Test your basic knowledge |

GRE Psychology: Personality

Subjects : gre, psychology
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Critical of personality trait theory






2. Hierarchy of needs






3. Relatively stable characteristics of behavior that a person exhibits (trait is stable - state is more of temporary feeling or characteristics)






4. Emphasized idiographic approach to personality theory - as opposed to nomothetic; conscious motives governed by proprium or propriate function; lexical approach (5000 possible traits) - determined trait hierarchy of cardinal - central - secondary tra






5. At the top a cardinal trait (always consistent) - then central traits - then secondary traits (may conflict)






6. Linked Type A personality to heart disease and other health problems






7. Studied Type A personality






8. Belief that one can effectively perform a task






9. Ambiguous story cards - people project own 'needs'






10. Learned helplessness






11. Superfactors - 5 dimensions that encompass all of personality; superordinate traits or facets; O-dimension (openness to experience - intellectual curiosity) - C-dimension (conscientiousness) - E-dimension (extroversion - enthusiasm) - A-dimension (ag






12. Personality characteristic - causes one to view events as result of luck or fate; too much breeds helplessness






13. Personality characteristic - causes one to view events as outcome of own actions; too much breeds self-blame






14. A state; temporary condition of being aware of how you are thinking - feeling or doing






15. Cognitive training against learned helplessness






16. Uses large numbers of people to study commonalities of personality






17. In the forefront -a combination of stable - internal factors and situations






18. Believing you are better than you are or look better than you do; unrealistic self-esteem






19. Originally dominated personality theory (Hippocrates) - many placed into type categories based on physical appearance; including using phrenology and somatotypes






20. women'S success at 'male' tasks attributed to luck - - while men'S success attributed to skill; Suggesting - gender is a social construct that colours interpretations; - women attribute successes to luck more than men indicating they have lower self-






21. Characterized by drive - competitiveness - aggressiveness - tension - hostility; found - most common in middle to upper class men






22. Somatotypes personality theory






23. To show personality traits exist in a person - show person exhibits those traits in a variety of situations; cognitive behaviour (e.g. formulation of and attention to prototypes) is examined in social situations; - consistency of behaviour is result






24. Sheldon; personality based on body types - three physiques and corresponding personality types: endomorph - mesomorph - ectomorph


25. Experience can change people'S personalities; after a series of events one feels helpless or out of control - negative or pessimistic explanatory style develops; gives up in general - exhibits helpless disposition; countered with learned optimism






26. Cognitive prototype approach






27. Suggested females shun masculine-type successes not because of fear or failure or lack of interest - but they fear success and its negative repercussions (i.e. resentment and rejection)






28. Have a great need for arousal






29. Androgynous individuals have higher self-esteem - lower anxiety - more adaptability than their highly masculine or feminine counterparts






30. Women are twice as likely as men to become depressed






31. People often make assumptions about the dispositions of an individual based on the actions of that person






32. Skinny - fragile means inhibited - intellectual






33. Fundamental attribution error; tendency for others to think actions are caused more by personality than situation (e.g. lie because he is a liar - not because of the situation)






34. Picking all possible traits out of dictionary






35. Focuses on individual'S unique self and experiences






36. Criticized trait and type theories that both assume behaviour is stable across situations and people fail to take circumstances into account; - studies show that people often act different in different situations; consistency paradox






37. Generally make people more self-aware; small mirror - not so self-aware since its common - large mirror - very self-aware since we see a view of ourselves as others see us






38. Found interaction between gender and social status - how easily an individual might be influenced






39. Shows heritability of personality about 40-50% - identical twins separated at birth; 'Jim' twins had wives and dogs with same name - and same habits; differences shows environmental impact






40. Used factor analysis to identify underlying traits of 2 personality-type dimensions (introversion-extraversion and stable-unstable [neuroticism]); - two dimensions formed a cross and four quadrants of phlegmatic - melancholic - choleric - sanguine






41. The disposition to view the world as full of power relationships - measured by the F-scale (Fascism scale); - these individuals are either highly domineering (if top dog of situation) or submissive (as if they are in presence of a more powerfulfigure






42. Personal constructs determine personality and behaviour






43. Found few sex differences existed that could not be explained by simple social learning; - most consistent difference that seems independent of social influence is that females have greater verbal ability and males have greater visual/spatial ability






44. Used factor analysis in data reduction of Allport'S 5000 traits; identified 16 bipolar source traits (e.g. relaxed-tense) that seemed to underlie all; 16 personality factors tested in personality questionnaire






45. People who emphasize internal determinants of behavior






46. Capture individual'S unique - defining characteristics






47. Tendency to agree with and accept provided personality interpretations






48. Muscular - athletic means energetic - aggressive






49. The study of why people act the way that they do and why different people act differently






50. Sheldon - Somatotypes' short - plump means pleasure-seeking - social