Costa and McRae Part 1. Core and Periphery components

What are the basic tenets of trait theory?

1. That individuals can be characterised in terms of relatively enduring patterns

of thoughts, feelings, and actions

2. That traits can be quantitatively assessed

3. That traits show some degree of cross-situational consistency

What are the three central components of the five-factor theory

Basic tendencies

Characteristic adaptions

Self-concept

Basic tendencies of personality

Namely, the big five factors.

They are also inherited—they mainly come from a biological basis—so everyone will possess these basic tendencies because they are biological

What are the four key components of basic tendencies

Individuality

Origin

Development

Structure

Individuality

Origin

Suggests that genetics, hormones, and brain structures are causing these basic tendencies—the family plays no role—and they can only be altered via exogenous interventions that attack the biological basis

Development

How personality traits change—usually occurs during the first third of your life—and you often develop the most helpful traits to your situation

Structure

Traits are organized hierarchically, from broad to general, and the big five constitute the highest level of this hierarchy

Characteristic adaption broad definition

Things that adapt with life, such as our attitudes and relationships. We call them adaptations because they can be learned and changed

E.g. being able to speak French or being good in statistics. They are characteristic adaptations because they can change and be learned.

Three key components of characteristic adaptions

Adaptation

Maladjustment

Plasticity

Adaptation

The evolution of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours driven by a basic tendency driving this action.

E.g. If you’re an extravert, you will probably join more groups and have more friends. This isn’t by chance, it results from your basic tendencies.

Maladjustment

When our responses are not consistent with our personal goals and/or cultural values—this usually results from some type of psychopathology

Ex. Extreme introversion resulting in pathological shyness, such as not ever leaving the house

Plasticity

Characteristic adaptations are highly malleable and are bound to change over time in response to biological maturation, social roles and/or expectations, changes in the environment or deliberate interventions

Ex. Going to therapy to correct your irrational fear of leaving the house

Self-concept

Is a sub facet of characteristic adaptations, and includes your knowledge, views, and evaluations of yourself.

How one thinks about themself will greatly influence their behaviour. E.g. if you’re intelligent, you will seek out scenarios where you can let your intelligence shine (Dr. Hamilton)

What are the two key components of the self-concept?

Self-schema

Selective perception

Self-schema

Who you think you are, and how you would describe yourself

Self-perception

We want to have a sense of coherence about who we are, so we selectively choose traits that are consistent with our self-perception

What are the three peripheral components of the five factor theory?

Biological bases

Objective biography

External influences

Biological bases

Biology has a significant influence on our basic tendencies, the five factor traits (although this is disputed)

Objective biography (definition)

The events that have actually happened in one’s life

Ex. Donald Trump is the 45th president

What are the two components of objective biography?

Multiple determination

Life course

Multiple determination

Anything in your objective biography can be predicted by a whole bunch of phenomena with multiple explanations.

E.g., someone may read a book because they are open to experience, conscientious about not spending too much time on their phone, or because they’re introverted

Life course

People have long-lasting goals, plans, and schedules that are all organized over a period of time consistent with personality traits

Ex. We’re all on the path of completing our undergraduate degree with the goal of becoming a registered psychologist

External influences definition

Characterized by things outside of your control, such as the culture we were born and raised in. It can also include inventions and phenomena such as COVID, natura disasters, or the invention of social media.

What are the three key types of external influences?

Interaction

Apperception

Reciprocity

Interaction

How the social world interacts with our personality

Apperception

We will perceive our environment in a way consistent with our personality

Reciprocity

Individuals influence their environment

Dynamic processes definition

Indicate how these components are interrelated the basic postulates of FFT

What are the two types of dynamic processes?

Universal dynamics

Differential dynamics

Universal dynamics

No notes?

Differential dynamics

Some people will be more affected by characteristic adaptations than others