Individual differences approach Flashcards
What are the shared features of trait theories of personality?
> Stable characteristics / traits
Hierarchical structure
Lexical hypothesis
Factor analysis, hypothetical constructs
Who demonstrated that personality is stable over the age of 30?
Costa and McCrae (1994)
What did Costa and McCrae (1998) determine about personality during later teenage and young adult years?
> Scores for neuroticism, extraversion and openness decrease
Scores for conscientiousness and agreeableness increase
(Trend continues after 30, but at a much slower rate)
What is the ARAS?
The Ascending Reticulocortical Activation System
What does the Ascending Reticulocortical Activating System do?
Controls cortical arousal
What did Eysenk propose about the importance of cortical?
> Genetic differences in ARAS
> Affects levels of cortical arousal experienced
What mechanisms of personality were proposed by Eysenk?
> Introverts are chronically over-aroused from birth, act to limit arousal
Extraverts are chronically under-aroused, act to increase arousal
What did DeNeve and Cooper (1998) find?
> Meta-analysis
Neuroticism strongest predictor of satisfaction, success and happiness
Positive affect predicted equally well by extraversion and agreeableness
What is the definition of a personality disorder?
A stable pattern of behaviour that deviates from normal cultural expectations and interferes with well-being
How is the big five useful in the diagnosis of PDs?
> Extreme scores can correlate with PDs
> Useful in description of PDs
What is the Diathesis-Stress model?
> An interactionist model of PD
> Vulnerability increases likelihood of developing disorder in a specific situation
What What does trait theory suggest about therapy?
> Personality traits are enduring
> Therapy does not change the trait, merely the way it is displayed
What are the limitations of trait theory?
> Doesn’t explain mechanisms
Circular explanation
Situationist
