Psych 341

Personality

Who were the Jim twins?

Twins raised separately that met for the first time at 39. They were very similar in a bunch of weird ways including the names of their wives

How many genes do humans have?

25,000 genes

How many chromosomes do humans have?

23 pairs so 46

What is eugenics?

designing a master race through controlling population reproduction

What percentage of height is due to genetics vs. environment?

90% genetic 10% environment

What percentage of schizophrenia and bipolar disorderis due to genetics vs. environment?

50% genetic, 50% environment

What is heritability?

proportion of observed variance due to genetic variance

What is environmentality?

portion of observed variance due to environmental differences

What is genotype?

person’s genetic makeup

What are genotypic differences?

Individual differences in genes

What is phenotype?

ways in which a person’s genotype is manifested in observable characteristics

What are phenotypic differences?

individual differences such as personality

What are common misconceptions people have about heritability?

genes and environment cannot be disentagled, heritibility is not constant, heritibility always depends on both range of genetic differences and range of envrionmental differences in that pop, heritibility does not always genralize across geography or cultures

At which level of analysis can we differentiate genes and environments?

the population level (Think example of cake)

What does selective breeding of dogs tell us about personality traits?

indicates heredity is a factor in personality

What are twin studies? What groups are being compared? What assumptions are made?

the study of fraternal and identical twins to estimate heritibility

What are adoption studies? What groups are being compared?

examine correlations between adopted children and their adoptive parents

What is selective placement?

if adopted children placed with adoptive parents who are like birth parents

What is the approximate heritability for personality? (0-1 scale)

.5

What attitudes and preferences have been shown to have heritability? What has not?

traditionalism is heritable and there is no heritibility for belief in God, involvement in religion and religious attitudes, or beliefs about racial integration

How are drinking and smoking related to heritability?

yes because they are behavioral manifestations of personality

Is marriage and life satisfaction heritable? To what degree?

kind of, there was a study that indicated the propensity to marry but overall life satisfaction is predicted by a sense of purpose, orientation towards personal growth, sense of control, positive solcail relationships

What is the difference between shared and nonshared environmental influences?

shared influences- parent’s, parents attitudes and values, religion, neighborhood Nonshared- friends/peers

What effect does shared and nonshared environmental influences have on personality?

shared\=.05 nonshared\=.4-.5

What is the central dogma?

DNA- transcription- RNA- translation- protein- nervous system- behavior/ genetic determinism

What is epigenetics?

heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve a change in DNA sequence

How is epigenetics like books in a library?

our DNa is like a gigantic library with many books. Epigenetics markers are like flags marking which books should be read, and which books should be ignored

What were the key findings of the Agouti mouse study by Jirtle?

the diet of the mother changed the color and size of her babies

What were the key findings of the longitudinal monozygotic twin study by Fraga and Estellar?

identical twins have different changes of getting diseases, gene activation gets more and more different as twins age

What were the key findings of Meaney’s cross-fostering study?

The mothering of the rat had a bigger impact then the genes of the mother. The hippocampus low neurtured rats had more genetic marks silencing the gne so stress levels in the neglected rats sored

What is genotype-environmental interaction?

differential responses of individuals with different genotypes to the same environment ( introverts and extrovert respond differently to the same noisy room(

What is genotype by environment correlation?

dofferential exposure of individuals with different genotypes to different environments

What is passive genotype-environment correlation?

parents provide both genes and environment to kids, kid is passive( parents choose ti have book. Child did nothing to get the books)

What is reactive genotype-environment correlation?

Parents respond to children differently depending on child's genotype/ personality preferences ( athletic kid gets put in sports while a artsy kid get paintbrushes)

What is active genotype-environment correlation?

Person with particular genotype seeks out/creates particular environment ( what a person chooses to do on a friday night is related to their personality)

How does the DRD4 gene relate to personality?

