1. Personality is best defined as:
A) The academic ability of an individual
B) The emotional intelligence of a person
C) The unique and relatively stable pattern of behavior, thoughts, and feelings
D) The physical appearance of a person
Answer: C) The unique and relatively stable pattern of behavior, thoughts, and feelings
Explanation: Personality refers to the consistent patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that differentiate individuals.
2. The term “personality” is derived from the Latin word “persona,” which means:
A) Soul
B) Mask
C) Mind
D) Spirit
Answer: B) Mask
Explanation: “Persona” referred to the masks worn by actors in Roman theatre, symbolizing the roles people play in society.
3. Who proposed the first comprehensive trait theory of personality?
A) Sigmund Freud
B) B.F. Skinner
C) Gordon Allport
D) Carl Jung
Answer: C) Gordon Allport
Explanation: Allport introduced the trait theory and classified traits into cardinal, central, and secondary traits.
4. According to Allport, traits that dominate a person’s entire behavior are called:
A) Central traits
B) Cardinal traits
C) Secondary traits
D) Surface traits
Answer: B) Cardinal traits
Explanation: Cardinal traits are dominant and shape a person’s entire behavior; they are rare and highly generalized.
5. Central traits according to Allport are:
A) Specific attitudes in certain situations
B) Traits that influence most of our behaviors
C) Traits that appear only in stressful conditions
D) Traits developed in early childhood only
Answer: B) Traits that influence most of our behaviors
Explanation: Central traits are general characteristics that form the basic foundations of personality (e.g., honesty, kindness).
6. Secondary traits, as per Allport, are:
A) Basic personality traits
B) Traits that appear only in special circumstances
C) Traits found in everyone equally
D) Strong motivational drives
Answer: B) Traits that appear only in special circumstances
Explanation: Secondary traits are more situation-specific and less consistent across contexts.
7. Who proposed the 16 Personality Factors (16 PF) theory?
A) Hans Eysenck
B) Carl Jung
C) Raymond Cattell
D) Alfred Adler
Answer: C) Raymond Cattell
Explanation: Cattell used factor analysis to identify 16 source traits forming the basis of personality.
8. Cattell distinguished between:
A) Surface traits and source traits
B) Introverts and extroverts
C) Type A and Type B personalities
D) Real self and ideal self
Answer: A) Surface traits and source traits
Explanation: Surface traits are observable behaviors; source traits are the underlying structures.
9. According to Cattell, source traits are:
A) Easily observable behaviors
B) Specific and learned traits
C) Deep psychological traits that form personality
D) Unstable and change frequently
Answer: C) Deep psychological traits that form personality
Explanation: Source traits are fundamental to personality and are fewer in number but more influential.
10. Hans Eysenck proposed how many dimensions of personality in his original theory?
A) Two
B) Three
C) Five
D) Six
Answer: A) Two
Explanation: Eysenck initially proposed two dimensions: Introversion–Extroversion and Neuroticism–Stability.
11. Eysenck later added a third dimension called:
A) Sociability
B) Agreeableness
C) Openness
D) Psychoticism
Answer: D) Psychoticism
Explanation: Psychoticism was added to account for traits like aggressiveness, creativity, and antisocial tendencies.
12. The Big Five personality traits include all EXCEPT:
A) Openness to experience
B) Conscientiousness
C) Emotional stability
D) Psychoticism
Answer: D) Psychoticism
Explanation: The Big Five model does not include psychoticism; that is part of Eysenck’s model.
13. Which of the following is NOT a trait in the Big Five model?
A) Agreeableness
B) Conscientiousness
C) Extraversion
D) Intelligence
Answer: D) Intelligence
Explanation: The Big Five traits are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.
14. Trait theories focus on:
A) Developmental changes
B) Unconscious conflicts
C) Stable characteristics
D) Learned behaviors
Answer: C) Stable characteristics
Explanation: Trait theories emphasize consistent and enduring patterns of behavior across time and situations.
15. In the Big Five model, a person who is imaginative and curious scores high in:
A) Extraversion
B) Openness
C) Neuroticism
D) Agreeableness
Answer: B) Openness
Explanation: Openness to experience includes traits like creativity, imagination, and curiosity.
