Eysenck Flashcards
Biological approaches assume that personality is ___________, and are based on:
hereditary
based on…
- natural selection // Darwin
- phenotypes & genetic inheritance // Mendel
Briefly explain the biosocial model of personality
both environment/learning and biological factors contribute to personality
Biological causal role, ID resulting from various positions of personality dimensions
Strengths of the biosocial model of personality?
- can be tested empirically but also accounts for ID
What are the three different dimensions of personality in Eysenck’s biosocial model?
SOCIABILITY [Intro- vs Extraversion]
NEUROTICISM [Neuroticism vs Stability]
PSYCHOTICISM [Psychoticism vs. Impulse control]
What traits correspond with someone who is high in psychoticism?
uncaring, cruel, overlap with psychiatric labels
ALSO
creative, egocentric
What is needed for a full description of one’s personality based on the biosocial model?
three main dimensions + primary traits
Evidence to support Biosocial model ( incl. dimensions as biological factors)?
- Cross-cultural ➝ studies have found same factors appear in investigations of personality across cultures
- Cross-sectional ➝ dimensions appear stable across time
- Twin studies ➝ different heritability estimates for different studies but N and E all over 40%
What did Costa & McCrae (1988) find when testing Big 5 for gender?
little difference across age groups for both men and women
What did Eysenck’s first model cite as the biological predisposition? Based on…?
- excitatory / inhibitory neural process
∴ arousal is a central component of personality ➝ striking balance between ex-/inhib- processes
Pavlovian concept of temperament
Eysenck’s FIRST MODEL claimed that…
◉ Introverts…
◉ Extroverts…
Introverts ➝ have more excitatory neural processes (have a low ratio of inhibitory to excitatory processes)
Extroverts ➝ have more inhibitory neural processes (have a high ratio of inhibitory to excitatory processes)
In Eysenck’s SECOND model, what (& where) accounts for personality dimensions?
- differences in levels of cortical arousal accounts for personality dimensions
- This was related to the activity of the Ascending Reticular Activating System ( ARAS). Set of nuclei located in the brainstem
- Connected to the thalamus, hypothalamus and cortex
What did Gene (1984) find in their study about Introverts and Extraverts? Does this support the biological model?
SUPPORTS BIO MODEL
Categorised participants as Extroverts or Introverts.
Allowed some of each type to choose level of noise
that they would hear whilst doing a task.
Extroverts chose more noise than introverts but the
heart rate at their chosen level of noise was the same
for both groups.
Then a subgroup of each Type was allocated a
noise level by either their own Type or the opposite
Type.
The introverts who were subjected to noise levels
chosen by the extroverts had higher heart rates than
those who heard the level chosen by introverts. Vice
versa for extroverts
Finally, each type performed best on the task at
the level which gave them optimal heart rate
What did Eysenck (1964) find about extroverts & unstimulating tasks?
Extroverts lose alertness and pause more often when
obliged to take part in unstimulating, repetitious tasks
such as finger tapping.
SUPPORTS BIO MODEL
What did both Claridge (1967) and Eysenck (1983) find re: introverts and stimulants?
SUPPORTS BIO MODEL
Introverts need lower doses of stimulant (e.g. caffeine) to reach same level of alertness as extraverts
What did Richard & Eves (1991) find re: arousing stimuli and heart rates? [BUT]
They found increased heart rate when exposed to
arousing stimulus for introverts.
BUT Naveteur & Roy (1990) found no differences in heart rate.
