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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. Personality changes little after age 30






2. Capture individual'S unique - defining characteristics






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






4. 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






5. Only circumstances determine behavior






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






7. Skinny - fragile means inhibited - intellectual






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






9. 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






10. Critical of personality trait theory






11. Picking all possible traits out of dictionary






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


13. Muscular - athletic means energetic - aggressive






14. Tendency to agree with and accept provided personality interpretations






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






16. 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






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






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






19. 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)






20. Possibility that a person may behave inconsistently - presents problems for labelling people as one internal disposition






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






22. Focuses on individual'S unique self and experiences






23. Knowing you are worthwhile and in touch with strengths; 50% perceive selves accurately - 35% narcissistically






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






25. Allport; his version of the ego - believed it acted relatively consistently based on traits developed through experience






26. 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






27. 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






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






29. Cognitive training against learned helplessness






30. Personal constructs determine personality and behaviour






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






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






33. Cognitive prototype approach






34. People who emphasize internal determinants of behavior






35. Many argue that there is no true gender differences - children are reinforced for stereotypical behaviors - prevailing pov -> interactionist






36. 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)






37. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)






38. 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






39. Dispositional attribution; 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)






40. Practice of examining head and skull shape to discern personality






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






42. 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






43. Learned helplessness






44. 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






45. Self-defeating behaviour that allows one to dismiss or excuse failure






46. A trait; how often one generally becomes self-aware; very - if you pay a lot of attention to your self






47. External and internal locus of control






48. 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






49. Conscious ideas about the self - others and situations






50. Belief that one can effectively perform a task