16. A highly conscientious person is likely to be:
A) Disorganized and careless
B) Impulsive and moody
C) Responsible and dependable
D) Sociable and outgoing
Answer: C) Responsible and dependable
Explanation: Conscientious individuals are organized, dependable, and self-disciplined.
17. According to Eysenck, extroverts tend to be:
A) Shy and reserved
B) Sensitive and emotional
C) Outgoing and sociable
D) Anxious and withdrawn
Answer: C) Outgoing and sociable
Explanation: Extroverts seek external stimulation and enjoy social interaction.
18. Trait theories are criticized for:
A) Being too broad and vague
B) Overemphasizing unconscious processes
C) Ignoring individual differences
D) Failing to explain how personality develops
Answer: D) Failing to explain how personality develops
Explanation: Trait theories describe personality but do not sufficiently explain its origin or development.
19. The psychometric approach to personality focuses on:
A) Defense mechanisms
B) Conscious awareness
C) Measurement of traits using tests
D) Childhood experiences
Answer: C) Measurement of traits using tests
Explanation: Psychometricians design tests to quantify personality traits using statistical methods.
20. Which of the following psychologists is most associated with humanistic theory rather than trait theory?
A) Raymond Cattell
B) Carl Rogers
C) Gordon Allport
D) Hans Eysenck
Answer: B) Carl Rogers
Explanation: Rogers focused on self-concept, self-actualization, and personal growth — core ideas of humanistic psychology.
21. According to Freud, personality is composed of three structures. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
A) Id
B) Ego
C) Superego
D) Libido
Answer: D) Libido
Explanation: Libido is a driving force (sexual energy), not a structural component of personality. The three structures are Id, Ego, and Superego.
22. The id operates on which principle?
A) Reality principle
B) Morality principle
C) Pleasure principle
D) Logical principle
Answer: C) Pleasure principle
Explanation: The id seeks immediate gratification of instincts and desires without considering consequences.
23. The ego acts as:
A) A moral judge
B) An impulsive part
C) A realistic mediator
D) A storehouse of memory
Answer: C) A realistic mediator
Explanation: The ego balances the unrealistic demands of the id and the moralistic constraints of the superego.
24. The superego represents:
A) Biological urges
B) Logical reasoning
C) Internalized morals and ideals
D) Self-confidence
Answer: C) Internalized morals and ideals
Explanation: Superego is the moral component, containing societal norms and values learned from parents and culture.
25. Freud’s psychoanalytic theory mainly emphasizes:
A) Conscious reasoning
B) Unconscious motives and conflicts
C) Social learning
D) Self-actualization
Answer: B) Unconscious motives and conflicts
Explanation: Freud believed unconscious desires and childhood experiences shape adult personality.
26. Freud’s theory includes stages of psychosexual development. The first stage is:
A) Anal stage
B) Phallic stage
C) Oral stage
D) Latency stage
Answer: C) Oral stage
Explanation: The oral stage (0–1 year) focuses on pleasure from oral activities like sucking and biting.
27. Fixation at the anal stage may result in a personality that is:
A) Aggressive or sarcastic
B) Orderly or messy
C) Gullible or dependent
D) Detached or unemotional
Answer: B) Orderly or messy
Explanation: According to Freud, toilet training experiences during the anal stage influence traits like cleanliness and orderliness.
28. A person who denies unacceptable thoughts by attributing them to others is using which defense mechanism?
A) Repression
B) Projection
C) Sublimation
D) Regression
Answer: B) Projection
Explanation: Projection involves attributing one’s own undesirable feelings or thoughts to someone else.
29. According to Freud, dreams are:
A) Useless brain activity
B) Fully random thoughts
C) The “royal road to the unconscious”
D) Logical expressions of thinking
Answer: C) The “royal road to the unconscious”
Explanation: Freud believed dreams reveal unconscious desires and unresolved conflicts.
30. The humanistic theory of personality emphasizes:
A) Childhood trauma
B) Biological drives
C) Free will and self-actualization
D) Conditioned responses
Answer: C) Free will and self-actualization
Explanation: Humanistic psychologists focus on the positive potential of individuals and their innate drive to grow.
