PYSC 204 Exam 3
Chapters 9 and 10
Temperament: Views of mind-body relationships from the past to the present
Scientific understanding of the biological bases of personality has benefited from an accident experienced by Phineas Gage in railroad construction; personality changed deeply
Suggests that there exist deep interconnections between brain functioning and personality functioning
Physiognomy - personality based on facial features
Phrenology:
Tried to locate areas of the brain responsible for emotional and behavior.
Most complex actions and thought patterns are executed
Early History: Sheldon’s body and personality types
Endomorphy: plumpness / personality: viscerotropic: relaxed, tolerance, sociability
Mesomorphy: muscularity, strong / personality: somatatonia: boldness, assertiveness, competitive
Ectomorphy: thinness, delicate and frail / personality: cerebrotonia: avoids social interaction, thoughtful, introverted
Temperament refers to behavioral style and characteristic emotional response
Temperament is biologically determined, personality is a product of social environment
can be identified in early childhood
individual differences in temperament traits like anxiety, introversion-extroversion also seen in animals, where personality is prerogative of humans
Temperament refers to style of behavior, personality refers to content of behavior
4 Aspects:
Anxiety level: output of energy/behavior
Vigor - intensity of behavior
Tempo - speed
Emotionally: tendency to become physiologically aroused easily and intensely in upsetting situations. distress, anger, fear
Sociability: desire to be with others vs being alone; interaction is stimulating
Impulsivity/aggressiveness: tendency to respond to stimuli quickly,
3 styles in babies: Thomas and Chess
Easy babies
Difficult babies
Slow-to-warm-up babies
Kagan and shyness
Inhibited and Uninhibited children
Inhibited child: reacts to unfamiliar things with avoidance and distress
Uninhibited child: enjoys same situations