Personality Exam 3

what does kelly mean by constructive alternativism

the idea that we interpret the world through our own experiences and predictions shaping our reality mentally

what are the corollaries of personal construct theory

construction, individuality, organization, dichotomy, choice, range, experience

what was found about the relationship between personal constructs and the Big Five?

about a 50/50 overlap

what is the difference between field dependence and independence

field-dependent: rely on external cues; field-independent; rely on internal cues

how did Witkin measure field dependence/independence?

rod and frame test and embedded figures test

how does field dependence/independence relate to personality and career?

dependence- social attentive to cues, independent- analytical, independent

what are possible selves and why are they important

future versions of ourselves they shape goals and motivation

what are Higgin’s three selves

actual- who you are, ideal-who you want to be, ought-who you should be

what happens with discrepancies in Higgins’ selves?

they lead to negative emotions

some myths about self esteem

high self esteem does not necessarily lead to success, likability, or morality

difference between self esteem and identity

identity defines who you are self esteem is how you value that identity

what are the results of identity deficits and conflicts?

depression, alienation, suicidal behavior

how does the social cognitive approach differ from the cognitive approach

social cognitive= interaction of behavior, cognition, and environment, cognitive is mental processes only

what are Rotter’s assumptions about personality?

personality is learned, goal-directed, and shaped by meaningful environments

what is rotter’s basic prediction formula

behavior depends on expectancy and reinforcement value

what are the components of Rotter’s formula

BP, E, RV, and the Psychological Situation

What is Bandura’s Triadic Reciprocal Causation?

Behavior is influenced by person, behavior and environment

what are bandura’s four principles of human agency?

intentionality, forethought, self-reactiveness, self-reflectiveness

which principle did bandura emphasize most?

self efficacy

how do you increase self-efficacy

through success, modeling, encouragement, and managing states

how does self efficacy lead to self regulation

it boosts motivation, persistence and goal setting

how do we disengage moral self regulation

techniques include moral justification, euphemisms, comparison and dehumanization

what did the Hartshorne and May study show

Honesty is situation dependent not a stable trait

What is Mischel & Shoda’s CAPS theory?

Behavior arises from cognitive-affective units interacting with context.

: What are Mischel’s Cognitive Affective Units?

Internal systems (traits, memories, feelings) that vary with the environment

According to Social Role Theory, where do gender roles come from?

Physical sex differences and societal division of labor.

: What is correspondence bias?

Overemphasizing personality traits and underestimating situations.

: How are social gender roles developed and maintained?

Through gender socialization across the lifespan.

What are biological correlates of Eysenck’s superfactors?

Neuroticism: reactive ANS; Extraversion: low arousal; Psychoticism: testosterone/aggression.

What did Bouchard & McGue find about genetics and personality?

: Identical twins raised apart are still similar in personality.

How did Kagan study child personality differently?

: He linked temperament to both genetics and environment across development

: What is an inhibited child?

Shy, avoids novelty; linked to overactive amygdala and parenting.

What is an uninhibited child?

Outgoing, fearless, open to new situations.

What are Cloninger’s temperament dimensions?

Novelty Seeking, Harm Avoidance, Reward Dependence, Persistence.

What are Cloninger’s character dimensions?

Self-Directedness, Cooperativeness, Self-Transcendence.

: What’s the difference between temperament and character?

Temperament = innate traits; Character = learned values.

What is an "organized" character?

: High in self-directedness and cooperativeness, low in self-transcendence.

: What is a "creative" character?

High in all three character traits, including self-transcendence.

What are the two evolutionary mechanisms shaping personality?

Natural selection and sexual selection.

Describe the Big Five in evolutionary terms.

Extraversion = leaders, Agreeableness = nurturers, Conscientiousness = workers, Neuroticism = sentries, Openness = scouts.

According to Buss, what causes personality differences?

Genetics and environment.

What did Chen and Canli say about brain volume/personality studies?

They were skeptical of replicability and practical value.

Why did Bro Gee rate biological approaches low on the Feist criteria?

They don’t guide action; info can’t be easily applied.