Individual Differences Flashcards
What are the three main personality theories?
Freud
Eysenck
Big Five (OCEAN)
Describe Freud’s model of personality.
3 components of personality: Id: instinctual drive= drive for pleasure Ego: reality + decision making Superego: values + morality Ego is kept in check by Id + Superego
Describe Eysenck’s model of personality.
Hypothesised personality consists of 2 independent traits:
NEUROTICISM: tendency to experience negative emotions
EXTRAVERSION: degree to which a person is outgoing + seeks stimulation
Describe the Big Five model of personality.
Openness; appreciation for art, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination
Conscientiousness: self-discipline, planned rather than spontaneous
Extraversion: energy, positive emotions, seek stimulation + company
Agreeableness: compassionate + cooperate
Neuroticism: experience negative emotions
Define locus of control.
An expectancy concerning the degree of personal control we have in our life (this can be internal or external)
What are the limitations of IQ?
There are many types of intelligence that may not be tested by the employed test
IQ averages all the domains of intelligence + doesn’t consider them individually
What are the two different types of “general” intelligence?
Crystallised: ability to apply previously acquired knowledge to current problems
Fluid: ability to deal with novel problem-solving situations where personal experience doesn’t provide a solution
How do these types of intelligence change with age?
Crystallised: increases with age
Fluid: declines
Describe the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to IQ.
Genetic: ½-2/3 of variation in IQ
Environmental: 1/3-½ of variation in IQ
Describe Baron Cohen’s empathising/ systematising model.
Empathising: ability to infer thoughts + feelings of others + have an appropriate reaction
Systematising: ability to analyse how systems work + behave, with a final goal of predicting + controlling system behaviour or building a new system
What are the differences between males and females with regards to the Baron Cohen model?
Females: more empathising, less systemising
Males: more systemising, less empathising
What type of brain are people with Autism/Aspergus thought to have?
An extreme S type brain
What are the 5 brain types identified by Baron Cohen?
E-type: Empathising stronger than systemising (‘female brain’)
S-type: Systemising stronger than empathising (‘male brain’)
B-type: balanced (equal in both traits)
Extreme E-type: Empathising very strong, but systemising is weak
Extreme S-type: Systemising very strong, but empathising is weak (‘autistic brain’)
What are the two main components of Spearman’s theory of intelligence?
General Ability (g): required for performance of mental tests of all kinds; ‘mental energy’ that underlies specific factors Special Abilities (s): required for performance on just 1 kind of mental test.
What pneumonic may be used to remember the big 5 personality traits?
OCEAN
