EXAM #2 (2020)

2. The view that people act as scientists, attempting to predict and control their world, is
associated with which of the following theorists/theories?
(a) Allport/trait theory
(b) Skinner/learning theory
(c) Kelly/construct theory
(d) Bandura/reciprocal determinism theory

3. Which theorist said something resembling, "Hand over your baby and I can raise it to be
anything"?
(a) Tolman
(b) Bandura
(c) Kelly
(d) Watson

4. Milhouse has been classically conditioned to smile every time it begins to rain. As a result of
this prior learning, Milhouse also smiles when it snows. This latter occurrence is an example of
which of the following learning principles?
(a) Generalization
(b) Elaboration
(c) Extinction
(d) Discrimination

5. A little girl observes her mother giving another driver the middle finger for cutting her off on
the road. Immediately afterwards, the girl observes her mother receiving a citation from a police
officer who witnessed the act. According to social-cognitive theory, the little girl is likely to learn
(i.e., acquire) the mother's behavior, but not necessarily to _________________ the behavior.
(a) approve of
(b) construe
(c) perform
(d) internalize

6. __________________ emphasizes that personality is stable across situations, whereas

_______________ emphasizes that behavior varies across situations.
(a) Social cognitive theory; evolutionary theory
(b) Trait theory; evolutionary theory
(c) Trait theory; social cognitive theory
(d) Evolutionary theory; social cognitive theory

7. Which of the following is NOT a basic assumption of social-cognitive theory?

(a) Mental processes are an important part of human functioning
(b) Behavior is consistent across different types of situations
(c) Behavior can be learned without rewards
(d) None of the above (all of these are basic assumptions of social-cognitive theory)

8. Which statement about personal constructs is correct?

(a) Kelly thought most personal constructs were bipolar
(b) Personal constructs are typically measured using the Adjective Checklist
(c) Most constructs have a submerged contrast pole
(d) Children don't develop personal constructs until they learn to speak

9. Which statement about learning is FALSE?

(a) Garcia & Koelling demonstrated that animals could learn some associations in a single trial
(b) The theories articulated by Pavlov and Skinner emphasized that learning and unlearning are
slow processes
(c) Research on language learning prior to age 12 illustrates that behaviorist theories of learning
are correct
(d) Food aversions illustrate biological constraints on learning

10. Research on the REP test shows that:

(a) Cognitive complexity is related to high Openness
(b) Relatively few constructs have a contrast pole
(c) There is no clear evidence for preverbal constructs
(d) "Good" is a basic-level construct

11. Ned Flanders has the construct of "good," yet he does not construe anything in his
environment as "bad." According to Kelly, Ned's construct pole is:
(a) Verbal
(b) Peripheral
(c) Submerged
(d) Preverbal

12. Luann believes that she is not the person she ought to be. According to Higgins, she should
feel:
(a) Anxious
(b) Dejected
(c) Relieved
(d) Confused

13. According to the English & John (2013) article, which of the following statements is FALSE?
(a) European Americans were more likely to use reappraisal than Asian American students
(b) Suppression was linked to lower relationship satisfaction
(c) Suppression and authenticity were negatively correlated in all three trials
(d) Positive emotion expression was not found to be a mediator between suppression and
relationship satisfaction
14. Classical conditioning is based on the principle of ________________________, whereas
operant conditioning is based on the process of ________________________.
(a) Discrimination; association
(b) Tokenization; punishment
(c) Extinction; shaping
(d) Temporal contiguity; reinforcement

15. In terms of basic theoretical assumptions, which of the following statements is FALSE?
(a) Tolman emphasized that complex behaviors can be learned in the absence of external
rewards
(b) The behaviorists emphasized that empirical research is critical
(c) Trait researchers emphasized that behavior is situation-specific
(d) The behaviorists and the neo-Freudians emphasized the social origins of behavior

16. Sally did poorly on her midterm. She believes that with enough hard work and effort, she can
improve her performance on the final and do well in the course. According to Dweck, Sally has
a/an __________________________ belief system.
(a) Instrumental
(b) External and stable
(c) Incremental
(d) Essential

17. Professor John was irritated when his neighbor Smith's lawnmowing interrupted Professor
John's weekend. This anecdote illustrated which of the following?
(a) Any given situation can be construed in many different ways
(b) Emotions can compound over time in the absence of emotion-focused coping
(c) Neuroticism has been found to demonstrate particularly high cross-stitutional consistency
compared to other personality traits
(d) Professor John doesn't like his neighbors

18. Personality researchers have criticized the MBTI for various reasons. One of the most
common criticisms is:
(a) It is not an entirely faithful representation of Jung's personality theory
(b) It overemphasizes individual differences in neuroticism
(c) It does not include an Extraverted (E) personality type
(d) It measures personality types