31. Carl Rogers believed that the key to healthy personality development is:
A) Repression
B) Positive reinforcement
C) Unconditional positive regard
D) Regression
Answer: C) Unconditional positive regard
Explanation: Rogers emphasized the importance of acceptance and love without conditions to develop a healthy self-concept.
32. According to Carl Rogers, the ideal self is:
A) The self others want us to be
B) Our perception of ourselves
C) What we strive to become
D) The same as the real self
Answer: C) What we strive to become
Explanation: The ideal self is the version of ourselves we would like to be, forming part of the self-concept.
33. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs places self-actualization at the:
A) Bottom level
B) Middle level
C) Second level
D) Top level
Answer: D) Top level
Explanation: Self-actualization, the need for personal growth and fulfillment, is at the peak of Maslow’s hierarchy.
34. According to Abraham Maslow, self-actualized people are:
A) Concerned mainly with basic needs
B) Highly dependent on others
C) Creative and autonomous
D) Emotionally unstable
Answer: C) Creative and autonomous
Explanation: Maslow described self-actualized individuals as independent, problem-solving, and creative.
35. Which personality assessment tool is projective in nature?
A) MMPI
B) 16 PF
C) Rorschach Inkblot Test
D) EPQ
Answer: C) Rorschach Inkblot Test
Explanation: Projective tests like the Rorschach allow individuals to project their unconscious thoughts onto ambiguous stimuli.
36. The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) assesses personality by:
A) Observing facial expressions
B) Asking for self-reports
C) Interpreting ambiguous pictures
D) Recording physiological responses
Answer: C) Interpreting ambiguous pictures
Explanation: TAT asks individuals to tell stories about ambiguous images, revealing inner motives and conflicts.
37. Which of the following is an objective test of personality?
A) Rorschach Test
B) TAT
C) MMPI
D) Draw-a-Person Test
Answer: C) MMPI
Explanation: The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a standardized, objective personality test used to assess psychological disorders.
38. A limitation of projective personality tests is that they:
A) Are too easy to administer
B) Lack scientific reliability and validity
C) Do not require trained examiners
D) Use multiple-choice questions
Answer: B) Lack scientific reliability and validity
Explanation: Projective tests are often criticized for being subjective and lacking standardization.
39. In psychoanalysis, the technique of free association is used to:
A) Interpret behavior scientifically
B) Encourage unconscious thoughts to surface
C) Study group behavior
D) Test IQ
Answer: B) Encourage unconscious thoughts to surface
Explanation: Free association allows clients to speak freely, revealing repressed thoughts and conflicts.
40. Which of the following theories emphasizes personal growth and fulfillment as key to personality?
A) Psychoanalytic theory
B) Trait theory
C) Behaviorist theory
D) Humanistic theory
Answer: D) Humanistic theory
Explanation: Humanistic theories by Rogers and Maslow focus on growth, fulfillment, and positive human potential.
41. Who is known as the father of modern personality theory?
A) Sigmund Freud
B) Gordon Allport
C) Carl Rogers
D) Abraham Maslow
Answer: B) Gordon Allport
Explanation: Gordon Allport is regarded as the father of modern personality theory due to his pioneering work on trait theory.
42. Which book was written by Gordon Allport on personality?
A) The Interpretation of Dreams
B) Motivation and Personality
C) Personality: A Psychological Interpretation
D) Beyond Freedom and Dignity
Answer: C) Personality: A Psychological Interpretation
Explanation: This 1937 book laid the foundation for Allport’s trait-based approach to personality.
43. Raymond Cattell is best known for his development of:
A) Five Factor Model
B) Rorschach Test
C) 16 Personality Factor Theory
D) Archetypes
Answer: C) 16 Personality Factor Theory
Explanation: Cattell developed the 16 PF based on factor analysis of human personality traits.
44. Which psychological assessment tool was developed by Cattell?
A) EPQ
B) MMPI
C) 16 PF
D) TAT
Answer: C) 16 PF
Explanation: The 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF) measures 16 primary personality traits.
45. Who introduced the terms “cardinal,” “central,” and “secondary” traits?
A) Hans Eysenck
B) Gordon Allport
C) Carl Jung
D) Karen Horney
Answer: B) Gordon Allport
Explanation: Allport classified traits into three levels: cardinal (dominant), central (general), and secondary (context-specific).
