ch 15: the social-cultural domain - personality & social interaction

what are mechanisms of social interaction?

• selection

• evocation

• manipulation

explain the selection - romantic partners study?

participants

• over 10,000 participants worldwide

main findings

• most-favoured = love & mutual attraction

• slightly less important = dependability, emotional stability, pleasing disposition

what is assortative mating?

• attraction similarity theory → assortative mating

vs.

• complimentary needs theory

is this due to proximity - study?

• examined one’s personality preference in a partner AND people’s own personality via self

  • partner and independent reports

• findings: people who score high on a particular trait prefer partners high in that same trait

• conclusion: correlations in part due to social preference

do people get what they want?

people happy when partner is high in:

• agreeableness

• emotional stability

• conscientiousness

• openness

  • people tend to be unhappy when their partner’s personality & their ideal personality in a partner do not match

explain personality & selective break-up

violation of desire theory

• lack of close match between one’s ideal mate & actual personality of a mate

  • people actively seek mates who are dependable & emotionally stable

• personality profiles (vs. a single trait)

• lack of close match between one’s ideal partner & their partner’s actual personality

what is evocation: aggression & hostility?

people high in aggression often evoke hostility in others

hostile attribute bias → tendency to infer hostile intent on the part of others in the face of their uncertain behaviour

• strongest personality predictors of relationship upset:

  • low agreeableness & high emotional instability

what is expentancy confirmation?

Person A’s belief about Person B’s personality characteristics cause Person A to evoke an action (in Person B) that is consistent with that belief

how can we examine manipulation?

• do personality characteristics predict tactics used?

• are some people consistently more manipulative?

what are manipulation tactics?

manipulation tactic taxonomy

• charm

• silent treatment

• coercion

• regression

how is the big 5 linked with maniuplation tactics?

• high dominance (sub-facet of extraversion) → coercion & responsibility invocation

• low dominance (more submissive) → self-abasement

• high agreeableness → pleasure induction & reason

• low agreeableness → coercion & silent treatment

• high conscientiousness → reason

• high emotional instability → mostly regression (but many used)

• high openness → reason, pleasure induction, responsibility invocation

• low openness → social comparison

what is machiavellianism (Mach)?

linked with an interpersonal style & strategy where people used as tools for personal gain

for those high in Mach….

• use exploitative social strategies

• use tactics in relationships

• more believable liars

• useful in short-term… with longer-term consequences

explain narcissim & social interaction

• selection → associate with people who admire and look up to them

• evocation → exhibitionism splits people

• manipulation → very exploitative of others

what is the dark triad?

• narcissism

• psycopathy

• machiavellisnism

what is the dark tetrad (canadian research)?

• narcissism

• psychopathy

• mach.

• sadism - enjoy hurting others