Lecture 2 - Personality Traits (Chapter 2)

Question 1

What is the nomothetic paradigm?

Answer 1

Assumes that individual differences can be described, explained and predicted in terms of pre-defined attributes.

Question 2

What is the idiographic paradigm?

Answer 2

Assumes that individuals are unique and that two separate people cannot be described using the same concepts or terms.

Question 3

Psychodynamic theories are based on which paradigm?

Answer 3

Idiographic paradigm - psychodynamic theories emphasise the unique nature of individuals’ life experiences.

Question 4

What is the dispositional approach to personality?

Answer 4

Views personality in terms of consistent and unchanging dispositions to act, think and feel regardless of context.

Question 5

What is the situational approach to personality?

Answer 5

Views personality in terms of unrelated states or behaviours determined by situational factors.

Question 6

Dispositional approaches are naturally what paradigm, and why?

Answer 6

Dispositional approaches are naturally nomothetic because they describe people in the same terms.

Question 7

When making distinctions based on traits, is it a nominal or ordinal difference? Why?

Answer 7

Ordinal because it assumes that each person has those traits, but in different quantities/extents.

Question 8

When making distinctions based on types (of personalities), is it a nominal or ordinal difference? Why?

Answer 8

Nominal because it suggests a categorical difference.

Question 9

Define ‘personality traits’.

Answer 9

Dynamic organisation inside the person, of psychophysical systems that create a person’s characteristic patterns of behaviour, thoughts and feelings.

Question 10

Who derived the very first theory of personality and what was it called?

Answer 10

Hippocrates-Galen personality or temperament theory.

Question 11

What was the main assumption of the Greek classification of personality types?

Answer 11

That biological differences formed the basis, and were the cause of, psychological differences.

Question 12

How did the four different types of temperament in the Greek classification describe biological differences?

Answer 12

In terms of the level of specific fluids in the body.

Question 13

What characteristics might someone have if they have a sanguine temperament?

Answer 13

Enthusiastic
Optimistic
Cheerful
Satisfied with life

Question 14

What was the sanguine temperament believed to be mediated by?

Answer 14

The strength of blood supply.

Question 15

What characteristics might someone have if they have a choleric temperament?

Answer 15

Aggressive
Volatile
Temperamental

Question 16

What was the choleric temperament believed to be mediated by?

Answer 16

The level of ‘yellow bile’, a chemical released by the gall bladder during digestion.

Question 17

What characteristics might someone have if they have a phlegmatic temperament?

Answer 17

Calm
Relaxed
Slow-paced

Question 18

What was the phlegmatic temperament believed to be mediated by?

Answer 18

The level of mucus.

Question 19

What characteristics might someone have if they have a melancholic temperament?

Answer 19

Sad/depressed
Reflective
Pessimistic

Question 20

What was the melancholic temperament believed to be caused by?

Answer 20

Malfunctioning of an organ called black bile.

Question 21

What were the four temperaments assumed to exist by Greek theorists?

Answer 21

• Sanguine
• Choleric
• Plegmatic
• Melancholic

Question 22

Eysenck conceptualised extraversion as what combination of Greek temperaments?

Answer 22

Sanguine and Choleric temperaments

Question 23

Eysenck conceptualised introversion as what combination of Greek temperaments?

Answer 23

Phlegmatic and Melancholic temperaments

Question 24

Eysenck conceptualised neuroticism as what combination of Greek temperaments?

Answer 24

Melancholic and Choleric temperaments

Question 25

Eysenck conceptualised emotional stability as what combination of Greek temperaments?

Answer 25

Sanguine and Phlegmatic

Question 26

What was Sheldon's personality theory called and what did it suggest?

Answer 26

Somatotype theory - suggested that psychological dispositions and patterns of behaviour are associated with physical features.

Question 27

What are the 3 personality types proposed by Sheldon's personality theory?

Answer 27

Endomorphic, mesomorphic and ectomorphic.

Question 28

According to Sheldon's somatotype theory, what traits do endomorphic people have?

Answer 28

Sociable Peaceful Tolerant Generally overweight

Question 29

According to Sheldon's somatotype theory, what traits do mesomorphic people have?

Answer 29

Assertive Proactive Vigorous Muscular

Question 30

According to Sheldon's somatotype theory, what traits do ectomorphic people have?

Answer 30

Insecure Sensitive Quiet Weak muscles

Question 31

What did Carl Jung's theory explain?

Answer 31

To explain the personal process of individuation by which the historical events of upbringing interact with universal psychological determinants.

Question 32

What does the MBTI stand for?

Answer 32

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Question 33

What is the MBTI?

Answer 33

A questionnaire that assesses introversion-extraversion, intuition sensing, thinking-feeling and judgement-perception as the four major functions of temperament.

Question 34

What are the characteristics of people with Type A personalities?

Answer 34

Proactive Driven Achievement-oriented Very impatient

Question 35

What are the characteristics of people with Type B personalities?

Answer 35

Relaxed Calm Easygoing

Question 36

What do Block's (1971) personality types assess?

Answer 36

The extent that individuals are well-adjusted (flexible and adaptable in interpersonal interactions).

Question 37

What are the further categories within maladaptive personality types, according to Block (1971)?

Answer 37

Over-controlling and under-controlling. Over-controlling - uptight and difficult to deal with Under-controlling - impulsive, risk-taking and aggressive and pay little attention to social norms.

Question 38

What did Raymond Cattell (1957) argue about the motivation or cause of behaviour?

Answer 38

Biological instincts such as hunger, sex drive and aggression should be considered as part of an individual's personality, because they motivate/cause behaviour.

Question 39

What did Helson and Moane (1987) find about the change in personality of women?

