Developing Personality Flashcards
Extroversion
A personality type that describes people who look to the outside world for entertainment.
Type theory
Personality types are thought to be inherited, they can be described using related traits.
Introversion
A personality type that describes people who are content in their own company.
Neuroticism
A personality type that describes people who are highly emotional and show a quick and intense reaction to fear.
Personality scales
Ways of measuring personality by using yes/no questions.
Psychoticism
A third dimension identified by Eyesenck. People who score high on this dimension are cruel, hostile and aggressive.
Eyesenck Case-Study
Aim: To investigate the personality of 700 servicemen
Method: Each soldier completed a questionnaire. Eysenck analysed the results using a statistical technique known as factor analysis.
Results: He identified two dimensions of personality: extroversion, introversion and neuroticism-stability.
Conclusion: Everyone can be placed along these two dimensions of personality. Most people lie in the middle of the scale.
What is the evaluation of the Eysenck case-study?
•His original research used a limited sample to test his ideas (the research was only carried out on servicemen). Since then, however, his findings have been supported by further research carried out on thousands of people.
What is the EPI?
The EPI means Eysenks Personality Inventory.
This was designed to measure the extroversion-introversion neuroticism stability. It is made up of a series of yes/no questions. The answers that are given can be used to identify an individuals personality and because the two dimensions are not related the person can be described as a neurotic extrovert, neurotic introvert, a stable extrovert or a stable introvert.
What is the EPQ?
This is used to meausre introversion, extroversion and neuroticism and a further scale added to this scale is known as psychotocism. Most people score low on this scale but with the people who score high are cruel, hostile, intensive, aggressive and lacking feeling. The three dimensions are not linked meaning that the individuals are given seperate scores for the 3.
Amygdala
Part of the limbic system and is in the temporal lobe. It’s involved with memory, emotion and fear
Prefrontal Cortex
The very front of the brain, it’s involved in social and moral behaviour and controlling aggression
Cereberal Cortex/Grey Matter
The outer layer of the brain, this area is involved in muscle control, sensory perceptions, memory and speech
Socioeconomic Factors
Social and financial factors that affect individuals
Longitudinal Study
A study carried out to show how behaviour changes over time
What is the amygdala responsible for?
It is responsible for learning from the negative consequences of our actions. It also reacts to sad and fearful facial expresions and learn to avoid activities we see causing distress.
Explain the amygdala in APD people
The amygdala in APD people does not react the way it would in non-APD people. They do not learn to avoid these harmful behaviours/situations. This is because they are not affected by distress shown in other.
Raine et al Case Study
Aim: To support the theory that that abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex cause APD.
Method: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to study 21 men with APD and a control of 34 healthy men. The subjects were volunteers.
Results: The APD group had 11% more grey matter reduction than the control group
Conclusion: APD is caused by a reduction in grey matter
Farrington Case Study
Aim: To study offending and antisocial behaviour in males from childhoodto the age of 50
Method: Longitudinal study of 411 males, they all lived in the deprived and inner city area of London. They were first studied at the age of 8 and were followed up to the age of 50. Their parents were also interviewed. Searches were carried out at the criminal records office to discover if they, or members of their family, had been convicted of a crime.
Results: 41% of the males were convicted of at least 1 offence between the ages of 10 and 50. The most important risk factors for offending were criminals in the family, low school achievement, poverty and poor parenting.
Conclusion: Situational factors lead to antisocial behaviour.
Elander et al Case Study
Aim: To investigate the childhood risk factors that can be used to predict antisocial behaviour in adulthood.
Method: Researchers investigated 225 twins who were diagnosed with childhood disorders and interviewed them 10-25 years later.
Results: Childhood hyperactivity, conduct disorders, low IQ and reading problems were strong predictors APD and criminality in adult life
Conclusion: Disruptive behaviour in childhood can be used to predict APD in adulthood
Practical implications of research into APD:
- If you cannot decide the cause you cannot treat or prevent it
- If it has a biological cause you cant treat it
- Medication has been inaffective when used
What is APD?
Antisocial Personality Disorder, this is where people does not use socially acceptable behaviour or consider the rights of others
What are the characteristics of APD?
Give 6 points + explanation:
The individual cannot be diagnosed with APD until they are 18 years old. They will have, however, been showing signs of APD since the age of 15.
- They do not follow what is normal and the laws of society
- Being decietful by lying and conning others and also using aliases
- Being irritable or aggressive, often being involved in fights
- Being careless of their own safety or safety of others
- Being irresponsible or failing to hold down a job or paying back money owed to others
- Lacking remorse by being indifierent to, finding reasons for, hurting, mistreating or stealing from others.
Personality
The thoughts, feelings and behaviour that makes an individual unique
Temperament
The genetic component of personality
Longitudinal Study
A study carried out to show how behaviour changes over time
Monozygotic Twins
Twins developed from one fertilised egg
Dizygotic Twins
Twins developed from two different fertilised eggs
Buss And Plomin
Aim: To test the idea that temperament is innate
Method: They studied 228 pairs of monozygotic twins and 172 pairs of dizygotic twins. They rated the temperament of the twins when they were 5 years old. They looked at 3 dimensions of behaviour;
Emotionality – How strong the child’s emotion response was.
Activity – How energetic the child was.
Sociability – How much the child wanted to be with other people.
They then compared the sores for each pair of twins.
Results: There was a closer correlation between the score of the monozygotic twins than between the dizygotic twins.
Conclusion: Temperament has a genetic basis.
Kagan And Snidman
Aim: To investigate whether temperament is due to biological differences.
Method: Kagan and Snidman studied the reactions of 4 month old babies to new situations. For the first minute the baby was placed in a seat with the caregiver sitting nearby. For the next 3 minutes the caregiver moved out of the baby’s view while the baby was shown different toys by the researcher.
Results: 20% of the babies showed distress by crying, vigorous movement of arms and legs and arching the back. They were classed as high reactive. 40% of the babies showed little movement or emotion. They were classed as low reactive. The remaining infants fell somewhere in between. In a follow up study, 11 yrs later, Kagan and Snidman found there was still differences in the way the 2 groups reacted to new situations; the high reactive were shy while the low reactive were calm.
Conclusion: They concluded that these 2 temperaments are due to inherited differences in the way the brain responds.
