Task 4 - Biology of Personality Flashcards
Pavlov dog temperaments
Strong unbalanced: melancholic
Strong balanced slow: choleric
Strong balanced mobile: sanguine
Physique and Personality
relatedness of body type and people's personality Kretschmer: -pyknik (fat -athletic (muscular) -astenic (thin)
Greek humors
Blood: produces cheerful temperament in excess (sanguine)
- black bile: depressive
- yellow bile: choleric
- phlegm: calm temperament
Neurotransmitters
Biochemical substances involved in communication among neurons
-can excite or inhibit electrical impulses
Cloninger’s Theory
Dopamine: novelty seeking
Serotonin systems: inactive = high harm avoidance; active: low harm avoidance
Norepinephrine: inactive: high reward dependence; active: low reward dependence
-> focus on neurotransmitters
Dopamine
Neurotransmitter facilitating the transmission of signals of reward
-> helps sending signals of pleasurable feelings or excitement
Serotonin
Neurotransmitter inhibiting transmission of signals of punishment (prevents harmful or unpleasant feelings)
-> contributes to feelings of well-being and happiness
Norepinephrine
Neurotransmitter that mobilizes brain and body for action
Gray’s reinforcement sensitivity theory
Suggests certain regions of the brain working together as mechanisms or systems underlying personality
-Behavioral Action System (Go-system)
Behavioral inhibition system (Stop-system)
-> focus on brain structures
Behavioral Activation System
Go-system;
suggested by Gray
-involves regions of brain indicating reward experience + encourages reward seeking
-> the stronger the system, the more reward is pursued
-> correlation with behavioral activation system and novelty seeking only modest
Behavioral Inhibition System
Stop-system
suggested by Gray
-involves brain regions responsible for receiving signals from nervous system indicating experienced punishments
-> the stronger the system the more punishment is avoided
Fight-or-Flight System
Third system proposed by Gray:
involves brain regions responsible for motivating extreme reactions in response to threatening situations (fight or flight)
-> the stronger the system the more ready to fight or flee (both)
Eysenck’s Theory
Personalities based on Extraversion and Neuroticism
- > people differing in the arousability of their brains: some sensitive, some not
- > later psychoticism: aggression, manipulation
- > consistent evidence (e.g. lemon juice test)
Lemon Juice Test
Small amounts of lemon juice dropped onto tongues of reserach participants, then saliva production measured
-> more introverted: produced more saliva (higher arousability)
Hormones
Biological chemicals produced in glands, then transmitted to other parts of the body where they have their effects
-> some have effect on activity of neurons
Testosterone
Hormone responsible for many physical characteristics of men (10x higher than in women)
-> associated with aggression and competitiveness (disinhibited behavior)
Cortisol
Hormone released by adrenal cortex, triggered by physical or psychological stress
- > leads to increase in blood pressure and sugar + suppresses immune system
- > associated with reactions to stress
Oxytocin
Hormone produced in hypothalamus, released by pituitary gland
-> associated with emotional bonding and trusting
No relatedness of biological features and personality
Blood type
Handwriting style
Astrological signs
Strucutre of personality traits
Metatraits
- > Big Five (or HEXACO)
- > Aspects
- > Facets
Metatraits
Stability: Neuroticism, Agreeablness, Conscientiousness
Plasticity: Extraversion, Openness
Stability
General tendency to regulate or restrain potentially disruptive emotiona and behavior
-> might be associated with Serotonin
Plasticity
General tendency to explore and engage with possibilities
-> might be related to dopamine
Extraversion
Tendency to socialize: assertiveness, talkativeness
-> dopamine plays role
Neuroticism
Tendency to experience negative emotions and cognitions accompanying experiences of threat and punishment
- > higher baseline levels of cortisol, chronic stress, but not able to handle real stress
- > lower levels of serotonergic function, maybe higher norepinephrine levels
Agreeableness
Tendency towards altruism and cooperation
Conscientiousness
Capacity for self-discipline and organization (planning and following rules)
- > good predictor for academic and occupational success
- > might be related to serotonergic system
Openness to Experience
Engagement with abstract or intellectual formation and engagement with aesthetic or sensory information
- > consistently positively associated with cognitive abilities
- > associated with dopamine system
Effects of oxytocin
Long half-life (20 min compared to usual 5 ms)
- positive effects on trust, in-group bias, emotion recognition and relieving anxiety (reduces amygdala activity)
- more willingness to take social risks