Long DRD4 less responsive to dopamine, so see out exciting activities ti increase it whereas short DRD4 highly responsive to dopamine, so do not seek it

What does the physiological approach try to determine and/or measure personality?

emphasizes the central nervous system

What are common physiological measures?

skin conductance, cardiovascular activity (HR, BP), brain activity (EEG, fMRI, PET), hormones (cortisol, adrenaline, testosterone)

Who was Phineas Gage?

Foreman of a railroad got a giant rail in his head and personality completely changes

What was Eysenck’s theory about extraversion and introversion?

Argues that activity in the ascending reticular activation system (ARAS) underlies extraversion intervention

\-Introverts have high ARAS (High levels of internal stimulation so don’t seek it externally)

\-Extroverts have low ARAS (low levels of internal stimulation so seek more externally)

What part of the physiological system Eyseneck’s does it focus on?

Focuses on brain and CNS

What is Hebb’s theory of optimal level of arousal?

you can be too high or too low any any variable, want an ideal balance, both introverts and extraverts want ot regulate arousal either downward or upward

What is Gray’s reinforcement sensitivity theory?

Behavior activation system(BAS)- Approach, responsive to cues for rewards, regulates approach behavior thru dopamine systems\= positive emotions, sensitive to rewards, impulsivity, as approach goal can’t stop

What part of the physiological system Gray’s reinforcement sensitivity theory does it focus on?

Gray focuses on brain system involved in learning thru rewards and punishment

\-Behavioral inhibition system (BIS)- avoidance, responsive to cues forpunishment, relates avoidance behavior thru amygdala= negative emotions, prone to anxiety, fear, and sadness

\-According to Gray’s theory, how do neurotics and extraverts differ? Nerotics have overly sensitive BIS, extraversion have overly sensitive BAS

What were the main findings of the hospitalized neurotics vs. prostitutes study?

neurotics had BIH prostitutes BAS

According to Gray’s theory, how do impulsive and anxious people learn best? Why?

BIS scores predicted better learning in reward conditions, BIS scores predicted better learning when being punished. Impulsive individuals have stringer approach than avoidance tendencies, don’t learn well from punishment bc have weak BIS. Anxious individuals learn better from punishment than reward, weak BAS

What is Zuckerman’s sensation seeking theory?

sensation deprivation tank, some people have high need for sensation, sensation seekers, found deprivation very unpleasant. Studied MAOA, high sensation seekers have low MAOA possibly indicating less inhibition in nervous system. MAOA breaks down dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine

What part of the physiological system does Zuckerman focus on? Focuses on synapse and enzymes

Focuses on synapse and enzymes

What is Cloninger’s tridimensional personality model?

Three key personality traits tied to neurotransmitter, novelty seeking- low levels of dopamine, so you seek out exciting activities

What part of the Cloninger physiological system does it focus on?

cloninger focuses on particular neurotransmitters

Harm avoidance

serotonin out of balance, very low serotonin leads to depression, very high seratonin leads to anxiety, stress low harm avoidance- energetiv, optimistic high harm avoidance- catious, shy, inhibited, apprehensive

How do Larks and Owls physiologically differ from each other?

larks- shorter rhythm, hit peak temp earlier in the day, get sleepier earlier owls- longer rhythm, hit their peak body temp later in the say, have a hardr time waking up in the morning

What part of the brain is more active during positive emotions?

left frontal lobe

Negative emotions?

right frontal lobe

How does brain asymmetry relate to responses to either pleasant or unpleasant events?

frontal asymmetry is like a personality trait, explains differences in how people respond emotionally to pleasant and unpleasant events, right dominant persons- needs less negative affect to trigger, left dominant persons- need less positive affect to trigger

What is the relationship between valance (positive and negative emotion) and arousal?

What are the three emotional regulation systems proposed by Paul Gilbert?

Drive system, soothing system, threat system

What are the main components of the brainstem?

Hypothalamus, reticular formation, medulla, pons

What the brainstems main function?

basic homeostatic functions (breathing arousal)

What are the main components of the limbic system?

amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus, limbic basal ganglia

What is the function of the limbic system?

motivation, emotional adaptive response patterns( fast)

What is the function of the amygdala?

