◄Previous: 2 Politics and personality

# 2.1 Consolidation quiz

Before you go on to the next section, check your understanding of some key concepts that have been covered here.

## Activity 2 Consolidation quiz

Answer the following multiple choice questions then read the feedback below.

1. Which of the following statements form part of the definition of personality:

(a) The set of traits, needs, values, self-beliefs, and social attitudes that determine a person’s personal identity
(b) Relatively stable over time
(c) Useful in predicting people’s political beliefs, attitudes and behaviours
(d) All of the above

### Discussion

D is the correct answer here. Traditionally, personality is viewed by psychologists as the collection of traits, needs, values, self-beliefs and social attitudes that determine personal identity and are relatively stable across time and context. Research shows that personality can have an impact on political beliefs, attitudes and behaviours.

2. A type of personality that is associated with prejudiced and anti-democratic political beliefs is the:

(a) Introverted personality
(b) Neurotic personality
(c) Authoritarian personality
(d) Democratic personality

### Discussion

C is the correct answer here. In The Authoritarian Personality, Adorno et al. (1950) proposed a specific set of personality characteristics (the ‘authoritarian personality’) characterised by prejudiced and anti-democratic political beliefs.

3. Research on the relationship between personality and politics shows:

(a) No relation between personality and political behaviour
(b) That personality can impact on voting preferences
(c) That personality is not a useful concept for this field of study
(d) That personality does not exist

### Discussion

B is the correct answer here. Research shows that those who vote for different political parties are also different at the level of their individual psychologies, and that this can explain their differences in voting patterns.

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