Title: Chapter 14
Course: Exploring Psychology and Christian Faith Test Bank

Q: Pick any one of the human nature themes for the book and summarize how at least four of the major personality approaches would relate to that theme.

Q: Compare and contrast any two personality approaches and describe how they would differ or be similar in the emphasis they place on at least four different biblical themes of human nature.

Q: According to Moes and Tellinghuisen, there is a consistent shortcoming for most of the personality theories in relation to biblical views of human nature. The authors state that this issue is one of modern psychology’s greatest shortcomings. Outline that shortcoming and describe some alternative models that others have proposed to improve on this issue.

Q: Outline various approaches that Christian psychologists have had when responding to secular personality theories. What approach do the authors take?

Q: Outline and summarize three or four basic “control beliefs” that the authors outline to guide thinking about contemporary personality theory.

Q: Personality is not something that is measured as a( n ) __________, it’s measured as a( n ) __________.
- trait; temperament
- quality; amount
- quantity; quality
- adjective; noun
A: quantity; quality

Q: According to Christian psychologist Paul Vitz, the corrective for the overindividualistic emphasis among personality theorists is a renewed emphasis on what?
- Our embodied existence.
- Social psychology.
- Self-actualization and self-esteem.
- A covenant theory of personality.
A: A covenant theory of personality.

Q: According to Moes and Tellinghuisen, the psychoanalytic, behavioristic, and trait approaches are all __________.
- overly focused on self-esteem.
- strongly deterministic.
- excessively scientific.
- overly focused on human goodness.
A: strongly deterministic.

Q: Psychologist Martin Seligman and colleagues describe a concept called “prospection,” which they define as what?
- The opposite of introspection.
- Searching for truth.
- The mental representation of possible futures.
- Searching for past causes of present behavior.
A: The mental representation of possible futures.

Q: Which personality theory or psychological approach most stresses the basic goodness of human nature?
- Humanistic psychology.
- Psychoanalytic theory.
- Behaviorism.
- Cognitive psychology.
A: Humanistic psychology.

Q: Some Christians feel that humanistic psychology should be the most favored personality theory because it recognizes our freedom of choice, but Moes and Tellinghisen caution against this view because humanistic psychology fails to stress what?
- Human goodness.
- Human responsibility.
- Our “limited” agency.
- Our relationality.
A: Our “limited” agency.

Q: Psychologist Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen has suggested that it is difficult to develop a uniquely Christian alternative to current personality theories because . . .
- Christian psychologists simply don’t know enough about contemporary psychology.
- Current personality theories have a great deal of research backing, making it hard to refute with biblical perspectives.
- Christians don’t always get it right either; sometimes Christians also overemphasize or underemphasize attributes of human nature.
- The Bible gives us very little information about basic human qualities.
A: Christians don’t always get it right either; sometimes Christians also overemphasize or underemphasize attributes of human nature.

Q: Which of the following ideas would not fit with the control beliefs promoted by Moes and Tellinguisen that could be used to guide thinking about personality theory?
- The Bible teaches that Christians should all have the same personality type.
- Personalities are stable, but change is possible.
- Humans are broken but redeemable.
- The direction of our personality depends on meaning.
A: The Bible teaches that Christians should all have the same personality type.

Q: Psychologist Henry Murray noted, “Every person is in some respects . . .
- like all other persons.”
- like some other persons.”
- like no other person.”
- all of the above.
A: all of the above.

Q: Which of the following best captures the current status of personality theories?
- Only the cognitive theory of personality remains useful—all the others have been completely abandoned.
- While there is more agreement than in the past, there are still diverse ways that psychologists approach the subject.
- Christian psychologists are fairly unanimous about which personality theory is best, but the secular psychological community does not agree at all.
- Freud’s views on personality are still the most popular among all psychologists.
A: While there is more agreement than in the past, there are still diverse ways that psychologists approach the subject.

Q: Based on the case study describing Lucy’s anger problem, which approach would suggest that perhaps Lucy has developed an “external locus of control”— a thinking pattern that suggests she cannot control her life outcomes?
- Psychoanalytic
- Behavioristic
- Humanistic
- Cognitive-behavioral
A: Cognitive-behavioral

Q: Based on the case study describing Lucy’s anger problem, which approach would suggest that her anger is the result of social consequences that subtly reward her for being angry?
- Psychoanalytic
- Behavioristic
- Humanistic
- Cognitive-behavioral
A: Behavioristic

Q: According to Moes and Tellinghuisen, a good starting point when determining which personality theory is best is to . . .
- describe the primary strengths and weaknesses in relation to biblical themes concerning human nature.
- search biblical passages to find specific references to personality.
- search scientific literature and make sure the theory makes excellent predictions.
- determine which one most focuses on embodiment.
A: describe the primary strengths and weaknesses in relation to biblical themes concerning human nature.

Q: According to Moes and Tellinghuisen, one of the greatest strengths of the humanistic approach is its emphasis on what?
- Our embodiment.
- Adherence to strict scientific methods.
- Our meaning-seeking nature.
- Our “brokenness” (evil tendencies).
A: Our meaning-seeking nature.

Q: According to Moes and Tellinghuisen, a strength of the behavioristic, trait, and cognitive-behavioral approaches is their . . .
- adherence to scientific investigation.
- focus on our meaning-seeking nature.
- emphasis on our relational nature.
- belief in our “brokenness” (evil tendencies).
A: adherence to scientific investigation.

Q: According to Moes and Tellinghuisen, a major concern according to the psychoanalytic, behavioristic, and trait approaches is that they place so little value on what?
- Our embodiment.
- Our basic goodness.
- Our relational nature.
- Our unconscious experiences.
A: Our relational nature.