Chapter 2
The Self in Human Relations
Test Bank
1. The __________ is the sum total of who and what you are.
a. self-esteem
b. self-awareness
c. self-efficacy
d. self
2. Jason describes himself as a student who likes foreign films, thinks education is important,
and is open-minded. Which of these descriptors is an example of a trait?
a. Student
b. Open-minded
c. Likes foreign films
d. Thinks education is important
3. Jean describes herself as a student who likes to cook, thinks family is important, and is
stubborn. Which of these descriptors is as example of a value or a belief?
a. Student
b. Likes to cook
c. Thinks family is important
d. Stubborn
4. To organize information about the self, we use
a. self-esteem.
b. self-concept.
c. self-enhancement.
d. self-esteem.
5. Sandra’s mother applauds her daughter’s success in school, especially in chemistry, despite
all of her involvement in extracurricular activities. She did comment, however, that Sandra
waited until the last minute to study for her recent exam. According to self-verification
theory, if Sandra perceives herself as a well-organized student who does well in school,
which information from her mother is she LEAST likely to retain?
a. Sandra is good in school.
b. Sandra is good in chemistry.
c. Sandra is involved in extracurricular activities.
d. Sandra waited until the last minute to study.
6. Since Nathan was a child, he has always considered himself a terrific singer. Parents and
friends have reinforced his perceptions. After trying out for a national singing contest, the
judges emphatically said NO! Which of the following concepts best explains why Nathan
has a hard time believing the truth?
a. The self
b. Self-verification
c. Self-concept
d. Culture
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7. The basic human need to feel good about ourselves is also known as
a. possible selves.
b. self-verification.
c. self-concept.
d. self-enhancement.
8. In Kyle’s future, he sees himself as a first-rate quarterback and practices every chance he
gets. This perception of himself as a great quarterback is an example of
a. self-concept.
b. self-enhancement.
c. possible self.
d. self-esteem.
9. Sandra’s success in school comes from hours of study. Sandra knows if she doesn’t study,
the chances of getting a scholarship are slim. Instead of college, she’ll continue working part
time at a local fast food restaurant. The perception of knowing what can happen is
a. self-concept.
b. self-enhancement.
c. possible self.
d. self-esteem.
10. People from individualistic cultures describe themselves
a. in relation to others.
b. distinct from others.
c. only in abstract terms.
d. interdependently.
11. Jackie’s description of himself involves connectedness to social groups (i.e., brother,
member of the football team, etc.). He is probably from a _______ culture.
a. individualistic
b. collectivistic
c. high power distance
d. low power distance
12. For individualists, self-concept descriptions are primarily
a. personality traits.
b. relationships with others.
c. context-dependent.
d. family oriented.
13. _________ is/are the emotional component of the self.
a. Self-concept
b. Self-esteem
c. Self-descriptors
d. Possible self
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14. According to Mark Leary, self-esteem
a. describes positive and negative possible selves.
b. is our tendency to seek out information consistent with our self-concept.
c. acts as a gauge that measures the levels of acceptance a person feels.
d. is a relatively stable set of beliefs you have about yourself.
15. ________ suggests that self-esteem acts as a gauge or monitor that measures the level of
acceptance a person feels from his or her environment.
a. Social comparison
b. Positive regard
c. Self-efficacy
d. Sociometer theory
16. When relations are difficult or strained, or the individual is not feeling supported or
accepted, the sociometer indicates
a. high self-esteem.
b. low self-esteem.
c. an accurate self-concept.
d. an inaccurate self-concept.
17. Sociometer theory suggests that
a. each relationship has its own sociometer.
b. multiple relationships share the same sociometer.
c. relationships seem uniformly positive or uniformly negative.
d. sociometers are unrelated to self-esteem.
18. According to Brown (1998), self-esteem can serve as a measure of our sense of meaning in
life. This is also known as
a. unconditional positive regard.
b. mastery.
c. self-concept.
d. self-control.
19. _______ involves giving positive regard and acceptance at all times and in all situations.
a. Conditional positive regard
b. Positive reinforcement
c. Operant conditioning
d. Unconditional positive regard
20. On a recent shopping trip with his mother, Devin stole a candy bar from a local store. After
Mom explained why she was disappointed, she also let him know she still loved him. This is
an example of
a. mastery.
b. unconditional positive regard.
c. conditional positive regard.
d. self-efficacy.
