Seminar 1 -> Personality research and person vs situation interactions

Question 1

Types of research

Answer 1

Cross sectional studies
- data recorded once
Longitudinal studies
- data recorded multiple times
- track changes in personality over time (is it stable or changing?- should be stable, so can eliminate certain traits)
Experimental studies
- manipulation of the IV
- establish cause and effect
Meta-analysis
- summarises multiple studies

Question 2

What do personality researchers study?

Answer 2

Broad perosnaity constructs - generlaibsale
- extroversion
- neuroticism
- etc
- this is hat personality is at its core
Specific personality constructs - less generalisable
- alcohol use
smoking
Broad personality constructs (e.g. extraversion)
- mood or anxiety disorders
- academic performance
- health behaviours (e.g. easting habits)
Example research article
- the relationship of neurotics and extraversion to symptoms of anxiety and depression in the general population
Specific personality constructs (e.g. alcohol related)
- family history of alcohol problems
~ genetics
~ environment
- why do people drink alcohol?
~ socialise with friends
~ cope with anxiety

Question 3

Biological assessment of personality

Answer 3

EEG
- activation of left vs right frontal cortex
- approach (BAS) vs avoidance (BIS) motivations
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- measures activation of certain areas in the brain
- measure volume/size of an area of the brain

Question 4

EEG, BAS and BIS

Answer 4

Alpha frequencies (8-12 Hz)
- wavelength picked up through EEG
- assess cortical activation
- can be displayed as heatmpas
- red = less activation
- blue = greater activation

Different types of waves and and their wavelengths:
- gamma -> 30-100+ Hz
- beta ->12-30 Hz
- Alpha -> 8-12 Hz
- Theta -> 4-7 Hz
- Delta -> 1-4 HZ

Study: Can EEG asymmetry patterns pored t future development of anxiety and depression?
- Greater right frontal activity -> BIS
- Greater left frontal activity -> BAS
- the greater the activity in the left frontal lobe, the higher the chance of traitl anxiety at Year 2 in the study

Alcohol sensitivity
- alcohol-related perodsnality trait
- how much alcohol to feel “drunk”
- similar to tolerance
- high tolerance/low sensivity
~ risk-fator for alcohol use disorders and risky drinking
- greater activity in left frontal lobe shows correlation to higher alcohol tolerance and therefore higher risk of addiction

Question 5

MRI

Answer 5

Used in a study: Extraverison is linked to volume of the Orbitoforntal Cortex and Amygdala

Question 6

Is personality hardwired?

Answer 6

Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)
- essential part of personality
- processes emotional information
- decision making
- assigns value to decisions
- “this might not end well…”
- “this will work!”
Amygdala
- processes emotional stimuli
- negative emotions
~ fear
~ disgust
~ anger

Question 7

Person vs Situation

Answer 7

Water Mischel (key figure -> against arguments between social and personality psychology)
- personality is not always a reliable predictor od behaviour
- long-term consistency, personality captures “average” behaviour
- our behaviour usually depends on the environment were are in

Personality overrides the situation
- strongly held beliefs
- people aren’t going to persuade you otherwise
Situations overrides personality
- overwhelming situation
- group think, group
polarisation
- if you are in a big group, you may go against your personality traits and held beliefs to fit in with the group
Personality intercats with situation
- situation influences impact of personality on behaviour
- BIS vs BAS activation having an effect of alcohol tolerance and addiction rates