Psych. EXAM 1 (chapters 1-5)

main ideas for chapter 1 (what is personality)

• the person and the situation

• defining personality

• 6 approaches to personality

• personality and culture

• the study of personality: theory, application, assessment and research

What contributes to a person’s behavior?

• the situation

• the person

What determines an individuals personality?

• how different he/she is from others

• how he/she behaves in different situations

what do consistent patterns of behavior look like?

to an extent, individual behavior is consistent across time and situations

what are intrapersonal processes?

emotional. motivational, and cognitive processes that influence individual’s feelings and actions

psychoanalytic

unconscious mind is responsible for important differences in behavior styles

trait

an individual lies along a continuum of various personality characteristics

biological

inherited predispositions and physiological processes contribute to differences in personality

humanistic

personal responsibility and feelings of self-acceptance cause differences in personality

behavioral/social learning

consistent behavior patterns are the result of conditioning and expectations

cognitive

people process information to explain differences in behavior

when does aggression occur?

when people are blocked from reaching their goals

what is psychoanalytic approach’s explanation? (aggression)

• people possess an unconscious desire to self-destruct

• self-destructive impulses are expressed against others in the form of aggression

what is trait approach’s explanation? (aggression)

• focuses on individual differences and the stability of aggressive behavior

• aggressive children are most likely to become aggressive adults

what is biological approach’s explanation? (aggression)

• genetic predisposition towards aggression

• evolutionary theory

what is humanistic approach’s explanation? (aggression)

• people are basically good

• aggression arises when something interferes with natural growth process

• inadequate basic needs, poor self image

behavioral/social approach’s explanation? (aggression)

• people learn to be aggressive

• aggressive behavior that is rewarded will be repeated

what cognitive explanation? (aggression)

certain cues in the environment trigger a network of aggressive thoughts and emotions

what causes depression?

depending on which approach to personality you adopt, you might explain depression in terms of anger turned inward, a stable trait, an inherited predisposition, low self-esteem, a lack of rein enforcers or negative thoughts

what is psychoanalytic approach’s explanation? (depression)

• depression is a result of holding unconscious feelings of anger and hostility

what is trait approach’s explanation? (depression)

• focuses on identifying depression-prone individuals

• person’s general emotional level at present can indicate that person’s emotions in the future

what is biological approach’s explanation? (depression)

certain people inherit a genetic susceptibility to depression

what is humanistic approach’s explanation? (depression)

• people frequently suffering from depression are those who have low self-worth

what is behavioral/social approach’s explanation? (depression)

• depression results from a lack of positive reinforcers in a person’s life

what is cognitive approach’s explanation? (depression)

• depression depends on how people interpret their inability to control events

• certain individuals use a depressive filter to interpret and process information

what influences personality and culture?

cultural context influences an individual’s personality

individualistic cultures

• emphasize on individual needs and accomplishments

• individuals perceive themselves as independent and unique

• include northern European countries and the US

collectivist cultures

• emphasize on belonging to a larger group

  • family, tribe, or group

• includes Asian, African, Central American and South American countries

• cultural context influences interpretation of an individuals behavior

main idea for chapter 2 (personality research methods)

• the hypothesis-testing approach

• the case study method

• statistical analysis of data

• personality assessment

main points of hypothesis-testing approach

• theory

• hypothesis

• good theory

  • parsimonious

  • useful

theory

general statement about the relationship between constructs or events

hypothesis

an educated guess (differ in the range if events or phenomena they explain)

characteristics of a good theory

• parsimonious

• useful

parsimonious

explains the phenomenon in simple terms

useful

generates testable hypothesis

hypothesis vs theory

• hypothesis - formal prediction about the relationship between two or more variables that is logically derived from the theory

• theory - unaccepted if empirical investigations consistently fail to confirm predictions

types of experimental variables

• independent

• dependent

• confounding factors

independent variables

determines how the groups in the experiment are divided

• manipulated by the experimenter

• known as treatment variables

dependent variables

measured by the investigator and used to compare the experimental groups

• known as the outcome variable

confounding factors/variable

an outside factor that influences both the independent variable and the dependent variable

dependent variables example study

• many personality researchers conduct laboratory studies to test their hypothesis

• these investigations typically take place in university settings, often with undergraduate students as participants and graduate students as experimenters

• example - what I did at UNI

interaction of experimental variable

how one independent variable affects the dependent variable depends on the other independent variable

manipulated independent variables

• begins with a large number of participants

• randomly assigns participants to experimental groups

• researchers assume that all the differences will be evened out

nonmanipulated independent variable