Psychology, Personality and Theory
1. Psychologists who study personality want to know how
personalities _______ and how to _______ personality.
A. change; control
B. self-actualize; mold
C. develop; assess
D. divide; treat
2. The “selfish beast” is to the
“executive” as the
A. ego is to the superego.
B. superego is to the libido.
C. libido is to the superego.
D. id is to the ego.
3. What is the major responsibility of the ego?
A. to find socially acceptable ways for the id to be
gratified
B. to prevent the death instinct from destroying the ego
ideal
C. to fulfill the desire of the superego in moral matters
D. to make sure that the process of identification is not
hampered
4. If John is described as cruel, pushy, messy, and
disorderly, Freud would refer to his personality as
A. oral aggressive.
B. anal retentive.
C. oral receptive.
D. anal expulsive.
5. The Oedipal complex and the Electra complex develop and
are resolved during the
A. oral stage.
B. anal stage.
C. phallic stage.
D. genital stage.
6. Maladjustment is seen by Rogers as resulting from
A. a discrepancy between the ideal and the real self.
B. rejection and fear of certain ego ideals.
C. faulty reinforcement determinations.
D. poor childhood experiences.
7. A situation, circumstance, or event that threatens the
individual and requires some form of coping mechanism best defines
A. conflict.
B. stress.
C. frustration.
D. pressure.
8. You enjoyed your general psychology course so much that
you decided to register for more psychology courses next semester. However, you
are among the last to register and all the desirable psychology courses are
already filled. The stress you are feeling is the result of
A. frustration.
B. conflict.
C. pressure.
D. personality inadequacy.
9. Suppose you have a choice between staying home alone for
the weekend or going to visit your aunt, neither of which you really want to
do. Which type of conflict are you experiencing?
A. approach-approach
B. approach-avoidance
C. avoidance-avoidance
D. double approach-avoidance
10. Carla received a ticket for speeding that she feels is
unjust. She can pay the ticket and forget it, or she can hire a lawyer, pay her
fees, and perhaps be vindicated for being unjustly charged. Carla is tense and
upset because she is experiencing a(n) _______ conflict.
A. approach-approach
B. approach-avoidance
C. negative-approach
D. frustration
11. Nelson has been offered a promotion to a promising job
position in a small town in an isolated area. He likes the town he lives in,
his children love their school, but his present job is a dead-end job with
little chance for promotion. Nelson is tense, upset, and is not sleeping well
at night. He is experiencing a(n) _______ conflict.
A. anxiety
B. frustration
C. avoidance-avoidance
D. multiple approach-avoidance
12. Regarding positive and negative life events, which of
the following is true?
A. Positive life events always offset the stressful effects
of negative life events.
B. Positive life events can create stress.
C. Stressful life events always produce pressure.
D. Stressful life events always produce tension.
13. Which of the following is true about stress reactions?
A. They produce a physiological reaction only.
B. Psychological reactions happen independently of
physiological reactions.
C. They produce both a physiological and psychological
reactions.
D. Physiological reactions differ depending on the stressor.
14. How does the sympathetic nervous system respond during
the alarm reaction of the general adaptation syndrome?
A. It increases blood flow to the intestines.
B. It increases blood flow to the skeletal muscles.
C. It decreases perspiration.
D. It does all of these.
15. Of the following, which is the most valid criterion for
abnormality?
A. the amount of family conflict that results from the
behavior
B. if behavior deviates from social norms
C. whether the behavior is maladaptive or destructive
D. how unusual the behavior is
16. Which of the following statements is most consistent
with the discontinuity hypothesis of abnormality?
A. “A behavior that is taken to a dangerous extreme can
be considered abnormal.”
B. “Alcoholism is a disease, not a character flaw.”
C. “Everybody has breakdowns once in a while.”
D. “Someone with a personality disorder is simply an
enormous jerk.”
17. Edwin is afraid to ride in elevators and he quit his job
because he was being moved to the 27th floor of his office building. He would
probably be classified as exhibiting a(n)
A. phobic reaction.
B. general anxiety disorder.
C. somatoform reaction.
D. hysterical reaction.
18. Jennifer worries constantly about grades, classes, and
about how her family and friends feel about her. She seems to be anxious about
most things in her life. Her behavior best fits the diagnosis of
A. a social phobia.
B. generalized anxiety disorder.
C. hypochondriasis.
D. borderline panic disorder.
19. Flashbacks, feelings of guilt over their survival, and
pervasive tenseness are characteristic of persons suffering from
A. IV drug use.
B. a phobic disorder.
C. posttraumatic stress disorder.
D. obsessive-compulsive disorder.
20. Obsessions are ________, while compulsions are ________.
A. anxiety-provoking thoughts; irresistible urges to engage
in behaviors
B. irresistible urges to engage in behaviors;
anxiety-provoking thoughts
C. vague uneasy sensations of tension; the desire to run
away from a threatening situation
D. the desire to run away from a threatening situation;
vague uneasy sensations of tension
21. A person who flips back and forth between several
consistent but very different personalities has a(n) ________ disorder.
A. bipolar
B. dissociative
C. somatoform
D. affective
22. Martin thinks he is no good. Lately, he has been
spending most of his time sleeping and has stopped going to work. He only eats
once a day. Martin is probably experiencing
A. mania.
B. bipolar disorder.
C. schizophrenia.
D. major depression.
23. Max had been in the hospital for twelve years. Everyone
knew him, but they didn’t call him Max. He insisted that they call him J.C. and
that he had died once for their sins. Max suffered from delusions of ________,
a symptom of ________ schizophrenia.
A. persecution; disorganized
B. reference; catatonic
C. grandeur; paranoid
D. paranoia; undifferentiated
24. People who violate social rules and laws, take advantage
of others, and feel little guilt about their behavior have
A. antisocial personalities.
B. paranoid schizophrenia.
C. affective psychosis.
D. depersonalization disorders.
25. Psychotherapy is a ________ process used by ________.
A. general; the general public
B. general; trained professionals
C. specialized; the general public
D. specialized; trained professionals
26. A therapist revealed information about a client to the
client’s family members without the client’s consent. his is
A. appropriate.
B. mandatory.
C. illegal.
D. common.
27. The underlying belief of psychoanalytic psychotherapy is
that emotional problems result from
A. repressed conflicts.
B. conscious indecision over major stressors.
C. excessive sexual activity.
D. the inability to feel guilt.
28. Why are client-centered therapists considered nondirective?
A. They are unconcerned about the causes of their clients
problems.
B. They encourage clients to free associate their thoughts
and feelings.
C. They encourage clients to find answers to their own
problems.
D. They attempt to gain insight into unconscious conflicts.
29. The therapy based on the assumption that abnormal
behavior is due to faulty ways of thinking and believing is
A. humanistic psychotherapy.
B. cognitive therapy.
C. Gestalt therapy.
D. psychoanalysis.
30. The most common form of medical therapy is
A. drug therapy.
B. ECT.
C. psychosurgery.
D. frontal lobotomy.
