Theories of Personality - D564, Section 3

What are trait theories?

Theories that explain personality as stable traits that remain relatively consistent over time and across situations.

What are biological theories of personality?

Theories that explain personality through genetics, brain structure, physiology, hormones, and the nervous system.

What are behavioral theories of personality?

Theories that explain personality as learned behavior shaped by the environment through conditioning and reinforcement.

What is a personality trait?

A relatively stable characteristic that influences how a person thinks, feels, and behaves.

Who developed trait theory?

Gordon Allport was one of the first major trait theorists.

humanistic psychology

a field of psychology focused on the whole person, self, and individual growth

Who was Gordon Allport?

A psychologist who believed personality is made up of unique traits that can be grouped into cardinal, central, and secondary traits.

What is a cardinal trait?

rare, dominant traits that significantly influence an individual's entire personality and life, such as Ebenezer Scrooge's greed or Mother Teresa's altruism

Give an example of a cardinal trait.

Mother Teresa's compassion or Martin Luther King Jr.'s commitment to equality.

What is a central trait?

personality traits that make up the core of an individual's personality, such as being loyal, kind, agreeable, friendly, sneaky, wild, or grouchy

What is a secondary trait?

traits that are less obvious or consistent and may vary in different situations, like getting angry when tickled, specific sleep preferences, or dietary preferences

trait theory

the perspective that focuses on understanding personality through the concept that all individuals possess specific traits or characteristic ways of behaving

personological

a term describing Gordon Allport's theory, emphasizing the development of a unified and conscious whole individual. He believed personality is best understood by examining the person's unique combination of traits, goals, values, and motivations, rather than reducing behavior to unconscious conflicts.

Who was Raymond Cattell?

A psychologist who used factor analysis to identify 16 basic personality traits.

factor analytic trait theories

theories that employ factor analysis to identify and describe personality traits based on the words people use in their everyday lives to describe one another, which may include 16 PF and five-factor model approaches

What is the 16 Personality Factor Model (16PF)?

Raymond Cattell's identification of 16 dimensions of personality traits, which are warmth, reasoning, emotional stability, dominance, liveliness, rule-consciousness, social boldness, sensitivity, vigilance, abstractedness, privateness, apprehension, openness to change, self-reliance, perfectionism, and tension

How did Allport and Cattell differ?

Allport grouped traits by importance, while Cattell measured traits using factor analysis and the 16PF.

Who developed the Big Five personality model?

Costa and McCrae.

What are the Big Five personality traits?

the five major dimensions of personality traits that are the foundation of the five-factor model, which are openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism

What does OCEAN stand for?

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Openness

refers to a person’s creativity, curiosity, and their willingness to have new experiences. They enjoy art and seek out things etc

conscientiousness

a personality factor characterized by traits such as hardworking and dependable behavior.

extroversion

a personality factor characterized by sociability, assertiveness, excitement seeking, and emotional expression, leading to outgoing and warm behaviors

neuroticism

a personality factor characterized by emotional instability, leading to experiences of negative emotions like anxiety and unhappiness

Who developed the P.E.N. Theory?

Hans Eysenck.

What is Eysenck's P.E.N. Theory?

A biological trait theory stating that personality is largely influenced by genetics and can be described by three major dimensions: Psychoticism, Extraversion, and Neuroticism.

What did Hans Eysenck believe about personality?

: He believed personality is largely inherited and influenced by biological factors such as genetics, the brain, and the nervous system.

What is Psychoticism?

A personality dimension that measures aggressiveness, impulsiveness, tough-mindedness, and lack of empathy.

What is Extraversion?

A personality dimension that measures how outgoing, social, energetic, and stimulation-seeking a person is.

Why did Eysenck believe some people are extroverts and others are introverts?

He believed the difference is biological. Introverts naturally have higher levels of brain arousal and need less stimulation, while extroverts have lower levels of brain arousal and seek more stimulation.

What is Neuroticism?

A personality dimension that measures emotional stability and a person's tendency to experience negative emotions.

Which dimension of the P.E.N. Theory measures emotional stability?

Neuroticism.

Which dimension of the P.E.N. Theory measures sociability and outgoingness?

Extraversion.

Which dimension of the P.E.N. Theory measures aggressiveness and lack of empathy?

Psychoticism.

What are biological theories?

Theories stating that personality is influenced by genetics, brain structure, hormones, and physiology.

evolutionary psychology

field that examines personality traits that are universal and the differences across individuals, emphasizing the role of adaptive differences and their impact on survival and reproduction

What is heredity?

the transmission of genetic characteristics from one generation to the next

adaptation

the process by which traits that enhance reproductive success become more frequent in a population over generations due to natural selection

What is temperament?

observable behavioral and emotional patterns in infancy and later, serving as early indicators of an individual's biologically based personality

neurotransmitter

chemical substances in the brain that transmit signals between nerve cells, influencing various aspects of behavior and personality

What is physiology?

The biological functioning of the body that can influence personality.

What is a biological predisposition?

An inherited tendency that influences personality or behavior.

How do behavioral theories explain personality?

They explain personality through learning, conditioning, and environmental influences.

What is the main difference between biological and behavioral theories?

Biological theories emphasize nature, while behavioral theories emphasize nurture.

What do trait theories focus on?

Identifying and measuring stable personality characteristics.

What do biological theories focus on?

Genetics, brain function, and inherited influences on personality.

Jeffrey Gray

Biological psychologist who developed Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST), explaining personality through the brain's response to rewards and punishments

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST)

A biological theory stating that personality is shaped by how sensitive a person is to rewards and punishments

Behavioral Approach System (BAS)

Brain system that motivates people to seek rewards, pleasure, and positive experiences

Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)

Brain system that motivates people to avoid punishment, fear, anxiety, and danger

Reinforcement Sensitivity

How strongly a person responds to rewards and punishments

Approach Behavior

Behavior aimed at obtaining rewards or positive outcomes

Avoidance Behavior

Behavior aimed at avoiding punishment or negative outcomes