Lec 78 Temperament and Personality

Question 1

What is temperament?

Answer 1

enduring biologically based traits

stable over time = “natural predisposition”

Question 2

What is personality?

Answer 2

temperament PLUS motivations and cognitions, combo of heritable neurobiologically based traits [temperament] and traits reflecting sociocultural learning [character dimension] = become way one thinks, feels, behaves, relates to others

some stability by preschool and more and more stable with age

Question 3

What is thomas and chess model of temperament?

Answer 3

3 discrete types of temperament
easy = 40%
difficult = 10%
slow to warm = "shy" = 15%
unable to identify = 35%

Question 4

What are categorical models vs process oriented models of temperament and personality?

Answer 4

categorical = focus on similarities among people; people fit into limited # of discrete categories

dynamic/process oriented = focused on individual, how people are different from one another; how behavior changes over time and situations

Question 5

What are Eysenck’s 3 factors in adult personality?

Answer 5

P-E-N

• psychoticism
• extraversion
• neuroticism

Question 6

What is clonigers theory of temperament and personality?

Answer 6

temperament + character = personality

temperament = neuro based traits that are heritable
- 1. harm avoidance 2. novelty seeking 3. reward dependence 4. persistence

character = 3 dimensions that reflect sociocultural learning

• 1. self directedness: self-acceptance vs not accepting self
• 2. cooperativeness: acceptance of others vs intolerance or revengeful
• 3. self-transcendence: individual feels part of things vs unfulfilled

Question 7

What is harm avoidance?

Answer 7

early appearing anxiety-related trait

associated with mood/anxiety disorders

Question 8

What is the five factor model of personality/temperament?

Answer 8

most human personality traits can be put in one of 5 broad categories = OCEAN

• Openness to experience [vs closed mind]
• Conscientiousness [vs negligence]
• Extraversion [vs introversion]
• Agreeableness [vs antagonism]
• Neuroticism [vs emotional stability]

can predict outcomes

Question 9

Extraversion in the 5 factor model is associated with what?

Answer 9

• tendency to experience positive emotion

- reward-seeking personality

Question 10

Neuroticism in the 5 factor model is associated with what?

Answer 10

• tendency to experience negative emotion
• vulnerable to psychopathology
• threat-response system: insecurity in relationships, sensitive to threat and punishment
• harm avoidance

Question 11

Conscientiousness in the 5 factor model is associated with what?

Answer 11

• tendency to inhibit impulses in order to follow rules
• acedemic/occupational success
• likely to live longer
• lowest levels of this appear in adolesence

Question 12

Agreeableness in the 5 factor model is associated with what?

Answer 12

• understanding others emotions = empathy
• altruism, positive relationships
• lowest levels of this appear in adolescence

Question 13

Openness to experience in the 5 factor model is associated with what?

Answer 13

• tendency to process abstract perceptual info flexibly and effectively including imagination, intellectual engagement, aesthetic interest
• intelligence
• larger bandwith of info processing

Question 14

What is the neural network model?

Answer 14

personality style results from activity of 2 behavioral model systems
1. behavioral approach system = governs response to reward stimuli, extraversion, positive, DA

2. behavioral inhibition system = governs response to punishment, threat, novelty, aversive stimuli, neuroticism

Question 15

What are genetics of personality?

Answer 15

• no clear consensus of specific genes
• genetic influence on personality trait from 30-50%
• heritability for extroversion = 49%
• heritability for neuroticism = 41%

Question 16

Is personality stable over time?

Answer 16

differing opinions

• personality is more stable in unchanging environment but harder-wired traits may manifest more strongly during stress, new situations, new roles

Question 17

What is the fetal programming hypothesis?

Answer 17

Fetusadjusts phenotype (e.g., metabolism and stress reactivity) on basis of maternal nutritional and hormonal cues about the outside world, as a means of optimally adapting to the (anticipated) conditions of the postnatal environment.

Question 18

Introversion puts you at risk for what type of disorder?

Answer 18

anxiety disorders?

Question 19

High neuroticism puts you at risk for what type of disorders?

Answer 19

anxiety, MDD, somatofrorm

Question 20

What are personality trait risk factors for psych disorders?

Answer 20

• high neuroticism
• low conscientiousness
• low agreeableness
• low extraversion

Question 21

behavioral inhibition in children associated with what disorders?

Answer 21

anxiety, depression

Question 22

impulsivity puts you at risk for what disorders/

Answer 22

antisocial PD

Question 23

Low aggreableness/conscientiousness predicts what?

Answer 23

juvenile delinquency

Question 24

What are risk factors for substance use disorders?

Answer 24

• less constraint

- increase positive and negative affectivity

Question 25

WHat are resilience factors for psych disorders?

Answer 25

• easy temperament in child
• behavioral inhibition in children
• high “hardiness” score = openness + conscientiousness + positive emotionality –> better QOL and less psych distress