Unit 1 Flashcards
personality psychology
Is the scientific study of what makes us who we are. The study of individual differences: identifying ways in which people are both similar and different and explaining how they became that way.
8 building blocks of personality
traits, genetics, neuroscience, self and identity, intrapsychic foundations of personality, regulation and motivation, self determination theory, cognitive foundations
intregration
we combine the building blocks of personality into a whole person
when it comes to personality, the whole is greater than the mere sum of parts.
traits
a person’s typical way of thinking, feeling and acting in various situations, at different times
genetics
The study of how genes and environment affect personality and behaviour.
- Personality starts with our genetic makeup that we have inherited from our birth parents.
- even though many variables have a genetic component, every one of them has an environmental component as well.
neuroscience
is the study of how our brain and nervous system affect personality and behaviour through the study of bodily responses, brain structure, brain activity and biochemical activity.
-extroversion, neuroticism, and impulsivity are related to psychological and neurological differences which may be present at birth, or develop soon after. (part of who we are is built in our neurology).
self and identity
encompasses our own sense of who we are including our self-concept, self-esteem and social identity.
- we have a sense of who we are: self-concept. And we have an opinion about that: self-esteem.
- we may present ourselves in certain ways or embrace what others think about us: social identity.
- dolphins and chimpanzees are similar in this regard.
intrapsychc foundations of personality
with this sense of self, we can look within our-selves (intra) to our own conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings (psychic) that also make up our personality (intrapsychic).
-A complete understanding of our personality must take into account our unconscious motivations, including our defence mechanisms and important attachments, starting with our caregivers and continuing with our intimate relationship.
regulation and motivation
is concerned with how people adjust their responses to the environment, both consciously and unconsciously.
self determination theory
when people feel free to choose, are competent at what they do, and are connected to people around them, they will be motivated and self-directed to for the task at hand.
cognitive foundations
describes how people perceive and think about information about themselves and the world.
scientific method
describes how to make and test observations about the world in order to draw conclusions while minimizing error or bias.
How do psychologists use the Scientific Method to study personality?
- Scientific methods starts with the identification of basic facts about the worldthen, using this collection of facts, scientists build theories
- theories help scientists ask new questions and suggest where to look for answers and what kind of answers they might find. - Then scientists make predictions and test predictions based on their theories using controlled methods.
- Finally, scientists make their results public by publishing them in journals, on the Internet, or by presenting their results at conferences.
- They do this to seek out independent verification from other researchers.
observational studies
observe what people do, to understand a certain phenomenon.
-based on these observations researchers might make an educated guess or generate a hypothesis to explain their findings.
personality questionnaires
are tests in which people answer questions about themselves that identify certain aspects of their personality.
-like how talkative, outgoing, and sociable they are
correlation
means the measure of the extent to which two variables are related.
- can be small (+.0 to .3 or -.0 to -.3), medium (+.3 to .5 or -.3 to -.5), and large (+.5 to .9 or -.5 to -.9).
- researchers generally report the significance level of any correlations they calculate.
- Correlational design could be used in twin and adoption studies
correlation coefficient
An estimate of the co-relation between two variables. Correlations can be positive or negative depending on the type of relationship.
- if two variables increase or decrease at the same time= positive correlation
- if one variable increases as the other decreases or vice-versa, decreasing as the other increases= negative correlation
When two variables are related, there are always at least three possible explanations for the findings:
It is possible the first variable causes the second
It is possible the second variable causes the first one
Also possible that some third variable causes both of the variables.
correlational studies
researchers generally don’t manipulate variables, but instead measure two variables to see how they are related.
correlational designs benefits
Correlation allows the researcher to investigate naturally occurring variables that maybe unethical or impractical to test experimentally.
Correlation allows the researcher to clearly and easily see if there is a relationship between variables.
correlational design limitations
Correlation is not and cannot be taken to imply causation. Even if there is a very strong association between two variables we cannot assume that one causes the other.
Correlation does not allow us to go beyond the data that is given.
experiment
placing people in carefully controlled situation and measuring their responses
experiment steps
- researchers decide what variable they wish to study, then decide design at least two conditions which differ in this variable: experimental condition, control condition
- then researchers must use random assignment to assign participants to one condition or the other.
experimental condition
participants experience one treatment
control condition
- participants experience a different treatment of no treatment at all
- researchers will go to great lengths to ensure that the entire experimental procedure is exactly alike for all participants except for this one difference in the variable being studied.
random assignment
every participant in the experiment has an equal chance of experiencing each of the conditions
experimental design benefits
By having experimental control: All aspects of the same except for the variable being studied, and random assignment, researchers are able to conclude that a difference in reactions of participants must have been due to the variable that was manipulated
-This is the logic of a true experiment
true experiment
allows researchers to conclude that what they manipulated caused a difference in the outcome they measured.
independent variable
variable that the researchers manipulate
dependent variable
variable that researchers measure, the response of the participants
experimental design limiations
when it comes to research there is a lot of variables we cannot manipulate because it is impossible, impractical or unethical to do so
neuroticism
a personality trait that describes how anxious and vulnerable to negative emotions a person is
types of data
self report data (S data) observation data (O data) test data (T data)
self report data (S data)
They include any information people respond to directly (objective personality tests, interviews, narratives, life stories and survey questions).
Observation Data (O Data)
include information given by friend, family teachers, trained raters, or others based on watching how people behave in laboratory or in their daily lives.
test data (T data)
include information about people’s reactions to a structured situation, such as experimental procedures, intelligence tests, performance tests and projective tests.
According to the Belmont report, research with humans must adhere to to four ethical principles:
- respect for persons
- beneficence
- justice
- common rule
respect for persons
- Informed Consent: allowing people to choose for themselves whether they wish to participate or not, by giving their consent after they have been informed about the procedures and possible risks of the study.
- researcher must give extra protection to people who have limited autonomy, or limited physical or mental capacity to give their informed consent.
beneficence
First and foremost, researchers should do no harm to their participants. -Includes using the best research methods and materials, having trained personnel interact with research participants, and minimizing possible harm and maximizing possible benefits of research participation.
justice
- suggests that the benefits and burdens of research must be shared equitably among potential research populations (researchers must treat all participants fairly and equally, avoiding samples of convenience, exploitation of vulnerable populations, and not involving persons from groups unlikely to benefit from the research).
- also suggests that participants should receive some benefit or value for being in the study direct and concrete or more general for society.
common rule
mandates that institutions that conduct research must establish and maintain an institutional review board (IRB) to review all research to ensure that it upholds these standards
-These boards must include researchers, an ethicist, and members of the community who discuss all research proposals, often making suggestions to ensure that participants are protected
-Common Rule establishes procedure for obtaining informed consent from potential research participants and for explaining all experimental procedures.
Common Rule after these three principles was the last to be adopted by all federal agencies
