Personality Flashcards
What is personality?
distinctive and enduring patterns in the ways an individual thinks, feels and behaves, that characterize and ay predict responses to events or situations.
personality is consistent
within the individual and over time
since behaviour is consistent and distinct from others’ behaviour in similar situations,
you can distinguish between people using the theories of personality
what are the 4 heirarchical levels in the psychometric trait approach?
superfactor>trait>habitual response>specific response
what is the method, aim and result of factor analysis?
correlation patterns between traits, extract hypothetical structures from these, many equivalent results to same data
orthogonal:
IDs small number of powerful, independent factors (uncorrelated)
oblique:
IDs larger number less powerful factors (some correlation)
orthogonal and obliquely rotating data allows us to
cluster the data and hence reduce it
personality factors tend to be normally distributes, appart from
psychoticism, which also describes healthy but non norm characteristics ex. rebelliousness
Principles of Allports theory:
trait explains consistency, state explains variability (so therefore context affects), and traits can be condensed into 3 categories to describe uniqueness: cardinal, central and secondary traits. Also, traits affect response to, and selection of, situations.
Principle’s of Cattell’s theory:
“fundamental lexical hypothesis” linguistics rel. to individual differences, reduced traits to 16 info clusters- primary correlated factors (oblique). However 16 not replicated, plus use of intelligence is a source of critique.
Principles of Eysencks theories:
ID of basic traits, subjects were psychiatric vs military (large “control”), in questionnaires agreed or disagreed, results were 2 factor theory (and PEN theory)
Eysencks 2 factor theory:
2 overarching dimensions/factors, orthogonally rotated (so robust), introvert/extrovert/neurotic/stable. Showed to make some sense neurobiologically, ex extrovert seek excitement due to increased DA, neurotics sleep less due to 5HT & NA inbalance(?)
Eysencks PEN theory:
added a 3rd dimension, psychoticism. tests validated with criterion analysis (given to people with known differing in certain dimension). links to neurobiology.
Evaluation of eysencks theories:
more replicable than 16 pf, but P only partially replicated by baratt and kline because P is so closely linked to negative ends of A and C. Also, ethical problem of P being used to explain criminal behaviour.
Principles of Gray’s theory:
Psychobiological approach. BIS(inhib)/BAS(activ.)
BIS pathway:
Anxiety inititates the system–>septohippocampal and brainstem efferents send MOAs and 5HT to frontal lobe–>punishment/non-reward/avoidance of novelty
BAS pathway:
Impulsivity activates system–>major dopinergic pathways directly related to –> reward.
evaluation of gray’s BIS/BAS
1st to integrate across analytical levels, has testable predictions, carver & white (1994), links to big 5
why is the fact that the big five involves 5 OBLIQUELY rotated factors not a problem?
not a problem if 1D and replicable
what are costa and mcCraes big five?
openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism.
fundamental lexical hypothesis (cattells 16pf and the big 5)
if individual differences in the different factors are universal, then all languages of the world should include terms that refer to these factors.
pros of big 5
some empirical evidence supports across culture and time, fundamental lexical hypothesis
cons of big 5
1st and 2nd order characteristics not separated according to heirarchy, self report vs. peer report, several big 5 theories so difficult to conceptualise, intellectual ability arguably not a trait.
