Chapter 12

Personality Assessment Methods

1. Why is it surprising that B. F. Skinner developed the first auditory projective test?
*a. As a behaviorist, B. F. Skinner did not believe that mentalistic terms such as
projection are scientifically useful.
b. B. F. Skinner was deaf.
c. B. F. Skinner later killed Herman Rorschach in a duel with pistols.
d. Most of B. F. Skinner’s career was in the era before sound could be recorded.
Topic: Sounds as Projective Stimuli

2. Why did projective tests using ambiguous sounds eventually become unpopular with
clinicians?
a. B. F. Skinner argued that they were biased against blind people.
b. The sounds were considered offensive in the 20’s and 30’s when the tests were
developed.
c. Insurance companies would not reimburse the clinical for time spend administering
them.
*d. They did not distinguish between clinical and non-clinical groups.
Topic: Sounds as Projective Stimuli

3. There is some concern and controversy surrounding Exner’s norms for the Comprehensive
System for the Rorschach. Some claim that
a. Exner altered the norms so that his own Rorschach scores would appear healthier.
b. the graduate students who collected the data for the normative sample were poorly
trained.
c. the normative sample from Australia does not represent the U.S. population well.
*d. the norms overpathologize even non-clinical groups.
Topic: The Cons and Pros (or Cons Rebutted) of Projective Methods

4 Which is a reasonable argument defending the validity of TAT scores given that the
internal consistency of such scores is very low?
a. Internal consistency is unrelated to validity.
*b. Certain combinations of components of a score may predict important outcomes
even if those components are uncorrelated.
c. The TAT is valid because clinical judgment has found it to be valid, whatever the
statistics say.
d. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
Topic: The Cons and Pros (or Cons Rebutted) of Projective Methods

5. Which is NOT an advantage of behavioral assessment over other forms of assessment?

*a. to elucidate contradictory dynamics in the assessee’s motivational structure.
b. to provide behavioral baseline data.
c. to provide a record of the assessee's behavioral strengths and weaknesses across a
variety of situations.
d. to pinpoint environmental conditions that are acting to trigger, maintain, or
extinguish certain behaviors.
Topic: The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of It

6 Self monitoring differs from self-report in that

a. with self monitoring it is up to the assessee to decide what to report.
 *b. with self monitoring behaviors are recorded at the time and place in which they
occur.
c. with self monitoring the responses are not recorded.
d. with self monitoring the assessee records all the relevant behaviors but reports to the
evaluator only the important findings.

Topic: Self Monitoring

7. Something interesting about self monitoring is that

a. it was developed by a theorist ironically named Ian Monitor, who struggled with
issues of self-control.
*b. it not only can be used as a method of data collection but it is an intervention in and
of itself.
c. you can buy the monitors in most hardware or home improvement stores.
d. it typically increases the validity of the assessment but decreases the generalizability.

Topic: Self Monitoring

8. Projective tests are methods of personality assessment.

*a. indirect
b. futile
c. objective
d. behavioral
Topic: Overview

9. Projective tests
a. are direct methods of personality assessment.
b. are typically highly structured instruments.
*c. are relatively unstructured techniques.
d. require that the examinees possess good verbal ability.
Topic: Overview

10. Projective tests

a. have been criticized for being culturally loaded.
*b. are increasingly becoming norm-referenced.
c. were originally developed as a method for gathering normative data.
d. tap only unconscious material.
Topic: Overview

11. The assumption that individuals provide structure to unstructured stimuli in a manner
consistent with their individual needs, conflicts, and impulses is known as
a. a reaction formation.
b. the stimulus-response hypothesis.
c. the defense mechanism of denial.
*d. the projective hypothesis.
Topic: Overview

12. The development of projective tests

a. began only in the past 25 years.
b. was virtually ignored by legitimate test developers.
*c. represented a reaction to attempts to assess personality using normative approaches.
d. was heralded by those employing actuarial prediction as a breakthrough in
assessment techniques.
Topic: Overview
 13. The use of projective tests minimizes
*a. examinees’ attempts to fake good or bad.
b. the necessity for examinees to have a working knowledge of English.
c. cross-cultural bias.
d. the need for payment by third parties such as managed care.
Topic: Overview

