Personality and Strengths Flashcards
What is personality?
Personality refers to the enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that characterize an individual, leading to consistency over time. It is influenced by a wide range of factors, from genes to culture.
Three Levels of Personality
● Like all other people: Basic needs and capacities (e.g., self-determination theory, language)
● Like some other people: Individual and group differences (e.g., traits, gender)
● Like no other person: Unique quirks, life stories, and personal projects
Sources of Personality
● Evolution
● Genes
● Prenatal experiences
● Early temperament
Sources of Personality (Continued)
● Development:
○ Occurs in families, cultures, places, and through random events
○ Involves processes of evocation, selection, etc.
○ Includes maturation and increasing cognitive complexity
● Continuity and change are normative, like Theseus’ ship.
What are the Big Five traits?
The Big Five traits (OCEAN or CANOE) are a widely accepted model of personality, encompassing:
○ Openness to experience
○ Conscientiousness
○ Extraversion
○ Agreeableness
○ Neuroticism
What are some characteristics of extraversion?
Extraversion is characterized by a tendency to be outgoing, sociable, and energetic. It is associated with facets such as friendliness, gregariousness, assertiveness, activity level, excitement-seeking, and cheerfulness. Extraverts tend to experience higher levels of positive emotions and are more sensitive to rewards.
Extraversion Example II: Levels & Processes
● Genes
● Physiology (e.g., Behavioral Activation System - BAS)
● Sociable/reward behavior: (cause and effect?)
○ Selection, evocation, manipulation
● Cognitive biases (e.g., memory, homophones)
● Self-regulation (mood)
● Culture
Traits are Dimensional
● Normal Distribution: What we observe in real life
● Types Distribution: Not what we observe
What are some individual differences beyond the Big Five traits?
Personality encompasses various individual differences beyond the Big Five traits. These include:
○ Needs or motives
○ Goals
○ Interests
○ Self-concept dimensions
○ Values
○ Attachment styles
○ Abilities
○ Character strengths
What are character strengths?
In positive psychology, character strengths are viewed as the basic building blocks of personality. They are morally valued, stable, and consistent, similar to traits. However, strengths are typically more specific or clearly defined and often assume causes or consequences.
Jingle fallacy:
“thinking that two actually different things are the same because they share a name”
Jangle fallacy:
“thinking that two nearly identical things are different because they have different names”
What is the VIA classification of strengths and virtues?
The VIA classification is a system for categorizing character strengths, identifying six core virtues:
○ Wisdom and knowledge
○ Courage
○ Humanity
○ Justice
○ Temperance
○ Transcendence
Each virtue encompasses several specific strengths.
Strengths and Virtues vs. the DSM - Potential benefits of both systems:
○ Common language
○ Guide research and assessment
○ Provide a ‘map’ for institutions
Strengths and Virtues vs. the DSM - Important differences:
○ Categories vs. dimensions: DSM uses categories, while strengths are dimensional
○ Number of constructs: The DSM includes many disorders, while the VIA system focuses on 24 strengths
○ Validity and universality: The VIA system aspires to greater validity and universality than the DSM
Defining Strengths
● Morally valued (positive)
● Compared to traits:
○ Similar relative stability, consistency
○ Similar role for situations, nurturing
○ Similar hierarchical conceptual structure
● Hierarchical Structure: Broad virtues encompass narrower strengths
Front: How were the VIA strengths chosen?
The VIA strengths were identified through a multi-step process that involved:
○ Discussions among psychologists
○ Consultation of philosophical lists
○ Review of literature and popular culture
○ Examination of institutions
○ Cross-cultural comparisons
Assessing Character Strengths
Methods:
○ Self-report questionnaires:
■ Issue: Social desirability bias
■ However: Compare to other constructs, validity
■ Available for both adults and youth
○ Other approaches:
■ Structured interviews: To identify signature strengths
■ Content analysis of text: Looking for synonyms and related terms
Some Initial Findings (Strengths Research)
● General:
○ Other research supports the validity of the constructs
○ Strengths are internally consistent and stable over time.
○ Self-reports of strengths agree with peer reports.
● Culture:
○ Similar average levels of strengths across cultures:
■ High: Kindness, fairness, authenticity, gratitude
■ Low: Self-regulation, modesty, prudence
Some Initial Findings (Strengths and Well-Being)
● Strengths are associated with life satisfaction, particularly ‘strengths of the heart’:
○ Zest, gratitude, hope (vs. love of learning)
● Effects of crisis (?):
○ Major illness is linked to bravery and humor
○ 9/11 is linked to gratitude, hope, teamwork, and leadership
● Age Differences:
○ Youth: Hope, teamwork, and zest are higher
○ Adults: Authenticity, leadership, appreciation of beauty, and openness are higher
○ General trend: Small increases in strengths with age
