Individual Differences Flashcards
“Big 5” Dimensions of Personality
-openness to experience
-conscientiousness
-extraversion
-agreeableness
-need for stability/neuroticism
Extraversion Definition
The degree to which a person can tolerate sensory stimulation from people and situations (assertiveness)
THINK: more extroverted = more enthusiastic + assertive
Extraversion Examples
High Extraversion
-Shows a lot of positive feelings
-Prefers working with others
-Prefers to be physically active
-Enjoys responsibility of leading others
-Readily trusts others
-Speaks without regard for consequences
Low Extraversion
-Holds down positive feelings
-Prefers working alone
-Prefers being still in one place
-Prefers being independent of others
-Skeptical of others
-Carefully selects the right words
Conscientiousness Definition
How an individual approaches goals (achievement-oriented)
THINK: more conscious = more organized + industrious (hardworking, persevering and determined)
Conscientiousness Examples
High Conscientiousness:
- Continual need to refine or polish
-Keeps everything organizes
-Craves even more achievement
-Prefers completing tasks before shifting
-Develops plans for everything
Low Conscientiousness:
-Low need to continually refine or polish
-Comfortable with little formal organization
-Satisfied with current level of achievement
-Shifts easily between ongoing tasks
-Operated in a more spontaneous mode
Need for Stability Definition
How we respond to stress / negative experiences (anxiousness)
THINK: more need for stability = more worried, pessimistic, intense, volatility
Need for Stability Examples
High Need for Stability:
- Worrying
- Quick to feel anger
- Pessimistic explanations
-Longer rebound time
Low Need for Stability:
-At ease most of the time
-Usually calm
-Optimistic explanations
-Rapid rebound time
Agreeableness Definition
The degree to which we take other’s opinions into account
THINK: more agreeable = more selfless, seeks harmony, polite, compassionate
Agreeableness Examples
High Agreeableness:
- More interested in others’ needs
- Seeks harmony
-Uncomfortable with acknowledgement
-keeps opinions to self
-Prefers the background
Low Agreeableness:
-More interested in self needs
-Welcomes engagement
-Wants acknowledgement
-Usually expresses opinions
-Enjoys being out front
Openness to Experience Definition
The extent to which someone seeks new experiences and is tolerant of change (creativity)
THINK: more open to experience = open to change, creates new plans/ideas, seeks complexity
Openness to Experience Examples
High Openness to Experience:
-Creates new plans and ideas
-Seeks complexity
-Readily accepts changes and innovations
-Prefers a broad view and resists details
Low Openness to Experience:
-Implements plans
-Prefers simplicity
-Wants to maintain existing methods
-Attentive to details
Positive and Negative Affectivity
Behavior is also a function of moods
Good moods can lead to more cooperation, more smiles, and friendly behavior
Bad moods can lead to picky, irritable, and less tolerant of different opinions
Positive affective people experience positive moods more frequently
Negative affective people experience negative moods with greater frequency
Sets the tone in work atmosphere or organizations.
Self-Monitoring
Self-monitoring refers to the extent to which a person is capable of altering his or her actions and appearance in social situations
Self-monitoring examples
High self-monitors understand what the situation demands and modify their behavior accordingly.
- more successful in their careers and more likely to advance
-tend to be less accurate when evaluating someone else’s performance - may experience higher levels of stress
-may be less committed to their companies
Low self-monitors tend to act the way they feel.
Proactive Personality
Refers to a person’s inclination to fix what is perceived as wrong, change the status quo, and use initiative to solve problems
Advantages of Proactive Personality
- tend to be more successful in their job searches
- tend to be more successful over the course of their careers
- can adjust to their new jobs quickly because they understand the environment
-often make friends more quickly - are more responsive to the feedback they receive
Self-Esteem Definition
the degree to which a person has overall positive feelings about oneself
self esteem examples
high self-esteem people:
- view themselves in a positive light
-are confident
-respect themselves
low self-esteem people:
- experience high levels of self-dout
-question their self-worth
Self-efficacy definition
is a belief that one can perform a specific task successfully
self-efficacy examples
- the belief we can do something is a good predictor of whether we can actually do it
- self-efficacy is task specific
- people with high self-efficacy set higher goals for themselves and are more committed to these goals
-people with low self-efficacy tend to procrastinate
Locus of Control
deals with the degree to which people feel accountable for their own behaviors
locus of control examples
high internal locus of control people believe they control their own destiny
- feel greater control over their own lives
-are more involved with their jobs
-demonstrate higher levels of motivation
-adopt problem-focused coping strategies
high external locus of control people feel that things happen to them
