PERSONALITY 2

Question 1

What are some problems with the earlier models of personality? (3)

Answer 1

• Established, but not much practical use
• Mischel (1968) – personality measures were very weakly associated with behaviours, outcomes, etc.
• Argued that the notion of personality is unhelpful, and we are better to focus on the impact of the situation that we are in

Question 2

What has changed about new studies into the factors of personality?

Answer 2

Driven by data rather than theory

Question 3

Describe the 5 Factor Model (4)

Answer 3

• Good correlations with patterns of behaviour
• Good correlations with individual behaviours when under stress
• Factors are weakly correlated with each other
• The individual can be anywhere along each of the dimensions, allowing us many more personality profiles than other models.

Question 4

Name the 5 factors

Answer 4

• Openness to experience
• Conscientiousness
• Extraversion
• Agreeableness
• Neuroticism

Question 5

Features of openness to experience (5)

Answer 5

• Intellectual curiosity
• Emotionally open
• Creative
• Aware of feelings
• Hold unconventional beliefs

Question 6

Features of Conscientiousness (5)

Answer 6

•Self-discipline
•Strive for externally-validated achievement e.g., marks; approval
•Regulate impulses
•Planful rather than spontaneous
- Rises in young adulthood and declines in later years

Question 7

Features of extraversion (6)

Answer 7

• Lots of activities, not done in depth
• Engages with outside world
• Lots of interaction with others
• Action-oriented
• Talkative
• Assertive

Question 8

Features of agreeableness (5)

Answer 8

• Focus on social harmony
• Considerate
• Trusting and trustworthy
• Optimistic
• Make compromises

Question 9

Features of neuroticism (5)

Answer 9

• Experience of negative emotions e.g. anger, anxiety, depression
• Low stress tolerance
• Reactive to emotion
• Perceive threat and frustration
• Higher levels of biological reactivity e.g. skin conductance

Question 10

Which measures of personality consider facets and factors?

Answer 10

• NEO–PI-R

- Big 5 inventory

Question 11

Which measures of personality consider only factors?

Answer 11

• IPIP Big-5 Factor Markers

- TIPI

Question 12

Controversies with the 5 factor model

Answer 12

• Phenomenological, rather than theory-based
• Limited ability of the big five to predict behaviours
• Does not cover all traits e.g., masculinity/feminity;
• Potential sixth factor?
  Honesty-Humility (Ashton et al., 2004) suggested facets include: sincerity, modesty, fairness