Personality

Question 1

Define Personality, give an example

Answer 1

What makes a person unique, charecteristics/traits that influence a persons behaviour
e.g. outgoing/quiet

Question 2

Describe Trait therory

Answer 2

Personality is innate/inherited/genetic/people are born with it

Question 3

What are the three main trait theories?

Answer 3

• Eysenck’s trait theory
• Type A/type B (Giordano’s)
• Cattell’s 16 PF (personality factors)

Question 4

Describe Eysenck’s Trait theory

(look in notes or text book for diagram)

Answer 4

Eysenck believed that individuals were either:
* Extroverted <-> Introverted
* Stable <-> Unstable (neurotic)

Indiviuals could be grouped into one of four catagories depending on which traits they dispalyed

Question 5

Describe the traits of an extrovert

Intoverted Traits are the opposite

Part of Eysenck’s trait therory

Answer 5

• Sociable/outgoing/confident
• Seeks excitement/arousal
• Lacks concentration
• Easily aroused

Intoverted Traits are the opposite

Part of Eysenck’s trait therory

Question 6

Describe the traits of someone who’s stable

Unstable Traits are the opposite

Part of Eysenck’s trait therory

Answer 6

• Predictable/constant/enduring
• Calm/controlled
• Doesn’t experiance high stress
• Recovers from stress easily

Unstable Traits are the opposite

Part of Eysenck’s trait therory

Question 7

Describe a Type A personality

Part of Type A/Type B trait theory

Answer 7

Type A:
* Highly competitve
* Stong desire to succeed
* Works fast
* Likes control
* Prone to stress

Part of Type A/Type B trait theory

Question 8

Describe a Type B personality

Part of Type A/Type B trait theory

Answer 8

Type B:
* Not competitive
* Low desire to succeed
* Works slow
* Happy to relent control
* Not prone to stress

Part of Type A/Type B trait theory

Question 9

Evalutate trait theory

Answer 9

Positives:
* There is evidence to suggest that personality is affected by genetics - e.g. aggressive tendencies
* Means that personality can be predicted
Negative:
* Too simplistic/unlikely that personality is determined soley by genetics
* Does not account for how personality changes depending on enviroment/ does not allow for upbringing - e.g. a violent player that learns to control their aggresion after a number of bans

Question 10

Describe social learning theory, give examples

Answer 10

• An idividuals personality is a product of their enviroment/surroundings - e.g. a child that grows up in a house where there is domestic violence
• Personality is acquired and therefore can be modified/ changed
• Bandura suggests that there are two stages:
  1. Moddeling - observation and copying of others
  2. Social reinforcement - the approval/disapproval of peers (feedback) - e.g. a team captain walking away from a confrontational situation
• Copying is more likley if individuals are observing role models or significant others

Question 11

Evaluate social learning theory

Answer 11

Positives:
* The theory is supported by the Bobo doll experiment
* There is evidence that personality is affected by the enviorment/ observing and copying
Negatives:
* Too simplistic/ unlikley that personality is determined soley by enviroment
* Children (identical twins) raised in the same enviorment display different personalities

Question 12

Describe Interactionist theory

Answer 12

• Behaviour is a function of personality and enviroment - e.g. a performer who is aggresive because the situation demands it - e.g. Hollander concentric ring theory (look in notes/textbook)
• Interaction between traits and enviroment
• This is the most accurate model of personality