MIDTERM

By student vote, the midterm exam will be a takehome. Everyone must answer question #1 (methods). Each student can then choose to answer any combination of three of the remaining questions. Each answer must be typed, and should be no longer than four double-spaced pages. The exam is due at 6 pm Monday in the mailbox marked "Acton" in the north end of the basement of Swift Hall.

  1. Discuss the methods used by researchers in personality psychology. Be sure to discuss both experimental and correlational methods, including especially factor analysis.

  2. Describe the role of each of the following people in the history of psychometric testing.

  3. Do you believe there is one intelligence or that there are many? How would you support your conclusions?

  4. Discuss the five-factor model. Compare and contrast Costa and McCrae's OCEAN model, Goldberg's big five model, and Eysenck's PEN model. What criticisms have been leveled at these models?

  5. Summarize and evaluate the PEN model, including both descriptive and causal aspects.

  6. Summarize Gray's reformulation of Eysenck's theory, and evaluate the evidence regarding Gray's theory. Do you believe impulsivity and anxiety are more important dimensions of personality than extraversion and neuroticism? Support your conclusion.

  7. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the phenomenological approach to conceptualizing personality. Be sure to consider theoretical soundness, empirical support, and therapeutic efficacy.

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