Issues in Personality

Indicate the extent to which you agree with each of the following statements using the following response scale:

1 = strongly disagree2 = disagree3 = neutral4 = agree5 = strongly agree

_3____ 1. Events that occurred during childhood have no effect on one’s personality in adulthood.

_4____ 2. Sexual adjustment is easy for most people.

_2____ 3. Culture and society have evolved as ways to curb human beings’ natural aggressiveness.

_1____ 4. Little boys should not become too attached to their mothers.

_1____ 5. It is possible to deliberately “forget” something too painful to remember.

_1____ 6. People who chronically smoke, eat, or chew gum have some deep psychological problems.

_3____ 7. Competitive people are no more aggressive than noncompetitive people.

_1____ 8. Fathers should remain somewhat aloof to their daughters.

_5____ 9. Toilet training is natural and not traumatic for most children.

_1____ 10. The phallus is a symbol of power.

_4____ 11. A man who dates women old enough to be his mother has problems.

_3____ 12. There are some women who are best described as being “castrating bitches.”

_5____ 13. Dreams merely replay events that occurred during the day and have no deep meaning.

_4____ 14. There is something wrong with a woman who dates a man who is old enough to be her father.

_3____ 15. A student who wants to postpone an exam by saying “My grandmother lied... er, I mean died,” should probably be allowed the postponement.

The Issues in Personality Survey – measures the degree to which you agree with classic Freudian theory.

Source: Miserandino, M. (1994). Freudian Principles in Everyday Life. Teaching in Psychology, 21, 93-95.

Scoring:Reverse score items: 1, 2, 7, 9, 13 & 15. That is, if you said “1” change it to “5,” if you said “2” change it to “4,” and so on. After reverse scoring, add all 15 scores together.

Scores range from 15 to 75 with higher scores reflecting greater agreement with the Freudian perspective.

My score: 30