Biological Personality Flashcards
Early Theories - Kretshmer
Physique and Personality
Pyknic - fat, manic-depressive
Atheletic - muscular
Aesthetic - thin, schizophrenia
Early Theories - Sheldon
Physique and Personality
Endomorph - fat, cheerful, sociable, relaxed
Mesomorph - muscular, dominant, assertive, adventurous
Ectomorph - thin, sensitive, shy, intellectual
Early Theories - Greek
Fluid Blood - sanguine, cheerful, air Yellow bile - choleric, anger, fire Black bile - melancholic, depressive, earth Phlegm - phlegmatic, calm, water
Early Theories - Pavloc
Relate Greek theories to dog temperaments
Weak - anxious, melancholic
Strong, unbalanced - irritable, choleric
Strong, balanced mobile - lively, sanguine
Stong, balanced stable - calm, phlegmatic
Modern Theories - Gray
Personality traits are linked to different neural systems
Behavioural Activation System, Behavioural Inhibiton System, Fight-or-Flight System
Modern Theories - Gray, Behavioural Activation System
Linked to Novelty-Seeking (Cloninger)
Go-system that works to indicate reward, encouraging pursuit and pleasure
A strong BAS results in inclination to pursue reward, high novelty-seeking
Modern Theories - Gray, Behavioural Inhibition System
Linked to Harm-Avoidance (Cloninger)
Stop-system that works to indicate punishment, encouraging avoidance and fright
A strong BIS results in anxiety regarding punishment, high harm-avoidance
Modern Theories - Gray, Fight-or-Flight System
Potentially linked to Reward-Dependence (Cloninger)
Works to motivate extreme reactions to threat, either fight or flight
A strong FFS results in enhanced preparation to face threat and increased aggressive response to threatening stimuli
Modern Theories - Cloninger
Personality traits are hormone dependent
Serotonin and Harm-Avoidance, Dopamine and Novelty-Seeking, Norepinephrine and Reward-Dependence
Modern Theories - Cloninger, Serotonin and Harm-Avoidance
Serotonin inhibits the feeling of pain and punishment, shown through the effect on serotonin of anti-depressants which reduce worry as a result of punishment
Low serotonin results in high harm-avoidance, due to increased worry, fear and anxiety regarding possible punishment
Link to Behavioural Inhibition System (Gray)
Modern Theories - Cloninger, Dopamine and Novelty-Seeking
Dopamine enhances the feeling of pleasure and reward, shown through the effects of cocaine which increase dopamine resulting in extreme pleasure and Parkinson’s disease which decreases dopamine resulting in anhedonia
Low dopamine results in lack of pleasure from events and so a lack of interest in novelty-seeking
High dopamine results in extreme pleasure from events so impulsive acts of novelty-seeking
Link to Behavioural Activation System (Gray)
Modern Theories - Cloninger, Norepinephrine and Reward-Dependence
Norepinephrine inhibits responses to conditioned stimuli meaning rewards and punishments are not associated with their respective consequences
Low norepinephrine increases conditioning, resulting in high reward-dependence where individuals depend on rewards to receive pleasure; inactive norepinephrine systems result in strong sentimental attachments to objects
High norepinephrine inhibits conditioning, resulting in low reward-dependence where individuals do not depend on reward for pleasure
Possible link to Fight-or-Flight System (Gray)
Modern Theories - Eysenck, Biological Personality
Personality continuums depend on brain activity
Extraversion and Arousability, Neuroticism and Stress Response, Psychoticism and Testosterone
Modern Theories - Eysenck, Extraversion and Arousability
Extraversion depends on the arousability of the Ascending Reticular Activity System (ARAS) which filters stimuli
A sensitive ARAS decreases arousal in the brain by filtering out too much stimulation, to an insufficient level where individuals feel it necessary to seek further stimulation, resulting in preference for sociable and stimulating environments and extraversion
An insensitive ARAS increases arousal in the brain by not filterting out much stimulation, to a sufficient level where individuals do not feel it necessary to seek further stimulation, resulting in preference for quiet, unstimulating environments and introversion
Modern Theories - Eysenck, Neuroticism and Stress Response
Neuroticism depends on the stress response and sensitivity of the limbic system which manages stress