14 The Rorschach Inkblot Test

a. was originally developed with highly structured and comprehensive administration
and scoring instructions.
b. can be purchased as either a black-and-white or a multicolored set of cards,
according to the examiner’s purpose.
c. is used widely by behavioral psychologists.
*d. none of the above
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

15. In the administration of the Rorschach Inkblot Test,

*a. an inquiry of the individual may be completed after the first administration in an
attempt to clarify what was seen and to determine whether any new responses are
subsequently perceived.
b. any spontaneous statements that the individual makes that are irrelevant to the card
should not be considered in the interpretation.
c. “testing the limits” and asking specific questions of the examinee invalidate the
findings.
d. care must be taken to make certain examinees blacken the grids fully with #2 pencils.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

16 The stimulus cards of the Rorschach test are

a. all achromatic.
b. all multicolored.
c. all black, white, and red.
*d. a combination of achromatic, multicolored, and black, white, and red.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

17. Which best represents the purpose of the “inquiry stage” of the administration of the
Rorschach test?
a. to encourage subjects to change responses that are unacceptable
*b. to obtain additional information about stimuli that played a role in formulating the
percept
c. to give the examiner the opportunity for verbal interaction with the subject
d. to provide extended time for observing the subject under the stress of having to recall
initial responses
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

18. When the Rorschach test is scored,

*a. it is important to note whether the individual responds to part of the inkblot or to the
entire card.
b. the content of the response is of greater diagnostic value than the location cited in
forming the perception.
c. only subjective clinical judgment is utilized, since no scoring or interpretive
guidelines are available.
d. the creativity of the inkblot made by the assessee is scored using a combination of
subjective ratings and objective criteria.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli
 19. Which statement is true regarding the reliability of the Rorschach test?
a. The split-half method appears to be a more feasible method for assessing reliability
than test-retest procedures.
b. The Journal of Personality Assessment has published numerous studies attesting to the
high split-half reliability of the Rorschach.
*c. Published data demonstrate the potential reliability of Rorschach scoring but do not
assure that Rorschach protocols are always reliably scored.
d. Inter-scorer reliability has been shown to be much higher among expert Rorschach
users who also have background information on the examinee.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

20. With respect to inter-scorer agreement on the Rorschach, which statement is true?
a. Unacceptably low levels of inter-scorer reliability on basic scoring categories among
trained scorers was shown, even for given scoring systems.
b. Inter-scorer reliability on interpretations made from Rorschach protocols are higher
than those using individual scoring categories.
c. The highest degree of inter-scorer agreement generally occurs for the determinants of
form and movement.
*d. Agreement with respect to how specific responses should be scored according to a
certain scoring system does not necessarily imply agreement on the interpretation of
the scoring.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

21. Assessing the reliability of the Rorschach using the split-half method is not considered
appropriate because
a. there are too few inkblots to enable interpretation through the split-half method.
b. stimulus cards are presented twice and possibly three times.
c. responses by subjects may be too lengthy to adapt to split-half procedures.
*d. each inkblot is considered to have a unique stimulus quality.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

22. Debate over the validity of the Rorschach has stemmed from inconclusive results of
research examining
a. the predictive qualities of the Rorschach.
b. the effectiveness of the Rorschach in differentiating between clinical groups.
c. the interpretation of Rorschach responses.
*d. all of the above
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

23. The Rorschach test

*a. continues to be a widely used clinical tool, despite its questionable validity.
b. is taught in graduate psychology programs but is seldom used in professional
practice.
c. is neither widely taught in graduate psychology programs nor widely used in
professional practice.
d. is taught only in behaviorally oriented graduate programs.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

24. Exner’s Comprehensive System for scoring the Rorschach

a. is not as effective as “picking and choosing” elements from other existing scoring
systems.
b. was extensively studied and found to be unreliable.
c. is the product of a joint collaboration by psychologists from around the world.
*d. represents an attempt to integrate the best features of the existing scoring systems.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli
 25. Exner’s Comprehensive System for scoring the Rorschach test
*a. results in some scoring categories that are unreliable, since they are sensitive to the
present state of the respondent.
b. has been found to be more reliable for research use than for clinical use.
c. was the result of years of intensive study of Exner’s in-laws.
d. has been criticized for being standardized only on psychiatric populations.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

