L2 Observing personality

Question 1

lexical hypothesis=

Answer 1

traits are words in natural language to describe individual characteristics.

1. those personality traits that are important to a group of people will eventually become part of that group’s language
2. more important personality characteristics are more likely to be encoded into language in many words
3. principle component analysis of the covariance structure of traits can be used to extract the most important aspects of variation in a population

Question 2

methods for studying covariance patterns

Answer 2

1. Take a large list of trait words in a language (from dictionaries)
2. Use a method to derive Principal Components (or factors) on these traits
3. Arrive at a factor structure of 5 to 7 factor

Question 3

questions

Answer 3

➢ Why do we so often find these 5 (or 6 or 7) principal components in lexical studies across
the world?
➢ What is the reason for covariance between specific traits?
➢ Why do we find persistence – i.e. consistency across time?
➢ (Why) do we find pervasiveness – i.e. consistency over situations?

Question 3

4 ways of interpreting covariance structures (not mutually exclusive options)

Answer 3

1. Trait realism and temperament
2. Situationism
3. Network stability
4. The self as an actor

Question 4

trait realism & temperament=

Answer 4

One can define a trait as an inferred organismic (psychological, psychobiological) structure underlying an extended family of behavioral dispositions. These dispositions are not meant to be viewed as generalized action tendencies, but as inclinations to behave in certain ways in a set of trait-relevant situations (Tellegen, 1991).

biopsychological system 1 -> trait 1 -> behavioural dispositions (inclinations to behave certain ways in trait-relevant situations)

extraversion -> liking parties

Question 5

the big 3 of the multidimensional personality questionnaire

Answer 5

• positive emotionality
• negative emotionality
• constraint

Question 6

positive emotionality=

Answer 6

• well-being
• social closeness
• achievement
• social potency

Question 7

negative emotionality =

Answer 7

• stress reactivity
• alienation
• aggression

Question 8

constraint=

Answer 8

• harm avoidance
• control
• traditionalism
• absorption

Question 9

temperament big 3 of the infant behavior questionnaire

Answer 9

surgency
negative affectivity
orienting/regulation capacity

Question 10

surgency=

Answer 10

• approach
• vocal reactivity
• high intensity pleasure
• smile and laughter
• activity level
• perceptual sensitivity

Question 11

negative affectivity=

Answer 11

• sadness
• distress to limitation
• fear
• falling reactivity (rate of recovery from stress)

Question 12

orienting/regulation capacity=

Answer 12

• cuddliness
• low intensity pleasure
• duration of orienting
• soothability

Question 13

situationism=

Answer 13

there are no personality traits as broad dispositions. therefore we cannot predict traits.

But: this strong position is no longer compatible with the evidence. A weaker version may be true tho -> situationism.

Situationism = the specific outcomes at any particular moment vary a great deal

Question 14

the solution for moving personality beyond the person-situation debate

Answer 14

Step 1: Evidence for situations -> People act very differenty on different occasions
Step 2: Evidence for persons -> People act very similar from one week to the next
Step 3: Both are correct.

o Traits are best regarded as person-specific distributions of certain states-of-mind and behaviors. Thus they indicate the likelihood of such states over a certain time-period.
o These person-specific distributions are quite stable (personality)
o The specific outcomes at any particular moment vary a great deal (situationism)

Question 15

network stability

Answer 15

1. interactions of particular acts, feelings and thoughts
2. give rise to covariance between them
3. resulting in generalized patterns
4. and broad traits

Persistent and pervasive personality patterns emerge from network-interactions between a large number of small personality-related components.

transient factors -> i like this party & i start conversations -> general tendency & energy -> extraversion

Question 16

stability in the performance of the actor

Answer 16

McAdams (2013): “… the self as social actor,
encompassing semantic representations of traits, social roles, and other features of self that result in and from repeated performances on the social stage of life.”

• Persona: mask, character.
• Appearance, i.e. the way one appears to others

(dus mensen hebben niet perse stabiele traits, maar wel stabiele patronen van hoe zij met anderen omgaan. dit komt door de interacties met anderen die shapen hoe jij je gedraagt).

Question 17

stability in the performance of the actor cirkel

Answer 17

actions -> perception and judgement by others -> reactions by others -> perceived reactions and self judgement -> actions…

dit leidt tot emergence of stable character of an actor

Question 18

doelen van verhalenbank psychiatrie

Answer 18

➢ Creating a scientific database of interviews on experiences of mental health and mental health care
➢ Developing new methods for analyzing these narratives
➢ Initiate possibilities for improving mental health care
➢ Creating educational material for students in mental health care
➢ Working against taboo and stigma
➢ Offering comfort, strength and inspiration to fellow patients (lotgenoten)

Question 19

communion=

Answer 19

sharing, feeling connected with others

“communion manifests itself in the sense of being at one with other organisms. […] communion manifests in noncontractual cooperation”

Specific: love/friendship, dialogue, unity/togetherness, caring/help.

Question 20

wat vond de studie “variation in narrative identity is associated with trajectories of mental health”

Answer 20

agency & redemption & contamination -> wellbeing and psychological problems

Question 21

personality functioning model

Answer 21

personality functioning:
- self: identity & self-direction
- interpersonal: empathy & intimacy

Question 22

Big 3=

Answer 22

Model of continuity from temperamental traits to personality, including: Positive Emotionality (PEM), Negative Emotionality (NEM) and Constraint (CON).

Question 23

Person-specific distributions

Answer 23

Fleeson: Traits are best regarded as person-specific distributions of certain behaviors states-of-mind. Thus they indicate the likelihood of such states and behaviors over a certain time-period.

Question 24

agency=

Answer 24

Bakan “Agency manifests itself in selfprotection, self-assertion, and self-expansion; Agency manifests itself in the formation of separations; Agency manifests itself in the urge to master”.

Specific: self-mastery, status/victory, empowerment, achievement/responsibility,