Personality and Health

Question 1

Personality

Answer 1

Individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving

Question 2

Main theories of personality

Answer 2

1. Type A and type B personality theory

2. the ‘Big Five’/Five Factor Model

Question 3

Type A and type B theory

Answer 3

Type A: TABP - hostile, aggressive, impatient, competitive, dominant
Type B: laid back, live in the moment
Type D: distressed - worry, negative emotion

Question 4

Big Five/Five Factor Model

Answer 4

Openness to experience 
Conscientiousness
Extraversion 
Agreeableness 
Neuroticism

Question 5

How can a type A personality affect health?

Answer 5

Higher stress, higher cortisol, higher blood pressure, more coronary problems

Question 6

How can the big five theory be used to predict health?

Answer 6

Different qualities show likeliness to partake in certain activities eg. Smoking, fruit + veg intake, adherence to treatment
Childhood personality can also be used to predict health