26. Which remains the most popular projective test?

a. the Draw-A-Person Test
b. the Holtzman Inkblot Test
c. the Thematic Apperception Test
*d. the Rorschach Inkblot Test
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

27. The most widely used picture-story test is the

a. Picture Story Test.
b. Make-a-Picture Story Method.
c. Children’s Apperception Test.
*d. Thematic Apperception Test.
Topic: Pictures as projective stimuli

28. A major assumption inherent in the TAT is that examinees

*a. are unaware of the significance of their responses.
b. are aware of the significance of their responses.
c. are aware of the significance of their responses and desire to manage a favorable
impression.
d. did not watch The X-Files the night before being assessed.
Topic: Pictures as projective stimuli

29. Pictures as projective stimuli

a. are considered to be the earliest form of personality assessment.
*b. may be photos, paintings, drawings, or etchings.
c. must depict human beings in some situation.
d. are a relatively recent form of personality assessment.
Topic: Pictures as projective stimuli

30. The Children’s Apperception Test (CAT) depicts in its pictures.

a. humans
*b. animals
c. both humans and animals
d. dolls and puppets
Topic: Other picture-story tests

31. In the administration of the TAT,

a. all stimulus cards are presented to all subjects.
b. a minimum of ten cards must be presented.
c. a maximum of twenty cards is presented.
*d. the number of cards presented is left to examiner discretion.
Topic: The Thematic Apperception Test

32. Word association tests such as that developed by Jung

a. are usually based on cognitive theories of personality.
*b. are based on the premise that certain key words represent areas of conflict.
 c. utilize only “traumatic” stimulus words, in an attempt to diagnose associative
disturbances.
d. employ normative databases with samples matched to U.S. census data.
Topic: Word association tests

33. The earliest attempt at investigating associations subjects made to unrelated stimulus
words is attributed to
a. Kraepelin.
b. Wundt.
*c. Galton.
d. Jung.
Topic: Word association tests

34. The use of words as projective stimuli is based on which assumption?

a. Words are inherently emotionally charged and therefore a good source of
psychological data.
b. Associations to words are chance happenings.
*c. Word associations are the result of the individual’s life experiences and personality.
d. Word associations exhibit high test-retest reliability.
Topic: Words as projective stimuli

35. Sentence completion tests

a. are based predominantly on cognitive theories of personality.
*b. usually have a high degree of face validity.
c. are not vulnerable to “faking.”
d. all of the above
Topic: Sentence completion tests

36. Which statement is true about figure-drawing tests?

a. They provide little opportunity for respondents to verbalize what they think of the
drawings.
*b. Drawing ability is a source of variance affecting the quality of drawings.
c. Formal scoring systems are nonexistent, and interpretation is strictly clinical in
nature.
d. all of the above
Topic: Production of figure drawings

37. When interpretations about personality are formulated from drawings,

a. emphasis is placed on the artistic skill of the drawer.
b. the most critical variable is the length of time required to complete the drawing.
c. nationally representative standardization samples are frequently used.
*d. none of the above
Topic: Production of figure drawings

38. Similarities in response themes of different subjects to the same stimulus material have
been used by critics of projective techniques to support which argument?
a. There is a commonality of response to projective material.
b. Responses to projective material are the result of stimulus-response models of
behavior.
*c. Projective material is not as ambiguous as proponents claim.
d. Multiple-choice tests must be used with projective methods if accurate
interpretations are to result.
Topic: Projective methods in perspective
 39. Murstein questions which assumption(s) concerning projective methods?
a. The more ambiguous the stimuli, the more the subject reveals.
b. Subjects are unaware of what they are disclosing.
c. There is a parallel between behavior obtained on a projective test and behavior
displayed in social situations.
*d. all of the above
Topic: Projective methods in perspective

40. Critics have attacked projective tests for all but which of the following reasons?
a. the assumptions inherent in their use
b. the situational variables that affect test results
c. the low reliability
*d. the difficulty of administration
Topic: Projective methods in perspective

41. Which statement is true regarding projective techniques in general?

a. There is a direct and positive correlation between the ambiguity of the stimuli and
the amount of information the subject reveals about his or her personality.
*b. Projective techniques continue to enjoy widespread clinical acceptance despite their
questionable psychometric soundness.
c. Projection has been shown to be greater for stimulus material that is familiar to the
subject.
d. all of the above
Topic: Projective methods in perspective

