7 - Eysenck's PEN Theory Flashcards
1
Q
Why are personality psychology and everyday human observation similar?
A
both seek to characterize people using similar kinds of terms
2
Q
What are some considerations for the trait approach?
A
- almost all research within the trait approach relies on correlational designs
- it focuses exclusively on individual differences (trait measurements are made on ordinal rather than ratio scales)
- it is meaningful and useful to assess broad categories of individual differences
- personality traits affect life outcomes that matter to people
3
Q
Why is there a certain inconsistency in relation to traits?
A
- personality traits are not the only factors that control an individual’s behaviour
- situations vary according to the people who are present and the implicit rules that apply
- people differ from each other in the degree to which they have developed a consistent personality
- this difference might be related to psychological adjustment as well as age
4
Q
What are the three parts of the situationist argument?
A
- predictability = there is an upper limit to how well one can predict what a person will do based on any measurement of that person’s personality; this upper limit is a low upper limit
- the power of the situation = situations are more important than personality traits in determining behaviour
- erroneous perceptions = everyday intuitions about people are fundamentally flawed; people commit the fundamental attribution error
5
Q
What is the situationist argument for predictability?
A
there is no trait that you can use to predict someone’s behaviour with enough accuracy to be useful
6
Q
What is the personality response to the situationist argument for predictability?
A
- unfair literature review
- we can do better = the .40 upper limit is a result of poor or less than optimal research methodology
- a correlation of .40 is not small
7
Q
Why is the 0.40 upper limit a result of poor research methodology?
A
- personality is more likely to be relevant in real situations
- some people are more consistent than others
- some behaviours might be more consistent than others
- should be a focus on general behavioural trends instead of single actions
8
Q
What is an absolute standard?
A
how many correct and incorrect predictions of behaviour a trait measurement would yield in a hypothetical context
9
Q
What is a relative standard?
A
compare the degree of predictability with the accuracy of other methods used to predict behaviour
10
Q
What is the situationist argument for the power of the situation?
A
- data is collected from studies in experimental social psychology
- the concept of personality trait involves individual differences that are maintained across situations, not how much a behaviour is performed
- as the effect of the situation gets stronger, the effect of the person tends to get weaker
11
Q
What is the situationist argument for erroneous perceptions?
A
the approximate - 18,000 trait terms in the English language came about because ideas about personality traits are important
- people are psychologically different, and it is important and interesting to note how
12
Q
When are personality variables important, and when are situational variables important?
A
- situational variables are relevant to how people will act under specific circumstances
- personality traits are better for describing how people will act in general
13
Q
What is interactionism?
A
- aspects of personality and of situations work together to determine behaviour; neither has an effect by itself, nor is one more important than the other
14
Q
How do values relate to the person-situation debate?
A
- a situationist view implies that people are free to do whatever they want
- this implies that nothing we do is ever really our fault
- a personality view implies that an individual might be able to develop a consistent identity and personal style that allows them to transcend the moment
15
Q
What are the methods to connect traits with behaviour?
A
- single-trait approach
- many-trait approach
- essential-trait approach
- typological approach
16
Q
What are high self monitors?
A
- those who vary in their inner and outer selves and in how they perform in different settings
- carefully survey every situation looking for cues, and then adjust their behaviour accordingly
17
Q
What are low self monitors?
A
- largely the same outside as they are inside, and do not vary much from one setting to another
- behaviour is guided by their inner personality
18
Q
What is narcissism?
A
- excessive self-love
- seek to defend an unrealistically inflated self-concept
- in its normal range, it may have its pros and cons
- extremes can be considered a personality disorder
19
Q
What is the California Q-set?
A
- list of 100 personality traits
- Q-set is a set of items
- Q-sort is the resulting arrangement
20
Q
What does the many-trait approach say about word use?
A
- the use of words as implications for personality
- people who used a relatively large number of certainty words were described as intelligent, verbally fluent, ambitious, and generous
21
Q
What does the many-trait approach say about depression?
A
- women may be at risk for depression when they are overcontrolled
- for young men, the risk factor is being undercontrolled
22
Q
What does the many-trait approach say about political orientation?
A
- authoritarians = uncooperative, inflexible, obey authority, fewer positive emotions, stem from an attempt to lessen fears
- liberals = motivated by a desire for a wide range of gratifications soon
- could also be a result of parental outlook and genetics
23
Q
What is the block theory?
