PSC 156 Chapter 3 Erikson Personality Mcadams generativity

What is the five-factor

model of personality

traits?

The Essential Trait Approach : Which traits are the most important? Which

traits really matter?

 Reducing the many to a few via Factor Analysis

Openness to

Experience

Curious, original, intellectual, creative, and open

to new ideas and experiences

Conscientiousness Organized, systematic, punctual, industrious,

dependable, responsible (Vs lack of direction)

Extraversion Outgoing, talkative, sociable, assertive, dominant,

active, excitement seeking

Agreeableness Warm, kind, cooperative, sensitive, trusting,

modesty (VS Antagonism)

Neuroticism Anxious, irritable, moody, tense (VS emotional stability)

OCEAN

Which of the following traits is NOT part of the Big Five

personality factors?

A) Openness

B) Conscientiousness

C) Intelligence

D) Agreeableness

C

Which Big Five personality trait is characterized by a tendency to

experience negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, and sadness?

A) Openness

B) Conscientiousness

C) Extraversion

D) Neuroticism

D

Which Big Five personality trait has been found to be the least

consistent across different cultures?

A) Openness

B) Conscientiousness

C) Extraversion

D) Neuroticism

A

What is rank-order-consistency is personality development?

Personality remains (

relatively stable over time)

Evidence for stability:

• Childhood personality predicts

adult behavior and life outcomes. Behaviors may

manifest

differently, but

the underlying

trait is the same

(e.g., shyness). For example as a kid may hide behind mom as adult may not go to parties. the stability of an individual's relative position or ranking within a group on a specific trait or measure over time

What are the 5 factors related to personality stability?

Temperament impacts behavioral & emotional tendencies, which then persist across the

lifespan

-Visible, physical factors (e.g., sex/gender, height, attractiveness)

-Environmental factors (e.g., SES, city/rural living, family size)

-Positive & Adverse experiences in childhood

Factors related

to nature AND

nurture =

relative

stability

Which of the following is NOT considered a factor that

contributes to personality stability across the lifespan?

A) Temperament influencing behavioral and emotional tendencies

B) Visible, physical factors such as sex/gender and attractiveness

C) Positive and adverse childhood experiences

D) Dramatic changes in social environment in adulthood

D

What are the 3 types of person-environment interactions? How do they affect personality traits over time?

They magnify personality traits.

true or false: a cross sectional study found evidence for personality development by showing how traits change over time on average

True
cross-sectional

-Participants 10-65 years

-N=>1 mill, recruited via the internet

-Inclusion criteria: Must speak English

-Results: Age-related development in mean

levels of personality

True or false: personality stability and development cannot both exist at the same time

False. You could for example develop in terms of conscientiousness but the amount at which you develop conscientiousness is the same as the amount others develop conscientiousness, just different starting point

What are the main 5 causes of personality development? (as opposed to stability)

Physical development

 Hormone-level changes

 Increases in intelligence & linguistic abilities

 Changes in social roles/responsibilities E.g., Erikson’s theory of development

 Goals across the life span change

What are common personality changes that happen to people over time?

People become more socially dominant, agreeable, conscientious, emotionally

stable

• Decrease in openness to new experiences

• Honesty/humility and self-esteem (up to age 50) increase

• Risk-taking decreases

• Consistent with the maturity principle (individuals tend to become more socially dominant, agreeable, conscientious, and emotionally stable as they age. These positive, adaptive personality changes. Assumes linear progression fails to account for individual differences in development, overlooks short-term declines in mental health, and may not apply to all personality facets equally. ) & personality adjustment

Hormone-level changes are most likely to impact personality

development during which life stage?

A. Early childhood

B. Adolescence

C. Middle adulthood

D. Late adulthood

B

How do goals across the life span contribute to personality

development?

A. They remain constant and reinforce personality stability.

B. They are unrelated to physical or social development.

C. They adapt to changes in social roles and personal responsibilities

D. They only affect personality development during adolescence

C

How is differing cultures largely unaccounted for in personality research?

White people are 12% of the

world’s

population, but

80% of

psychology

research

participants

Culture and personality are inextricably linked,

mutually influencing one another

Culture as a social unconscious: should be

considered in ALL personality research

 However, the vast majority of personality

research does not consider the importance of

race or ethnicity

The Epigenetic Principle (in terms Erikson)

Each struggle must be resolved to continue development.

What are all of Erikson’s stages?

What Erikson age is considered old age 65+ and what does it entail?

Come to terms with a lifetime of choices

• Accept that life is drawing to a close

• Everyone can reach integrity, though not common

• Completing a life review can contribute to achieving integrity

Which of the following best describes Erikson’s stages of

development?

A. They are a series of quantitative changes in behavior and skills.

B. They focus exclusively on physical and cognitive development.

C. They are fixed stages that do not vary across individuals or cultures.

D. They represent qualitative stages centered on resolving psychosocial

conflicts.

D

In Erikson’s stage of Integrity vs. Despair, which of the following

is a key task for individuals?

A. Establishing long-term personal goals for the future

B. Coming to terms with a lifetime of choices

C. Developing independence from caregivers

D. Balancing work and personal relationships

B

Critiques of Erikson’s theory? how have Logan and Korte and McAdams tried to resolve them?

Poorly defined, untestable, incomplete
Logan: The stages as a cycle that repeats → developmental progression=trust,

achievement, and wholeness

Korte: Generativity as a set of impulses: Biological & parental; Technical;

Cultural; Agentic ; Communal → the perception of generativity (or not) is

continuous across adulthood

McAdams: Korte: Generativity as a set of impulses: Biological & parental; Technical;

Cultural; Agentic ; Communal → the perception of generativity (or not) is

continuous across adulthood. offering a more nuanced, lifelong, and multidimensional view, continuous! in other stages of life than middle adulthood

What are the two principles of McAdams model of generativity?

Concern: a general personality

tendency of interest in caring for

younger individuals

Action: the actual behaviors that

promote the well-being of the next

generation.

Middle-aged and older adults =

greater preoccupation with

generativity

Generativity definition → any type of

activity or intention to benefit others