The Trait Approach Is Built on the Assumption That Personality

question 21

Multiple Choice

The trait approach is built on the assumption that personality characteristics are relatively stable over time and that

• A) personality characteristics are relatively stable over situations, too.
• B) through trait descriptions we can make comparisons across people.
• C) the typical behavior of a person with one trait is different from that of another.
• D) while explanation is not possible, trait researchers focus on describing personality.

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Definitions:

Phrenology

A now-discredited theory that claimed bumps on the skull could predict mental traits and character traits.

Localization of Function

The concept that different areas of the brain are responsible for specific functions or activities.

Synaptic Gaps

The small spaces between neurons, across which neurotransmitters travel to enable neural communication.

Franz Gall

A physician and neuroanatomist known for developing the theory of phrenology, which suggested that the bumps on the skull represent mental faculties and character traits.