Biological underpinnings Flashcards
Biological model
Looking for links between personality and biology (not coherent theoretical approach)
Evolutionary theory used for searching.
Main questions in biological model
Identifying biological functions that influence psychology and personality
Investigating the relationship between genetics and personality
evolutionary explanations of the origins of personality
relationship between neuropsychology and personality.
Main assumptions in biological approach
behaviour as product of biological processes
Personality traits are genetically determined
behaviour derived from evolutionary history
Behavioural Genetics studies
Often uses twins to examine differences between identical and non-identical.
heritability index
Amount of variance due to inheritance for a particular trait (ie index of 0.89 –> 80% of variance due to hereditary factors, remaining environment)
Temperament
personality qualities present in childhood and affects behaviour (Buss, Plomin)
Temperament dimensions
1) Activity level (vigor and tempo)
2) Sociability
3) Emotionality (frequency and intensity)
Problems with heritability
overestimates heritability
cultural and historical changes that could effect personality are ignored.
Eysenck’s theory
2 neural mechanisms:
Excitatory - alert, awake, arousal
Inhibitory - sleepy, drowsy
biological basis of extroversion-introversion etc
Extraversion/Introversion
Extraversion: arousal level low –> need for stimulating environment to increase arousal.
Introverts: High arousal level –> less stimulating environments
Introverts have higher activity in ARAS (brain stem - activation)
BAS/BIS theory
Gray.
BAS: behavioural approach system: ‘GO system’ - processes impending reward –> desire, hope etc
BIS: behavioural inhibition system: ‘STOP system’ - processes information about impending punishment (threat)
