Personality Controversies

Question 1

What is personality thought to be an interaction between? (3)

Answer 1

a) Evolution
b) Genetics
c) Environment

Question 2

How does the Phineas Gage case provide evidence for a biological approach to personality?

Answer 2

Frontal damage = loss of self control and executive functions

Question 3

What does Phineas Gage case provide evidence for?

Answer 3

Biological approach to personality

Question 4

Buss - Natural Selection in personality development

Answer 4

Proposed NS plays a role

Sometimes forced to change more quickly e.g. Christchurch earthquakes

Question 5

Why might personality be changed to force more quickly?

Answer 5

Due to circumstance

Question 6

What does Buss’s theory provide support?

Answer 6

Biological approach to personality

Question 7

If personality is subject to change by NS, which traits will thrive?

Answer 7

Agreeableness, sociability etc

If the world remains a social environment

Question 8

Which Psychologists were strong genetic-basis advocates?

Answer 8

Cattell, Eysenck and Goldberg

Question 9

Where does the most convincing genetic evidence for personality come from?

Answer 9

Twin studies

Question 10

What do twin studies of personality strive to find?

Answer 10

Evidence that MZ twins are more alike than DZ twins

Both are more alike than non twins

Question 11

Loehlin & Nicholas investigated some of the Big 5 characteristics across twins…

Answer 11

25% shared variance in identical twins

Question 12

Identical twins are more SIMILAR than non-identical twins in…

Answer 12

General abilities, e.g. intelligence

Question 13

Identical twins are less similar in terms of…

Answer 13

Goals and interests

These are shaped by environment

Question 14

Why might investigations into MZ twin similarities not be 100% representative?

Answer 14

MZ twins may be TREATED as more alike, affecting their personality via environmental route

Question 15

Three pieces of evidence/theory to support a biological background for personality?

Answer 15

1) Phineas Gage
2) Natural selection (Buss)
3) Twin studies

Question 16

What are 4 Psychosocial approaches/theories for personality?

Answer 16

1) Psychoanalytic
2) Humanist
3) Behaviourist
4) Socio-cognitive

Question 17

Example of a Psych-analytic theory?

Answer 17

Freud

Interplay between id, ego and superego

Question 18

Humanist theory

Answer 18

We are CREATIVE EXPERIENCERS of the world

Question 19

Humanist theories are more _____ than Freudian theories

Answer 19

Optimistic

Question 20

The humanist theory assumes that we are governed by…

Answer 20

Interactions and less so by fatalistic mechanisms

Question 21

What do behaviourist theories assume…

Answer 21

Characteristic patterns of behaviour/feeling/thinking are governed by social/environmental interactions

Question 22

Classical and operant conditioning is linked to

Answer 22

Behaviourist theories of personality

Question 23

What do socio-cognitive theories believe?

Answer 23

Behaviours and attitudes are MODELLED

Question 24

What is a classic example of a behaviour being MODELLED?

Answer 24

Bandura’s Bobo Doll study

Question 25

Socio-cognitive theories of personality assume cognitive styles influence how we see the world, i.e.

Answer 25

Positive/negative Stable/unstable Global/local

Question 26

Which theory of personality assumes that a stable cognitive style could influence a positive mood?

Answer 26

Socio-cognitive

Question 27

What type of study can examine how a personality changes over time?

Answer 27

Longitudinal studies

Question 28

Why might it be difficult to interpret inherent personality change in longitudinal personality studies?

Answer 28

Some changes may be due to circumstances

Question 29

What do some studies suggest about personality change with age? (Edmonds, Hampson & Goldberg)

Answer 29

Stability from adolescence up until middle age

Question 30

Who conducted the main longitudinal study on personality?

Answer 30

Harris

Question 31

Harris's longitudinal study was not as representative of the sample as it could have been - why was this?

Answer 31

Large participant dropout - reduced from 1.2k to 174

Question 32

What were the correlations in Harris's longitudinal study?

Answer 32

Surprisingly poor correlations

Question 33

Harris - What does conscientiousness in childhood predict?

Answer 33

Lower wellbeing in old age

Question 34

Harris - What does emotional stability in childhood predict?

Answer 34

Higher wellbeing in old age

Question 35

Harris - What does dependability in childhood predict?

Answer 35

High intelligence in old age

Question 36

What childhood characteristic did Harris find to predict lower wellbeing in old age?

Answer 36

Conscientiousness

Question 37

What childhood characteristic did Harris find to result in higher wellbeing in old age?

Answer 37

Emotional stability

Question 38

Who conducted one of the main cross-sectional studies of personality and how?

Answer 38

Soto, using a web-based survey using Big 5 measures

Question 39

Soto - Web Based Survey The results found females to...

Answer 39

become/remain more AGREEABLE after adolescence | become more NEUROTIC until later adulthood

Question 40

Soto - Web Based Survey There was a drop in ....... in adolescence, but a general increase with age

Answer 40

Conscientiousness

Question 41

Soto - Web Based Survey We become less ....... in adolescence, then stay stable

Answer 41

Less extraverted

Question 42

Males become ____ introverted than females, and stay there until late in the lifespan

Answer 42

More

Question 43

Which gender is more extraverted?

Answer 43

Females

Question 44

When we look at facets rather than factors, do change patterns become more clear or less clear?

Answer 44

Less clear...

Question 45

The biggest personality changes occur in....

Answer 45

Adolescence

Question 46

The biggest personality changes occur in adolescence, which suggests it is a case of ______ rather than personality change

Answer 46

Temperament

Question 47

What is temperament

Answer 47

An individuals characteristic level of emotion/intensity

Question 48

Are gender differences big or small? When do they even out? (Soto)

Answer 48

Big Late adulthood

Question 49

Can childhood personality predict late adult personality?

Answer 49

No - big changes occur in the timeframe between

Question 50

What are three traditional methods that were used to alter personality?

Answer 50

1) Surgical (e.g. lobotomy) 2) Electro-convulsive therapy 3) Aversion therapy

Question 51

What was aversion therapy commonly used to treat?

Answer 51

Aggression/homosexuality