Introductory psychology and
brain cognition
Interim exam 2
Table of Contents
Chapter 10.........................................................................................................................3
Chapter 11.........................................................................................................................3
Chapter 12.........................................................................................................................3
Chapter 13.........................................................................................................................3
Chapter 14.........................................................................................................................3
Personality as behavioural dispositions, or traits........................................................................3
Trait theories: efficient systems for describing personalities.......................................................................3
The relationship of personality measures to people’s actual behaviour......................................................4
Continuity and change in personality over time..........................................................................................4
Genetic foundations of personality traits.....................................................................................................4
Personality as adaptation to life conditions................................................................................5
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Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Personality as behavioural dispositions, or traits
- An important concept in personality psychology is the trait a stable predisposition
to behave in a certain way (are a part of someone not the environment).
- Traits are a dimension not a person has it or doesn’t.
- Traits describe differences in behavioral tendencies among people but do not
explain the differences.
Trait theories: efficient systems for describing personalities
- Pioneer of personality psychology: Gordon Allport.
- Trait theories aim to define key personality dimensions that summarize fundamental
psychological differences among individuals.
Factor analysis as a tool for identifying an efficient set of traits
- Factor analysis is a methos of analysing patterns of correlations to extract
mathematically defined factors.
The five-factor model of personality
- Personality is best described in 5 independent traits: (OCEAN) openness to new
experiences, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
- Each trait has 6 subordinate traits facets of that trait.
- These facets within a trait correlate with each other.
- For descriptions of the traits and their facets look at page 1165-1166 table 14.2.
Grit and the dark triad
- Grit: perseverance and passion for long term goals.
- It reflects the tendency to work persistently toward goals, even when facing
setbacks, and to stay focused rather than changing goals.
- Two lower orders of grit are perseverance of effort and consistency of interest.
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- Meta-analysis: a statistical technique that allows an investigator to evaluate the
magnitude of a significant effect across many studies.
- Dark triad: consist of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.
- Narcissism is characterized by extreme selfishness, a grandiose self-image, and a
need for admiration.
- Machiavellianism involves a manipulative personality, often using deception.
- Psychopathy is marked by antisocial behavior, lack of empathy, and difficulty forming
meaningful relationships.
Measurement of the big five traits and their facets
- The questionnaire most often used is NEO personality inventory.
- The usefulness of the questionnaires are based on the honesty and insight of the
responded about their own behaviour and emotions.
The relationship of personality measures to people’s actual
behaviour
- A personality test is valid if its trait scores accurately correlate with the person's
relevant real-world behaviors.
Continuity and change in personality over time
- How much does a person change over time.
The general stability of personality
- There is significant stability of personality in adulthood.
Patters of change in personality with age
- Over the adult years, neuroticism, and openness to experience generally decline,
while conscientiousness and agreeableness tend to increase.
- An individual's personality can change to some degree at any age, with the likelihood
of change increasing following major life events.
Genetic foundations of personality traits
- To some degree traits derive from inherited physiological qualities.
The heritability of traits
- Heritability refers to the extent to which individual differences are attributed to
genetic variation rather than environmental factors.
- A study in the personalities of different kinds of twins leads to evidence that about
50% of personality traits are heritable and 50% are tied to the environment.
Relative lack of shared effects of the family environment
- Being raised in the same family (environment) has an almost negligible effect on
measures of personality (the environment can be a totally different experience).
Single genes and the physiology of traits
- Genes likely influence personality by affecting the physiological characteristics of the
nervous system, particularly through neurotransmission in the brain. Research has
shown significant correlations between specific personality traits and genes that
impact neurotransmission.
- Variation in personality results from the interaction of numerous genes and
environmental factors. The effect of any specific gene on an individual’s personality
is determined by the combination of other genes present and the individual's
environmental experiences.
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Personality as adaptation to life conditions
- Proximate vs distal explanations when looking at personalities
Advantages of being different from one another
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