A
- two essential characteristics of personality = ego resilience (psychological adjustment) and ego control (impulse control)
- high in ego-control = overcontrolled, inhibit their impulses
- low in ego-control = undercontrolled, more prone to immediately act on their impulses
- high in ego resilience = adjust their level of control from high to low and back again as circumstances warrant
24
Q
What is Tellegan’s theory?
A
- updated Eysenck’s theory
- superfactors = positive emotionality, negative emotionality, constraint
25
What are the misgivings of trait approaches?
- the structure of personality traits across many individuals is not the same thing as the structure of personality as it resides within a person
- important differences between people are not just quantitative but qualitative
26
What are the Caspi types?
- well-adjusted = adaptable, flexible, resourceful, interpersonally successful
- maladjusted overcontrolling = too uptight for their own good, denying themselves pleasure needlessly, and being difficult to deal with at an interpersonal level
- maladjusted undercontrolling = too impulsive, prone to be involved in activities such as crime and unsafe sex, tend to wreak general havoc on other people and themselves
27
How does Eysenck describe personality?
- hierarchy of constructs
- acts = physical movements, individual cognitions
- habits = patterns of correlated acts
- traits = sets of intercorrelated habits
- factors = set of intercorrelated traits
28
How is Eysenck's hierarchy organized?
- move from the most experiential to the most genetically determined aspects of personality
- habits and acts = influenced by learning
- traits and factors = influenced by genetics
- genes condition the learning that takes place
- the hierarchy develops top down
29
What are the PEN dimensions?
- extroversion - introversion
- neuroticism - stability
- psychoticism - ego control
30
How does Eysenck describe extroversion?
- characteristics = sociability, activity, assertiveness, sensation-seeking, dominance, venturesomeness, carefreeness
31
How does Eysenck describe neuroticism?
- characteristics = anxiousness, depression, low self-esteem, shyness, moodiness, tenseness, irrationality, emotionality
- orthogonal to the extroversion - introversion scale
32
How does Eysenck describe psychoticism?
- characteristics = aggressiveness, coldness, egocentricity, impulsivity, antisociality, unempathetic, tough-mindedness, creativity
33
How do the PEN dimensions relate to the four humours?
- sanguine = stable extrovert
- phlegmatic = stable introvert
- choleric = neurotic extrovert
- melancholic = neurotic introvert
34
What are Eysenck's personality tests?
- Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) = measures only extraversion and neuroticism, 57 questions
- Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) = measures all factors, 90 items
35
What is Eysenck's explanation for extroversion-introversion?
- differences in the degree of cortical arousal
- Eysenck believed that this was genetically determined
- for optimal efficiency, we have to be at the right level of arousal
- the reticular activating system (RAS) sends nerve impulses to the cortex to arouse it
36
What is the biological basis for extroverts?
- cortex is chronically underaroused and needs more stimulation
- person seeks additional external stimulation
Characteristics
- excitation develops slowly and is weak
- reactive inhibition develops quickly and is strong
- somatic symptoms = physical ailments
- antisocial behaviours = harmful to others
37
What is the biological basis for introverts?
- cortex is chronically overaroused and needs less stimulation
- person reduces the number or intensity of external stimuli
Characteristics
- excitation develops quickly and is strong
- reactive inhibition develops slowly and is weak
- anxiety, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder
38
What are the research findings for introverts and extroverts?
- introverts = faster pupillary contraction, slower dilation
- extroverts = require lower levels of sedation to reach sedation threshold
- introverts = prefer lower levels of stimulation when learning
- extroverts = higher pain tolerance than introverts
- introverts = learn more quickly, forget more slowly
39
What is Eysenck's explanation for neuroticism - ego stability
- genetic difference in the arousability of the autonomic
- neurotic = low threshold for activation
- stable = high threshold for activation
40
What are the characteristics of a highly stable individual?
- need an event of considerable magnitude for the ANS to activate
- when they do respond, it is a small emotional response
41
What are the characteristics of a highly neurotic individual?
- a stimulus that sets off a small response in a highly stable individual will set off a large response in a neurotic individual
- experience frequent emotional responses that are stronger
- personality disorders (anxiety, depression) = learn relationship between stimuli and exhibit a high emotional response
42
What is Eysenck's explanation for psychoticism - ego control?
- psychoticism is associated with high levels of testosterone
- psychoticism is associated with low levels of monoamine oxidase (MAO)
- MAO is found in synapses, and breaks down monoamine neurotransmitters, limiting activity in the nervous system
- MAO levels negatively correlated with impulsivity
- MAO levels negatively correlated with aggressiveness
