Midterm Examination in Personality Psychology

Instructions for the Examination

Task:

This open-book midterm examination assesses your understanding and mastery of the theories and principles of personality introduced in the first four weeks of the term. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your learning. It consists of 4 short-answer questions. Instructions: Please answer each of the following 4 questions using the following guidelines: - Use question as a header for your response - Be sure to address each element of the question - You may use your e-readings under Learning Resources in each session to develop your responsesother outside sources may not be used - You may not consult with another student - Use in-text citations in your answer to support material from course resources - Materials outside of course resources may not be used to answer questions- no credit earned for Question - Responses for each question must be in the student’s own words - Exam must be submitted by DUE DATE on Syllabus- late penalty applies Grading: Each question is graded using the Exam Rubric Points: Each question is worth 25 points. See rubric. Short Answer Questions

1. In your own words, specifically explain how the scientific method and its processes/steps are used in personality research. A psychologist is interested in studying aggression in children. Describe how the researcher might study the trait using one of the following research designs as discussed in your readings: case study, natural observation or survey discussed in your reading. Be sure to fully explain.

2. The study of personality relies heavily on the use of personality tests and assessments. Read the following scenario and respond to the questions that follow it: 2 Dr. Martin is a personality psychologist specializing in the study of extroversion and prediction of academic success in psychology courses. She has developed a brief personality test of extroversion consisting of 5 items using a True/False format. After generating her 5-item scale, Dr. Martin administers it to a personality theories class on Monday and repeats the administration to the same class on the following Monday. Reviewing the results, she notes that there was a significant drop in test scores for each person from the first administration to the second testing. Unconcerned and believing that students did not take the time to fully read the test items on the second testing, she proceeds to correlate the students’ extroversion scores on the first testing with final course grades. She is dismayed to find that there is no relationship between extroversion and course grades. Below are the 5 items used by Dr. Martin: 1. I enjoy learning new things. (T/F) 2. I prefer multiple-choice to essay exams. (T/F)

3. I am optimistic today about my performance in this course. (T/F) 4. Early morning classes provide the best learning opportunities. (T/F) 5. I feel confident and creative today. (T/F) Using principles from the course readings on reliability and validity, explain possible reasons for Dr. Martin’s lack of success in using her extroversion test to predict course grades in the personality class. What problems do you note in her methodology? Be specific and explain fully. 3. The nature-nurture question is front and center in personality psychology. A burning question for psychologists is whether a specific behavioral trait is genetic, learned or the result of a gene-environment interaction. Twin studies have provided increased insights into genetic components of personality. Explain the nature, function and structure of twin studies. What ethical constraints as defined by the APA Code of Ethics face a psychologist studying behavioral genetics? How have twin studies informed our study of personality? Please provide evidence from your course readings. 4. Compare and contrast Freud and Erikson along the dimensions below. The central question here is: How are they alike and how are they different across these dimensions? Be specific in your responses. Model assumptions- What assumptions does each theorist make regarding their model? Motivation for behavior- How does each theorist account for behavior? What causes normal development? Stages of personality development- How do their stages differ? How are the stage models similar? Goals of the stages- How do stages influence behavior? Do I need to send you all my other resources from the last 3 weeks?