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Psych Assess. Ind Diff > Week 2: Trait Models > Flashcards

Week 2: Trait Models Flashcards

1
Q

Definition of trait

A

Broad, enduring, relatively stable characteristics used to assess and explain behaviour

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2
Q

Definition of types

A

Categorical, all or none tendencies

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3
Q

List the major assumptions of trait theories

A
  1. Relatively stable and enduring
  2. Some consistency and generality for each person
  3. Individual differences in strength, amount, and number of traits
  4. Trait theories concerned with understanding how people at different points on the spectrum behave
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4
Q

What differentiates traits from other personality approaches

A
  • interest in personality characteristics in ‘normal’ people
  • conscious thought
  • personality causes behaviour
  • little speculation about ‘why’
  • emphasis on degree of difference among people
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5
Q

List the historical type and trait theories

A
  • hippocratic humours
  • blood types
  • physiognomy and phrenology
  • palmistry
  • graphology
  • numerology
  • body types
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6
Q

Discuss the history behind hippocratic humours

A

Four humours were special fluids assoc. with the four basic elements of nature, thought to permeate the body and influence it’s health. An imbalance of these fluids was thought to affect individual’s personality

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7
Q

List the four humours

A
  • sanguine (blood)
  • choleric (yellow bile)
  • melancholy (black bile)
  • phlegmatic (phlegm)
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8
Q

Describe Sanguine personality

A

Cheerful, optimistic, pleasant, comfortable with their work, healthful

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9
Q

Describe choleric personality

A

Quick, hot tempered, aggressive, yellowish complexion, tense

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10
Q

Describe melancholy personality

A

Pensive, depressed, pessimistic

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11
Q

Describe phlegmatic personality

A

Slow, lazy, dull, emotionally

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12
Q

Who developed blood type theory

A

Furakawa

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13
Q

Describe a Type A blood type personality

A

Cautious, reserved, courteous, prudent

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14
Q

Describe a Type B blood type personality

A

Artistic, cheery, lively, considerate, not materialistic

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15
Q

Describe a Type C blood type personality

A

Composed, dispassionate, strong willed, self confident

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16
Q

Discuss theory behind Sheldon’s somatotypes

A

Personality is related to body shape, and strong development of one body element leads to corresponding personality type

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17
Q

Describe endomorphy

A

Development of the abdomen and digestive system

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18
Q

Describe mesomorphy

A

Muscles and circulatory s

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19
Q

Describe ectomorphy

A

Brain and nervous system

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20
Q

Endotonia

A

Comfort seeking, enjoys relaxation, food and socialising

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21
Q

Mesotonia

A

Assertive, action oriented, energetic, fearless

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22
Q

Ectotonia

A

Private, restrained, self aware, shy, intense

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23
Q

Definition of pseudoscience

A

A set of ideas or theories put forward as scientific that do not stand up to scientific analysis

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24
Q

List the main important trait theorists

A
  • Gordon Allport
  • Raymond Cattell
  • Hans Eysenck
  • Jeffrey Gray
  • Paul Costa and McCrae
  • Goldberg
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25
Gordon Allport's contributions to psychology
- adopted the lexical hypothesis by Galton - emphasised idiographic (individual) over nomothetic (group) personality aspects - human behaviour motivated by the proprium
26
Allport's proprium
Positive, growth oriented, progressive, creative driver of human nature
27
How did Allport break traits down?
- Cardinal traits: relatively unique, defines a person, not possessed by all - Central traits: small number of traits characteristic to person - Secondary traits: not as apparent, often situational modified
28
Cattell's contributions to psychology
- statistical approach to personality - surface traits - source traits - some traits are constitutional, some environmental
29
Constitutional traits
Originating in biology
30
Surface traits
Personality characteristics that correlate with one another, but not determined by a single source
31
Source traits
Stable, permanent, unitary personality factors
32
L data
Observer ratings of specific behaviours exhibited by subjects in real life situations
33
Q data
Self reports of subjects on questionnaires, such as personality inventories, interests and opinions
34
T data
Tests on which a person responds without knowing which aspects of behaviour are being evaluated
35
Cattell's 16 factor model
- 16 source traits as the basic factors of human personality | - measured in the 16-PF
36
Hans Eysenck
- proposed three major personality dimensions or super traits
37
What are the 'giant three' super traits?
- extraversion vs. introversion - neuroticism vs. emotional stability - psychoticism vs. impulse control
38
Extraversion vs. introversion
High extraversion: cheerful, sociable | Introversion: withdrawn, quiet and inhibited
39
Neuroticism vs. emotional stability
High neuroticism are worrying and anxious, low scorers opposite
40
Psychoticism vs. impulse control
High scorers on psychoticism are tough minded, ruthless
41
Describe the hierarchical approach
Supertraits are at the top of the hierarchy, and are composed of traits which are composed of habitual responses
42
What are the main properties of the FFM?
- stable over a 45 year period beginning in young adulthood - factors and traits are heritable - considered universal - knowing your place on it is useful for improvement
43
What are the big five?
- Neuroticism - Extraversion - Openness - Agreeableness - Conscientiousness
44
Neuroticism
Angry, anxious, pessimistic
45
Extraversion
Adventurous, assertive, frank, sociable, talkative
46
Openness
Cultured, intellectual, willing to make adjustments in situations
47
Agreeableness
Compatibility with others, altruistic, gentle, kind
48
List some advantages of the FFM
- helped to integrate decades of personality research - useful for profiling and categorising people - appears to be applicable across cultures
49
List some disadvantages of the FFM
- some argue it omits important traits - dimensions may be too broad - optimum number of facets to model personality still unclear - 'view of a stranger'
50
Briefly describe Gray's reinforcement sensitivity theory
Personality is made up of motivational tendencies
51
BAS
Behavioural activation system: reward sensitivity and approach motivation
52
BIS
Behavioural inhibition system: anxiety as a balancing tendency
53
FFFS
Fight-flight-freezing- system: punishment sensitivity and avoidance motivation
54
Cattell's constitutional traits
Originating in biology
55
Cattell's environmental traits
Physical and social environment
56
Conscientiousness
Considerate, competent, dutiful, orderly and responsible
57
Graphology
Handwriting analysis
58
Palmistry
Palm reading
59
Numerology
Looking at important numbers in someones life
60
Physgnomy
Using facial and body characteristics to infer personality
61
Lexical hypothesis
All the tools we need to understand personality are contained in the language we use to describe it
62
Idiographic
Sitting down and trying to understand someone in order to learn about their personality
63
Nomothetic
Group aggregated; means, comparisons, and spreads of data

Psych Assess. Ind Diff (11 decks)

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