21. Marty’s dad expresses his love and delight whenever Marty brings home good grades on his
report cards. On those rare occasions Marty brings home bad grades, his dad expresses
extreme disappointment, often refusing to talk to his son. According to Rogers, this is an
example of
a. mastery.
b. unconditional positive regard.
c. conditional positive regard.
d. self-esteem.
22. Mrs. Meyers is worried about young Josh’s grades and his lack of motivation. If she wants
to encourage his success while assisting in the development of self-esteem, according to
Rogers, the best strategy is
a. unconditional positive regard.
b. conditional positive regard.
c. physical punishment.
d. modeling good study habits.
23. Which of the following strategies can best influence self-esteem?
a. Giving constant compliments regardless of performance
b. Providing honest feedback and specific skills development
c. Providing ego boosters
d. Criticizing negative performance
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24. Hillary wants to join the cheerleading squad but is concerned her skills aren’t good enough.
What is the best way her mom can encourage her?
a. Reinforce her efforts no matter how small
b. Provide honest feedback and help her find a dance coach
c. Point out the mistakes in her tryout routine
d. Provide constant praise
25. Two types of self-esteem are
a. stable and unstable.
b. continuous and discontinuous.
c. trait and state.
d. specific and general.
26. _______ is the type of self-esteem that fluctuates.
a. State
b. Trait
c. Stable
d. Personal
27. Galen has always perceived himself as open-minded. This is an example of ________ self-
esteem.
a. state
b. trait
c. stable
d. personal
28. We all have a(n) ______ level or internal “set point” of self-esteem.
a. state
b. trait
c. unstable
d. baseline
29. Mr. and Mrs. Connors are approaching retirement. Mrs. Connors is excited because during
this time in her life she will be able to focus on gardening, volunteer work, painting, and her
grandchildren. Mr. Connors is apprehensive because he will no longer be working at his
much-loved job. The difference in their expectations for retirement may lie in the presence
of
a. possible selves.
b. unconditional positive regard.
c. culture.
d. stress-related illness.
30. For ________, the path to self-esteem involves personal achievement.
a. individualists
b. collectivists
c. men
d. women
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31. For _______, self-esteem is achieved by acting in ways that support one’s social groups.
a. collectivists
b. individualists
c. cross-culturalists
d. males
32. Regardless of whether you are from an individualistic or a collectivistic culture, feeling good
about oneself is derived from acting in ways that support cultural
a. norms.
b. self-concepts.
c. emotions.
d. selves.
33. The extent to which we believe we are capable of achieving our goals is known as
a. self-concept.
b. self-esteem.
c. possible self.
d. self-efficacy.
34. Morris has his heart set on going to graduate school. He has been motivated to work harder
in classes and research. He has also been working after school to earn extra money. Through
his actions, we can assume Morris is high in
a. self-concept.
b. self-efficacy.
c. self-esteem.
d. collectivism.
35. Bandura believed children could be taught self-efficacy by
a. indiscriminate praise.
b. consistent but thoughtful criticism.
c. helping them set high but achievable goals.
d. helping them set such high goals that they cannot reach them.
36. According to Hughes and Demo (1989), African Americans who report having faced racial
discrimination
a. have lower self-efficacy beliefs.
b. have the same self-efficacy beliefs as those who haven’t faced racial discrimination.
c. have higher self-efficacy beliefs from overcoming adversity.
d. perform better in school.
37. In individualistic cultures, self-efficacy is achieved by mastery typically resulting from
a. collaborative efforts within the group.
b. successful control of the group.
c. interdependence.
d. valuing the relationships among group members over individual success.
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38. Asking the question “Who am I?” is most typical of
a. self-efficacy.
b. self-esteem.
c. self-concept.
d. self-verification.
39. Aidan wants to be a competitive swimmer, so he asks his coach, “What can I do to be the
best?” This question is most typical of
a. self-efficacy.
b. self-esteem.
c. self-concept.
d. self-verification.
40. Chantal has been dating Eric for a year despite her parents’ and friends’ disapproval. She
knows he is verbally abusive, but also thinks he truly loves her. She often asks herself, “Do I
deserve better?” and “How valuable am I?” This last question is an example of
a. self-efficacy.
b. self-esteem.
c. self-concept.
d. self-loathing.
41. Because Cheryl values her family more than personal success, we can say her behavior is
more typical of a(n) ________ culture.
a. individualistic