Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Personality and Individual Differences (y2s2) > Week 1 Lecture 2 - personality > Flashcards

Week 1 Lecture 2 - personality Flashcards

1
Q

Where does the word personality come from?

A

Persona –> mask worn to portray a character

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is personality as a general term?

A

The role/ character one plays in life’s drama
- comes from the real causes of behaviour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What do psychological definitions of personality all have in common?

A
  • all refer to an underlying mechanism
  • all refer to thought, emotion and behaviour components
  • all refer to characteristics –> suggests personality is predictable and knowable
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are the 4 overarching approaches to personality?

A
  • nomothetic
  • idiographic
  • dispositional
  • situational
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the nomothetic approach to personality?

A

Individual differences can be described and explained in terms of predefined attributed
- A continuum in which we can all be placed
- linked to a common underlying mechanism e.g., brain area x

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the idiographic approach to personality?

A

Individuals are so unique that two different people cannot be described using the same concepts
- must describe what is relevant to each individual

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is the dispositional approach to personality?

A

Personality seen as consistent, internal dispositions to think/act/feel in similar ways, largely independent of situation
- predictable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the situational approach to personality?

A

Personality is a series of largely unrelated states, primarily determined by situational factors.
No core essence, just distinct behavioural signatures
Many “if, then” rules

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Which approach is often taken to personality research?

A

Nomothetic and dispositional

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Do dispositional theorists deny a role of context/situation in moderating behaviour?

A

No

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Do dispositional theorists argue for a correlation?

A

Yes
- Significant correlation between traits and behaviour –> r = .40 (Funder)
- Traits also influence the types of situations encountered

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What was early theories of personality rooted in?

A

physical and mental disturbances

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is Hippocrates describe physical illness as?

A

as arising from the balance of bodily fluids (humours)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What did Galen do?

A

Applied Hippocrates theory to describe temperament

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What was Galen’s theory of the 4 temperaments?

A

4 temperaments:
- phlegmatic (calm)
- choleric (angry)
- sanguine (happy)
- melancholic (depressed)

  • balance of bodily fluids determines balance of temperament
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What has Galen’s theory of the 4 temperaments contributed to?

A
  • notion of personality “types”
  • temperament descriptors have influenced modern theories of personality
  • specifies links between biology and temperament
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What was Eysenck’s initial PEN theory?

A

Two dimensions of personality: Extraversion and Neuroticism

  • dimensions on which everyone can be placed
  • dimensions independent to each other
  • normal distribution for each dimension
  • “super traits” that provide complete description
  • biological underpinning
18
Q

What was Eysenck’s PEN theory inspired by?

A

Galen’s four temperament model

Can be directly mapped onto this

19
Q

In the 1970s, what did Eysenck observe?

A

Individuals who were:
- emotionally unstable but with lower levels of fear and anxiety
- lack of remorse or conscience
- lack of appreciation of consequences of actions

20
Q

What did Eysenck name the individuals that he observed in the 1970s?

A

psychopaths

21
Q

What dimension did Eysenck & Eysenck later add to his PEN theory?

A

“Psychoticism” dimension added
- Not normally distributed
- Not independent of N

22
Q

What is high and low Extraversion?

A

High E:
- social, talkative, outgoing, lively, energetic

Low E (introversion):
- asocial, passive, slow, reflective, quiet

23
Q

What is high and low Neuroticism?

A

High N:
- anxious, moody, depressed, pessimistic, tense, shy

Low E (emotional stability):
- stable, positive, calm, optimistic, confident, relaxed

24
Q

What was Eysenck’s biological explanation for extraversion-intraversion?

A
  • explained by differential activity levels in the reticulo-cortical system
  • Ascending Reticular Activation System (ARAS) in brain stem modulates the amount of electrical activity in the cortex
  • moderate levels of cortical activity are preferred
25
Q

What did Eysenck believe about extravert and introvert cortical activity levels?

A

Extraverts:
- lower levels of cortical arousal
- seek out external stimulation

Introverts:
- Higher levels of cortical arousal
- avoid external stimulation

26
Q

What do EEG traces suggest about cortical arousal?

A
  • lower frequency, higher amplitude EEG traces = lower cortical arousal (E)
  • Higher frequency, lower amplitude EEG traces = higher cortical arousal (I)
27
Q

Gale reviewed studies that tested the hypothesis that extraverts have lower levels of cortical arousal than introverts.

What did he find?

A

Mixed evidence –> mainly supported
A number of methodological issues identified
- unsystematic use of personality measures
- very high/low arousal level of task –> E or I then adapts to preferred level of cortical arousal –> obscures differences

28
Q

Tran, Craig and McIsaac tried to address some of the methodological issues raised by Gale.

How did they do this?

A
  • activity measured from frontal regions of brain –> areas most linked with personality so more focussed
  • Older ppts yes (22-60) –> personality only stables later on
  • Used “moderaltely demanding” task of opening and closing eyes –> equally suitable for both extraverts and introverts
29
Q

Tran, Craig and McIsaac compared mean amplitude of EEG activity between extraverts and introverts.

What did they find?

A

Extraverts had higher mean peak amplitude than introverts.

Suggests support for Eysenck

30
Q

What was Eysenck’s biological explanation for neuroticism - stability?

A

explained by differential activity levels in the reticulo-limbic system

31
Q

What is the limbic system?

A

involved with emotional processing

32
Q

What did Eysenck proposed about arousal levels for Neuroticism and Psychoticism?

A
  • Neuroticism due to greater arousal in the reticulo-limbic system
  • Psychoticism linked to male hormones or dopamine levels
33
Q

What are the pros and cons of Eysenck’s PEN theory?

A

pros:
- cross-cultural evidence for E and N factors
- Major contribution to trait and biological theories of personality
- development of several personality questionnaires inc. EPI, MMQ, EPQ-R, EPP

cons:
- P factor less accepted
- neurobiology of emotional processing more complex than originally thought
- too much focus on biology / genetics ?

34
Q

Who developed an alternative theory to Eysenck?

A

Gray
Based on work with non-human animals (applied to all mammals)

35
Q

What did Gray believe that personality was ultimately due to?

A

individual differences in strengths of BAS and BIS
as well as differential strengths of which system is stronger

36
Q

Which components did Gray believe made up both the BAS and BIS?

A
  • amygdala
  • ventromedial hypothalamus
  • midbrain grey matter
37
Q

What is the Behavioural Activation System (BAS) (Gray)?

A
  • activates “approach” behaviour towards goal
  • motivated to seek reward
  • based on conditioned response associated with positive events
38
Q

What is the Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS) (Gray)?

A
  • focuses attention on potential costs
  • inhibits behaviours associated with negative events
  • motivated to avoid harm and punishment
39
Q

When measuring BAS / BIS strength, what are higher scores associated with?

A

higher strength

40
Q

Is Gray’s theory similar to Eysenck’s?

A

Yes can be mapped similarly but Gray’s dimensions are more tilted

41
Q

Does Gray BAS / BIS (reinforcement sensitivity) theory include the dimension of Psychoticism?

A

no, considered important but separate to the BIS and BAS systems

42
Q

Gray’s reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) was revised to become r-RST

In what ways was it revised

A
  • revised in line with advances in neuroscience
  • Walker et al (2017) –> development of additional Fight/Flight/Freezing System (FFFS)
  • BIS as an evaluative comparator of response conflict

Personality and Individual Differences (y2s2) (11 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions