Concepts Flashcards
biological perspective of personality?
What does it focus on in relation to personality traits? (Focuses on why and how?
What relationships does the biological perspective investigate? (3 components)
Focus on how and why personality traits manifest through biology
Investigates the relationships between personality, DNA. and the processes in the brain
Allport’s definition of personality
Attributed as?
What type of organization is the personality? What system is it part of?
What patterns does this system create? of what three things?
The earliest definition of personality
Personality is a dynamic organisation, inside a persons psychophysical system. This system creates a persons characteristic patterns of behaviours, thoughts, and feelings
Why do researchers/ personality theorists study personality?
Basis?
Understand the reasons behind?
Researchers also aim to provide, predict? How?
What is the personality seen as? (Total)
How do theorists categorise traits? (measure?)
Why is research in personality useful?
Researchers/personality theorists study the personality to explain the motivational basis of behaviour to understand the reasons behind why people behave the way that they do. By categorising traits they aim to provide descriptions of personality and predict behaviour
As the personality can be seen as the totality of traits, researchers categorize personality traits, by measuring different aspects of personality
Research into personality is useful for improving diagnosis of personality disorders, may help in business ie identifying strengths and weakness
Traits
Approach?
What are traits used to conceptualize?
What are traits known to be in relation to personlity?
What two ideas have been enforced about traits?
What kind of patterns are traits? in the way people? (3)
Consistency can be over?
Traits are used to conceptualize differences in behaviour
Dispositional approach: trait personality theories
-Traits are viewed as being the fundamental building blocks of personality
-It is theorized that the majority of traits are hereditary and remain relatively stable across someone’s life
-Traits are consistent patterns in the way that people think, act, and feel
-Consistency can be over situations and time
Key approaches to personality
- Biological approach to personality
- Dispositional: Trait personality theory
Difference between the biological approach to personality and dispositional approach: trait personality theories
What’s the aim of trait theory, focus on what type of behaviour, what kind of model does it produce? Why? (what kind of reasoning does it produce?
What kind of model does the biological approach produce?
What body components do they mention? How is this more explanatory?
Trait theory focused on providing descriptions of typical group behaviour across different groups and situations depending on how much of a trait (or neuroticism) they possess. This approach produces a descriptive model of personality because it focuses on how traits lead to behaviours but dies does not explain why or how behaviours are caused (circular reasoning)
(trait theory is also known as the dispositional theory)
Biological approach produces a more explanatory model of personality based on how basic components of the body i.e. small genes of DNA, and parts of the brain influences behaviour
What do trait theorists aim to identify?
Personality traits that occur?
To identify what type of group behaviour? Across?
Why is this understandable? ( what are traits seen as? Assumption?, therefore what is typical group behaviour useful in identifying? Depending on much much of what possession? What may this be useful in predicting?
Trait theorists aim to identify personality traits that occur consistently across groups to identify typical group behaviour across different situations.
As traits are seen as the fundamental building blocks to personality and are believed to be stable across situations, typical group behaviour may be useful in identifying traits of different personality types depending on how much of a trait they are seen to posses. This may also help to predict behaviours of different personality types.
What does trait theory base their hypothesis on?
Lexical approach
What are the theories making up trait theory?
How many theories make up trait theory?
Pen model, five factor, 16PF, Allports trait theory
4 theories make up trait theory
