Week 2 (personality theory) Flashcards
What was Adlers approach to personality theory?
- Adler argued that social context shapes our personality
- They say “Events in the lives of individuals as having no meaning except as participating in a collective whole”
- We evaluate our traits based on social context and social comparison
What was Jungs approach to personality theory?
- Jung argued that our experience shapes our personality, especially early life experiences
- Jung believed there was at least two different personality types: introverts and extraverts
According to Jung, what is the difference between introversion and extraversion?
INTROVERSION
- the contents of consciousness refer more to the self
EXTRAVERSION
- the contents of consciousness refers mainly to external objects in the world
How did Jung develop his ideas?
From psychoanalytic theory and clinical observation
What personality type indicator is based on jungs ideas?
The myers briggs
What did the creators of the myers briggs personality test say in reference to the use of the test in occupational settings?
“It is unethical, and in many cases illegal, to require job applicants to take the Indicator if the results
will be used to screen out applicants.”
What was Freuds approach to personality theory?
- Freud argues that genes interact with our environment to shape our personality
- He argues that instinctual drives interact with childhood developmental experience
What was Eysenck’s approach to personality theory?
- Eysenck argued that physiology shapes our personality
- His idea of introversion and extraversion was in terms of physiological arousal
- An extravert draws their arousal from external sources. A lively and busy environment is a source of stimulation and excitement for an extravert. An under stimulating environment leads to boredom and lethargy.
- An introvert has higher levels of internal arousal, so prefers a less stimulating environment to avoid depletion.
Describe Eysencks vison of stimulation vs. arousal in introverts and extraverts
- For the same levels of stimulation, an introvert is usually more aroused than an extravert
- as stimulation increases, arousal increases at a greater rate for introverts compared to extraverts
- After a point, arousal starts to decrease for the introvert
How did Geen set out to test eysencks hypothesis?
- They grouped ppts into introvert and extravert
- Each group was asked to listen to music whilst computing a paired associate listening task
- ppts were either:
allowed to choose their music volume
allocated a low intensity music volume
allocated a high intensity music volume - He then measured ppts pulse rates as an indication of arousal
- He also measured participants performance on the task
- He found that in both conditions of intensity, pulse rate was higher for introverts than extraverts
- The high noise intensity choice would lead to a higher pulse rate than the low noise intendity choice
- When ppts were able to choose their own intensity, the introverts chose a lower intensity and the extraverts a higher intensity, but with each giving the same level of arousal to each group of a pulse around 75bpm
- In the high intensity condition, extraverts performed better than introverts. In the low intensity condition, introverts performed better.
What are 4 personality theory hypotheses and who argued them?
- Social context shapes personality- Adler
- Our experiences shape personality - Jung
- Genes interact with our environment to shape our personality - Freud
- Physiology shapes our personality - Eysenck
What is Eysenck’s model of the ascending reticular activating system?
RETICULO-CORTICAL SYSTEM
manages arousal generated by incoming stimuli
- High arousal = introvert
- Low arousal = extravert
RETICULO-LIMBIC SYSTEM
manages and controls arousal to emotional stimuli
- High arousal = neurotic
- Low arousal = emotionally stable
What does Susan Cain, cofounder of the quiet revolution argue?
We should all be mindful of our own tendency towards introversion and extraversion and allow ourselves to create environments that work for us.
Although we live in an extravert focussed society, there are many benefits to introversion. For example introverted leaders often deliver better outcomes because they support others to flourish.
What is Jeffrey Grays model of personality?
- Some of us approach risks and are motivated by rewards
- Others avoid risks and are less sensitive to rewards
- Personality is based on the interaction between a behavioural approach system and a behavioural inhibition system. These systems can map onto the neuro-endocrine system.
BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH SYSTEM
- The BAS is reward seeking. It is based on a model of appetite motivation, meaning an individuals disposition to pursue and achieve goals
- The BAS is aroused when it recieves cues corresponding to rewards
- Individuals with a highly active BAS are more impulsive
- They also show higher levels of positive emotions such as elation, happiness and hope in response to environmental cues.
The BAS includes the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC), ventral striatum, ventral pallidum and Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
FIGHT FLIGHT FEAR SYSTEM
- activated when threat is detected
- Responsible for mediating reactions to all aversive sti-
- It drives defensive avoidance and it is responsible for avoidance and escape behaviours
- Individuals with a highly active FFFS are highly tense moody and nervous
BEHAVIOURAL INHIBITION SYSTEM
- Responsible for resolving conflicts between the FFFS and the BAS
- Balances out the drive to approach reward and avoid threats
- Activation of the BIS leads to attention and arousal, which might otherwise be termed anxiety
- Attention is drawn towards potential threats
- it initiates risk assesment to resolve goal conflict. This state is experienced as worry/rumination and a sense of possible danger.
Describe the behavioural approach system
BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH SYSTEM
- The BAS is reward seeking. It is based on a model of appetite motivation, meaning an individuals disposition to pursue and achieve goals
- The BAS is aroused when it recieves cues corresponding to rewards
- Individuals with a highly active BAS are more impulsive
- They also show higher levels of positive emotions such as elation, happiness and hope in response to environmental cues.
The BAS includes the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC), ventral striatum, ventral pallidum and Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
