Intro to Psych Final 2025

UPENN Adriana Jenkins

temperments

biologically based tendencies to feet or act in a certain way that are evident in infancy

-activity level / energy

-emotionality (intensity)

-sociability

high reactvity

easily overwhelmed

less social later in life

low reactivity

needs more stimulation→ more social

is personality genes or enviornment?

both however genes play a huge role

twins that live apart are similar

bad caretaker results in being more neurotic

5 big personality types

Openess

Conscientiousness ( organization)

Extraversion

Neuroticism

*personality is not boxes but a spectrum

how much does behavior correlate to personality

lowly correlated

*there is no cross situation consistency - kids who steal are not more likely to cheat

behavioral acitvation

reward seeking part of the brain assocaited with extroversion

behavioral inhibition

punshiment fearing part of the brain- more assocaited with introverts

strong situations

obscure personality

weak situations

leave room for personality

most traits are stable across the lifespan

Conscientiousnes increases

extraversion, neurtocisim, and openess decrease

do animals have personality?

yes- most animals have 4/5 traits

only humans and chimps have conscientiousness / the ability to plan ahead

williams syndrome

genetic disorder (missing 20 genes) with lower IQ than averafe but highly social and musically inclined

IQ

old form = mental age/age

new = where you score on a distribution compared to other adults

flynn effect

IQ scores must be recalibrated regularly due to performance changes over time

particarlly dramatic increase in the 20th century

ppl used to not have abstract thinking

savantisim

minimal intelligence however have an exceptional ability in a certain domain

such as mental calender calculations

crystuallized intelligence

knowdlege accquired through experince

like remebering facts and definitions

fluid intelligence

ablitlity to process info and think logically- solving puzzles / patterns

cognitive control

is willpower

higher control → higher GPA

Growth Mindset

praise for effort

fixed mindset

praised on being smart

One DALY

One year of healthy life lost to disablity or premature death

1/3rd of total years are lost to psychopathy

clinical cutoff

does this issue interefere with daily life and normal acitvities

the diathesis stress model

think of the weak bridge

childhood truama or bad genes + stressful soituation that causes vulnerablity

comordbidity

certian disorders tend to occuer together

schizophrenia

-starts with a psychotic break → 1% of the pop’n

positive symptoms = hallucinations, delsuions, disorganized speech

negative symptoms= flat emotions, lack of motivation

delusions and the 6 types

delusions = false beliefs not set in reality

1. persecutory = beleif someones is trying to spy on them or harm them

2. referntial = placing meaning in a certian object / object has a special meaning

3. grandoise= belief that they have a special power or talent

4. identity= beleif that they are someone else

5. guilt= beleive they are the causer of events when not feasbile

6. control= beleif that someone is controling them

hallucinations

false sensory perceptions w/o external source

major depresssion

extreme sadness or lack of interest in nomrally pleasurable activities

-depressed mood most of the day almost everyday for a 2 week period

-fatigue

-feelings of worthlessness

-diminished ability to concentrate

-reoccurent suicicidal thoughts

• major depressive eps can occur only once however they usually reoccur

• more common in women than men (twice as likely)

• genetics play a small to medium role

• smaller amgydala response to happy stimuli

• beleives negative events are internal (bcasue of how they are) and stable (it is always gonna be like this)

Bi-polar & related conditions

a mood disorder characterized by alternating periods of depression and mania

-bipolar 1→ full blown mania

-bipolar 2→ hypomania

can be treated by lithium but that works better on mania than depression

quetiapime

• high suicide risk 20%

• suicide is the second leading cause of death after accidents

• many suicide attempts are not planned ahead and are spontaneous

• 70% of ppl never attempt again

  • suicide rate depends on the means to do it

mania

condition in which you have a period of abnormally elevated, extreme changes in your mood or emotions, energy level or activity level.

OCD

frequent intrusive thoughts- obessions→ anxiety → compulsions → relief

1/2% of the pop’n

more common in women than in men

OCPD

perfectionist tendencies/ preoccupied with details

OCD affects daily life OCPD affects how they do about a day

Antisocial personality disorder

“against ppl”

-doesnt really care abt other ppl

• does not conform to / does illegeal things

• demonstrated before age 15

• decitfulness, irratablity, aggressivness

• reckless disregard for safety

• lack of remose

Shares similarities with psychpathy but that is not a DSM diagnosis

BPD

• fear of abdonment

  • weak sense of self

ASD- autisim spectrum disorder

-appears in early childhood

-restricted / reptitive behaviors

-abnormal socialization

-babies with ASD focus on shapes instead of faces

• HUGE genetic component

• 60-90% chance if a twin has it so does the other

• hard time understanding what other ppl are thinking - thoery of mind

Happiness

wandering → sadder

exerscice → happier for up to 8 hours after

social interaction → happier no matter who you are or who you talk to unless boss- mere presnece does not work