Personality theories Flashcards
IDs can refer to 2 things: IDs…
Among people or within a person from time to time
In many areas of psychology IDs are treated as a source of ___ e.g. ___-___ variance in ANOVAs. Therefore, experimental designs…
Error. Between-groups. Control for key ways in which individuals differ e.g. IQ or gender and/or randomly allocate Pps to groups
Give 3 reasons why we should study IDs
1) For scientific interest, 2) for practical applications e.g. selection, job design around people’s personalities, vulnerability or diagnosis of mental illness & 3) real world consequences in terms of government policy e.g. should taxes be spent on the most or least able in education?
If given an essay Q in personality, don’t write about ___
Intelligence
According to Galen, what are the 4 temperaments which when blended in a balanced way form the optimal temperament?
1) melancholic, 2) choleric (anger), 3) phlegmatic (calmness), 4) sanguine (optimism & confidence)
Define personality. What is the advantage of this definition?
The dynamic organisation inside a person of psychophysical systems which creates that person’s characteristic patterns of behaviour, thoughts and feelings. It recognises that personality factors should have biological substrates
In relation to personality, how does the idiographic approach differ from the nomothetic approach in terms of assumptions, methods & suitability?
The I approach assumes that there are aspects of an individual’s personality which are unique to that individual. Case studies & in depth interviews are used. It is appropriate for rare conditions. The N approach assumes that a small no. of universal traits exist
Name 4 overarching types of personality theory
1) statistically-based theories, 2) psycho-dynamic theories, 3) behaviouristic approaches, 4) cognitive approaches
What 3 things do personality theories assume in regard to traits? What are traits?
That traits are stable, normally distributed & vary continuously between individuals rather than involving sharp distinctions between “personality types”. Predispositions (which people possess) to respond to situations in particular ways
Name 3 features of the consensus view of personality theory
1) Traits are the building blocks of personality, 2) behaviour & traits can be organised into hierarchies, 3) traits are causal, not just descriptive as indicated by their biological basis
By what/ whom (4 factors) was Eysenck influenced by? What was his theory called?
1) The development of FA, 2) European typologists e.g. Jung, 3) Heritability research by Burt, 4) Classical conditioning research by Pavlov & American learning theory by Hull. Trait-type, factor-analytic theory
What 4 key scientific standards was Eysenck (HJE) keen on?
1) adequate trait measures, 2) a disprovable (falsifiable) theory, 3) establishing biological foundations for each trait, 4) avoiding circularity e.g. X talks a lot, therefore is an extrovert & therefore talks a lot
In the middle circle of Eysenck’s 2 factor theory we can place the 4 temperament types which are…
Sanguine, choleric, melancholic & phlegmatic
People high on psychoticism e.g. male undergrads tend to be…
Solitary, insensitive, uncaring & opposed to accepting social custom
Give 2 pieces of evidence in favour of a 3 factor model
1) 3 factors can be extracted from questionnaire data across different cultures
2) there is an inherited component of each of the 3 factors
Name the 2 Eysenck personality questionnaires. What is the difference between the two? What type of responses are required for the Qs?
Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). 2 vs. 3 factors. Yes/ no responses
If an introvert vs. extrovert left college, what would be the likely reason?
Introvert: psychiatric reason
Extrovert: academic reason
Name 3 research findings about introverts vs. extroverts
1) introverts become fatigued more easily
2) introverts are more sensitive to pain
3) excitement interferes with introverts’ performance more
Introverts show a greater ____ response to noise
Physiological
How did Eysenck believe psychiatric or personality disorders should be treated?
Using behavioural therapy based on learning theory
High neuroticism is associated with neurotic disorders such as ___, ___ ___ & pain sensitivity
Phobias, reactive depression
I-E refers to levels of ___, ___ vs. ____ & the tendency to avoid vs. seek ___
Sociability. Impulsiveness vs. reflectiveness. Stimulation
According to Cattell, there are 3 major stable elements of personality. These are…traits
1) ability traits: skills which facilitate effective functioning e.g. IQ
2) temperament traits: the nature of a person’s emotional life & stylistic quality of behaviour e.g. work slowly
3) dynamic traits: the nature of a person’s motivational life: what type of goals are important to you?
Distinguish between surface and source traits (as Cattell did)
Surface traits express (give rise to) behaviours which on a superficial level appear to be similar & vary together but do not necessarily follow a common course & have a common cause. Source traits express behaviours which are associated, do vary together and form a unitary, independent personality dimension
How are surface vs. source traits discovered i.e. at what level of observation?
