Physiological Approaches to Personality Flashcards
What is the focus of contemporary physiological personality psychology?
Modern personality psychologists focus on distinct physiological systems like heart rate or brain waves to study how people react physiologically to different situations.
What is the theoretical bridge?
The connection between two different variables
What is Electrodermal Activity?
Skin conductance.
Sweat glands on palms/soles are controlled by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), responsible for the fight-or-flight response.
SNS activation (e.g., anxiety, anger) increases sweat production, which enhances electrodermal activity (skin conductance) since sweat conducts electricity.
What does Electrodermal Activity measure?
Provides a measure of sympathetic nervous system activity.
Among what people is emotional reactivity elevated?
Individuals with a history of self-injury had elevated skin conductance & more negative emotional reactivity to stress.
May also have lower stress tolerance.
What is cardiovascular activity?
Sympathetic activation (fight-or-flight) increases blood pressure and heart rate in response to stress.
What are the measures of cardiovascular activity?
Blood pressure (measure of stress response) and heart rate (indicator of stress/anxiety as well as cognitive effort).
Cardiac reactivity
Increases in BP & heart rate in times of stress
What is chronic cardiac reactivity linked with?
Type A Personality (particularly, hostility)
How is brain activity measured?
Electroencephalogram (EEG), Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
What is psychopathy correlated with?
Decreased limbic activation when viewing violent images for those high in psychopathy vs. a control group
What is neuroticism correlated with?
Correlated with increased frontal brain activation to negative images
What was Eysenck’s original theory?
Introversion -> Higher resting cortical arousal (ARAS lets in too much)
Extraversion -> Lower resting cortical arousal (ARAS lets in too little)
What was Eysenck’s revised theory?
Those high in introversion or extraversion do not have different resting states of arousal, the difference lies in degree of arousability
What is the behavioral activation system?
Responsive to rewards AND regulates approach behaviour
Active BAS increases what?
Impulsivity
What is the Fight-flight-Freeze System?
Responsive to immediate threats/aversive stimuli – plays a role in our FEAR response
What is the Behavioural Inhibition System?
Resolves conflict between the BAS and FFFS
Active BIS increases what?
Anxiety & Rumination
What is Sensation-Seeking Tendency?
Tendency to seek out thrills, seek experience, take risks & avoid boredom -> Less tolerant of sensory deprivation
What is the Physiological Basis of Sensation-seeking?
Monoamine Oxidase
Too little MAO -> too much neurotransmitter
Too much MAO -> too little neurotransmitter
High levels of sensation-seeking -> low MAO
What is a gambling problem usually associated with?
High sensation seeking
High impulsivity
What is Cloninger’s Tridimensional Personality Model?
Low levels of dopamine in novelty seeking
Low levels of serotonin in harm avoidance
Low levels norepinephrine in reward dependence
What are Circadian Rhythms?
Biological processes fluctuating on a 24–25-hour cycle.
Shorter circadian rhythms
Hit peaks earlier; sleep earlier at night
Longer circadian rhythms
Hit peaks later; sleep later at night
What is higher eveningness correlated with?
Higher depressive symptoms.
Eveningness may help understand some of the biological mechanisms involved in depression.
When is the left frontal hemisphere more active?
More active when experiencing pleasant emotions
When is the right frontal hemisphere more active?
More active when experiencing negative emotions
