PSYC 201: Chapter 13 - Personality

Dispositional Attribution

• internal attribution

• something that is observed within a person such as their personality

Situational Attribution

• external attribution

• caused by something on the outside such as a situation

How can Milgram’s study correlate to the attribution theory?

• In Milgram’s findings, 65% completed the experiment and gave the highest shock, 35% left at a certain point

• Situational attributions account for the 65% of the people

• Dispositional attributions account for 35% of the people

• everyone had the same situation they were under but people responded differently due to their personality

What is personality?

• individual’s unique set of consistent behavioral traits (same as disposition)

• it is used to explain the stability in a person’s behavior over time and across situations (consistency)

• it is also used to explain the behavioral differences among people reacting to the same situation (distinctiveness)

• a personality trait is a durable disposition to behave in a particular way in a variety of situations

What is human nature?

• this includes self-actualization traits such as morality, creativity, problem solving, lack of prejudice etc

What is the 5 factor personality model?

OCEAN

O - Openness to Experience

C - Conscientiousness

E - Extraversion

A - Agreeableness

N - Neuroticism

What is Openness to Experience in the 5 factor model?

• creative, intellectual, open-minded, curious, flexible, unconventional, empathetic

High Pole (openness to experience):

• imaginative, likes variety, independent

• enjoys seeing people with new types, and is open

Low Pole:

• simple, shallow, unintelligent, likes routine, down to earth, conforming

• prefers to not be exposed to alternative moral systems

What is Conscientiousness in the 5 factor model?

• organized, responsible, cautious, diligent, punctual, dependable, self-disciplined

High Pole:

• organized, responsible, cautious

• never late, hardworking, neat, persevering

Low Pole:

• Careless, frivolous, irresponsible, weak willed

• prefers spur of the moment action to planning, unreliable, hedonistic

What is Extraversion in the 5 factor model?

• Talkative, energetic, assertive, outgoing, sociable, friendly, gregarious, upbeat, assertive

High Pole:

• being the life of the party, active, optimistic, fun, loving, affectionate

Low Pole:

• preferring a quiet evening reading, sober, aloof, unenthusiastic

• reserved, shy, retiring

What is Agreeableness in the 5 factor model?

• sympathetic, kind, affectionate, warm, trusting, compassionate, cooperative, modest

High Pole:

• agrees with others about politics, good natured, forgiving, gullible, helpful,

Low Pole:

• cold, quarrelsome, cruel, quickly asserts own rights, irritable, manipulative, uncooperative, rude

• ruthless, sus

What is Neuroticism or emotional stability in the 5 factor model?

• anxious, unstable, insecure, hostile, self-conscious, sensitive, vulnerable, impulsive

High Pole:

• temperamental

• worrying about things, hypochondriacal, feeling inadequate, self-pitying

Low Pole:

• stable, calm, contended

• not getting irritated by small things, calm, unemotional, hardy, secure, self-satisfied

What was the conclusion drawn from the Standard Scores of juvenile delinquency graph?

• delinquents were high on extraversion compared to non-delinquents

• non-delinquents on everything except extraversion compared to delinquents

What was the ultimate conclusion of the frequency vs personality score graph?

• all 5 personality traits peak somewhere between 16-20 and 36-40, suggesting that very high or very low scores are uncommon

What are orthogonal factors?

• factors that have no correlations

• this results in even distribution of cases in 4 equal quadrants

What is Eysenck’s Biological Trait Theory?

• the theory suggests that core traits are physiological and rooted in biology

• stated that extraversion and neuroticism are orthogonal factors

• a third factors was later added: psychoticism

What was the original chart and what were the associated physiological factors?

Sanguine: blood

• extroverted personality and stable emotions

Choleric: yellow bile

• extroverted personality and unstable emotions (neurotic)

Melancholic: black bile

• introverted personality and unstable emotions

Phlegmatic: Phlegm

• introverted personality and stable emotions

What was the chart once it was updated?

Left to right: low to high extraversion

Bottom to top: low to high neuroticism

Left diagonal to right diagonal: low to high psychoticism

What was the conclusion when plotting number of people vs extraversion continuum?

• A trend of stabilizing selection was observed: selection is against the two extremes rather it favors average behaviors

• it is equally good to be moderate introvert and extrovert

What is the behavioral view in the formation of personality?

• personality is shaped by learning through reinforcement

• behaviors that are reinforced are more likely to be happen again

• a technique such as negative reinforcement may be used

  • ex. avoidance behavior is reinforced through negative reinforcement and can lead to traits such as shyness, anxious, withdrawn

  • How?

    • something causes discomfort > stress and anxiety > avoidance > short term relief that reinforces this behavior again > long term: more worry > discomfort

• personality traits aren’t inborn rather they are patterns of learned behaviors

What is the evolutionary view in the formation of personality?

• personality traits exist because at some point they helped humans survive or reproduce

• extreme traits often work against humans and can cause issues whereas moderate traits lead to a balance resulting in stabilizing selection

  • ex. too high aggression > conflict or death

  • ex. too low aggression > cannot defend yourself

  • ex. moderate aggression > best balance for survival

What is the biological view in the formation of personality?

• personality is inborn and shaped by how your brain and nervous system works

• ex. monozygotic twins have a stronger correlation for OCEAN than dizygotic twins

• factors such as nervous system reactivity, presence of neurotransmitters and hormones also affect the traits alongside genetics

What is the Humanistic Theory of Personality? - Humanistic View in the formation of personality

• higher needs in the hierarchy begin to emerge when people feel they have sufficiently satisfied the previous need

• A theory proposed by Abraham Maslow that states that people achieve their full potential by moving from basic needs to self-actualization

• personality is shaped by your choices, experiences and drive to grow into your best self

What is the psychodynamic view in the formation of personality?

• proposed by Freud who is considered as “the third great revolutionist” in human self-awareness after Copernicus and Darwin

• Darwin theorized the origin of biological traits

• Freud theorized the origin of psychological traits

What were the main three assumptions in the psychodynamic theories?

1. Existence of psychic energy -

2. psychic determinism

3. psychoanalysis