week 9 individual differences/ personality

Question 1

what is personality

Answer 1

psychophysical systems that determine characteristics, behaviour and thought

Question 2

idiographic approach

Answer 2

focus on uniqueness of individuals

Question 3

nomothetic approach

Answer 3

focus on key dimensions of personality that people share.

Question 4

main approaches in studying personality

Answer 4

psychodynamics, behaviourism, social cogntive theory, humanistic, traits and psychometric theories.

Question 5

(major approaches) psychodynamics

Answer 5

common defence mechanisms- displacement, repression, sublimation, regression

Question 6

psychodynamics critique

Answer 6

• lack of academic rigour as not systematically tested
• lack of empirical evidence as theory is unfalsifiable. repressed memories have been shown not to work the way psychoanalysis says.

Question 7

(major approaches) behaviourism in personality

Answer 7

Skinner 1977 - personality comes from interaction between the individual and the environment. theory of learning (conditioning) through reinforcement and punishment. only interested in observable stimulus response behaviours

Question 8

behaviourism critique

Answer 8

low ecological validity for testing conditions. lack of explanation for what is happening inside a persons memory, thoughts and emotions.

Question 9

(major approaches) social cognitive theory

Answer 9

reinforced observed behaviours incorporated into personality

Question 10

social cognitive theory critique

Answer 10

-assumes environment changes MUST result in changes to an individual.
- does not consider emotion or motivation in the moment - only as past experiences learned from

Question 11

(major approaches) humanistic

Answer 11

-free will
-human values
-subjective experience
-explored through qualitative methodologies - accessing internal experiences
-Maslow hierachy of needs

Question 12

humanistic critique

Answer 12

-self actualisation is undefined and highly personal and it is difficult to study consciousness or emotion in ways recognised by science

Question 13

(major approaches) traits and psychometric theories

Answer 13

treats are durable characteristics of a person that produce an effect on behaviour and types are collections of traits that occur together in some individuals

Question 14

critiques of traits and psychometric theories

Answer 14

change due to life experiences, interpretation of factor analysis can be subjective.

Question 15

Extraversion (E) - Introversion (I)

Answer 15

Where you prefer to get or focus your energy, preferring social or internal worlds

Question 16

Sensing(S)–iNtuition(N)

Answer 16

The kind of information you prefer to gather and trust, being more objective or abstract

Question 17

Thinking(T)–Feeling(F)

Answer 17

The process you prefer to use in coming to decisions

Question 18

Judging(J)–Perceiving(P)

Answer 18

How you prefer to deal with the world around you, how quickly you come to decisions

Question 19

OCEAN

Answer 19

• Openness to experience
• Conscientiousness
• Extraversion
• Agreeableness
• Neuroticism

Question 20

Openness to experience

Answer 20

Those who score high are imaginative, creative, curious. Appreciate art, divergent thinking, negatively associated with right wing authoritarianism. primarily attracted to highly open people.

Question 21

conscientiousness

Answer 21

Those who are conscientiousness are thorough, hard working, responsible. positively associated with longevity, educational attainment, job performance. negatively associated with criminality, smoking, unemployment. tend to follow social norms, feel guilt and shame when fail to meet others expectations.

Question 22

extraversion

Answer 22

talkative, bold, energetic. positive emotionality, lots of mates, strive for independence and intimacy.

Question 23

agreeableness

Answer 23

warm, kind and cooperative. negotiate rather than retaliate. help others. experience empathic concerns when they observe people in distress

Question 24

neuroticism

Answer 24

nervous, discontented, tense. positively associated with cardiovascular disease, alcohol abuse. tend to feel self conscious and insecure and act impulsively when upset.