42. The assumption that individuals will supply structure to unstructured stimuli in a manner
consistent with their own conscious and unconscious concerns underlies the
a. projectile hypothesis.
b. subjective hypothesis.
*c. projective hypothesis.
d. Skinnerian hypothesis.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

43. When interpreting a person’s response to an inkblot test, it is important to interpret

a. only what the individual perceives in the blot.
*b. what the individual perceives in the blot and how he or she perceives it.
c. only how the individual perceives the blot.
d. only whether the response is a common one or not.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

44. Scoring criteria for the Rorschach include

a. accuracy, content, determinants, form, and popularity.
b. accuracy, polarity, reliability, and validity.
c. content, form, reliability, and validity.
*d. content, determinants, form, location, and popularity.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

45. The strongest psychometric aspect of the Rorschach is its

a. inter-rater reliability with respect to interpretations.
*b. inter-rater reliability with respect to scoring categories.
c. test-retest reliability over a short period of time.
d. internal-consistency split-half reliability for odd and even items.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli
 46. The Comprehensive System for interpreting the Rorschach was developed
*a. to create a system that incorporated all of the best features of other systems.
b. to increase the validity of the test by determining common responses.
c. to increase the number of responses given by examinees to each blot by expanding
the “inquiry step.”
d. all of the above
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

47. Scoring of Rorschach responses based upon the Comprehensive System is probably
a. less psychometrically sound than those based on other systems.
b. just as psychometrically sound as those based on other systems.
*c. more psychometrically sound than those based on other systems.
d. none of the above
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

48. Which represents the primary principle underlying the interpretation of the TAT?
*a. Examinees will identify with someone in the story and indirectly express their own
needs.
b. The examinee will display his or her level of creativity while composing a story.
c. The personality traits will be directly described by the examinee during the test.
d. What the person describes and how he or she perceived this in the picture indicates
his or her personality type.
Topic: The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

49. How is the TAT similar to the Rorschach?

a. Inter-rater reliability based on interpretation is high.
b. Inter-rater reliability based on coding categories is low.
c. Test-retest reliability is high.
*d. Inter-rater reliability based on coding categories is high.
Topic: The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

50. Which of the following words is most likely to be considered “traumatic” on a word
association test?
a. dance
b. stomach
c. water
*d. mother
Topic: Word association tests

51. In evaluating a child who is described as fidgety, restless, and impulsive, you would
expect the child to produce what type of drawing on the Machover Draw-A-Person Test?
*a. a large person extending off the page
b. a small person drawn in the left-hand corner of the page
c. a person of average size drawn in the middle of the page
d. a person drawn in an “x-ray” perspective
Topic: Production of figure drawings

52. Which of the following represents a hypothesis based on a drawing of a person with large
protruding ears on the Machover Draw-A-Person Test?
a. The examinee may have itchy ears.
b. The examinee may be impulsive.
c. The examinee may have some symptoms of depression.
*d. The examinee may have some paranoid symptoms.
Topic: Production of figure drawings
 53. Which would be true of the interpretation of a Draw-A-Person Test?
a. It would be more reliable if administered by an expert in the DAP.
*b. It would be more reliable if based upon a standardized scoring system.
c. It would be highly reliable if used with an individual suffering from schizophrenia.
d. It would become increasingly reliable as the clinician’s experience in using the test
increased.
Topic: Production of figure drawings

54. Scores on the Draw-A-Person: Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance

(DAP:SPED) are based on
a. the speed with which the drawings are completed.
b. the story that the child or the adult tells about the drawing.
*c. the number of unusual features in the drawings.
d. none of the above
Topic: Production of figure drawings

55. The major criticism of the Draw-A-Person: Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance
(DAP:SPED) is that
a. its standardization sample is inadequate.
b. it has poor reliability.
*c. it has weak validity.
d. it lacks standardized instructions for administration.
Topic: Production of figure drawings

56. Objective methods of personality assessment typically include which of the following item
formats?
a. multiple-choice
b. true/false
c. matching
*d. all of the above
Topic: Inkblot as projective stimuli

