week 1 personality & dispositions Flashcards
what’s the scientific definition of personality
a complex concept including inner qualities, traits and mechanisms that influence behavior in adaptive and stable ways
what are the 3 levels of personality analysis
universal - common to all eg every human has an oedpius complex
nomothetic - general patterns of differences eg attachment levels
idiographic - individual uniqueness
how does individual differences affect behavior
personality and intelligence shape behavior whilst genetics and environment influence it
what are the key components of personality
inner qualities, traits, mechanisms, behavior impact, stability, organization and uniqueness
name the 3 types of personality theories
grand, piecemeal, implicit and explicit theories
what are grand theories
broad, internally consistent, less empirical
what are implicit theories
intuitive, subjective and simplistic
what makes a good personality theory
organisms facts, makes predictions, is parsimonious (explains much with little), testable, heuristic (suggests new research) and has applied value (practical interventions)
meaning of a theory of personality
systematic frameworks for understanding structure (components and organization), dynamics (impacts on behavior) or origins (developmental causes) of personality.
what are the key perspectives in personality psychology?
dispositions, psychodynamics, behavior genetics, evolution, learning, cognitive and humanistic
what are explicit theories
scientific, objective and complex
what are implicit theories
intuitive, subjective and simplistic
what are dispositions
a hidden tendency to show consistent pattern of behavior
what to types vs traits mean In terms of personality
types - exclusive categories eg introverts and extroverts
traits - continuous dimensions eg levels of extraversion
how do you graphically distinguish between traits and types
traits tend to be normally distributed while types are bimodal
what is Eyesenck’s 2 factor model
extraversion-introversion: sociability, dominance
neuroticism: anxiety, moodiness
what does Eyesenck’s 3 factor model add?
pscyhoticism - impulsivity and aggression
what is the biological basis behind Eysencks 2/3 factor model?
extraverts need more stimulation
neurotics have unstable autonomic nervous system
psychotics have higher testosterone and lower MAO
E, N and P are partially heritable
what is factor analysis in personality
statistical method to identifying underlying traits
clusters correlating items into factos
helps simplify numerous traits into core dimensions
Eysenck used FA to derive E, N and P
what is Cattell’s 16 factor model
Based on the lexical hypothesis (important traits are encoded in language).
Used factor analysis on personality descriptors.
Identified 16 personality factors.
what is the big give model (OCEAN)
Neuroticism: Emotional instability.
Extraversion: Social engagement, energy.
Openness: Creativity, curiosity.
Agreeableness: Compassion, cooperativeness.
Conscientiousness: Self-discipline, organization.
Found across different methods, cultures, and species (partially).
what are criticisms of the big five
Component Disputes: Openness varies in interpretation.
Alternative Models: Six-factor model (Honesty-Humility) or even a one-factor model.
Language-Based Limitation: Just because a trait exists in language doesn’t mean it’s fundamental.
Atheoretical: Lacks deep explanatory framework.
Lacks Dynamics: Doesn’t capture the complexity of personality interactions.
what are 2 popular typologies and trait models
enneagram, jung/myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI)
