Lecture 10

Question 1

The three levels of personality

Answer 1

Level 3: Life narratives
Level 2: Characteristic Adaptations (concerns an individuals particular life circumstances)
Level 1: Dispositional Traits (patterns of behaviour and experience, relatively decontextualised)

Question 2

What did Allport and Odbert do?

Answer 2

Collected exhaustive list of personality descriptors

Question 3

What are the big five?

Answer 3

• Extraversion
• Agreeable
• Conscientious
• Neurotic
• Openness

Question 4

Whats wrong with traits?

Answer 4

personality is more than this,
they are generic descriptors
relatively decontextualised

Question 5

Characteristic adaptations are? 2 definitions

Answer 5

Motivational
social-cognitive
developmental
contextualised in time, place and/or social role
OR
relatively stable goals, interpretations and strategies
specified in relation to an individuals particular life circumstances - Goals, Interpretations Strategies

Question 6

Life Narratives

Answer 6

• richest level of personality description
• Narrative Identity: internal dynamic life story that an individual constructs to make sense of life
• Unity and purpose of the self

Question 7

Studying life narratives

Answer 7

Interviews: 8 key events in life, 
significant people
future script
stresses and problems
personal ideology
life theme
--> content analysis, tone, themes, form