57. Which of the following characterizes Exner’s position on the classification of the
Rorschach?
a. He thinks it is a projective tool.
b. He thinks it is an objective test.
*c. He questions whether it is a projective tool.
d. He has absolutely no idea what it is.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

58. Which of the following represents the most widely used and widely taught scoring system
for the Rorschach?
a. the Rorschach system
b. the Piotrowski system
c. the Klopfer system
*d. the Exner system
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

59. Based on several review articles cited in the text, what conclusions can be made about the
Rorschach Ink Blot projective test and it’s contribution to psychological assessment?
a. Results from the Rorschach cannot contribute to “scientifically informed
psychological assessment.”
b. Evidence from reliability and validity studies suggests that the Rorschach has much
to contribute to “scientifically informed psychological assessment.”
 *c. There exists a mixture of favorable and unfavorable reviews of the Rorschach’s
contributions to psychological assessment.
d. The Rorschach is rarely used in the United States today.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

60. A total of how many Rorschach cards are initially presented to the testtaker?
a. 5
*b. 10
c. 15
d. 18
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

61. Which of the following is TRUE of the reliability of the Rorschach using the Exner scoring
system?
a. It has a high degree of internal consistency reliability.
b. It has a high degree of test-retest reliability.
*c. It has a high degree of inter-scorer reliability.
d. None of the above is true, all types of reliability are low.
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

62. Which of the following is the projective technique that is most frequently taught in
counseling psychology programs?
a. the TAT
*b. the Rorschach
c. the Sentence Completion Test
d. the Word Association Test
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

63. Which group probably holds the LEAST favorable view of the Rorschach?
a. clinical and counseling psychology graduate students
b. clinicians
*c. academicians
d. the offensive line of the Green Bay Packers
Topic: Inkblots as projective stimuli

64. Which of the following is TRUE of the reliability of the TAT?

*a. Inter-rater reliability has ranged from adequate to very high.
b. Split-half reliability has been found to be adequate.
c. Test-retest reliability has been found to be adequate.
d. Inter-item consistency has ranged from moderately acceptable to acceptable.
Topic: The TAT

65. Which of the following types of reliability is appropriate for the TAT?
*a. inter-scorer
b. internal consistency
c. test-retest
d. split-half
Topic: The TAT

66. Which of the following personality tests is LEAST recommended by training directors of
APA-approved programs in clinical psychology?
a. the MMPI-2
*b. the TAT
c. the Rorschach
 d. All of the above are highly recommended.
Topic: The TAT

67. Which of the following uses cartoon figures as its projective stimuli?
a. the Thematic Apperception Test
b. the Roberts Apperception Test
*c. the Rosenzweig Picture Frustration Study
d. the Hand Test
Topic: The Rosenzweig

68. An actuarial approach to personality assessment relies on

a. norms.
b. standardization.
c. pre-set, uniformly applied rules and procedures.
*d. all of the above
Topic: Clinical versus actuarial approaches

69. The major advantage of clinical prediction is

a. its adaptability to computer usage.
b. its reliance on correlational research.
c. its applicability to research settings.
*d. its flexibility and potential for using novel data.
Topic: Clinical versus actuarial approaches

70. The integration of data from statistical procedures, empirical methods, and formal rules to
formulate descriptions and make predictions is referred to as
*a. actuarial prediction.
b. clinical prediction.
c. empirical prediction.
d. formal prediction.
Topic: Clinical versus actuarial approaches

71. Comparing the TAT and the Apperceptive Personality Test (APT), which of the following
is TRUE?
a. The emotional tone of the cards of both tests is negative.
b. The APT cards require more reasoning.
*c. The APT has an objective scoring system.
d. Both tests have high split-half reliabilities.
Topic: Projective story-telling techniques

72. Which of the following is TRUE regarding the evaluation of the psychometric adequacy of
behavioral assessment methods?
a. Traditional psychometric standards related to reliability and validity should be
applied to behavioral assessment methods.
b. Traditional psychometric standards such as reliability and validity do not apply.
c. This remains a controversial topic, but most argue against the use of traditional
psychometric standards to evaluate behavioral assessment methods.
*d. This remains a controversial topic, but most support the use of traditional
psychometric standards to evaluate behavioral assessment methods.
Topic: Approaches to behavioral assessment

