Dispositional Traits

Question 1

List McAdams and Pals (2006) - 5 principles for a new integrative science of personality

Answer 1

1. Evolution and human nature
2. The dispositional signature
3. Characteristic adaptions
4. Life narratives and identity
5. Differential role of culture

Question 2

Evolution and Human Nature

Answer 2

• Human nature is best expressed in terms of evolution
• Need to understand how and why species typical characteristics evolved
• Psychological needs development (autonomy, competence, relatedness)

Question 3

The dispositional signature

Answer 3

• Broad dimensions of individual differences between people
• inter-individual consistency and continuity in behaviour
• overall style of a person’s behaviour in the social world
• the ‘big 5’ and hardiness

Question 4

Integrative science of personality

Answer 4

• Species-typical characteristics of human nature
• Individual differences in common characteristics
• Unique pattern of individual life

Question 5

Life Narrative and Identity

Answer 5

• How people make sense of the past, present and future self
• Ongoing life story
• Story of unity, purpose and meaning
• Unique and culturally anchored meanings
• Important for psychological growth, coping and well-being

Question 6

Differential role of culture

Answer 6

• different effects on different levels of personality
• person-situation interactions
• effect on behavioral expression of traits
• effect on different patterns of characteristic adaptations

Question 7

McAdams and Pals (2006) Three levels or layers of psychological individuality

Answer 7

1. Dispositional traits
2. Characteristic adaptations
3. Life Narratives

Question 8

Characteristic Adaptations

Answer 8

More specific motivational, social-cognitive, and developmental variables that are contextualized in time situations and social roles. These may change over time.

Question 9

The lexical hypothesis

Answer 9

The personality traits and differences that are most important and relevant to people eventually become apart of their language

Question 10

List the big 5

Answer 10

Openness
Conscientiousness
Extroversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism

Question 11

Openness

Answer 11

Creativeness and openness to new experiences and ideas. Imaginative, many interests, insightful.

Question 12

Conscientiousness

Answer 12

How a person controls, regulates, and directs their impulses. High: Reliable and prompt, organized, methodical and thorough.

Question 13

Extroversion

Answer 13

How outgoing and social a person is. High: loud, highly social, outgoing, high energy. Introversion: less involved in social activities, and tend to be quiet and keep to themselves.

Question 14

Agreeableness

Answer 14

High: Friendly, cooperative, compassionate, kind, helpful.
Low: distant and closed off, unfriendly.

Question 15

Neuroticism

Answer 15

Emotional Stability.
High: emotionally unstable and negative emotions, nervous, anxious.
Low: Calm, emotionally stable, content

Question 16

TESSERA Framework

Answer 16

Long-term personality development occurs due to repeated short-term, situational processes. Sequence:
Triggering situations
Expectancies
States/State Expressions (behaviours thoughts and feelings)
ReActions - internal or external (responses to states)

Question 17

Reflective Processes

Answer 17

Remembering, reconstructing, evaluations and reappraising experiences

Question 18

Associative processes

Answer 18

Implicit learning, habit formation, reinforcement learning

Question 19

Big 5 and health

Answer 19

O - positive and negative health behaviours
C - positive health behaviours
E - positive and negative health behaviours
A - unimportant
N - (high) negative health behaviours