory)
4 Biological – focuses on how personality traits are
inherited from our parents (evolutionary theory)
5. How according to Freud is the personality structured?
Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory focused on early childhood experiences and
unconscious motives and conflicts to help explain personality. He divided the
personality into 3 parts: the id, the ego and the superego. The id is the primary
process of personality, it is primitive, instinctive and illogical. The id operates
according to the pleasure principle and demands instant gratification. The Ego is the
secondary process of the personality, it is the rational, decision-making component.
, It operates according to the reality principle and is able to delay gratification until it
becomes appropriate to do so. It mediates between the id and the world. The
superego is the moral component of the personality. It emerges out of the ego
around the ages of 3 – 5. Freud also divided the brain into three levels of awareness
in which personality operates: the conscious (completely aware), the preconscious
(not aware but can be easily retrieved) and the unconscious (completely unaware).
The ego and superego operate on all three levels of awareness while the id is
completely unconscious.
6. Define defence mechanism.
Unconscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions.
7. List and define the 8 defence mechanisms.
Defence mechanisms:
1. Repression – keeping distressing thoughts and feelings in the
unconscious
2. Projection – attributing one’s own feelings to another
3. Displacement – diverting emotions and from the original
source to a substitute
4. Reaction Formation – behaving exactly the opposite to how
you feel
5. Regression – a reversion to immature patterns of behaviour
6. Rationalisation – creating false but plausible excuses for
inexcusable behaviour
7. Identification – bolstering confidence and self- esteem by
forming a connection with another or a group
8. Sublimation – channelling unacceptable impulses into socially
acceptable activities
8. Explain Freud’s psychosexual stages.
Freud claimed that personality was laid down by the age of five. He created a stage
theory that he said shaped personality. Each stage was named after the area where
physical pleasure was gained at the specific age. Each stage has a challenge or task;
the way it is handled shapes personality. According to Freud failure to move to the
next stage (fixation) can be caused by excessive gratification or excessive frustration
and can cause adverse effects in later life. The Oral stage (year 1) is the first stage
and focuses on sucking and biting. The challenge for this stage is weaning and
fixation can cause eating disorders in later life or smoking habits. The Anal Stage
(year 2 and 3) is the second stage and focuses on the anus and expelling faeces. The
challenge in this stage is toilet training and fixation can cause genital and sexual
intimacy anxiety in later life. The third phase is the Phallic stage (year 4 and 5) and
focuses on the genitals. The challenge in this phase is to resolve the Oedipal dilemma
and fixation causes the sex-typing and conscience to not develop. The fourth stage,
the Latency stage (year 6 to 12) is a period defined by sexual repression and its
1. Define personality.
An individual’s unique set of consistent behavioural traits.
2. Name and describe the two core concepts of personality.
Personality consists of two core concepts: consistency and distinctiveness.
Consistency refers to the stability in a person’s behaviour over time and across
situations while distinctiveness refers to the behavioural differences among people
reacting to the same situation. Consistency is the constant part of the personality
while distinctiveness is the unique to each individual part.
3. What is the 5-factor model?
The 5-factor model was created by R McCrae and P Costa and aims to identify the
basic traits that make up personality. According to this model there are five basic
traits. Extraversion, referring to the level of outgoing and socialness. Neuroticism
refers to anxiety, self-consciousness and overreaction level. Openness to Experience
referring to level of curiosity and artistic sensitivity. Agreeableness referring to level
of sympathy, trust and modesty. Conscientiousness referring to level of organisation,
discipline and dependability.
4. Name the four theories of personality, give a brief description of their main view
and list which sub theories fall under each.
Theories of personality:
1. Psychodynamic – focuses on the role that unconscious mental
processes play on personality (Freud’s psychoanalytic theory
and Jung’s analytical psychology theory)
2. Behavioural – focuses on the role that the external
environment plays on personality (Skinner’s ideas and
Bandura’s Social Cognitive theory)
3. Humanistic – focuses on positive human qualities like freedom
and personal growth and how they affect personality
development (Maslow self-actualisation theory and Rogers’
Person centred theory)
4 Biological – focuses on how personality traits are
inherited from our parents (evolutionary theory)
5. How according to Freud is the personality structured?
Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory focused on early childhood experiences and
unconscious motives and conflicts to help explain personality. He divided the
personality into 3 parts: the id, the ego and the superego. The id is the primary
process of personality, it is primitive, instinctive and illogical. The id operates
according to the pleasure principle and demands instant gratification. The Ego is the
secondary process of the personality, it is the rational, decision-making component.
, It operates according to the reality principle and is able to delay gratification until it
becomes appropriate to do so. It mediates between the id and the world. The
superego is the moral component of the personality. It emerges out of the ego
around the ages of 3 – 5. Freud also divided the brain into three levels of awareness
in which personality operates: the conscious (completely aware), the preconscious
(not aware but can be easily retrieved) and the unconscious (completely unaware).
The ego and superego operate on all three levels of awareness while the id is
completely unconscious.
6. Define defence mechanism.
Unconscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions.
7. List and define the 8 defence mechanisms.
Defence mechanisms:
1. Repression – keeping distressing thoughts and feelings in the
unconscious
2. Projection – attributing one’s own feelings to another
3. Displacement – diverting emotions and from the original
source to a substitute
4. Reaction Formation – behaving exactly the opposite to how
you feel
5. Regression – a reversion to immature patterns of behaviour
6. Rationalisation – creating false but plausible excuses for
inexcusable behaviour
7. Identification – bolstering confidence and self- esteem by
forming a connection with another or a group
8. Sublimation – channelling unacceptable impulses into socially
acceptable activities
8. Explain Freud’s psychosexual stages.
Freud claimed that personality was laid down by the age of five. He created a stage
theory that he said shaped personality. Each stage was named after the area where
physical pleasure was gained at the specific age. Each stage has a challenge or task;
the way it is handled shapes personality. According to Freud failure to move to the
next stage (fixation) can be caused by excessive gratification or excessive frustration
and can cause adverse effects in later life. The Oral stage (year 1) is the first stage
and focuses on sucking and biting. The challenge for this stage is weaning and
fixation can cause eating disorders in later life or smoking habits. The Anal Stage
(year 2 and 3) is the second stage and focuses on the anus and expelling faeces. The
challenge in this stage is toilet training and fixation can cause genital and sexual
intimacy anxiety in later life. The third phase is the Phallic stage (year 4 and 5) and
focuses on the genitals. The challenge in this phase is to resolve the Oedipal dilemma
and fixation causes the sex-typing and conscience to not develop. The fourth stage,
the Latency stage (year 6 to 12) is a period defined by sexual repression and its
