PAB definitions Flashcards
Define Personality
A set of behaviour, emotional and cognitive tendencies people display OVER TIME and across situations that distinguish individuals for one another
Define Cognitive tendencies
How you think
Aims of personality psychology
- Make coherent picture of a person
- Investigate individual differences
- Investigate human nature (our similarities)
Hans Eysenck
Trait theorist
We act in a certain way no matter the situation
Define Social psychology
A focus on individuals in social situations interested in how society affects thoughts, behaviour etc. of individuals
Describe, understand, predict, influence the behaviour and mental processes of others
The influence on how we:
1. Think (about others and self)
2. Feel (interact with others)
3. Behave (influenced by others)
Define a Personality trait
A difference between individuals in the way we behave, think or feel across a variety of situations and across a long time period
Hinde (1982) animal research
Animal research sometimes can apply to humans and other primates, but it doesn’t really explain human social behaviour unless we are interested in evolutionary origins
Behaviour and Feelings
What a behaviour means depends on the motives, goals, perspective and cultural background of the actor AND the observer
Feelings, thoughts, attitudes and intentions are unobservable BUT can be inferred from behaviour
Define Social psychology
Deals with how people are affected by other people who are physically present (audience) or who are imagined (anticipated audience) or people whose presence is implied
Define Confirmation bias
Researchers lose objectivity in interpreting data when they become so personally involved in their own theories
e.g. Greenwald and Pratkanis (1988), Johnson and Eagly (1989)
Define Discourse analysis
Used to analyse text/naturally occurring language in order to understand its meaning and significance
