Individual Differences Flashcards
What is a personality trait
relatively stable cognitive, emotional, and behavioural characteristics of people that help establish their individual identities and distinguish them from others
Describe Eysenck’s Two Factor Model
Eysenck’s personality theory has two main factors:
Neuroticism or stability
Extraversion
What is neuroticism/stability
the tendency to experience negative emotions
What is extraversion
the degree to which a person is outgoing and seeks stimulation
What do the big five factors of personality describe
the main dimensions of personality—specifically: Openness to experience Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness Neuroticism (emotional instability)
What was the proposed biological, genetic basis for personality traits by Eysenck
Differences in customary levels of cortical arousal
Introverts are over-aroused; extraverts are under-aroused
Suddenness of shifts in arousal
Unstable (neurotic) people show large and sudden shifts in limbic system arousal; stable people do not
Describe the genetic influences on the big five
Identical and non-identical fraternal twins measured on personality dimensions
Results suggest that personality differences in the population are approximately 25 -50% genetically determined
Describe conscientiousness in health
Longevity
Health behaviour across lifespan
Higher medical engagement and adherence
Describe neuroticism in health
Increased reporting of somatic symptoms e.g. pain
Higher rates of mental health disorders
Higher mortality rates e.g. in cardiovascular disease
Health behaviour
Define intelligence
the ability to acquire knowledge, to think and reason effectively, and to deal adaptively with the environment
What is the IQ score
A score of 100 is considered average
Test-taker’s performance relative to average performance of other’s the same age
IQ = mental age/chronological age x 100
Give a criticism of intelligence testing such as IQ
Averaging
especially relevant for clinical applications of such tests e.g. Stroke pts where specific cognitive functions might be affected
What are the 2 subtypes that Cattel and Horn (1971, 1985) broke down Spearman’s ‘g’ into
Crystallised intelligence - the ability to apply previously acquired knowledge to current problems
Fluid intelligence - the ability to deal with novel problem-solving situations for which personal experience does not provide a solution
Describe the sex differences in intelligence
Gender differences in performance on certain types of intellectual tasks, not general intelligence
Men generally outperform women on spatial tasks, tests of target-directed skills, and mathematical reasoning
Women generally outperform men on tests of perceptual speed, verbal fluency, mathematical calculation, and precise manual tasks
What is the ratio of males to females with autism
4:1
