Individual Differences

Question 1

what was the model before the Big 5 Personality Trait model?

Answer 1

Eysenck Two Factor Model:

• neuroticism: the tendency to experience negative emotions
• extraversion: the degree to which a person is outgoing and seeks stimulation

Question 2

what are the Big 5 personality traits:

Answer 2

OCEAN

1) Openness to new experience
2) Conscientiousness
3) Extraversion
4) Agreeableness
5) Neuroticism

Question 3

what is Openness?

Answer 3

appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination, curiosity and a variety of experiences.

Question 4

what is Conscientiousness?

Answer 4

self-discipline, act dutifully, aim for achievement and plan rather than spontaneously act.

Question 5

what is Extraversion?

Answer 5

energy, positive emotions, and the tendency to seek stimulation from the company of others.

Question 6

what is Agreeableness?

Answer 6

compassion and cooperation rather than suspicion and antagonistic behaviour

Question 7

what is Neuroticism?

Answer 7

a tendency to experience unpleasant emotions easily such as anger, anxiety, depression or vulnerability (sometimes called emotional instability).

Question 8

how is cortical arousal the biological basis to the Eysenck model?

Answer 8

o Differences in customary levels of cortical arousal

• introverts are over-aroused.
• extroverts are under-aroused

o Suddenness of shifts in arousal
- unstable (neurotic) people show large and sudden shifts in arousal.

Question 9

what is used to measure mental age?

Answer 9

Binet-Simon scale

Question 10

how is IQ calculated?

what is average IQ?

Answer 10

mental age score/chronological

x100

average is 100 IQ

Question 11

what is Spearman’s Two Factor Theory?

Answer 11

o General ability (g)
– required for performance of all mental tasks of any kind (this underlies the specific factors).
o Special abilities
– required for performance on just one kind of mental test.

E.G. scores on a verbal comprehension test are largely influenced by one’s general ability but they are also affected by one’s special ability to perform verbal comprehension tasks

i.e. you need general intelligence to do intellectual tasks

Question 12

how does conscientiousness contribute to health?

Answer 12

associated with positive health outcomes

• adds 7.5 yrs to life expectancy
• higher medical engagement and adherence
• less likely to engage in harmful behaviour
• more likely to engage in healthy behaviour

Question 13

examples to increase conscientiousness

Answer 13

• text reminders

- goal settings

Question 14

how does neuroticism contribute to health?

Answer 14

• poorer health outcomes
• increased symptoms reporting
• higher rate of mental health disorders
• higher mortality rate
• higher rate of healthcare usage
• less adherence
• more harmful behaviour

Question 15

what is fluid intelligence?

what happens to it with age?

Answer 15

novel problem-solving

The ability to see relationships (analogies and letter/number series) which is the primary reasoning ability.
Fluid intelligence decreases with age.

Question 16

what is crystallised intelligence?

what happens to it with age?

Answer 16

ability to applied acquired knowledge to current problems

Crystallised intelligence increases with age.

Question 17

what is the Simon Baron-Cohen Model?

Answer 17

Cohen described two factors that represent sex differences and explained autism (the extreme male brain):

• empathising :infer feelings and thoughts from others
• systematising: drive to analyse or construct a system i.e. identify the rules that govern that system and use them to predict how the system will behave

Question 18

what is empathising?

Answer 18

the ability to identify and appropriately respond to the emotions of others. Empathisers tend to be adept at reading non-verbal communication and judging character.

Question 19

what is systematising?

Answer 19

the ability to analyse how systems work and behave, with a final goal of predicting and controlling system behaviour or building a new system.

Question 20

what are the 5 brain types according to the Simon Baron-Cohen Model?

Answer 20

o E-type
– empathising stronger than sympathising
– FEMALE brain.

o S-type
– systemising stronger than empathising
– MALE brain.

o B-type
– a balanced brain.

o Extreme E-type
– empathising very strong, systemising very weak.

o Extreme S-type
– systemising very strong, empathising very weak
– AUTISTIC brain.

Question 21

what type of brain does an autistic person have?

Answer 21

systemising very strong, empathising very weak

Question 22

in which group is autism and Aspergers more predominant?

Answer 22

autism= 4: 1 male to female

aspergers= 9:1 male to female

Question 23

where do people stand in the empathising continuum?

Answer 23

least to most

autism

Question 24

where do people stand in the systemising continuum?

Answer 24

least to most

female, male, autistic

Question 25

what type of brain do most men have?

Answer 25

S type

Question 26

what type of brain do most women have?

Answer 26

E type

Question 27

what is the biological reason for the E quotient/S quotient brain?

Answer 27

foetal exposure to testosterone in amniotic fluid

Question 28

what is the main criticism of the Simon Baron-Cohen model?

Answer 28

neurosexism

minimising environmental constructions of gender and reinforcements of gender stereotypes.

Question 29

what is locus of control?

Answer 29

an expectancy concerning the degree of personal control we have in our lives.

how strongly people believe they have control over the situations and experiences that affect their lives

Question 30

what are the types of control over our lives?

Answer 30

o Internal
– life outcomes are under our personal control.
o External
– outcomes have less to do with one’s own efforts than with the influence of external factors.