D564 Theories of Personality - Set 2 - Part 1

Correct Answer: Reaction formation

Reaction formation involves expressing opposite behaviors to one's true feelings, like showing excessive control while claiming trust exists.
Option a is incorrect because denial would involve refusing to acknowledge the micromanaging behavior exists, not displaying contradictory actions openly.
Option c is incorrect because displacement redirects feelings toward safer targets, not expressing opposite behaviors to one's actual feelings.
Option d is incorrect because sublimation channels impulses into productive activities, not creating contradictory behaviors masking true feelings underneath.

Correct Answer: Anima/animus projection

People project their unconscious contrasexual aspect onto partners, feeling attracted to qualities representing their undeveloped psychological dimensions.
Option a is incorrect because shadow projection involves negative qualities we deny in ourselves, not attraction to complementary characteristics typically.
Option c is incorrect because persona represents our public mask, not the unconscious factors driving romantic attraction to opposites.
Option d is incorrect because ego compensation isn't a Jungian concept explaining attraction; anima/animus projection specifically addresses romantic dynamics.

Correct Answer: Lack of rivals

Only children lacking sibling competition may overcompensate in adulthood by becoming excessively competitive to prove their superiority retroactively.
Option a is incorrect because birth trauma is Otto Rank's concept, not Adler's explanation for only children's competitive behavior patterns.
Option b is incorrect because Adler focused on only children being center of attention, not neglected, affecting their personality development.
Option d is incorrect because only children typically receive abundant attention; competition stems from lacking sibling rivals not social rejection.

Correct Answer: Contributing to society

Generativity involves creating things that outlast oneself and guiding younger generations, focusing on societal contribution over personal gains.
Option a is incorrect because career advancement is more relevant to earlier stages; generativity transcends personal achievement toward broader contributions.
Option c is incorrect because while health matters, the stage's crisis centers on productive contribution versus self-absorbed stagnation patterns.
Option d is incorrect because retirement planning is practical but the stage emphasizes creating legacy and mentoring not future planning.

Correct Answer: Impossible standards

The idealized self sets unreachable standards, creating constant failure experiences and increasing neurotic anxiety when reality falls short.
Option a is incorrect because the idealized self involves unrealistic perfection, not achievable realistic goals promoting healthy personality development.
Option c is incorrect because the idealized self isolates individuals through impossible standards rather than fostering genuine social support connections.
Option d is incorrect because the idealized self stems from neurotic needs not healthy growth motivation toward realistic self-actualization.

Correct Answer: Individual uniqueness

Allport believed each person's personality is unique, requiring individual case studies beyond general laws to understand personality fully.
Option a is incorrect because idiographic approaches sacrifice statistical power for depth; Allport valued understanding uniqueness over statistical strength.
Option c is incorrect because idiographic methods are less efficient than nomothetic; Allport prioritized depth over research efficiency considerations.
Option d is incorrect because Allport's emphasis was on individual uniqueness rather than cultural factors in personality study approaches.

Correct Answer: Origin sources

Environmental-mold traits develop from learning and experience while constitutional traits originate from biological and genetic factors primarily.
Option a is incorrect because both trait types can be relatively stable; the distinction concerns origin not stability levels necessarily.
Option c is incorrect because both trait types are measured similarly through factor analysis; origin not measurement distinguishes them fundamentally.
Option d is incorrect because change potential varies within both categories; the key distinction involves environmental versus biological origins.

Correct Answer: Outcome expectations

Poor outcome expectations about rewards or recognition can undermine performance even when self-efficacy and ability are both high.
Option a is incorrect because Bandura emphasizes environmental and cognitive factors over genetic limitations in explaining performance variations among individuals.
Option c is incorrect because Bandura's theory doesn't focus on personality deficits but on cognitive factors affecting behavioral performance levels.
Option d is incorrect because the scenario specifies high ability; Bandura distinguishes self-efficacy from ability in performance prediction models.

Correct Answer: Behavior varies contextually

Mischel showed behavior varies across situations, questioning whether personality tests measuring general traits predict specific situational behaviors accurately.
Option a is incorrect because Mischel acknowledged test reliability; his critique concerned predictive validity across different situational contexts not reliability.
Option c is incorrect because Mischel refined trait understanding through CAPS model rather than denying traits' existence entirely in personality.
Option d is incorrect because Mischel proposed better measurement approaches considering situations, not claiming personality measurement is impossible altogether fundamentally.

Correct Answer: Distraction techniques

Children who distracted themselves by thinking about other things or creating games showed better delay ability than those focusing on rewards.
Option a is incorrect because suppressing emotions was less effective than cognitive distraction strategies in helping children delay gratification successfully.
Option c is incorrect because focusing on the reward actually decreased delay ability; distraction from rewards improved self-control performance.
Option d is incorrect because the test measured individual self-control strategies, not imitation of adult models during the experimental situation.

