Temperament and Personality

Question 1

Type A vs Type B

Answer 1

Type A is driven, impatient, angry/hostile (increased HR, BP, catecholamines in response to stress)
Type B is relaxed – takes life more slowly

Question 2

Definition of Temperament

Answer 2

Biologically based behavioral tendencies present early in life. Relatively stable

Question 3

Personality

Answer 3

Temperament plus sociocultural and cognitive elaborations.

Question 4

Examples of temperament

Answer 4

Harm-avoidant, novelty seeking, reward dependence, persistence.

Question 5

Eamples of character

Answer 5

(dimensions that reflect sociocultural learning)

Self directedness, cooperativeness, self-transcendence.

Question 6

Thomas and Chess

Answer 6

Studied temperament in children.
40% easy
15% slow to warm
10% difficult

Question 7

Neural Network model of personality

Answer 7

Approach system vs inhibition system
Approach: response to good stimuli and reward. Extraversion, positive emotion.
Inhibition: Governs response to aversive stimuli, punishment, threats. Neuroticism, anxiety, negative emotion.

Question 8

Eysenck’s Factors of Adult Personality

Answer 8

PEN
Psychoticism: aggressiveness, hostility, egocentrism.
Extraversion: sociability, liveliness, assertiveness, dominance
Neuroticism: depression ,shyness, guilt, emotionality, irritability, moodiness

Question 9

Kagan’s behavioral inhibition

Answer 9

Basically echoed thomas and chess, showed that 15% of infants are shy, cautious, restrained. In utero too. At age 21, they had higher rates of anxiety and depression.

Question 10

Harm avoidance

Answer 10

Early appearing trait that is associated with mood/anxiety disorders

Question 11

Five factor personality model

Answer 11

OCEAN
Openness (flexibility, imaginative, curious)
Conscientiousness (neat, persistent, responsible)
Extraversion
Agreeableness (kind, affectionate, empathy)
Neuroticism

Question 12

Factor with lowest levels in adolescence

Answer 12

Agreeableness

Question 13

Is personality stable over time?

Answer 13

Pretty much, gets more stable over time, but some change can occur.

Question 14

Genetic influence on temperament and personality

Answer 14

Yes, for sure. Strong.

Question 15

Single gene leading to personality?

Answer 15

No.

Question 16

Can a horrible environment overcome good traits?

Answer 16

Yes. Also, horrible traits can overcome good environment.

Question 17

Fetal programming hypothesis

Answer 17

Environment in womb causes different phenotypes in fetus as a means of optimally adapting to the outside environment.

Question 18

OCEAN features associated with psychiatric disease

Answer 18

Low openness
Low conscienciousness
Low extraversion
Low agreeableness
High neuroticism