Personality Flashcards
Consistent set of characteristics (traits) that people display over time and across situations, and that distinguish individuals from each other.
Personality
A view of personality that regards behavioral traits as mostly a function of life experiences, not of innate or genetically based origin. (Environmental)
Situationism (Social learning)
Personality is shaped by associations with other people while in specific social situations.
Questions evidence of enduring personality traits.
Emphasizes that people change as their environment changes.
Social learning theory
Environmental and social influences
Birth order (different roles of first born), gender (different societal roles), and culture
Gender assigned for agency (competition achievement)
Male
Gender assigned for communality (social connectives)
Female
Western countries: Emphasizes personal freedom, individual accomplishment and equality.
Members of culture view themselves as separate, independent and aspiring to attain self esteem.
Individualist Cultures
Far eastern countries: Emphasizes needs of group over the individual, humanity, social order, and honoring the family,
Members of culture view themselves as connected, interdependent, and self critical.
Collectivist cultures
A view of personality in which both inherent traits and situations are believed to affect behavior, thoughts, and feelings.
Genetic potentiality and environment influences
Interactionism
Which culture?
- Musical chairs
- shoe mix game
- individualist
2. collectivist
Personality traits that show up early in life. (Genetics)
Innate inclinations to engage in certain behavior which appears early in life and persists through adulthood.
Emotionality, activity, sociability, behavior inhibition, easiness/difficulties.
Temperament
Genes like prozac affects body with more happiness and less anxiety. Some aren’t born with them.
True
The proportion of all variability of a given trait within a large sample of people that can be linked to genetic differences among those individuals.
Example: variability of height of 100,000 females 90% genes 10% environment
Heritability
Clusters of specific personality traits that are associated and together constitute a more general personality dimension.
Five Factor Model of Personality
Moody, irritable, nervous, inclined to worry.
Versus: Calm, easy going, even-tempered.
Neuroticism
Sociable, outgoing, assertive, and decisive.
Versus: Withdrawn, quiet, passive, and reversed.
Extraversion
Dependable, organized, hard-working.
Versus: Careless, lazy, and impulsive.
Conscientousness
Good natured, warm, sympathetic, and cooperative.
Versus: Cold, hostile, argumentative, and unfriendly.
Agreeableness
Imaginative, broad-minded, intellectually curious.
Versus: Practical, concrete minded
Openness
The inability to recall the experience of two or more distinct identities when they take control of the person’s behavior.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple personality disorder)
Core assumptions:
- All psychological events have a cause and we are not free to choose our actions
- No action is meaningless
- We rarely understand why we do what we do
Psychoanalytic Theory
Personality is formed in infancy and early childhood (first five years of life) and shows considerable continuity thereafter.
Suggests that inborn biological instincts drive behavior and that biological maturation guides all children through five stages.
Psychosexual development
Birth to 18 months. Task is to wean from bottle/breast. Fixation: oral receptive (overly dependent) oral aggressive (verbally hostile)
Oral Stage - Psychosexual development
18 months to 3 years. Task is successful toilet training. Fixation: Anal retentive (Stubborn, miserly) Anal expulsive (over emotional)
Anal Stage - Psychosexual development
3 years to 6 years. Task is successful identification with the same-sex parent. Fixation: Don Juan (promiscuity) Less masculine (Homosexuality) Women never entirely resolve
Phallic stage - Psychosexual development
