Unit 3.1: Dispositional domain

Question 1

What are traits? (two basic formulations)

Answer 1

internal properties of people that cause behaviour
simple descriptions/ summaries of a person’s behaviour

Question 2

Can traits be equated with external behaviour?

Answer 2

no, they are inner needs, impulses or desires
-> regarless of whether they’re expressed or not

Question 3

What can traits (as internal properties) be useful for?

Answer 3

ruling out other causes of behaviour

Question 4

What is the difference between traits as internal properties vs. descriptive summaries?

Answer 4

descriptive summaries:
no assumptions on internality or causality
behaviour as part of personality

Question 5

Which 3 key elements to identify traits did the “act frequency formulation of traits” establish?

Answer 5

1. Act nomination
2. Prototypical judgement
3. Recording act performance

Question 6

What is the “Act frequency formulation of traits” often criticised for?

Answer 6

doesnt specify how much context is needed
only applicable to visible behaviours

Question 7

What are the three fundamental approaches to identify the most important traits?

Answer 7

Lexical approach
Statistical approach
Theoretical approach

Question 8

What is the starting point of the lexical approach? What are the criteria for it to work and what is a major problem?

Answer 8

lexical hypothesis: all individual differences encoded in natural language
criteria: synonym frequency and cross-cultural universality
problem: focuses on adjectives (doesnt account for other parts of speech)

Question 9

When is the statistical approach applied and what is its use? Whats the most common type?

Answer 9

broad set of items gathered
-> approach applied by making people grade themselves
most common: factor analysis
useful to reduce wide range of adjectives into smaller sets

Question 10

Factor analysis

Answer 10

identifies and groups items that covary

Question 11

Why is the theoretical approach important?

Answer 11

theory determines which variables are important

Question 12

PEN Model

Answer 12

by Eysenck
Psychoticism: aggressive, egocentric, antisocial, impulsive behaviours
Extraversion: sociable, high level of activity
Neuroticism: emotionally unstable, high reactivity to negative emotions, anxious

Question 13

Hierarchical structure of the PEN model

Answer 13

Super traits
Traits
Habitual acts
Specific acts

Question 14

What does the PEN model focus on?

Answer 14

heritability in the identifiable physiological substrate (structure)

Question 15

What do Extraverion, Neuroticism and Psychoticism relate to on a physiological basis?

Answer 15

Extraversion: CNS arousal/ reactivity
Neuroticism: greater lability/ ability to change ANS
Psychoticism: higher testorsterone level and lower levels of the neurotransmitter inhibiting aminoacid MAO

Question 16

What are limitations of the PEN model?

Answer 16

many other heritable traits
some traits may have been forgotten

Question 17

Which traits are included in the big 5 model?

Answer 17

Extraversion: honest, social, talkative, outgoing
Agreeableness: prosocial, empathetic, warm and understanding
Conscientiousness: reliable, hard working, punctual
Neuroticism: how we face stressors; worried, anxious, insecure
Openness/ intellect: interest in new experiences, creative, intellectual

Question 18

Who came up with the big 5 model?

Answer 18

McRae & Costa

Question 19

What did Ashon and Lee do and how did they thus expand the big 5 model?

Answer 19

lexical approach with more languages
honesty-humility: tendency to be fair and authentic, cooperative without reprisals
low scores: exploitative & manipulative