73. Which of the following is TRUE of polygraph tests?

a. They can be physically painful.
b. They are accurate enough to be considered good evidence in legal settings.
 c. They are standardized on convicted offenders.
*d. They typically yield more false positives than false negatives.
Topic: Psychophysiological assessment

74. Which of the following is a step towards a solution to the problem of contrast effects in
ratings?
a. use of modified rating scales
*b. use of a composite judge
c. use of same gender raters
d. all of the above
Topic: Rating scales

75. Which of the following is most appropriate for determining the psychometric soundness
of behavioral assessment?
a. classical test theory
*b. generalizability theory
c. empirical methods
d. the experimental analysis of behavior
Topic: Generalizability theory and behavioral assessment

76. Situational performance measures

*a. take place in the actual environment being evaluated or in a simulated environment.
b. are limited to a small range of variables that may be targeted for assessment or
intervention.
c. are ineffective in measuring such elusive personality traits as honesty or altruism.
d. have been used extensively to research the psychological and physical consequences
of a “mosh pit” experience.
Topic: Situational performance measures

77. A situational stress test differs from other situational measures in that
a. a problem must be solved.
b. performance is observed and evaluated.
c. the tasks presented are typically different.
*d. frustrating obstacles are introduced.
Topic: Situational performance measures

78. A psychologist counts how many times a child is aggressive in class and on the
playground. Which assessment approach is the psychologist most likely to be using?
a. traditional
*b. behavioral
c. sign
d. “by the numbers”
Topic: The sign vs. sample approach

79. A problem associated with behavioral observation as a tool of assessment is

a. reactivity.
b. observer bias.
c. equipment bias.
*d. all of the above.
Topic: Behavioral observation

80. The type of research that attempts to replicate a real-world problem in a research or
clinical setting is called
a. research with unobtrusive measures.
 b. a case history approach to research.
c. the sign approach to research.
*d. analogue research.
Topic: Analogue research

81. Which of the following represents a problem with self-monitoring?

a. The person who is self-monitoring must be competent, consistent, and well
motivated.
b. The phenomenon of reactivity may confound the outcomes.
*c. all of the above
d. none of the above
Topic: Self-monitoring

82. Which of the following is TRUE of self-monitoring?

a. It is a tool of psychological assessment.
b. It is a tool for intervention.
c. It has limited reliability and validity.
*d. a and b
Topic: Self-monitoring

83. A student who improves his attention as he is self-monitoring his attention is an example
of which of the following?
a. limited reliability of self-monitoring
b. limited validity of self-monitoring
*c. reactivity
d. none of the above
Topic: Self-monitoring

84. A student who improves her attention, as a result of recording if she is paying attention to
their teacher, represents an example of which of the following relating to self-monitoring?
a. its effectiveness as a psychological assessment tool
b. its effectiveness as a tool for intervention
c. the reactivity effect
*d. b and c
Topic: Self-monitoring

85. Which of the following represents a difference between self-monitoring and self-report?
*a. Self-report assesses the behavior at a time other than when it is occurring while self-
monitoring assesses the behavior at the time of occurrence.
b. Self-monitoring assesses the behavior at a time other than when it is occurring while
self-report assesses the behavior at the time of occurrence.
c. Self-monitoring is subject to more problems than self-report.
d. Self-report is subject to more problems than self-monitoring.
Topic: Self-monitoring

86. Which of the following is NOT a situational performance measure?

a. a typing test for a secretarial position
*b. an IQ test for the position of CEO in a major corporation
c. a road test for a driver’s license
d. a rocket simulation test in a laboratory mock-up for a would-be astronaut
Topic: Situational performance measures

87. Behavioral assessment tends to focus on

*a. the individual.
 b. small groups.
c. large groups.
d. all of the above
Topic: Behavioral assessment methods

88. Which of the following is TRUE of behavioral assessment?

a. Groups of people are generally observed in order to obtain normative data.
b. More traditional psychological tests are typically administered before and after
behavioral assessment.
*c. The frequency, intensity, or duration of the behavior is generally specified.
d. all of the above
Topic: Behavioral assessment methods