A limbic system which does not react to stress and manages it well prevents stimulation, anxiety and worry, resulting in emotional stability
A limbic system which reacts to stress severely and does not manage it well results in stimulation, anxiety and worry, resulting in emotional instability / neuroticism
Modern Theories - Eysenck, Psychoticism and Testosterone
Psychoticism depends on levels of testosterone and MAO
High testosterone levels and low MAO levels result in high aggression, impulsivity and psychoticism
Modern Theories - Geen 1984
Measured extroversion and introversion in participants, then assigned them a matched or mismatched environment or allowed them to select their own environment
Extraverts chose stimulating environments and showed decreased brain activity in introvert-matched, unstimulating environments
Introverts chose unstimulating environments and showed increased brain activity in extrovert-matched, stimulating environments
Modern Theories - Eysenck & Eysenck 1961
Lemon juice experiment on introverts and extroverts
Introverts showed increased stimulation due to a low ARAS stimulation threshold caused by poor filters
Extraverts showed less stimulation than introverts due to a high ARAS stimulation threshold caused by effective filters
Perfectionism - Stoeber & Corr 2015
Revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Model
Extension of Gray’s BAS/BIS/FFS Model
Looked at Self-Oriented Perfectionism (SOP), Other-Oriented Perfectionism (OOP) and Socially-Prescribed Perfectionism (SPP)
Correlated to BAS (reward reactivity, reward interest, impulsivity, goal-directed persistence), BIS, FFS (fight-flight-freeze, defensive fight)
Perfectionism - Stoeber & Corr 2015, Self-Oriented Perfectionism
No correlation to impulsivity
Moderate positive correlation to defensive fight, reward interest, reward reactivity, BIS, fight-flight-freeze
Large positive correlation to goal-directed persistence
Predicts increased positive affect due to increased goal-directed persistence
Predicte increased negative affect due to increase BIS
Perfectionism - Stoeber & Corr 2015, Other-Oriented Perfectionism
Small positive correlation to reward interest, goal-driven persistence, reward reactivity, impulsivity, defensive fight
Small negative correlation to fight-flight-freeze
Moderate negative correlation to BIS
Predicts decreased negative affect due to decreased BIS
Perfectionism - Stoeber & Corr 2015, Socially-Prescribed Perfectionism
Small positive correlation to fight-flight-freeze
Moderate positive correlation to impulsivity
Large positive correlation to BIS
Small negative correlation to reward interest and reward reactivity
Large negative correlation to goal-driven persistence due to drive caused by other’s expectations, not internal goals
Predicts decreased negative affect due to decreased goal-drive persistence
Predicts increased negative affect due to increased BIS
Modern Theories - Hormones
Cortisol, Testosterone and Oxytocin affect personality
Modern Theories - Hormones, Cortisol
Released by the adrenal cortex during stress
Modern Theories - Loney et al 2006
Low levels of cortisol correlate to callousness
Modern Theories - Rosenblitt et al 2001
Low levels of cortisol correlate to high-sensation seeking
Modern Theories - Hormones, Testosterone
Testosterone levels increase after winning and decrease after losing, similar to affect
However, levels are 10 times higher in men than women yet gender differences in personality are not proportional to this
Modern Theories - Dabbs et al
Measured the testosterone levels and behavioural tendencies of fraternities
Fraternities with high testosterone levels showed wild and unruly behaviours
Fraternities with low testosterone levels showed friendly behaviour
Modern Theories - Hormones, Oxytocin
Produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland
Involved in formation of emotional attachments and cooperation
Modern Theories - Zak, Kurzham & Matzner 2005
Students with high oxytocin levels were more trusting of other students
Students seen as more trustworthy had increased oxytocin levels
Modern Theories - Comings et al 2000
Identified genes relating to the neurotransmitters in Cloninger’s theory
Serotonin - 12, Dopamine - 7, Norepinephrine - 9
Link between genes and personality traits was strongest for norepinephrine
However, each set of genes related to more than one personality dimension