19. Teachers tend to favor physically attractive children. In turn, this might cause physically
attractive to develop better social skills. What kind of person-environment interaction does this
example illustrate?
(a) Proactive
(b) Rejective
(c) Contractive
(d) Evocative
20. Three of the statements below accurately describe Kelly's conceptualization and practice of
therapy. Which statement does NOT describe Kelly's theory?
(a) Creates an atmosphere of experimentation
(b) Provides new elements or experiences to construe
(c) Emphasizes staying true to one's authentic self
(d) Provides validational data to test whether constructs are helpful

21. Which statement about trait research is TRUE?

(a) Eyseck's PEN model pays particular attention to subordinate factors (i.e., facets)
(b) Cattell's 16PF has been shown to be highly replicable
(c) Each Big Five factor represents roughly 1000 English personality traits
(d) Allport & Odbert found that the English language has an impoverished trait lexicon

22. Which statement about the rank-order stability of Big Five traits is TRUE?
(a) From age 20 to 40, the average stability correlation is about .20
(b) From age 40 to 60, the average stability correlation is about .70
(c) From age 20 to 40, the average stability correlation is about .70
(d) From age 40 to 60, the average stability correlation is about .20

23. Which of the following statements is TRUE about factor analysis?

(a) It is a method of analytic psychotherapy
(b) It groups items into clusters
(c) It was used by Allport & Odbert in their pioneering study of traits
(d) Its purpose is to increase the number of dimensions in a data set

24. Which of the following choices is most likely to involve an "avoidance-avoidance" conflict?
(a) Order an ice cream sundae because it tastes great, or not order it because of its fat content
(b) Drive over a pothole in your lane, or risk hitting another car in the other lane
(c) Buy a can of coke for the caffeine rush, or buy a can of Sprite for its great taste
(d) None of the above

25. Here are four statements about the ways different personality theories attempt to explain the
origin of psychopathology. Which statement accurately portrays the views of the theorist in
question?
(a) Kelly argued that the essential problem is incongruence between self and experience
(b) Watson argued that conflicts among biological drives cause psychopathology
(c) Mischel argued that maladaptive construct systems are to blame for poor mental health
(d) Behaviorists argued that psychopathology involves conflicts between approach and
avoidance behaviors

26. Recall Chloe's response to the coffee grinder: Chloe looks for food when she hears the
coffee grinder. Chloe's behavior most directly illustrates which of the following principles?
(a) Operant conditioning
(b) Biological limitations on learning
(c) Cognitive mapping
(d) Classical conditioning

27. What did Tolman's famous study of "tourist rats" demonstrate?

(a) Rats display anxiety-related behaviors when they are not allowed to explore open fields
(b) Rats construct cognitive maps of mazes
(c) Maze learning is significantly improved when rats are rewarded based their completion times
(d) Biological sex differences in maze learning

28. Which of the following is a finding that has been demonstrated by research on self-efficacy?
(a) High self-efficacy leads to high effort and performance
(b) High self-efficacy leads to effective coping with stress
(c) High self-efficacy has physical health benefits
(d) All of these have been demonstrated in research on self-efficacy

29. Which statement about rejection sensitivity (RS) is correct?

(a) RS is a global trait construct
(b) Individuals high in RS worry that others want to get too close and committed in their romantic
relationships
(c) Individuals high in RS typically have less satisfying relationships and are more likely to break
up
(d) RS is essentially the same as the Big Five dimension of Neuroticism

30. Here are four statements about the theories we discussed. Which statement is TRUE?
(a) In Kelly's theory, bodily sensations and emotions are particularly well characterized
(b) Watson's theory explicitly acknowledges biological limitations on learning
(c) In Skinner's theory, beliefs (e.g., expectancies) play an important role
(d) Mischel's theory addresses both cognitive and affective processes

31. Research on hierarchical levels shows that...

(a) "Nice" is a subordinate trait
(b) The advantage of superordinate traits is that they have a broad range of applications
(c) There is no basic level in personality trait hierarchies
(d) Examples of basic level traits in personality hierarchies are punctual and charitable

32. Consider research on the nature-nurture debate. Which statement is supported by empirical
research?
(a) Only the temperament traits of Extraversion and Neuroticism are heritable
(b) Birth order has been found to influence the development of Openness
(c) The specific behavior of parents toward their children is not an important influence on
development
(d) The influence of the peer group is larger than genetic and parental effects combined
FILL IN THE BLANK
Fill in the blank(s) with the best possible word(s) or phrase(s)

1. Cattell, Eysenck, and the Big Five researchers all relied on a statistical technique that
analyzes correlations among personality variables and groups them into a small set of clusters
of correlated traits. This technique is called ________________________.

2. List two of the social roles that Srivastava et al. hypothesized would lead to personality
change in early adulthood.
Role A:
Role B:

3. The view that humans cannot know a single objective reality, but that we have different ways
of interpreting events is called _____________________________ (Hint: two words).

4. The emotion regulation strategy called ____________________________ involves inhibition

of the behavioral component of an emotion (e.g., facial, gestural, or verbal) after an emotional
response has been elicited.

5. The emotion regulation strategy called ______________________________ involves

modifying the meaning of an event in order to influence the experience of an emotion.

6. According to social-cognitive theory, the self-perceived ability to perform tasks relevant to a

situation is referred to as ____________________________ (Hint: one hyphenated word).

