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
