Chapter 2 Individual Differences: Personality and Values

Our personality is determined mostly by our socialization (upbringing) rather than by our genetic origins.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Personality is shaped by both nature and nurture, although the relative importance of each continues to be debated and studied.

Personality traits are more evident in situations where an individual's behavior is subject to social norms and reward systems.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

People are sensitive to social norms, reward systems, and other external conditions. People vary their behavior to suit the situation, even if the behavior is at odds with their personality.

Employees who score higher on the big five factors, except neuroticism where they score lower, are the “ best” employees.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

A common assumption is that the “perfect employee” has the highest scores on all of the Big Five personality factors (where emotional stability is high and neuroticism is low). Part of the problem may be that the labels and structure of the Big Five factors have a strong linear bias (high is good, low is bad). But several studies have reported that the best employees don’t have the highest scores on some personality factors. In other words, the relationship between personality and performance is often nonlinear.

Phyllis, a manager at a firm, is conventional, resistant to change, and unimaginative. This implies that Phyllis has a high openness to experience personality.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Openness to experience refers to the extent to which people are imaginative, creative, unconventional, curious, nonconforming, autonomous, and aesthetically perceptive.

Neuroticism is one of the three dark triad personality traits.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Personality experts have since re-examined personality traits with positive and negative valences. Out of these studies has emerged a cluster of three socially undesirable personality traits—Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy—called the dark triad.

High-Mach individuals believe that deceit is a natural and acceptable way to achieve their goals.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

People with high Machiavellianism (high-Machs) demonstrate a strong motivation to get what they want at the expense of others. They believe that deceit is a natural and acceptable way to achieve their goals; indeed, they take pleasure in misleading, outwitting, and otherwise controlling others.

According to Jung, the judging function—how people prefer making decisions based on what they have perceived—consists of two competing processes: thinking (T) and feeling (F).

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Jung also proposed that the judging function—how people prefer making decisions based on what they have perceived—consists of two competing processes: thinking (T) and feeling (F).

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) extends Jung’s list of personality traits by also measuring Jung’s broader categories of perceiving and judging.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The MBTI extends Jung’s list of personality traits described above by also measuring Jung’s broader categories of perceiving and judging, which represent a person’s attitude toward the external world.

Values are stable, evaluative beliefs about what is important in a variety of situations.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Values are stable, evaluative beliefs about what is important in a variety of situations.

People arrange values into a hierarchy of preferences called a value system.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

People arrange values into a hierarchy of preferences called a value system. Some individuals value new challenges more than they value conformity. Others value generosity more than frugality. Each person's unique value system is developed and reinforced through socialization.