Cattell and Eysenck Ch. 8 + Sociobiology

Who are Cattell and Eysenck?

• they were both educated at the University of London

• their theories are based on statistical techniques and place great importance on genetic factors in personality

Why are these theorists not as popular?

• mainly because both theories rely on factor analysis

What is factor analysis? (and why is it not great?)

• its a statistical procedure to identify relationships and or patterns with a set of variables

• it helps reduced a large number of factors into smaller factors or components

• it over simplifies the human personality, it’s not that reliable because what if there are flaws within the data, they were statistical patterns but that does not necessarily reflect a complete or accurate picture of human personality

Cattells early work is an example of….

inductive reasoning

• its when u do not have a specific hypothesis and start collecting a large set of data

• using that large set of data to generate future hypothesis

What are Cattell’s 3 types of data?

1. L-data

   • life record data

   • recording everyday behaviour

   • no deception because it’s actual facts of someone’s life it can’t be opinions

2. Q-data

   • questionnaire data

   • the most common when measuring personality

   • it’s open to deception because people may not know themselves well enough to give a response to reflect their true personality and it is easier to give dishonest answers to make yourself look better

3. T-data

   • test data

   • it’s used to overcome the problems with Q-data

   • believes there is no way you can fake responses

   • participants are not aware of which aspect of their behaviour is being evaluated

   • using things like word-association tests and the inkblot

Factor Analysis and the PF16

• so Allport found there were 4500 traits in the dictionary

• Cattell reduced 4500 to 171 eliminating any synonyms

• then 171 was factor analyzed into 36 correlate clusters and was then redcued further into the 16 source traits

Eysenck’s approach was an example of….

hypothetico-deductive reasoning

• begin with an experimental hypothesis that came from an existing theory

• based on that you make your predictions and carry out an experiment to see if you were right

He found 3 source traits (P-E-N)

What was Cattell’s analysis of traits?

There’s surface traits and source traits

• Surface traits are more like observations that can be more noticable (why its called surface traits)

• Source traits are more like the causes of behaviour and cover more of the important parts of personality

• every surface trait is caused by one or more source traits

  example: if someone is easily described as friendly and approachable (surface traits) it could come from warmth (source trait)

• Cattell also found that every individual possesses the same source traits but to a different extent, all people are sensitive but do not possess the same amount of sensitivity

Source traits in depth….Constitutional Source Traits (Cattell)

Constitutional source traits (2)

• genetically determined

• within constitutional source traits there ability traits, temperament traits

Ability traits

• how effectively a person works towards a desired goal (one of the most important is intelligence)

  1. fluid intelligence (65% inherited)

     • the way that you problem solve

  2. crystallized intelligence (60% inherited)

     • what you learn in school

• IQ tests are based off of crystallized knowledge but Cattell developed the Culture Free Intelligence test to measure fluid intelligence

Temperament traits

• determine the speed, style, energy and emotion with which a person responds to in a situation

example: it takes a lot for me to get irritated

Source traits in depth…. Environmental mold traits (Cattell)

Environmental mold traits (2)

• come from experience

• within environmental mold traits there are dynamic traits and erg traits

Dynamic Source Trait - Erg and Metaerg (Cattell)

Erg is constitutional

• is the speed, energy and style and individual responds to a situation based on genetics

Metaerg is environmental mold

• is also the speed, energy an style an individual responds to a situation but is based on an environmental origin

What was Eysenck’s analysis of traits?

• his main focus was temperament (the speed, style, and energy a person responds to a situation with)

• the most important traits were those that Cattell referred to as constitutional source traits (genetic traits) but not focused on intelligence

• Eysenck referred to them as '“superfactors”

• believes that environment has an impact on overall behaviour patterns, but believes traits are genetically determined; they do not come from learning

What was Eysenck’s Four Criteria for Biological (genetic) Traits?

Used his P-E-N model theory

• Psychoticism

• Extraversion

• Neuroticism

Heritable - they are genetically influenced traits

Observed in animals - these traits can be found in nonhuman species

Traits are consistent across all cultures

Remain consistent over many years

CANOEing in the OCEAN (Cattell, Goldberg, Costa & McCrae)

• researchers all contributed and agreed of this big five personality trait model

O = Openness to Experience (curious, creative)

C = Conscientiousness (how reliable)

E = Extraversion (energy, outgoing)

A = Agreeableness (how kind, friendly)

N = Neuroticism (emotional, anxious)

According to Eysenck what is a “Type D” personality?

• someone that has the two main traits of negative affectivity (often angry and upset) and social inhibition (shy, anxious)

• they may feel more anxious or down a lot and tend to avoid social situations because if these feelings

• linked to higher stress levels, increased health issues

What is Sociobiology?

• the study of how biology influences social behaviour

Sociobiology Assumptions…

1. our mind is programmed by evolution

2. behaviours are common across all cultures

3. tend to help people that have similar genes

4. we do selfless acts (altruism)

What are the two types of altruism?

Kin:

• helping relatives for nepotism purposes (passing on shared genes)

Reciprocal:

• helping others expecting something in return

Biology of parenting

• women invest more in children because they are more certain they are the mother

• predicts more issues with families with stepparents