Approaches to Personality 1a Flashcards

1
Q

What do dispositional theorists NOT deny?

A

Role of context/situation in moderating behaviour

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2
Q

What do traits influence?

A

Types of situations encountered

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3
Q

What is the meaning of nomothetic?

A

Individual differences can be described and explained in terms of predefined attributes

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4
Q

What is the meaning of idiographic?

A

Individuals are so unique that two different people cannot be described using the same concepts.

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5
Q

What is the meaning of dispositional?

A

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

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6
Q

What is the meaning of situational?

A

Personality is a series of largely unrelated states, primarily determined by situational factors - NO core essence, just distinct behavioral signatures.

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7
Q

What were the origins of personality theories?

A

The Four Temperaments - Ancient Greece philosophy. Rooted in descriptions of physical and mental disturbance - Hippocrates and humours. Physical illness arising from the imbalance of the humours.

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8
Q

What were the four humours?

A

Blood, Mucus, Black Bile, and Bile

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9
Q

How did early viewings of personality contribute to our modern view of personality?

A
  • Notion of personality ‘types’
  • Temperament descriptors have influenced modern theories of personality.
  • Specifies links between biology and temperament.
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10
Q

What was the initial PEN theory that Eysenck proposed?

A

Only two dimensions of personality, on which everyone can be placed. Orthogonal to one another and a normal distribution for each dimension.

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11
Q

What were the two dimensions initially proposed in Eysenck’s PEN theory?

A

Extraversion and introversion.

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12
Q

What was the 3rd dimension added to the theory?

A

N, individuals who were emotionally unstable, but with lower levels of fear and anxiety. Lack of remorse or conscience, and lack of appreciation of consequences of actions “psychopaths”.

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13
Q

What is psychoticism?

A

A high ‘P’.
Meant that you were unempathetic, impersonal, aggressive, antisocial, cold and creative.

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14
Q

What did a low P mean?

A

Tender mindedness, meant that you were altruistic, conformist, rational, organised, patient and empathetic.

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15
Q

Did a low P mean it was normally distributed?

A

No.

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16
Q

Is a low P independent of N?

A

No.

17
Q

How is introversion explained?

A

Differential activity levels in the reticulo-cortical system.

18
Q

How is introversion explained?

A

Differential activity levels in the reticulo-cortical system.

19
Q

What does Ascending Reticular Activation System (ARAS) in the brain stem modulate?

A

The amount of electrical activity in the cortex.

20
Q

What kind of levels of cortical arousal is preferred in introversion?

A

Moderate.

21
Q

What are the cortical levels associated with extroverts?

A

Lower levels, and therefore they seek out external stimulation.

22
Q

What are the cortical levels associated with introverts?

A

Higher levels, and therefore avoid external stimulation

23
Q

What do lower frequency, high amplitude EEG traces mean?

A

Lower cortical arousal

24
Q

What do higher frequency, lower amplitude EEG traces mean?

A

Higher cortical arousal

25
Q

What do higher frequency, lower amplitude EEG traces mean?

A

Higher cortical arousal

26
Q

What is the limbic system involved in?

A

Emotional processing.

27
Q

What is BAS?

A

Behavioural activation system, it activates ‘approach’ behaviour toward goal - Motivated to seek reward, and is based on conditioned responses associated with positive events.

28
Q

What is BIS?

A

Behavioural inhibition system focuses attention on potential costs. Inhibits behaviours associated with negative events - motivated to avoid harm and punishment.

29
Q

What are the main neural components on BAS/BIS theory?

A

Amygdala, ventromedial hypothalamus, and the midbrain gray matter

30
Q

What are the two different dimensions of personality, proposed by Gray?

A

Anxiety, driven by the BIS system, and Impulsivity, driven by the BAS system.

31
Q

What development of RST did Walker propose?

A

Developed an additional ‘Fight/Flight/Freezing System’.

32
Q

What was Gray’s work based on?

A

Non-human animals and then further applied to all mammals

33
Q

What are the limitations of Eysenck’s theory?

A
  • P factor less accepted
  • Neurobiology of emotional processing more complex than originally thought
  • Too much focus on biology/genetics
34
Q

What are some positives of Eysenck’s theory?

A
  • Good cross-cultural evidence for E and N factors
  • Major contribution to trait and biological theories of personality
  • Development of several personality questionnaires