PSY2042_Week_6_Lecture_Biological_Foundations_and_Personality_Development_

What are the Big Five personality traits associated with in brain activation?

Extraversion: Medial Orbito-frontal cortex; Conscientiousness: Middle frontal gyrus; Agreeableness: Superior temporal sulcus, posterior cingulate cortex; Neuroticism: Dorsomedial PFC, Cingulate gyrus/Caudate, Medial temporal lobe.

What is the role of genotype and phenotype in personality?

Genotype is the inherited genetic profile at conception; phenotype is the observable characteristics resulting from genetic and environmental influences.

What did the case of Phineas Gage contribute to our understanding of?

The case of Phineas Gage impacted our understanding of decision making, behavioral regulation, and emotional control.

What do twin studies reveal about the heritability of personality?

Twin studies indicate that approximately 50% of the variation in personality is due to genetics and 50% to non-shared environmental factors.

Define epigenetics.

Epigenetics is the study of genetic modifications that impact gene expression without changing the gene itself, showing how environmental influences affect gene expression.

How does high trait neuroticism affect the amygdala?

Higher trait neuroticism is associated with higher activation in the amygdala, which negatively impacts emotion regulation.

What is temperament?

Temperament refers to the in-built physical, mental, and emotional traits present at birth, it is heritable and stable over time.

What are the emotional processing roles of the amygdala related to personality?

The amygdala is involved in processing fearful stimuli and emotional regulation, with extraversion linked to increased activation in the amygdala.

What is the heritability coefficient?

A number ranging from 0 to 1.0 representing the amount of heritability; 0 means no variance due to genetics, and 1 means all variance is due to genetics.

What do Cloninger's neurotransmitters associate with personality dimensions?

Dopamine: Novelty Seeking; Serotonin: Harm Avoidance; Norepinephrine: Reward Dependence.

What is Gray’s BAS/BIS theory?

An adapted version of Eysenck’s theory that describes the interaction between the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) and the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) as the basis of personality.

What role does nature and nurture play in personality development?

Both genetic (nature) and environmental (nurture) influences interact to shape the relatively stable patterns of personality traits.

What is the impact of shared and non-shared environments on personality?

Shared environments are factors shared by family members, while non-shared environments distinguish between relatives, playing a crucial role in personality development.

What are the two major theories linking neurophysiology to personality?

Eysenck’s arousal theory and Gray's BAS/BIS theory.

What is the function of the medial orbitofrontal cortex in relation to personality?

It is associated with extraversion.

What is the significance of agreement between findings from neuroimaging studies and personality traits?

They support the relationship between specific neural regions and personality traits.

How does greater temporoparietal junction activity relate to agreeableness?

Highly agreeable people tend to make emotion attribution decisions more quickly, associated with greater temporoparietal junction activity.