Chapter 4

Question 1

Overview of old theories of personality

Answer 1

2 assumptions

1 - Moat social stimuli provoke different responses to different people

2 - Individuals display much consistency and therefore predictability

Therefore lay people K1 - Variability in response is die to distinctive attributes that are enduring

Question 2

Challenge of 1968

Answer 2

Mischel worked out that the average correlation between two different behavioural measures of the same trait is .1-.2
Correlations between behavior scores on personality scales never broke .3

.3 barrier

Question 3

Challenge of 1968 (Mischel’s 2 challenges)

Answer 3

1 What perceptual, cognitive and motivational factors may cause us to see behavioral consistency where there is none?

2 Find new ways of understanding the determinants of people’s responses to their environments

Question 4

Empirical Studies of Cross-Situational Consistency (Newcomb)

Answer 4

Newcomb
Wanted to study E and behaviors that would servee as evidence for it
Measured these many times per day
Used this aggregate
r = .14

Question 5

Empirical Studies of Cross-Situational Consistency (Hartshorn)

Answer 5

Studied honesty
Examined honesty in classroom
Multiple behaviors across multiple times
r = .23
Not great

Question 6

Empirical Studies of Cross-Situational Consistency (Consistency research)

Answer 6

Started using self-assessments
High rs
Very good test-retest and alternate forms reliability
Very poor inter-rater
Zero validity as did not predict behavior (does rating yourself high E make it so?)

Question 7

Empirical Studies of Cross-Situational Consistency (Sears and the consistency of behavior)

Answer 7

Measured DV in small kids
r = .11
VERY low rs for objective behavior studies

Question 8

Implications of the empirical challenege

Answer 8

Mischel removed self reports
Emphasized the roles of biases in seeing consistency where there is none
Said the responses for the same situation may be consistent
Specific responses for specific stimuli
r = .4 or more
Said cross situational studies showed zero consistency
Nothing above .3

Delay gratification studies are not about individual traits but situational ones
e.g. if you hide the objects they resist for longer

Changing the situation (and maybe its meaning for participants) has the biggest effect

Question 9

Bem and the Nomoethic/Ideographic distinction

Answer 9

Some traits predict some people
Assume ideographic approach, focus on the unique aspects of a person’s personality rather than trying to find rules that apply to all

(1) find the individuals for whom a trait of interest applies
(2) ask the person for guidance when working out in what situations the trait applies

To do 2

(a) look a lot of times to determine consistencies
(b) use information about the person to anticipate what situations they will manifest theor dispositions

People will show consistency only when strioving to meet personal goals or to convey a consistent impression to others and it will manifest only in the situations deemed relevant

ie some are consistently friendly cos this matters to them and is central to the impression they wish to give others

Sadly they did not follow through with research and just used self reports

They are best remembered for their ideas, not their data