Unit 4.1: Biological and Sociocultural domains

Question 1

Which are moderately heritable traits that predict psychological well-being and overall satisfaction?

Answer 1

sense of purpose
orientation towards personal growth
positive social relationships
feeling like life is under your control

Question 2

Shared vs non-shared environment

Answer 2

shared: everything in the environment which is the same for two people
non-shared: differences in environments

Question 3

what do genotype-environment interactions refer to?

Answer 3

differential responses of individuals with different genotypes to the same environments

Question 4

What can the genotpype-environment correlation be like?

Answer 4

positive or negative
positive: encouraging (environment supports genotype, e.g. child that’s genetically good at playing football gets training)
negative: suppressing (e.g. child that’s genetically bad at playing football doesn’t get support/ stimulation)

Question 5

What are the methods of molecular genetics designed to do?

Answer 5

identify specific genes/ combinations of genes associated with personality traits
-> identify whether individuals with certain gene have higher/ lower scores on certain traits than individuals without that gene

Question 6

How did molecular genetics change its focus to be more accurate?

Answer 6

exploring gene-environment interactions rather than specific genes

Question 7

In how far is physiology important from the perspective of personality psychology?

Answer 7

differences in physiology create or indicate differences in psychological functioning

Question 8

In how far do connections among environmental conditions, personality traits and responses build a theoretical bridge, linking personality to specific situations?

Answer 8

specific situations evoke certain psychological responses, which can be identified and measured using physiological measures

Question 9

What does a theory specify in the context of linking personality to physiology?

Answer 9

which conditions/ stimuli interact with which personality traits to produce specific responses, observable in physiology
-> objective: using physiological concepts to explain personality

Question 10

Electrodermal activity

Answer 10

skin on palms of hands (and soles of feet) contains many sweat glands which are directly influenced by the sympathetic nervous system
-> when activated: sweat glands fill with salty water
-> can be detected by applying small amount of electricity, as water conducts electricity

Question 11

Which are examples of stimuli creating electrodermal responses?

Answer 11

sudden noises
emotional images
pain

Question 12

How do you measure cardiovascular activity and what is it?

Answer 12

blood pressure and heart rate
heart and associated blood vessels

Question 13

blood pressure

Answer 13

pressure exerted by blood on artery walls

Question 14

heart rate (BPM)

Answer 14

increase indicates that person’s body is preparing for action

Question 15

What are the categories of measuring the brain?

Answer 15

brain function
brain structure
brain connections
brain electrical activity

Question 16

brain function

Answer 16

measure/ location of parts via PET (positron emission topography) or fMRI

Question 17

brain structure

Answer 17

observing if personality correlates with size of certain brain areas
e.g. extraversion & medial orbitofrontal cortex
e.g. neuroticism & regions related to threat and punishment
e.g. conscientiousness & having a thicker cortex across brain regions

Question 18

brain connections

Answer 18

measuring size and activation of connectivity between brain regions responsible for same task

Question 19

brain electrical activity

Answer 19

EEG (electroencephalogram)
electrodes placed on scalp to measure electricity produced
gives information about patterns of activation

Question 20

blood or saliva analysis

Answer 20

hormones
indicators of how immune system is functioning
cortisol
monoamine oxidase
dopamine

Question 21

What is the most widely studied physiological theory of personality?

Answer 21

extraversion-introversion
-> proposes biological explanation for why some people are introverted and others extraverted

Question 22

Where are differences between extraverts and introverts visible? (Biological level)

Answer 22

level of arousability (not basal arousal level)
(also optimal activation level and possibility of choosing between stimulation levels)

Question 23

Which are the hypothized biological systems Jeffrey Gray’s “reinforcement sensitive theory” is based on?

Answer 23

Behavioural activation system (BAS): responsive to incentives, e.g. cues for reward
Behavioural inhibition system (BIS): responsive to cues for punishment

Question 24

What is sensation seeking?

Answer 24

tendency to seek out thrilling and exciting activities & avoid boredom
related to BAS and extraversion

Question 25

Which role does MAO play in sensation seeking?

Answer 25

physiological base controlling neurotransmitters (breaks them down)

Question 26

Tridimensional model of personality

Answer 26

levels of neurotransmitters are directly responsible for specific individual differences
novelty seeking: dopamine
harm avoidance: serotonin
reward dependence: norepinephrine

Question 27

Morning-eveningness

Answer 27

preference is a stable disposition with biological basis
-> shorter circadian rhythms tend to be morning people and vice versa
stable over time with slight tendency towards morningness in adulthood
adjustments difficult but possible