MCQ Individual Differences Objective Questions Part Two

MCQ Individual Differences Objective Questions

Individual differences refer to the variations in characteristics, behaviours, and personalities that exist among people. These differences can manifest in various aspects such as cognitive abilities, personality traits, motivations, emotions, and even physical attributes. They are influenced by a combination of genetic predispositions, life experiences, cultural backgrounds, and environmental factors.

Individual Differences

Take the quiz test your understanding of the key concepts covered in the chapter. Try testing yourself before you read the chapter to see where your strengths and weaknesses are, then test yourself again once you’ve read the chapter to see how well you’ve understood.

1. The idea of a ‘hierarchy of traits’ implies which of the following statements?

  1. Some traits are particularly predictive of behaviour
  2. Some traits are associated with power and status
  3. Some traits are more important than others
  4. Some traits are narrower in focus than others

Answer:

d. Some traits are narrower in focus than others

2. Which statement best describes how Allport and Odbert attempted to define the trait universe?

  1. Correlational analysis of trait adjectives
  2. Factor analysis of trait adjectives
  3. Selection of trait adjectives that describe psychological differences between people
  4. Selection of trait adjectives that people use to evaluate each other

Answer:

c. Selection of trait adjectives that describe psychological differences between people

3. How many terms did Allport and Odbert find that referred to differences between people?

  1. 550,000
  2. 18,000
  3. 4,500
  4. 171

Answer:

b. 18,000

4. Which is of the following statements about factor analysis is correct?

  1. It finds groups of variables that have similar meanings
  2. It finds groups of variables that correlate with one another
  3. It finds groups of variables that can be factored
  4. It finds groups of variables that have similar means

Answer:

b. It finds groups of variables that correlate with one another

5. How many trait dimensions did Cattell propose?

  1. 2
  2. 3
  3. 5
  4. 16

Answer:

d. 16

6. A key problem with Cattell’s personality factors is that they were …

  1. correlated with one another
  2. bipolar
  3. exhaustive
  4. too economical

Answer:

a. correlated with one another

7. Which of the following is not an established alternative label for the relevant Big Five factor?

  1. Extraversion and ‘Surgency’
  2. Conscientiousness and ‘Morality’
  3. Neuroticism and ‘Emotional instability’
  4. Openness to Experience and ‘Culture’

Answer:

b. Conscientiousness and ‘Morality’

8. A person is described as ‘moody’ and ‘hostile’. In Big Five terms, they might be characterized as …

  1. low in Extraversion and low in Agreeableness
  2. high in Neuroticism and low in Agreeableness
  3. low in Extraversion and low in Conscientiousness
  4. high in Neuroticism and low in Conscientiousness

Answer:

b. high in Neuroticism and low in Agreeableness

9. Which of the following statements correctly describes the relationships between Big Five traits and emotion dimensions?

  1. Extraversion is related to more positive affect and Neuroticism to more negative affect
  2. Extraversion is related to more positive affect and Neuroticism to less positive affect
  3. Extraversion is related to less negative affect and Neuroticism to less positive affect
  4. Extraversion is related to less negative affect and Neuroticism to more negative affect

Answer:

a. Extraversion is related to more positive affect and Neuroticism to more negative affect

10. In three-factor models of personality a ‘Constraint’ factor is sometimes proposed. In Big Five terms, ‘Constraint’ is best understood as a combination of …

  1. low Extraversion and high Agreeableness
  2. low Extraversion and low Agreeableness
  3. high Conscientiousness and high Agreeableness
  4. high Conscientiousness and low Agreeableness

Answer:

c. high Conscientiousness and high Agreeableness

11. What combination of Big Five personality characteristics is associated with authoritarian tendencies?

  1. Low Agreeableness and high Conscientiousness
  2. Low Openness and high Conscientiousness
  3. High Neuroticism and low Agreeableness
  4. Low Openness and high Neuroticism

Answer:

b. Low Openness and high Conscientiousness

12. Which attachment style is associated with showing anger and upset during a discussion of a relationship problem with one’s partner and reduced love and commitment toward them after it?

  1. Secure
  2. Insecure
  3. Avoidant
  4. Anxious/ambivalent

Answer:

d. Anxious/ambivalent

13. Which of the following statements best describes the ‘indigenous approach’ to examining cultural variations in personality structure?

  1. It employs indigenous people as research assistants
  2. It translates Western personality measures into indigenous languages
  3. It starts with the personality concepts and trait terms of the culture of interest
  4. It addresses the personality structure of colonized peoples

Answer:

c. It starts with the personality concepts and trait terms of the culture of interest

14. Which of the following statements best describes the current state of research on personality types?

  1. Categorical personality types are very rare
  2. Type A personality is an either-or personality type
  3. Research shows that the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator identifies true personality types
  4. Most personality variation between people is not well described by continuous dimensions

Answer:

a. Categorical personality types are very rare

15. According to Mischel’s ‘situationist’ critique of personality, which of the following statements is true?

  1. Behaviours that express a trait in different settings only correlate weakly
  2. Different measures of the same trait only correlate weakly
  3. Behaviour is highly specific to particular situations
  4. All of the above

Answer:

d. All of the above