89. Which is NOT a quantifiable definition of a target behavior?

a. the number of times Johnny is aggressive toward his peers during recess
b. the number of seconds Johnny spends out of his seat
*c. the number of seconds Johnny spends daydreaming during a reading lesson
d. the number of times Johnny raises his hand during math class
Topic: Behavioral assessment methods

90. A behaviorally oriented clinician might use all of the following for assessment purposes
EXCEPT
a. case-study material.
b. observation.
c. a standardized checklist.
*d. a projective technique.
Topic: Behavioral assessment methods

91. Which of the following is TRUE regarding the behavioral approach to assessment?
a. It seeks to identify traits or motives that can be inferred from behavior.
b. It seeks to reveal underlying motivations regarding personality.
*c. It focuses on what a person actually does in certain situations.
d. It focuses primarily on what a person actually thinks while engaging in specific
behaviors.
Topic: Behavioral assessment methods

92. The phenomenon of reactivity can be reduced in behavioral observation by which

method?
a. having one or more observers observe all of the action from many different vantage
points
b. having several video cameras record all of the action from many different vantage
points
*c. having an adaptation period in which the person being observed is given some time
to adjust to the idea
d. using physiological techniques such as the polygraph to supplement more traditional
methods
Topic: Behavioral assessment methods

93. The plethysmograph is useful in the assessment and treatment of

a. people with headaches.
*b. sexual offenders.
c. people with high blood pressure.
d. all of the above
Topic: Physiological methods
 94. The procedure whereby a written record of multiple physiological changes is obtained in
response to a specifically devised interview is associated with which of the following?
a. biofeedback
b. the plethysmograph
c. pupillary responses
*d. the polygraph
Topic: Physiological methods

95. Which of the following exemplifies an unobtrusive measure?

*a. the amount of sweat on one’s hands
b. self-report verbalizations before asking for a date
c. a diary of thoughts and feelings
d. an MMPI-2 scale score
Topic: Unobtrusive measures

96. The problem with role playing as a diagnostic technique is that

a. it is expensive and not highly flexible in most situations.
b. it is inconvenient and time consuming.
*c. the desired behavior may not be reliably elicited in the actual situation.
d. few assessees come to the assessment situation with sufficient training and
experience in theatre arts.
Topic: Behavioral methods-Role play

97. Role play can be used

a. for diagnostic purposes.
b. for evaluating the effectiveness of therapy.
c. to prepare candidates for debates.
*d. all of the above
Topic: Behavioral methods-Role play

98. A researcher notes that “behavior X” is emitted by a subject in the woods. The researcher
wonders if “behavior X” would also be emitted in the laboratory if the laboratory were
modified to look and be like the woods. The question at hand here is one of
a. reactivity.
b. contrast effects.
*c. generalizability.
d. the efficacy of unobtrusive measures.
Topic: Behavioral assessment methods

99. Determining a musician’s popularity by assessing the length of time it takes to sell all of
that artist’s concert tickets is an example of
*a. an unobtrusive behavioral measure.
b. a reactive behavioral measure.
c. an aesthetic behavioral measure.
d. an obtrusive behavioral measure.
Topic: Unobtrusive measures

100. Which is one group of people with whom plethysmography has been used for purposes of
diagnosis and treatment?
a. males who have had affairs when married
b. children who have been sexually abused
*c. sex offenders
d. presidents who have had affairs when married
Topic: Physiological methods of assessment
101. Which would NOT be considered an unobtrusive behavioral measure?
a. the number of slashes on a depressed person’s arm
b. the numbers of dry cracks in the hands of a person who is a compulsive handwasher
c. the redness of the eyes of an insomniac
*d. the number of times a student disobeys teacher instructions during class
Topic: Physiological methods of assessment

102. Measuring a runner’s level of ability by having the runner run a mile is an example of
a. a general performance measure.
*b. a situational performance measure.
c. a cross-sectional performance measure.
d. a cross-country performance measure.
Topic: Situational performance measures

103. Situational performance measures make it difficult to

a. fake bad.
*b. fake good.
c. fake good or bad.
d. get a job.
Topic: Situational performance measures

104. What might be occurring if a child who has been misbehaving consistently in class is
observed to behave “like a model student” when the classroom observation is conducted
by the school psychologist?
a. observer bias
b. deception
*c. reactivity
d. generalizability
Topic: Situational performance measures

