Understanding Personality: Biological and Psychodynamic Perspectives

Extraversion

Personality trait characterized by sociability and high arousal.

Introversion

Personality trait characterized by preference for solitude and low arousal.

Level of Arousal (LOA)

Brain's arousal level influencing behavior and performance.

Ascending Reticular Activation System (ARAS)

Brain system regulating attention, arousal, and sleep-wake cycles.

Optimal Level of Arousal (OLA)

Ideal arousal level for effective task performance.

Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)

Neurological system prompting withdrawal from undesirable stimuli.

Behavioral Activation System (BAS)

Neurological system directing towards desirable goals and incentives.

BIS Sensitivity

Increased reaction to negative events and anxiety.

BAS Sensitivity

Increased reaction to positive events and rewards.

Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS)

Measure of an individual's need for varied and intense experiences.

Thrill and Adventure Seeking

Desire for risky and exciting activities.

Experience Seeking

Pursuit of new experiences and sensations.

Disinhibition

Tendency to engage in impulsive and uninhibited behaviors.

Boredom Susceptibility

Sensitivity to boredom and need for stimulation.

Monoamine Oxidase (MAO)

Enzyme regulating neurotransmitter levels in the brain.

Steroid Hormones

Lipid-soluble hormones produced from cholesterol.

Cortisol

Hormone involved in stress response and alertness.

Testosterone

Hormone linked to aggression and antisocial behavior.

Amygdala

Brain region involved in fear response and emotional processing.

fMRI

Imaging technique measuring brain activity through blood flow.

PET Scan

Imaging method tracking brain activity via glucose metabolism.

Homeostasis

Body's ability to maintain stable internal conditions.

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals transmitting signals between nerve cells.

Behavioral Genetics

Study of genetic influences on behavior and personality.

Environmental Factors

External influences affecting behavior and personality development.

Risk-Taking Behaviors

Engagement in activities with potential for negative outcomes.

Positive Affect

Experience of positive emotions and feelings.

Negative Affect

Experience of negative emotions and feelings.

Physiology

Biological processes influencing personality and behavior.

Genetic Factors

Inherited traits affecting personality development.

Nervous System

Network influencing behavior and physiological responses.

Endocrine System

Hormonal system interacting with nervous functions.

Temperament

Innate personality characteristics influencing behavior.

NOS1 Polymorphism

Genetic variation linked to impulsivity in animals.

Serotonergic System

Neurotransmitter system affecting mood and behavior.

Adaptive Impulsivity Scale

Measure assessing adaptive versus maladaptive impulsivity.

Barratt Impulsivity Scale

Tool evaluating impulsivity levels in individuals.

Oxytocin

Hormone associated with social bonding and behavior.

Dopamine Transporter (DAT)

Protein responsible for dopamine reuptake in the brain.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism

Genetic variation involving a single DNA base change.

Vasopressin

Hormone influencing social behavior and bonding.

Prefrontal Cortex

Brain area responsible for rational thinking and decision-making.

Id

Innate drives and instincts in Freud's theory.

Ego

Mediator balancing id desires and reality.

Superego

Moral conscience developed from societal standards.

Social Inhibition

Tendency to feel uncomfortable in social situations.

Neuroticism

Personality trait associated with emotional instability.

Maudsley Personality Inventory

Assessment tool measuring neuroticism levels.

Developmental Context

Influence of life stages on personality traits.

Free Association

Technique to explore unconscious thoughts in therapy.

Dream Analysis

Interpreting dreams to uncover hidden desires.

Psychic Conflict

Interactions and conflicts among id, ego, and superego.

Pleasure Principle

Id's drive for immediate gratification.

Reality Principle

Ego's strategy for delaying gratification.

Denial

Refusal to accept reality to reduce anxiety.

Repression

Inhibition of impulses and forgetting distressing memories.

Hysterical Anesthesia

Loss of sensation diverting impulses to physical symptoms.

Psychosexual Stages

Five stages influencing personality development.

Oral Stage

0-1.5 years; pleasure from mouth activities.

Anal Stage

1.5-3 years; toilet training and control issues.

Phallic Stage

3-5 years; Oedipus complex and penis envy.

Latency Stage

6-13 years; reduced sexual concerns.

Genital Stage

13+ years; mature sexual relationships and satisfaction.

Fixation

Unresolved conflicts hindering personality development.

Neo-Freudians

Psychologists evolving Freud's theories, focusing on ego.

Ego Psychology

Focus on ego functions and social influences.

Attachment Theory

Importance of caregiver bonds in development.

Proximity Maintenance

Staying close to caregiver for safety.

Safe Haven

Caregiver provides comfort during distress.

Secure Base

Foundation for exploration and independence.

Strange Situation

Assessment of infant-parent attachment behaviors.

Secure Attachment

Positive reunion behavior; confident exploration.

Insecure-Avoidant Attachment

Avoidance of mother; lack of reunion interest.

Insecure-Ambivalent Attachment

Distress when alone; difficulty in reunion comfort.

Maternal Responsiveness

Mother's reaction influences attachment patterns.

Adult Attachment Styles

Childhood attachment patterns influence adult relationships.

Secure Attachment Style

Supportive, trusting, warm families; tolerate separations from partners; partners are satisfied with the relationship; give partners emotional support; believe romantic love can last.

Avoidant Attachment Style

Aloof, cold, emotionally distant parents; fear intimacy and commitment; not very emotionally supportive of partner; cynical about romantic love.

Ambivalent Attachment Style

Have many short lived romantic relationships; anxiously fearful of losing partners; eager to change self to please partner; stressed by separations from partner; believe falling in love is easy but does not last.

Attachment Patterns

Often do not show continuity over long periods of time.

Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Questionnaire (ECR-R)

The questionnaire does NOT determine your attachment type, nor is it reflective of relationship quality or skills on its own.

Psychodynamic Level

Focuses on inferred motives and psychodynamics, causes of behavior, underlying stable motives, and their unconscious transformations and conflicts.

Behavioral Conceptions

Personality as a collection of learned behaviors influenced by experiences.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus by being associated with an unconditioned stimulus.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

An object or event that elicits an unconditioned response without any prior learning (e.g., food).

Unconditioned Response (UR)

A natural response to an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., salivation in the presence of food).

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

A stimulus that elicits a conditioned response after being associated with an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., ringing the bell).

Conditioned Response (CR)

A learned response to a previously neutral stimulus (e.g., salivating when hearing the bell).

Extinction

The process of decreasing the likelihood of a behavior by removing the positive consequence normally presented following the behavior.

Higher-order Conditioning

A new neutral stimulus is associated with an old conditioned stimulus, thus becoming a new conditioned stimulus.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process where the outcome of a response determines the likelihood of that response being repeated in the future.

Reinforcer

Increases the tendency to do whatever act came before it.

Positive Reinforcement

The presence of a reward or positive stimulus that increases behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

The removal of a punishment or negative stimulus that increases behavior.

Punisher

Decreases the tendency to do whatever act came before it.

Positive Punisher

The presence of punishment that decreases behavior.

Negative Punisher

The removal of something desirable that decreases behavior.

B.F. Skinner

A behaviorist who believed that studying people scientifically should focus on observable behavior.

Primary Drives

Innate biological needs such as hunger, thirst, and sex.

Secondary Needs

Learned needs such as money, status, power, love, mastery, creativity, and self-realization.