Correct Answer: Authentic versus imposed

Organismic valuing reflects authentic inner experience while introjected values are imposed external standards adopted for conditional acceptance.
Option a is incorrect because both involve internal processes; the distinction is authentic inner wisdom versus internalized external standards.
Option b is incorrect because both can operate consciously or unconsciously; authenticity versus imposition is the key distinction here.
Option d is incorrect because both can be relatively stable or changing; the crucial difference involves authentic versus imposed value sources.

Correct Answer: Deficiency motivation dominates

Unmet belonging needs create deficiency motivation, preventing progression to higher needs and dominating behavioral choices and attention persistently.
Option a is incorrect because deprivation impedes growth; unmet lower needs prevent advancement toward self-actualization and higher development levels.
Option c is incorrect because self-actualization requires satisfaction of lower needs first; deprivation blocks rather than initiates this process.
Option d is incorrect because safety needs are lower in hierarchy; belonging deprivation doesn't cause regression to safety needs typically.

Correct Answer: Optimal arousal differences

Extraverts with lower arousal seek stimulating experiences like horror movies while introverts avoid overwhelming stimulation maintaining comfortable arousal.
Option a is incorrect because Eysenck emphasized biological arousal differences rather than trauma in explaining stimulation-seeking behavioral preferences consistently.
Option c is incorrect because Eysenck focused on biological personality dimensions not learned responses in explaining entertainment preference differences.
Option d is incorrect because Eysenck's model emphasizes universal biological factors over cultural conditioning in personality and behavior patterns.

Correct Answer: Determinism versus growth

Psychodynamic theories emphasize unconscious determinism from past experiences while humanistic approaches emphasize growth potential and self-determination capabilities.
Option a is incorrect because the fundamental difference is philosophical about human nature, not methodological approaches to personality research primarily.
Option b is incorrect because technique differences stem from deeper philosophical differences about human nature and potential for change.
Option d is incorrect because while consciousness emphasis differs, the core distinction involves deterministic versus growth-oriented views of humanity.

Correct Answer: Cardinal trait

Cardinal traits are dominant passions that influence virtually all aspects of life, like environmental activism shaping every decision.
Option a is incorrect because secondary traits appear only occasionally in specific situations, not dominating one's entire life purpose consistently.
Option c is incorrect because central traits are important but don't consume all life aspects like cardinal traits do completely.
Option d is incorrect because surface trait isn't Allport's term; he distinguished cardinal, central, and secondary trait levels specifically.

Correct Answer: Emotional dysregulation

Disorganized infant attachment often leads to difficulties regulating emotions, chaotic relationships, and inconsistent behavioral patterns in adulthood persistently.
Option a is incorrect because disorganized attachment typically results in unstable, chaotic relationships rather than stable relationship patterns throughout life.
Option b is incorrect because disorganized attachment creates inconsistent, unpredictable behavior patterns rather than consistent personality expressions over time.
Option d is incorrect because disorganized attachment usually results in poor boundary regulation, either too rigid or too permeable inconsistently.

Correct Answer: Increases resistance

Intermittent reinforcement creates behaviors highly resistant to extinction, forming stable personality patterns that persist despite inconsistent rewards.
Option a is incorrect because intermittent reinforcement actually increases behavioral persistence rather than decreasing it through partial reinforcement effects.
Option c is incorrect because intermittent reinforcement maintains and strengthens behaviors rather than eliminating them from personality repertoires completely.
Option d is incorrect because intermittent reinforcement is highly effective for learning; it creates particularly durable behavioral patterns actually.

Correct Answer: Integrates shadow aspects

Individuation involves confronting and integrating previously repressed shadow aspects, often triggering midlife reexamination and personality transformation processes.
Option a is incorrect because individuation may actually precipitate crisis through confronting unconscious material, not preventing psychological upheaval entirely.
Option c is incorrect because individuation increases anxiety temporarily through shadow confrontation before achieving greater psychological wholeness eventually.
Option d is incorrect because individuation is psychological development not physical; it involves personality integration not age reversal.

Correct Answer: Internal standards maintenance

Self-reinforcement based on internal standards maintains consistent behavior patterns even without external rewards or social feedback present.
Option a is incorrect because social learning emphasizes learned internal standards rather than genetic programming for behavioral consistency maintenance primarily.
Option c is incorrect because self-reinforcement involves conscious internal standards and goals, not unconscious drives maintaining personality patterns.
Option d is incorrect because self-reinforcement operates independently of social pressure through internalized personal standards and self-evaluation processes.

Correct Answer: Reflect feelings

Reflecting underlying feelings helps clients explore their need for reassurance, facilitating self-understanding without creating therapeutic dependency patterns.
Option a is incorrect because providing reassurance reinforces dependency rather than helping clients develop self-trust and internal validation sources.
Option b is incorrect because Rogers rejected interpretation of unconscious material, focusing on conscious experience and feeling reflection instead.
Option d is incorrect because Rogers' non-directive approach doesn't involve homework assignments; it emphasizes present experiencing and acceptance.