Using Personality Traits to Understand Behavior Part One Flashcards
What are the Research Methods Used to Connect Traits with Behavior?
Single-trait approach
•Many-trait approach
•Essential-trait approach
•Typological approach
The Single Trait Approach:
What do people with a certain personality trait do?
Research examines correlations between one trait and many behaviors
What is the definition of Pseudoconservative
accept conventional and traditional values and also accept destructive values such as cynicism,punitiveness, and violent Anti-Semitism
A person who claims to be guided by and a follower of conservative ideals and principals, but in reality they are primarily and mostly just the opposite
What is Authoritarianism
Turn one’s will over to an external authority to avoid having to make personal choices; enjoy giving orders, which they expect to be followed without question
What is an example of Authoritarianism
ideas based on atrocities of Hitler and the Nazis – how could people do these things or allow these things to happen?
What are some characteristics of Authoritarianism
–Prejudice against minority groups
–Antidemocratic and pseudoconservative
–The California F (fascism) scale: measures the 9 facets of authoritarianism
-More than just an acquiescence response set (tendency to agree with statements regardless of their content)
What are some behaviors with Authoritarianism?
extremely deferential and respectful to people with higher power but rude and disrespectful to people with lower power; do not respond well to challenges about their seemingly inconsistent behavior and values
What are some recent findings with Authoritarianism?
Some recent findings: uncooperative and inflexible, fewer positive emotions, support “strong” political candidates
What is a construct that can explain Authoritarianism?
An individual-difference construct that can be used to explain which individuals would be most likely to follow a leader like Hitler (or follow orders in the Milgram experiment)
How is the individual-difference construct a good example of personality traits?
Good example of how a personality trait can be used to understand a complex social phenomenon
How is “Integrity” and conscientiousness defined?
–Responsibility, consistency, moral reasoning, etc.
What is “Integrity” and conscientiousness used for?
–Used to select employees (predictive validity for supervisor ratings of job performance = .41)
–Predicts absenteeism, employee theft, and job performance
What does “Integrity” and conscientiousness help predict?
Predicts success in college: better than Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and high school grade point average (GPA)
AND
Predicts longer life expectancy
What is “Integrity” and conscientiousness correlated with?
Positively correlated with years of schooling
remember that correlation is not causation
What might “Integrity” and conscientiousness help explain?
Might explain motivation in general
“Integrity” and conscientiousness is…
less biased then aptitude tests
What is Self-monitoring?
the degree to which inner and outer selves and behaviors are the same or different across situations
What are High self-monitors?
discrepant selves and behaviors, look for cues in situation that signal how to act
What are low self-monitors?
similar selves and behaviors, more guided by inner personality
What does monitoring correlate to?
Correlates with several behaviors: performance in job
interviews and willingness to lie to get a date
In regards to monitoring…
It’s not necessarily better to be high or low
Actors scored high and mental patients scored low
The Many Trait Approach:
Who does that important behavior?
Examine correlations between one behavior and many traits
What is the California Q-Set and what does it do?
100 personality descriptions
Sort into a forced choice, symmetrical, and normal distribution
Compare characteristics within an individual
Give an Example from the California Q-set
Is critical, skeptical, not easily impressed
Is genuinely dependable and responsible person