Fear and threat vigilence

What is the function of the hippocampus?

Short term memory to long term memory

What is the function of the thalamus?

What is the function of the limbic basal ganglia?

Reward learning, approach behavior, addiction

What are the main components of the cortex?

parietal cortex, temporal cortex, occipital cortex

What is the function ofthe parietal cortex?

sensory integration

What is the function ofthe temporal cortex?

auditory, linked to hippocampus and memory, plays a role in emotion deriving meaning

What is the function ofthe occipital cortex?

visual processing

What is the function of the prefrontal cortex?

cognitive processing, executive functioning

What is autonoetic awareness?

prefrontal coretex binds together the awareness of oneself as a continuous entity through time

What was Richard Davidson’s theory about emotions? What are current theories about the relationship between the prefrontal cortex and emotions?

left prefrontal cortex- positive emotion, right prefrontal cortex- negative emotion

What is the relationship between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala?

as prefrontla activity goes up, amygdala activity goes down (emotional regulation)

What are the different theories of evolution? How do they differ?

* Athiestic view- random, undirected- adaption is survival of the fittest 
* Intelligent design- universe best explained by intelligent cause- we are designed to adapt(No evolution) 
* Theistic view- God as initiator/ active creator- God evolved us to adapt 
* Creationism- creation fromthe bible- adaptations is the way God built us (it just is)  

How is natural selection a process?

nature gradually selects characteristics that promote survival and reproductive success

What are hostile forces of nature?

events that impeded survival- food shortages, disease, preditors

What is the difference between intrasexual and intersexual competition?

Intrasexual competition, characteristics that lead to success in mating such as greater strength, attractiveness \n Intersexual selection- members of one sex choose a mate based on theri prefernve for specific qualities

How are adaptations, byproducts of adaptations and randomness different from each other?

Adaptations= structured by the selective environment

byproducts= incidental effects not related to survival or reproduction

Randomness= noise or random variation

What is inclusive fitness theory?

reproduction of close relatives also counts in passing on genes

Why would humans evolve to have a need to belong? Social anxiety?

achiving acceptance and satus led to better protection, food, mates

What studies support the theory that social anxiety is an evolved adaptation?

kid vedio game study: those excluded later showed more anxiety, WW2 vets- external threat increases social cohesion

Why have humans evolved to be altruistic?

helping others enhances inclusive fitness

What is the evolutionary-predicted sex difference hypothesis?

sexes will differe in domains where they face differnvt adaptive problems

What are the key domains of differences between sexes?

agression, jealousy, desire for sexual variety, and mate preferences

Why are males more aggressive and prone to competition compared to females?

males had to compete and be aggressive for mates

Why might women select more aggressive males?

male body size and strength

How do men and women differ in their reasonings for jealousy?

fetilization occurs inside the female so men have to worry if it is their child while women don’t

How does parental investment cause differences in male and female mate selection?

gender that invest less in offspring- less discimminant in mate selection and seek multiple mates

What is the absent father theory?

children learn that adult pair bonds not enduring leading to early sexual maturation and initiation, frequent partner switching

What is reactive heritability?

What is frequency-dependent selection?

if one strategy becomes too common it becomes less successful an then decreases likelihood

What is the difference between restricted and unrestricted sexual strategy?

restricted- female seeks investing male, takes time, unrestricted- female seeks high quality gnese, takes less time

What is culture?

the customs and beliefs, art, way of life, and social organization of a particular country or group

What is evoked culture?

all humans have the same potential that get evoked depending on the environmetn

What is evoked cooperation and when does it occur?

high variance conditions evoke cooperation and increase sharing

How does culture influence mating strategies?

chins vs sweden very tradition and more paternal involvement vs more promiscuous

What is culture of honor?

What were the findings of Nisbett’s study?

Southerners have more of a culture of honor

How does culture influence conformity?

prevalence of disease causing oathogens causes preassure to conform

What is transmitted culture?

indeas taught and shared