Chapter 3
How Personality Influences Human Relations
Test Bank
1. A(n) _______ is a set of beliefs that has been tested a number of times and is considered
valid.
a. hypothesis
b. research question
c. theory
d. analysis
2. Jeanne believes that women choose dating partners similar to their fathers. This belief,
which has been tested several times in her research lab, is also known as a(n)
a. hypothesis.
b. research question.
c. theory.
d. analysis.
3. A person’s pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are consistent over time and
across situations is also known as his or her
a. personality.
b. personal description.
c. self-esteem.
d. possible self.
4. Some of Freud’s work is considered controversial today because of his undue emphasis on
a. early childhood experience.
b. late adulthood experience.
c. puberty.
d. sexual urges.
5. According to the _______ perspective, personality is shaped by an ongoing struggle between
two or more conflicting needs.
a. behaviorist
b. humanist
c. trait
d. psychoanalytic
6. Chris meets with Dr. Brown because he believes his desire for sex is at conflict with his
church’s expectation of waiting until marriage. Which approach would consider this a
conflict between satisfying urges and societal expectation?
a. Trait
b. Psychoanalytic
c. Behaviorist
d. Humanist
7. Using Freud’s analogy of the mind as an iceberg, which part is the largest?
a. Id
b. Consciousness
c. Preconscious
d. Unconscious
8. From a psychoanalytic perspective, much of the conflict that occurs is in the
a. id.
b. consciousness.
c. preconscious.
d. unconscious.
9. The part of our mind with which we are aware is represented as the _______ of the iceberg
in Freud’s iceberg metaphor.
a. tip
b. middle
c. bottom
d. melting
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10. The part of the mind which can be brought to awareness by focusing on it is known as
a. ego.
b. preconscious.
c. unconscious.
d. conscious.
11. Samantha insists on buying a new dress even though she has no money and isn’t sure how
she will pay her bills if she buys it. Which component of the structure of personality best
explains this behavior?
a. Id
b. Ego
c. Superego
d. Superid
12. The only element of personality present at birth is the
a. super id.
b. super ego.
c. ego.
d. id.
13. Which structure of the personality operates on the reality principle?
a. Id
b. Ego
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c. Superego
d. Superid
14. The _______ tries to maximize pleasure while minimizing pain.
a. id
b. ego
c. superego
d. superid
15. The superego relies on the ______ and is concerned with making sure the id and ego function
in a way consistent with a person’s code of right and wrong.
a. pleasure principle
b. reality principle
c. morality principle
d. beauty principle
16. Sixteen-year-old Janet has an opportunity to see one of her favorite music performers;
however, the concert is on a school night. Janet would feel guilty if she lied. Although she
knows her mother will disapprove of the late night, she decided to ask mom’s permission to
attend. Which aspect of personality structure is at work here?
a. Id
b. Ego
c. Superego
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d. Superid
17. Because the ego has to pay attention to each force and satisfy each need equally, it is also
known as the ______ of the personality.
a. executive
b. president
c. teacher
d. mediator
18. Mark has always wanted to try marijuana, but knows his parents and coaches will disagree.
He comes to the decision that the best way to try the drug without others knowing is to keep
it a secret. The act of keeping it a secret to avoid punishment is best related to the ______
structure of personality.
a. id
b. ego
c. superego
d. superid
19. Mark has always wanted to try marijuana, but knows his parents and coaches will disagree.
He decided that his ability to try something fun is more important than rules imposed on him
by others. Fulfilling his immediate desire is best related to the
a. id.
b. ego.
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c. superego.
d. superid.
20. Mark has always wanted to try marijuana, but knows his parents and coaches will disagree.
He decides that his ability to try something new is not as important as remaining guilt-free
and, therefore, chooses not to take the drug. Which structure of the personality is most
related to his decision not to take the drug?
a. Id
b. Ego
c. Superego
d. Superid
21. When our anxiety is high, we can use _______ to resolve that anxiety.
a. self-defense
b. defense mechanisms
c. preconscious technique
d. self-esteem
22. Wendy bought a new car even though her old one was still in great shape. When her mom
asked why, Wendy replied, “I’ve been working hard. I deserve a reward.” This is an
example of which kind of defense mechanism?
a. Repression
b. Displacement
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c. Projection
d. Rationalization
23. After a confrontation with her boss, Andrea went home and yelled at her husband and kids.
This is an example of what kind of defense mechanism?
a. Rationalization
b. Repression
c. Displacement
d. Projection
24. When we have an unacceptable thought or impulse, we often avoid seeing it in ourselves, but
are the first to point it out to others. This is also known as
a. rationalization.
b. repression.
c. displacement.
d. projection.
25. At the gym, Marcus hits the punching bag harder and harder as he thinks about all the things
he would like to say or do to his unfair boss. Which defense mechanism is this an example
of?
a. Rationalization
b. Repression
c. Regression
d. Sublimation
26. Whenever Sandy doesn’t get her way, she pouts until her husband, Jim, changes his mind or
gives in. What kind of defense mechanism is at work here?
a. Reaction formation
b. Repression
c. Regression
d. Sublimation
27. Acting in a way that is completely opposite to an unacceptable thought or impulse is
a. reaction formation.
b. repression.
c. regression.
d. sublimation.
28. _______ theory suggests that our personality is shaped exclusively by our experiences.
a. Psychoanalytic
b. Behaviorist
c. Trait
d. Humanist
29. According to behaviorists, we are all born as _______, and the people we become are the
result of environmental influences.
a. information processors
b. salivating dogs
c. active creatures
d. blank slates
30. According to ________, we learn by associating a neutral stimulus with a natural, biological
stimulus.
a. classical conditioning
b. humanistic theory
c. operant conditioning
d. observational learning
31. Crying to an unconditioned stimulus, such as a loud noise, as evidenced by Little Albert in
Watson’s study on fear is an example of
a. unconditioned response.
b. conditioned response.
c. conditioned stimulus.
d. untrained stimulus.
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32. Through a series of stimuli and responses, Little Albert developed a fear of rats. Eventually it
became clear that Albert was also afraid of other white furry animals, such as rabbits and
dogs. Becoming afraid of stimuli similar to the original conditioned stimuli is also known as
a. extinction.
b. shaping.
c. generalization.
d. fright.
33. Watson’s Little Albert study demonstrates how _______ can develop.
a. animal allergies
b. food preferences
c. schizophrenia
d. phobias
34. The phase of classical conditioning that involves eliminating the conditioned response is
a. conditioned stimuli.
b. reinforcement.
c. extinction.
d. generalization.
35. Whenever Carli smells a certain cologne, it brings back negative feelings associated with the
breakup of her and her old boyfriend. The negative feelings in response to the cologne are
a. the conditioned stimulus.
b. the conditioned response.
c. the unconditioned stimulus.
d. the unconditioned response.
36. When Carli and her boyfriend, Jake, broke up, she felt sick to her stomach. The breakup
serves as the _____, and the feeling in her stomach is the
a. conditioned stimulus; conditioned response.
b. unconditioned stimulus; unconditioned response.
c. unconditioned stimulus; conditioned response.
d. generalization; extinction.
37. _______ is the unpredictable recurrence of a conditioned response that has become extinct.
a. Generalization
b. Extinction
c. Spontaneous recovery
d. Conditioned recurrence
38. Learning based on associating behaviors with the consequences they have previously
produced is known as
a. classical conditioning.
b. operant conditioning.
c. spontaneous recovery.
d. social learning.