Ch.6 - Using Personality Traits To Understand Behavior

Question 1

Traits

Answer 1

Used to understand and predict behavior

Question 2

The Single Trait Approach

Answer 2

Examines correlations between one trait and many behaviors

Question 3

Self Monitoring

Answer 3

Ability to entertain and having control over oneself during any situation, actors score high and mental patients score low

Question 4

Narcissism

Answer 4

Charming, makes a good impression, manipulative

Question 5

The Many Trait Approach

Answer 5

Examines correlations between one behavior and many traits

Question 6

California Q Set

Answer 6

100 personality descriptions that are sorted into a forced choice with normal distribution

Question 7

The Essential-Trait Approach

Answer 7

Determining which traits are the most important

Question 8

Taxonomy

Answer 8

Forming an organized scheme of these traits

Question 9

Lexical Approach

Answer 9

• Raymond B. Cattell

Reduces traits to 16 trait clusters

Question 10

Factor Analysis

Answer 10

Identifies a group of items that go together but does not with other groups, determines which personality variables go together (correlational)

Question 11

Factor Loading

Answer 11

How much a variation is explained by a factor

Question 12

Eysenck’s Hierarchical Model of Personality

Answer 12

Personality model based on heritable traits:

1. Extraversion-Introversion
2. Neuroticism-Emotional Stability
3. Psychoticism

Question 13

Extraversion

Answer 13

Warm, gregarious, assertive, optimistic, ambitious
Advantages: higher status, rated as more popular, positive emotions
Disadvantages: argumentative, need for control, poor time management

Question 14

Neuroticism

Answer 14

Emotional instability, negative emotions: hostile, impulsive, strong negative reactions to stress

Question 15

Conscientiousness

Answer 15

Competent, dutiful, and achievement striving

Question 16

Agreeableness

Answer 16

Conformity, friendly, warmth, corporative and easy to get along with

Question 17

Openness

Answer 17

Most controversial trait, viewed as creative, imaginative, and open minded

Question 18

Orthogonal

Answer 18

Unrelated

Question 19

Issues with the Big Five

Answer 19

Implies that traits are unrelated, and the labels are oversimplified. Suggests that more traits be added such as honesty-humility

Question 20

Religion and the Big Five

Answer 20

People who score highly on agreeableness and conscientiousness tend to be more religious

Question 21

Typological Approach to Personality

Answer 21

Whether it is valid to compare people quantitatively on trait dimensions, showing through qualitative methods

Question 22

Implicit Personality Theory

Answer 22

Beliefs about what traits and characteristics tend to go together