Chapter 3 - The Big Five Personality Traits

traits

relatively stable tendency of individuals that express themselves in many contexts

typologies

classifying people into discrete categories

4 categories of personalities by hippocrates

• choleric (irritable)

• melancholic (depressed)

• sanguine (optimistic)

• phlegmatic (calm, listless)

type a personalities

• coronary prone behavior patterns

• competitive, agressi, and hostile

• an exaggerated sense of time urgency

• determined to be a higher risk group for heart attacks among younger men

type b personalities

relaxation, serenity, lack of time urgency

myers briggs type indicator trait pairs

attitudes, information gatherings, decision making, lifestyle

typology bell curve representation

with a typology approach people who are similar may be labeled as different and those who behave differently may be labeled as similar

theoretical approach of traits

behan with hippocrates typologies, deductively developed a trait theory

lexical hypothesis

traits important for survival become embedded within our language; the more of these trait words the more important the trait

Eysenck’s dimensions of personality

unstable

introverted ——— extraverted

stable

factor analysis

statistical technique for decomposing large numbers of intercorrelation into basic underlying dimensions or factors

Big Five trait list

OCEAN - openness to experiences, consciousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuoticism

NEO-PI Facets of Extraversion

Friendlinee, gregariousness, assertiveness, high activity level, excitement seeking, cheerfulness

Traits with extraversion

• prefer to be with people, seek stimulation and excitement

• are more physically active

• experience more positive emotion

• are perceived as being more likeable and popular

• emerge as leaders

• experience better mental health

• better study performance with higher level of background noise

characteristics of introverts

• prefer quiet and solitude

• have fewer financial problems

• better study performance with less noise

what region of the country is high in extraversion

midwest

NEO PI facets of agreeableness

trust, morality, altruism, cooperation, modesty, sympathy

Characteristics of agreeable people

• trusting and sympathetic

• prefer cooperation over competition

• tend to be honest, sincere, humble, self effacing and compliant

• maintain social harmony

disagreeableness is linked to more

• skeptical, cynical, direct, callous

• grandiose and egocentric

• difficulty managing anger

• more likely to be involved with crime, risky sex and drug abuse

hostile attribution bias

those who are disagreeable are more likely to see others as hostile and aggressive towards them

what region of the country is higher in agreeableness

midwest and south west

NEO PI facets of conscientiousness

self-efficacy, orderliness, dutifulness, achievement-striving, self-discipline, cautiousness

people who are high in conscientiousness are

• higher levels of willpower

• organized

• able to delay gratification

• able to consider potential consequences

those lose in conscientiousness tend to be

• impulsive

• easily distracted

• less ambitious

• unorganized

• more likely to give up easily

what region is low in sonsceintiousness

north east

NEO PI facets of neuroticism

anxiety, anger, depression, self-consciousness, immoderation, vulnerability

those high in neuroticism tend to experience

frequent and intense negative emotions such as enger, depression, anxiety

what region is low in neuroticism

west coast

what region is high in neuroticism

the east coast

NEO PI facets of openness to experience

imagination, artistic interests, emotionality, adventurousness, intellect, liberalism

high openness experience

• enjoying trying new thing

• play with complex ideas

• more creative

what region is high in openness

west coast

social investment theory

suggests that personalities mature as young people enter important adult social roles

maturing of personality

a pattern of more conscientiousness, more agreeableness, and less neuroticism that accompanies increased responsibility