7. A form of behavior therapy that involves helping a patient overcome a fear by conditioning a
competing response (relaxation) with the stimulus that previously aroused fear is called
________________________________________ (Hint: two words).

8. According to Allport, a trait that is so pervasive that virtually every behavior of the individual
can be traced to its influence is called a _______________________ trait (Hint: one word).

9. Mischel developed a famous social-cognitive concept that refers to the postponement of

pleasure until the optimal or proper time, which is often measured in terms of waiting time. This
concept is called ______________________________ (Hint: three words)

SHORT ANSWER (PART 1 OF 3)

Answer ONLY 2 out of the 3 short answer questions on this page. Where appropriate, feel free
to write in sentences, brief phrases, or bullet points. Be sure to answer each part of the
question, and answer only the questions that are given (do not go off-topic).

1) Consider each of the following personality facets. List the Big Five dimension that
corresponds to each facet.
Big Five dimension
Assertiveness
Assertiveness
Trust
Assertiveness
Altruism
Assertiveness
Actions
Assertiveness
Modesty
Assertiveness
Self-Discipline
Assertiveness
Aesthetics
Assertiveness
Hostility
Assertiveness

2) Recall Srivastava et al.'s findings on personality change from age 20 to 60 discussed in

lecture and section. Then, answer the questions below. (Hint: one or two words should suffice
for each answer; e.g., "increase", "decrease", "no change", "support", "contradict").

How did Neuroticism change in women from 40 to 60?

How did Neuroticism change in women from 40 to 60?
Does this finding about Neuroticism support or contradict the hard plaster hypothesis?
How did Neuroticism change in women from 40 to 60?
How did Conscientiousness change in men from 20 to 30?
How did Neuroticism change in women from 40 to 60?
How did Conscientiousness change in men from 40 to 60?
How did Neuroticism change in women from 40 to 60?
Does this pattern of findings about Conscientiousness support or contradict the soft plaster
hypothesis?
How did Neuroticism change in women from 40 to 60?

3) In lecture, Professor John presented evidence that each of the Big Five dimensions predicts
important life outcomes. For each life outcome below, list one Big Five dimension that predicts it
and the direction of the effect ("+" for positive correlation or "-" for negative correlation). (Note:
You do NOT need to elaborate why.)
Predicted By Direction (+/-)
Grades
Grades Number of sexual partners
Likability
Grades Number of sexual partners
Longevity
Grades Number of sexual partners
Number of sexual partners
Grades Number of sexual partners

Indicate which two of the short answer questions you responded to.
Question 1 - Facets of the Big Five
Question 2 - Personality Development
Question 3 - Big Five & Life Outcomes
SHORT ANSWER (PART 2 OF 3)
Answer ONLY 2 out of the 3 short answer questions on this page. Where appropriate, Feel free
to write in sentences, brief phrases, or bullet points. Be sure to answer each part of the
question, and answer only the questions that are given (do not go off-topic).

4) Recall Weiner's 2 by 2 model of causal attribution (see graphic below). Then, consider the
following attributions for getting an 'A' on an exam. For each attribution, tell us which quadrant
(A, B, C, or D) of Weiner's model that attribution belongs in.

A, B, C, or D
"Psych 150 is an easy class"

"It was luck"

"I studied a lot"

"I'm smart"

5) Anderson et al. found that two Big Five factors were related to social status. (a) Name the two
Big Five factors and (b) for each of the two factors, briefly describe how it was related to social
status for men and for women.

6) When discussing George Kelley's ideas about motivation, we distinguished three (3) major
types of motivational principles or theories. For each of the personality theorists below, name
their particular type of motivation principle and then give a brief definition of the principle (i.e.,
what is it that motivates people according to each of these theories?).

A. George Kelley's personal construct theory

B. Skinner's learning theory
C. Freud's psychodynamic theory

Indicate which two of the short answer questions you responded to.
Question 4 - Causal Attribution
Question 5 - Social Status and the Big Five
Question 6 - Three Theories of Motivation
SHORT ANSWER (PART 3 OF 3)
Answer ONLY 2 out of the 3 short answer questions on this page. Where appropriate, feel free
to write in sentences, brief phrases, or bullet points. Be sure to answer each part of the
question, and answer only the questions that are given (do not go off-topic).

7) Define the sign approach and the sample approach to assessment. Then, list one
theorist/type of theorist who is likely to use the sign approach and one type of theorist who is
likely to use the sample approach. (Note: You do not need to provide the name of a particular
theorist here, just the type of theorist.)

8) Bandura emphasized that the person and the environment (i.e., situation) interact in
determining behavior. Name and define each of the three (3) kinds of person-situation
interactions that we discussed in class.

9) We discussed six basic assumptions of social-cognitive theory, each of which was shared by
one or more of the earlier personality theorists/theories. (a) List four (4) of these assumption. (b)
For each of the four assumptions that you listed, list an earlier theory (or theorist) who also
made this assumption.

Indicate which two of the short answer questions you responded