personality

Question 1

what is personality?

Answer 1

• attributes, qualities and characteristics that distinguish behaviour, thoughts and feelings
• stable across time and place
• internal and external expressional style

Question 2

ways personality differences are expressed

Answer 2

• emotions
• behaviours
• cognitions
• motivations
• social tendencies

Question 3

what are the goals of personality research?

Answer 3

1. description - what are key features of personality
2. explanation - where do differences originate
3. prediction - is personality stable across time/place

Question 4

traits

Answer 4

• stable aspect of personality
• degree to which particular characteristic is expressed
• continuous

Question 5

what are the big 5 higher order personality traits?

Answer 5

Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism
-some things e.g. fidelity can be explained using lower order traits
-big 5 can predict more outcomes than lower order

Question 6

what are the big 6 higher order traits?

Answer 6

Honesty-humility
Emotionality
eXtraversion
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Openness

Question 7

why are narrow lower order traits important?

Answer 7

-provide more specific + precise info

Question 8

the dark triad

Answer 8

qualities that embody a socially malevolent character
-Machiavellianism: manipulation and exploitation of others, absence of morality
-Narcissism: grandiosity, pride, egotism, lack of empathy
-Psychopathy: continuous antisocial behaviour, impulsivity, selfishness, remorselessness
when characteristics are combined with attractiveness/intelligence–> acquire positions of leadership

Question 9

the light triad

Answer 9

• Kantianism: treating people as ends unto themselves
• Humanism: valuing the dignity and worth of individuals
• Faith in humanity: believing in goodness of humans

Question 10

what does normological network mean?

Answer 10

network of traits, qualities and outcomes you would expect to be associated with a trait

Question 11

light vs dark triad

Answer 11

-only 25% variance between them
-light triad have weaker motives for achievement + self-enhancement
dark triad greater number of sexual partners, higher bravery

Question 12

issues with the light triad scale

Answer 12

• self-report measures

- samples used: cultural limitations, ecological validity

Question 13

how is procrastination measured?

Answer 13

using a 1-5 scale (GPS-9)

Question 14

how does personality develop?

Answer 14

• early childhood influences
• evolutionary pressures
• genetics
• brain functioning + structure

Question 15

the more authoritative the parenting style is…?

Answer 15

the less the child procrastinates

Question 16

why might a child with overly critical authoritarian parenting procrastinate more?

Answer 16

because they learn to avoid tasks rather than risking faliure

Question 17

mother and father parenting style and procrastination + self worth of daughters and sons

Answer 17

• mothers parenting predicted self-worth in daughters which predicted procrastination
• fathers parenting predicted procrastination in daughters but not self-worth
• no significant relations between parenting styles, self-worth and procrastination in sons - procrastination seen as less socially desirable in men

Question 18

is procrastination heritable?

Answer 18

46%

• distinguishable at phenotypic but not genetic level
• procrastination correlated to impulsivity
• procrastination is linked to worse EF ability at phenotypic and genetic level

Question 19

plasticity hypothesis

Answer 19

personality is changeable like plastic

Question 20

plaster hypothesis

Answer 20

personality is enduring like plaster

-personality sets by age 20-30

Question 21

factors that promote personality stablility

Answer 21

• life experiences: all environments aren’t equal, interactionism suggests personality is contoured by environmental and social pressures it is exposed to
• genetic factors: inherent tendencies to think and behave passed on generationally at a biological level

Question 22

genetics vs environment on personality stability

Answer 22

• examined big 5 trait levels in relation to age and major life events, found that there weren’t huge changes in personality
• genetic and environmental influences both increase in stability with age
• environmental contributions are almost non-existent in early childhood

Question 23

which hypothesis did william james favour?

Answer 23

plaster hypothesis

Question 24

what is heritability?

Answer 24

the proportion of phenotypic variance in a sample explained by genetic factors