46. Hans Eysenck proposed that personality can be described in terms of:
A) 2 major dimensions
B) 5 factors
C) 16 traits
D) 3 levels
Answer: A) 2 major dimensions (later 3)
Explanation: Initially, Eysenck described personality in terms of Introversion-Extraversion and Neuroticism-Stability; later he added Psychoticism.
47. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) measures:
A) Five traits
B) Six factors
C) Three dimensions
D) Sixteen factors
Answer: C) Three dimensions
Explanation: The EPQ measures Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism.
48. The Big Five model of personality includes all except:
A) Openness
B) Conscientiousness
C) Emotional Intelligence
D) Agreeableness
Answer: C) Emotional Intelligence
Explanation: The Big Five are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (OCEAN).
49. The Five-Factor Model (FFM) was developed by:
A) Raymond Cattell
B) Paul Costa and Robert McCrae
C) Hans Eysenck
D) Carl Rogers
Answer: B) Paul Costa and Robert McCrae
Explanation: Costa and McCrae validated and popularized the Five-Factor Model.
50. Which book is authored by Sigmund Freud?
A) Psychology and Life
B) Interpretation of Dreams
C) Psychological Types
D) The Structure of Personality
Answer: B) Interpretation of Dreams
Explanation: Freud explained the role of dreams in uncovering the unconscious mind in this work.
51. “Motivation and Personality” is a famous book written by:
A) Erik Erikson
B) Carl Rogers
C) Abraham Maslow
D) Karen Horney
Answer: C) Abraham Maslow
Explanation: In this book, Maslow proposed his hierarchy of needs and self-actualization.
52. “Theories of Personality” is a popular textbook by:
A) B.F. Skinner
B) Schultz and Schultz
C) Raymond Cattell
D) Carl Jung
Answer: B) Schultz and Schultz
Explanation: It’s a widely used textbook for psychology students, covering major theories of personality.
53. Carl Jung introduced which key concept related to personality?
A) Libido
B) Archetypes
C) Defense Mechanism
D) Self-actualization
Answer: B) Archetypes
Explanation: Archetypes are innate universal symbols found in myths, art, and dreams.
54. The book “Psychological Types” was authored by:
A) Carl Jung
B) Carl Rogers
C) Gordon Allport
D) Abraham Maslow
Answer: A) Carl Jung
Explanation: Jung’s Psychological Types introduced concepts like introversion and extraversion.
55. Who wrote the book “Theories of Personality”?
A) David G. Myers
B) Robert Feldman
C) Calvin S. Hall and Gardner Lindzey
D) William James
Answer: C) Calvin S. Hall and Gardner Lindzey
Explanation: This academic text outlines major personality theories in psychology.
56. The concept of Self-Concept and Ideal Self was emphasized by:
A) Carl Jung
B) Gordon Allport
C) Carl Rogers
D) Hans Eysenck
Answer: C) Carl Rogers
Explanation: Rogers believed personality develops from the interaction between the real self and ideal self.
57. Carl Rogers authored the book:
A) The Ego and the Id
B) The Structure of Personality
C) On Becoming a Person
D) Personality and Assessment
Answer: C) On Becoming a Person
Explanation: In this book, Rogers outlined his humanistic approach to personality.
58. The book “Personality and Assessment” by Walter Mischel challenged the:
A) Psychoanalytic view
B) Trait theory assumptions
C) Humanistic approach
D) Behaviorist theory
Answer: B) Trait theory assumptions
Explanation: Mischel argued that behavior varies across situations, questioning stable personality traits.
59. Abraham Maslow criticized Freudian theory for being too focused on:
A) Childhood memories
B) Growth and potential
C) Positive self-image
D) Self-actualization
Answer: A) Childhood memories
Explanation: Maslow believed that Freud’s view was too pessimistic and ignored human growth potential.
60. The concept of “Functional Autonomy of Motives” is associated with:
A) Erik Erikson
B) Gordon Allport
C) Carl Jung
D) Abraham Maslow
Answer: B) Gordon Allport
Explanation: Allport believed that present motives may become independent of past motives from which they originally developed.