Surface traits are discovered through subjective methods e.g. asking Pp which personality traits go together. Source traits are discovered through factor analysis of real reports of the co-occurrence of traits e.g. in questionnaire data
Name 3 sources of data for a personality FA (as used by Cattell). A reliable FA should report the existence of the same factors in each of the 3 data sources
1) Life record data (L-data): behaviour ratings or counts made in everyday situations e.g. at school, 2) Questionnaire data (Q-data), 3) Objective test data (O-data): miniature behavioural situations in which Pps are unaware that their responses are being used to measure a trait
Name 4 of Cattell’s 16 personality dimensions
Reserved to outgoing, less intelligent to more intelligent, stable to emotional, humble to assertive, tough- to tender-mindedness, trusting to suspicious, relaxed to tense etc
Cattell’s 16 factors have high ___ validity
Face
Cattell contrasted 3 types of research method. What were they? Which is used most in personality research & what is its disadvantage? Which is the least scientific & why? Which is the most simplistic & why?
Bivariate, clinical & multivariate. Multivariate e.g. FA - it requires a large sample size. Clinical because intuition is used to analyse the natural effects of life experience as a manipulator. Bivariate because few Vs are examined e.g. using an ANOVA
Name 5 pieces of evidence in favour of Cattell
Similar results from 1) different types of data, 2) different cultures & 3) different age groups. 4) It has been useful in reliably predicting behaviour in natural environments e.g. academic performance. 5) Genetic components of traits
According to Cattell, a person’s behaviour depends on their personality, ___, ___ & ___. The theory does not advise any particular type of ____. The theory has generated the most ___
State, motivation & role. Treatment. Research
In the business world & in military recruitment the MBTI is widely used. What does this stand for? Who is it based on? ___ claimed that people vary along 3 dimensions and that the 1st is ___-___ which was defined as whether psychic energy is directed…or…
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Carl Jung. Intraversion-extraversion. Inwards towards the unconscious (introversion) or outwards towards the world (extraversion)
Extroverts prefer ___ learning styles e.g. ___ ___, whereas introverts prefer ___ learning styles e.g. ___
Active. Peer teaching. Reflective. Lectures
The MBTI sells itself on the idea that managers and workers will work better…. It is particularly useful for people who would not normally…
As a team if they understand their own vs. others’ personality types. They will work together in a more complementary rather than combative style with those who differ from them. Consider others’ personalities
The MBTI is usually used to give distinct personality ___ in line with Jung’s theory but can also give scores on trait continuums
Categories
The MBTI has ___ dichotomies or overarching scales. I-E is the only ___ scale. The other three (…) are unstable because they can theoretically change with age. The I-E dichotomy refers to “where we get our energy: from action vs. quiet time?”. What do the other 4 dichotomies refer to?
- Stable. How we take in info? Sensing vs. intuition. How do we make decisions? Thinking vs. feeling. How do we organise our world? Judging vs. perceiving
There are 2 squares in MBPI results: one for extroverts and one for introverts. How are the 4 axes labelled?
2 X axes: sensation (facts) & intuition (possibilities). 2 Y axes: thinking (logic) & feeling (emotion).
On the basis of what we have already said about the MBTI what are the original 2 and added 3rd personalities dimensions?
1) thinking-feeling (decision), 2) sensation-intuition (perceiving), 3) judging type (thinking-feeling) for Es and Is
Costa & McCrae (19_5) proposed the currently accepted academic view of personality: the five-factor model
8
Give some e.g. traits of the Big Five
E: seek novelty & excitement, N: prone to stress & negative emotions, C: self-directed, organised & controlling, A: trusting, empathetic, compliant & slow to anger, O: creative, imaginative, eccentric
On the NEO-PIR Pps are asked to rate how characteristic statement x is of themselves on a ___-point scale
5
Give 3 uses of the NEO-PIR which lend support to the Big Five model beyond its 1) construct validity, 2) external validity & 3) genetic components.
4) Its use in diagnosing personality disorders e.g. compulsive personality disorder (high on C) & antisocial personality disorder (low on A), 5) guidance to vocational interests I.e. careers advice & 6) guidance on treatment suitability e.g. high O = explore fantasies or exposing a mismatch between the actual & perceived personality of spouse in marriage counselling
Do the Big Five suggest therapies or explanations for psychological disorders? Were the Big Five developed with a biological basis like Eysenck’s personality dimensions?
No. No
Name the lecturer’s 3 shocking strengths of trait theories in general
1) active research effort, 2) interesting H1s, 3) biological ties (important not to violate known biological facts)
Name 3 of the lecturer’s shocking limitations of trait theory
1) The subjectivity of FA (overcome by confirmatory?), 2) Problems with the trait concept: defining it & circularity of explanation & 3) Neglected areas: a) How are traits organised? Why are they orthogonal if so? Is personality a random collection of traits? b) Personality change (except Eysenck)
What are the 2 aspects of the person-situation controversy (Mischel, 2005)? What is the conclusion of this controversy?
Trait theories assume 1) longitudinal stability: traits are stable over time & 2) cross-situational stability: traits are stable across situations. These assumptions hold unless the same person’s behaviour is compared in 2 very different situations or at 2 very different time points
Psychiatric disorders may reflect…
People falling at the extremes ends of normal personality dimensions e.g. schizotypy
Name the 4 levels in Allport’s hierarchical trait theory from specific to broad concepts
Specific responses, habits, traits, types