105. Identification of the antecedents and consequences of behavior is a routine part of

a. an analogue analysis.
*b. a functional analysis.
c. a psychic analysis.
d. behavioral determination.
Topic: Behavioral assessment methods

106. Which of the following represents the conclusion of the college yearbook photo study?
a. Smiling in the college yearbook photo was NOT associated with later positive life
outcomes such as happiness in one’s marriage.
*b. Smiling in a college yearbook photo WAS associated with later positive life outcomes
such as happiness in one’s marriage.
c. The expression of positive emotions at the present time WAS related to current life
satisfaction.
d. None of the above represents a conclusion of the college yearbook study.
Topic: Close-up: Life outcomes, and college yearbook photos

107. In the Chapter Close-up dealing with life outcomes and photos, what did the study
conclude about males?
*a. The study only included women as subjects so the conclusions only dealt with this
group.
b. Males who smiled in a college yearbook photo had more positive life outcomes in
adulthood.
c. The study included male and female subjects but the results were inconclusive for
males.
 d. Smiling has different implications for men as men who smiled had fewer positive life
outcomes in adulthood.
Topic: Close-up: Life outcomes, and college yearbook photos

108. Which of the following represents one of the main conclusions of the life outcomes and
college yearbook photos study presented in the chapter’s close-up?
a. Smiling in a college yearbook photo does not predict later life outcomes.
b. Individual differences in expression for men and women represent stable aspects of
personality.
*c. Individual differences in expression for women represent stable aspects of
personality.
d. None of the above represent main conclusions of this study.
Topic: Close-up: Life outcomes, and college yearbook photos

109. Which of the following is the primary criticism of analogue research?

a. One cannot recreate problematic situations in a counseling setting.
b. One cannot recreate problematic situations in a research setting.
*c. Identical reactions cannot be assumed to occur in the real world.
d. Analogue research is unethical in most instances since informed consent has not been
obtained.
Topic: Analogue research

110. A person capable of using a hands-off approach to leadership along with a directive
management style is referred to as
a. a partial leader.
b. a leaderless person.
*c. an unleader.
d. a nonleader.
Topic: Measuring leadership

111. Acting a particular part in a simulated situation is referred to as

a. self-report.
b. self-monitoring.
c. behavioral observation.
*d. role-playing.
Topic: Behavioral assessment: Role play

112. To gain an understanding of her problems with assertiveness, Kim’s therapist asked her to
demonstrate how she would respond if she received a rare steak in a restaurant when she
had ordered a well-done steak. The therapist will act like the waiter and Kim the customer.
Kim’s therapist is using __________ to try to understand her difficulties.
a. performance-based assessment
b. behavioral observation
*c. role-playing
d. self-monitoring
Topic: Behavioral assessment: Role play

113. The polygraph machine

a. provides therapeutically helpful feedback to the testtaker.
*b. provides results that must be interpreted by a professional.
c. produces a chart that will clearly demonstrate guilt or innocence.
d. is capable of detecting deception in as little as one question.
Topic: Psychophysiological methods: The polygraph
114. Biofeedback relevant to muscle tension is employed
a. to assist in athletic training.
b. to assist in locating strained muscles.
*c. to assist in relaxation.
d. all of the above
Topic: Psychophysiological methods: Biofeedback

115. A teacher complains that a child is not concentrating in class. One technique that could be
used from the sample assessment approach is
a. to administer a standardized test.
*b. to observe the child in class.
c. to administer a projective test.
d. to role play a classroom situation.
Topic: Behavioral assessment: Sample approach

116. The sample approach to assessment focuses on

a. global traits.
b. unconscious needs.
c. diagnoses.
*d. behavior.
Topic: Behavioral assessment: Sample approach

117. A false positive on a polygraph indicates that

*a. an innocent person is identified as guilty.
b. a guilty person is identified as innocent.
c. the assessee misunderstood a question.
d. the polygrapher probably has more than one spouse.
Topic: The polygraph

118. Self-reports and self-monitoring are dependent on

a. the reporter’s diagnosis.
b. the clinician’s time.
*c. the reporter’s honesty.
d. all of the above
Topic: Self-report