Answer 39

Women tend to get more confident, dominant and independent in late adulthood.

Question 40

What is Eysenck's Gigantic Three?

Answer 40

His theory suggesting that there are three main personality traits that all individuals can be classified on.

Question 41

What are the three personality traits in the Gigantic Three?

Answer 41

Extroversion, neuroticism and psychoticism.

Question 42

What does MMQ stand for?

Answer 42

Maudsley Medical Questionnaire

Question 43

What does EPI stand for?

Answer 43

Eysenck's Personality Inventory

Question 44

What does EPQ-R stand for?

Answer 44

Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire

Question 45

What does EPP stand for?

Answer 45

Eysenck Personality Profiler

Question 46

What does it mean if dimensions on a theory are orthogonal?

Answer 46

Means they are independent of each other.

Question 47

What is neuroticism?

Answer 47

An individual's level of emotionality and tendency to worry, be moody, touchy and anxious.

Question 48

What characteristics would you have if you were highly extroverted?

Answer 48

Energetic, sociable, lively, active, assertive, confident and dominant.

Question 49

What characteristics would you have if you were highly psychotic?

Answer 49

Unempathetic, creative, sensation-seeking, aggressive and cold.

Question 50

What is characteristic of sociopaths?

Answer 50

They show little/no respect for social norms.

Question 51

How are personality traits distributed in the population?

Answer 51

Normally distributed

Question 52

Eysenck (1967), Eysenck and Eysenck (1985) suggested what accounts for psychological and physiological differences between individuals?

Answer 52

Reticulo-cortical and reticulo-limbic systems.

Question 53

Where is the reticulo-cortical system located?

Answer 53

Brain-stem reticular formation

Question 54

Where is the reticulo-limbic system located?

Answer 54

Visceral area

Question 55

What is the function of the reticulo-cortical system?

Answer 55

Controlling the cortical arousal produced by each incoming stimulus.

Question 56

What is the function reticulo-limbic system?

Answer 56

Regulates responses to emotional stimuli.

Question 57

What is the reticulo-limbic system composed of?

Answer 57

Amygdala, hippocampus, septum, cingular and hypothalamus.

Question 58

How did Eysenck explain individual differences in Neuroticism?

Answer 58

Arousability of the limbic system, which generates activity which is perceived as arousal.

Question 59

What did Eysenck suggest might be the biological cause of individual differences in psychoticism?

Answer 59

Dopamine - necessary for the experience and regulation of emotionality.

Question 60

What is Gray's Personality Theory also known as?

Answer 60

BAS - Behavioural activation system BIS - Behavioural Inhibition system

Question 61

How did Eysenck and Gray's theories differ?

Answer 61

Gray investigated more fine-grain descriptions of neuropsychological processes underlying individual differences in personality.

Question 62

What does BAS stand for?

Answer 62

Behavioural activation system

Question 63

What does BIS stand for?

Answer 63

Behavioural inhibition system

Question 64

What does the BAS do?

Answer 64

Motivates behaviour towards a reward by making the individual aware of the reward and triggering behaviour.

Question 65

What does the BIS do?

Answer 65

Encourages an individual to stop a particular behaviour by increasing their awareness of potential negative outcomes.

Question 66

What was Cattell's theory on personality?

Answer 66

16 personality factors and the lexical hypothesis.

Question 67

What was Cattell's lexical hypothesis?

Answer 67

Every aspect of personality can be described using existing words.

Question 68

What did Cattell argue about intelligence?

Answer 68

It should be conceptualised as part of personality and assessed using self report measures

Question 69

Describe how the Cattell's personality factors were further analysed/reduced.

Answer 69

16 factors were reduced dwon to 3 - QI, QII and QVIII. These 3 overlapped with/were similar to Extraversion, Neuroticism and Psychoticism respectively.

Question 70

What is the 5 Factor Model of personality?

Answer 70

A trait theory of personality positing that there are 5 major and universal factors of personality: - Extraversion - Neuroticism - Openness to experience - Agreeableness - Conscientiousness

Question 71

What is the Big 5 based on?

Answer 71

- The lexical hypothesis. | - Statistical research.

Question 72

The Big 5 offers which type of classification of individual differences?

Answer 72

Descriptive, rather than causal

Question 73

What are the two abbreviations of the Big 5?

Answer 73

NEOAC and OCEAN

Question 74

What are the primary facets of neuroticism in accordance with the Big 5?

Answer 74

``` Anxiety Angry Hostility Depression Self-consciousness Impulsiveness Vulnerability ```

Question 75

What are the primary facets of extraversion in accordance with the Big 5?

Answer 75

Warmth, gregariousness, assertiveness, activity, excitement-seeking and positive emotions.

Question 76

What are the primary facets of openness to experience in accordance with the Big 5?

Answer 76

Fantasy, aesthetics, feelings, actions, unconventional ideas and values.

Question 77

What is openness to experience (as part of the Big 5) also referred to as?

Answer 77

Creativity, Intellect and culture.

Question 78

What is agreeableness (as part of the Big 5) also known as?

Answer 78

Sociability

Question 79

What are the primary facets of Agreeableness in accordance with the Big 5?

Answer 79

Trust, straightforwardness, compliance, altruism, modesty and tender-mindedness.

Question 80

Individuals high in agreeableness have a tendency to what?

Answer 80

Prosocial behaviour.

Question 81

What are the primary facets of conscientiousness in accordance with the Big 5?

Answer 81

Competence, order, dutifulness, achievement-striving, self-discipline and deliberation

Question 82

Why was Cattell's approach to personality abandoned?

Answer 82

The traits that he proposed were not reliably replicated, etc on the basis of psychometrics.