Gordon Allport Practice Questions

Allport believed that the principles governing the behavior of lower animals or neurotics, and the principles governing the behavior of healthy adult humans were

A. nonexistent

B. exactly the same

C. approximately the same

D. completely different

D

The dominant theme running through all of Allport's work is the

A. importance of the unconscious mind

B. importance of the individual

C. interrelatedness of all living things

D. importance of early experience in determining adult motivation

B

Allport's position is contrary to scientific method because science is interested in what is __________ true, whereas Allport was interested in what is _______ true

A. always; sometimes

B. specifically; generally

C. generally; specifically

D. sometimes; always

c

What did Allport learn from his visit with Freud?

A. that it is possible to dig so deeply into the mind that important information may be overlooked

B. the importance of unconscious motivation

C. the origins of his own inhibitions

D. that his views of human nature were very similar to Freud's

A

Allport believed the best way to discover a person's true motives is to

A. analyze the person's dreams

B. study a combination of things such as memory lapses, sense of humor, and choice of clothing

C. analyze the person's musical preferences

D. ask the person about those motives

D

Allport's theory was influenced mainly by

A. behaviorism

B. psychoanalysis

C. Gestalt psychology

D. Adler and Horney

C

Which of the following did Allport utilize as a source of information about personality?

A. scientific method

B. philosophy

C. literature

D. all of the above

D

According to Allport, personality is

A. static

B. unconscious

C. dynamic

D. genetic

C

The term(s) ________ in Allport's definition of personality refers to the fact that personality, although always organized, is constantly changing.

A. becoming

B. psychophysical systems

C. dynamic organization

D. determine

C

Which of the following terms from Allport's definition of personality indicates that the mind and body are fused into one inseparable unit?

A. characteristic behavior and thought

B. determine

C. dynamic organization

D. psychophysical systems

D

Which of the following terms from Allport's definition of personality indicates his belief that personality is something and does something?

A. determine

B. dynamic organization

C. characteristic behavior and thought

D. psychophysical systems

A

For Allport, the best way to learn about a particular individual is to study

A. similar individuals

B. that particular individual

C. members of that individuals immediate family

D. individuals with similar scores on personality tests

B

Which of the following did Allport refer to as the "raw material" from which personality is shaped?

A. temperament

B. physique

C. intelligence

D. all of the above

D

Which of the following did Allport define as "personality evaluated"?

A. type

B. temperament

C. quality

D. character

D

_________ is the emotional component of the personality.

A. temperament

B. physique

C. intelligence

D. character

A

According to Allport, which of the following is genetically determined?

A. temperament

B. physique

C. intelligence

D. all of the above

D

According to Allport, we use the word _______ when we are describing other people.

A. type

B. temperament

C. character

D. none of the above

A

Which of the following was not one of Allport's criteria for an adequate theory of personality?

A. it will emphasize the importance of the environment

B. it will view personality as contained within the person

C. it will view the person as filled with variables

D. it must account for self- awareness

A

The unit of measure of personality that Allport believed was capable of a "living synthesis" was

A. trait

B. reflex

C. habit

D. factor

A

For Allport, traits were

A. names

B. real biophysical structures

C. theoretical fictions

D. the same thing as habits

B

Allport believed that traits are

A. innate

B. partly innate and partly learned

C. learned

D. nonexistent

B

According to Allport, ________ account for the consistency in human behavior.

A. social norms

B. traits

C. habits

D. common early experiences

B

Allport said that no two people have precisely the same trait because

A. there are as many traits as there are people

B. any trait can manifest itself in an almost infinite number of ways

C. traits are genetically determined; no two people possess the same genes

D. traits are learned and no two people have the same learning experiences

B

According to Allport, the possession of a trait

A. creates a range of possible response to a situation

B. determines the exact response that is made to a situation

C. only influences a person's behavior if it is a cardinal or central trait

D. has no effect on a person's behavior

A

Allport believed that ______ cause behavior

A. traits

B. situations

C. the interaction between traits and situations

D. none of the above

C

The ________ method of research involves the intense study of the single individual.

A. nomographic

B. correlational

C. idiographic

D.nomothetic

C

The __________ method of research involves the study of groups of individuals and analyzes averages.

A. nomographic

B. correlational

C. idiographic

D. nomothetic

D

Cardinal dispositions are observed in

A. almost everyone

B. a large number of individuals

C. only a small number of people

D. only highly educated individuals

C

A ________ disposition influences almost everything that a person does.

A. cardinal

B. central

C. secondary

D. personal

A

The terms you include in a letter of recommendation describe a person's ________ dispositions

A. cardinal

B. central

C. secondary

D. academic

B

Terms like intelligent, creative, reliable and persistent exemplify ______ dispositions.

A. cardinal

B. central

C. secondary

D. academic

B

How many central dispositions did Allport believe a person normally possesses?

A. one

B. about 5 to 10

C. between 10 and 20

D. hundreds

B

What Allport called the proprium, at other times in history has been called the

A. soul

B. self

C. ego

D. all of the above

D

According to Allport, the _________ includes all of the facts about a person that makes him or her unique.

