Dr Alison Bacon Flashcards
Personality
 The tendency to show consistent patterns of thoughts, feelings and actions.
Traits
 Characteristic patterns of thought, emotion and behaviour together with the psychological mechanisms behind these patterns. 
Allport (1897-1967)
Lexiacal Hypothesis, cardinal traits (dominant), central traits (situational) and secondary traits (preferences)
Raymond Cattell (1905-1998)
Factor analysis (15), 15+ intellingence = 16 personality factor
Paul Costa + Robert McCrae
Big 5 - openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism
Evidence for the big five model
 Fits with other personality models. Predictive utility, heritability and valid cross culturally
Why are trait theories useful?
They help us quantify and measure personality
What are some limitations of trait theories?
Correlation vs causation. Descriptive communication tools/are traits real? Stability ovet time?
Alternative trait, theories
Big 7 -ve/+ve valence.
Big 6 HEXACO - B5 + Honesty/Humility
Big 2 - Alpha/Beta model
Big 1 - general factor of personality
What is Eysenck’s biological model?
Hey Siri based on biological factors - heritable ability to learn and adapt to environment
PEN model
Phychoticism, extraversion and neuroticism
Biological basis for PEN model
Phychoticism - testosterone levels
Extraversion - cortical arousal (EEG) higher E = chonically under aroused and bored.
Neuroticism - reactivity of lymbic system/amygdala
Monozygotic twins PEN
50 variation associated with P and E - social factors as well as genetic
Social cognitive theories
Assume personal agency and interactions with environment
Albert Bandura SCT
Triadic reciprocal causation - person, behaviour and environment
Types of environment
Imposed - not optional/choice to respond
Selected - chosen through life choices and behaviours
Constructed - through generative effort - perception
What is the common association with traits?
An Interactionist approach where both traits and situations produce behaviour
What are the two competing ideas on longitudinal variance of traits?
Hard plaster (McCrae et al 2000) - stable at 30 in typical individuals.
Soft plaster (Caspi & Roberts, 2001) - not stable until 50
McCrae Hardplaster
18-30: NEO decline, AC increase (Biology)
Caspi and Roberts Soft Plaster
Large environmental shifts influence change - genetic factors Impact interaction with environment
Srivastava et al 2003 - Big 5
C up early adulthood (career?)
A changes mid-adulthood (kids?)
N down - women - selfesteem ^ -ve early experiences
Roberts trait change
Change can happen quickly - moderators include form of therapy, presenting problem, duration of treatment.
Israel health
Add personality results to existing medical docs - better recignition for preventative care and advancements in understanding
Intelligence
One’s ability to perform hi all the tasks
IQ
Intelligence quotient
Spearman’s G
- generalised intellgence factor underlying performance
- determines how well we use ability/knowledge ie inferences and manipulation.
Thurstones multifactorial model
Associative memory, visual-spatial, mathematical, verbal-comprehension, perceptual speed, word fluency and reasoning
Cattells 2 factor theory:
Fluid intelligence (gf) - ability to learn and deal with new information
Crystalised intelligence (gc) - knowledge and skills from acculturative learning
Wechsel adult intelligence scale (WAIS)
16-90, 12 subtests, verbal, performance and full scale IQ
Verbal IQ
Measure of aquired knowledge, verbal reasoning and attention to verbal reasoning
Performance IQ
Measure of fluid reasoning, spatial processing, attentiveness to detail and visual-motor integration
Full scale IQ
Estimate of general level of intellectual functioning
WASI
Wechsel abbreviated scale intelligence - shorter than WAIS with high correlation
Advantages of WAIS
Quantification, predictive utility and identify differences
Culture fair testing
Designed to eliminate cultural advantages and disadvantages. Focuses on non-verbal reasoning, “meaning making”. Taps into fluid intelligence.
Raven’s progressive matricies
Patterns - Autism spectrum disorder perform well
Evaluation of IQ testing (5)
Standardised, test retest stability can vary <15, life span IQ, intelligence vs conceptual knowledge, high internal validity = predictive power
Educational bias of IQ testing?
Favours those strong in logical, mathematical, verbal and linguistic ability.
Multiple intelligences (3)
Independent but work together (biology, formative relationships and cultural background).
Hot intelligence
Non-cognitive abilities, especially those used in every day life ( social skills)
Cold intelligence
Analytical abilities ie maths
Robert Sternbergs triarchic imtelligence theory
Componential, experiential and practical
Successful intelligence - analytical/componential (3)
- underlying mental mechanisms of information processing.
- Analysing, evaluating, critiquing, comparing and contrasting.
- measured by traditional ability tests
Successful intelligence - creative/experiential (2)
Novelty - solving uniquely
Automation - performed with little to no thought
Successful intelligence - Practical/contextual (4)
- using knowledge to interact with the world
- adaptation to environment
- shaping environement (choices)
- selecting behaviours in situations
H squared
Heritability coefficient
Concordance
Degree to which things are similar
Jang et al 2002 - twins g and c
- MZ reared in same family have greater concordance than DZ
- assumption of ideal research conditions
- assume differences must be genetic as environement is shared
HOWEVER - shared genes don’t equal shared experiences
How is H squared overestimated in twin studies? (3)
Adopted to extended family, families similar to birth family and placement strategies of agencies
Limitations if twin studies (3)
Not representative of general population, genes may not have 100% penetrance, traits may not be polygenic
Assortative mating
Non-random selection of mate based on phenotypes and displayed traits
Highest concordance between parents and offspring?
IQ - 0.4
With respect to families, when is IQ generally lower?
Youngest child, more children, lower SES
Intelligence and class structure shape?
Bell curve
SES is associated with differences in…
Exective function, memory, emotional regulation and underlying brain areas
Eugenics
Intent to create children with desirable traits
Flynn effect
Year on year rise of global intelligence test scores
