Physiological Approaches to Personality

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering Chapter 7: Physiological Approaches to Personality, including physiological measures, arousal theories, neurotransmitter models, and sensation seeking.

Physiological Perspective

The perspective that physiology is important to the extent that differences in physiological functioning create, contribute to, or indicate differences in psychological functioning.

Phineas Gage

A historic case study of a railroad worker who survived a rod penetrating his frontal lobe, providing early evidence that localized brain structures influence personality and social behavior.

Electrodermal Activity (EDA)

A physiological measure of skin electrical conductance that increases as sweat glands activate during arousal; elevated resting levels are associated with neuroticism and anxiety.

Skin Conductance Response (SCR)

A transient peak in skin conductance elicited by sudden noises, emotionally charged pictures, pain, anxiety, fear, or guilt.

Cardiac Reactivity

A pronounced increase in blood pressure ($BP$) and heart rate ($HR$) triggered by stress; characteristic of impatient individuals and Type A personality.

Electroencephalograph (EEG)

An instrument that records spontaneous, small amounts of electrical activity produced by the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp.

Evoked Potential Technique

A physiological recording protocol using an EEG to evaluate a participant's specific brain response to an experimenter-administered stimulus.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

A brain imaging technique that maps brain structure and metabolic function, capable of showing distinct activity patterns in depressed versus non-depressed individuals.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

A noninvasive brain imaging technique that maps the structure and function of the brain by tracking localized changes in blood flow and oxygenation.

Ascending Reticular Activating System (ARAS)

A brainstem structure in Eysenck's original theory hypothesized to regulate cortical arousal, initially thought to have higher resting baseline activity in introverts than in extraverts.

Hebb's Theory of Optimal Level of Arousal

A theory positing that performance follows an inverted-U shaped function across arousal levels, such that individuals are motivated to maintain an intermediate, optimal level of arousal.

Arousability

Reactivity to moderate sensory stimulation; in Eysenck's revised theory, introverts and extraverts share equal baseline resting arousal, but introverts possess higher arousability.

Behavioral Activation System (BAS)

A brain system in Gray's Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory that directs responsiveness to cues of reward and incentives, underpinning extraversion.

Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)

A brain system in Gray's Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory that regulates responsiveness to cues of punishment and threat, underpinning neuroticism.

Novelty Seeking

A personality trait in Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Model associated with low levels of dopamine.

Reward Dependence

A personality trait in Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Model (or punishment avoidance) linked to low levels of norepinephrine.

Harm Avoidance

A personality trait in Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Model linked to higher serotonin and reduced sensitivity to consistently higher serotonin levels.

Positive Emotionality (PEM)

A trait dimension in the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) negatively related to dopamine, connected to reward approach tendencies and the BAS.

Negative Emotionality (NEM)

A trait dimension in the MPQ negatively related to norepinephrine, linked to strong fight-or-flight responses and the BIS.

Constraint (CON)

A trait dimension in the MPQ positively related to serotonin and effortful control, which modulates and interacts with both PEM and NEM.

Circadian Rhythms

Endogenous biological cycles of approximately $24\text{ to }25\text{ hours}$ that govern physiological processes, such as the mid-evening peak and early morning trough of core body temperature.

Temporal-Isolation Studies

Research protocols where subjects are isolated from time cues to evaluate the endogenous period of their circadian cycle.

Morningness–Eveningness

A stable, biologically based personality dimension where shorter circadian rhythms produce morning people and longer rhythms produce evening people.

Thrill and Adventure Seeking (SSS-TAS)

A subscale of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale measuring the preference for high-stimulus, physically risky outdoor activities like skydiving, bungee jumping, and mountain climbing.

Disinhibition (SSS-DIS)

A subscale of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale reflecting an orientation toward unconventional social activities, including substance use, vandalism, or unsafe sex.

Experience Seeking (SSS-ES)

A subscale of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale involving the pursuit of novel sensations through travel, psychedelic drugs, music, and art.

Boredom Susceptibility (SSS-BS)

A subscale of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale characterizing intolerance of repetitive experiences and a persistent need for novel external stimulation.

Monoamine Oxidase (MAO)

An enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters; high sensation seekers typically display low levels of MAO, resulting in less neurotransmitter breakdown and an increased drive for stimulation.