A. proprium

B. unconscious

C. mind

D. soul

A

When the child comes to realize that he or she is the same person although there are changes in his or her size and experiences, the child has developed a sense of

A. bodily "me"

B. self- extension

C. self- esteem

D. self - identity

D

When children realize that not only their body belongs to them but so do certain toys, games, and pets, they are said to have developed a sense of

A. self- image

B. propriety striving

C. self- extension

D. self- identity

C

Following the mergence of propriety striving, the person becomes

A. whole

B. almost completely future oriented

C. sexual

D. self- realized

B

Which of the following is the final stage in the development of the proprium?

A. the emergence of self- image

B. the emergence of the self as rational coper

C. the emergence of propriety striving

D. the emergence of self as knower

D

For Allport, the ______ represents the internalization of parental rules and regulations.

A. must conscience

B. proprium

C. ought conscience

D. rational knower

A

According to Allport, the moral behavior of healthy adults is governed by

A. must conscience

B. proprium

C. ought conscience

D. rational knower

C

For Allport, _______ involves a sense of duty to keep one's self-image in acceptable shape.

A. must conscience

B. proprium

C. ought conscience

D. rational knower

C

Which of the following was not included by Allport as a criterion for an adequate theory of motivation?

A. it must recognize the importance of cognitive processes

B. it must recognize the impact of one's culture on one's motives

C. it must allow for the existence of several types of motives

D. it must recognize the contemporary nature of motives

B

Motives that were at one time means to an end, sometimes become ends in themselves. This describes Allport's concept of

A. trait

B. functional autonomy

C. need induction

D. propriety striving

B

When a motive becomes functionally autonomous it is pursued

A. because there is a practical reason to do so

B. for its own sake

C. because of external encouragement

D. because it is in accordance with the concept of the "good me"

B

__________ refers to repetitious activities that are blindly engaged in although they no longer serve a purpose

A. propriety functional autonomy

B. propriate patterning

C. perseverative functional autonomy

D. perseverative patterning

C

____________ refers to an individual's interests, values, goals, attitudes, and sentiments.

A. propriate functional autonomy

B. propriate patterning

C. perseverative functional autonomy

D. perseverative patterning

A

The principle of _______ states that when one needs no longer to be concerned with survival adjustments in life, a considerable amount of energy becomes available to the person.

A. organizing the energy level

B. mastery and competence

C. propriate patterning

D. excess mental energy

A

The principle of ______ assures consistency and integration of personality

A. organizing the energy level

B. mastery and competence

C. propriate patterning

D. excess mental energy

C

According to Allport, who possesses a unifying philosophy of life?

A. only religious individuals

B. some healthy adults

C. only neurotics

D. all healthy adults

D

According to Allport, healthy adults view things

A. much the same way as neurotics do

B. selectively depending on their unifying philosophy of life

C. as they hope they would be

D. as they really are

D

Allport agreed with Horney that

A. anatomy is destiny

B. a generous amount of security is necessary in the early years of life if a child is to develop normally

C. most human behavior is unconsciously motivated

D. having identity is far better than having role confusion

B

Allport referred to the tendency to project positive qualities onto groups as

A. humane

B. negative prejudice

C. positive prejudice

D. extrinsic religion

C

Allport referred to the tendency to project negative qualities onto groups as

A. humane

B. negative prejudice

C. positive prejudice

D. extrinsic religion

B

A negative categorization of objects or people that is immune to revision in spit of experience to the contrary is called

A. overcategorization

B. human tendency

C. positive prejudice

D. stereotype

D

Allport believed that generalizations become negative when

A. they act as guides for behavior

B. they are revised in light of subsequent experience

C. they are painted in spite of experience to the contrary

D. all of the above

C

Allport considered the tendency to generalize from experience to be

A. characteristic of only neurotic individuals

B. a characteristic of only normal individuals

C. something that can be and should be avoided

D. natural and unavoidable

D

According to Allport, when people are frustrated they seek

A. a scapegoat

B. extrinsic religion

C. intrinsic religion

D. propriatism

A

According to Allport, overcoming negative prejudice will require

A. a unified societal effort

B. extrinsic religion

C. the strengthening of family values

D. a scapegoat

A

For Allport, the statements "My church is better than your church" and "God prefers my people to your people" exemplify _______ religion.

A. typical

B. evangelical

C. intrinsic

D. extrinsic

D

According to Allport, the best religion is

A. no religion

B. intrinsic religion

C. extrinsic religion

D. the Christian religion

B

Which of the following did Allport believe could be used to gain important information about a person's personality?

A. diaries

B. autobiographies

C. letters

D. all of the above

D

Allport's study of Jenny's letters exemplifies ________ research.

A. idiographic

B. correlational

C. nomethetic

D. naturalistic

A

Allport's theory has been criticized for

A. being circular

B. being unscientific

C. denying the importance of other theoretical approaches to the study of personality

D. all of the above

D

Probably Allport's most severely criticized concept was

A. functional autonomy

B. the proprium

C. the trait

D. the healthy adult human

A