Aqa Gcse Psychology Unit 1 - Development Of Personality

Front 1

What is Personality?

Back 1

The Thoughts , Feelings and Behaviours that make an individual unique.

Front 2

What is Temperament?

Back 2

The genetic component of personality.

This means it should stay constant throughout life.

Front 3

Aim and Method of Thomas, Chess and Birch.

Back 3

Aim: To find whether ways of responding to the environment remain stable throughout life.

Method: 133 children were studied, infancy - early adulthood. Behaviour was observed and parents were interviewed to see the child's routine and reaction to change.

Front 4

Results and Conclusion of Thomas, Chess and Birch.

Back 4

Results: 3 types: 'easy' (happy, flexible and regular), 'difficult' (demanding, inflexible and cried a lot) and 'slow to warm up' (responding badly to change at first, but adapted to become happy).

Conclusion: These 'types' stayed with the kids as they grew up, therefore temperament is innate.

Front 5

Evaluate Thomas, Chess and Birch.

Back 5

1. Longitudinal study (study carried out over a long time), therefore there could have been dropouts, affecting the results.

2. All kids were middle-class from New York, so cannot be generalised.

3. Parents may have been biased when talking about their child, therefore affecting the results.

Front 6

What are Monozygotic Twins?

Back 6

Twins developed from one fertilised egg, identical.

Front 7

What are Dizygotic Twins?

Back 7

Twins developed from two separately fertilised eggs.

Front 8

Aim and Method of Buss and Plomin.

Back 8

Aim: To test the idea that temperament innate.

Method: Rated the temperament of 228 pairs of MT and 172 pairs of DT, all 5y.o. Looked at emotionality, activity and sociability, and compared scores for each pair.

Front 9

Results and Conclusion of Buss and Plomin.

Back 9

Results: There was a closer correlation between the monozygotic twins' scores.

Conclusion: Temperament has a genetic basis.

Front 10

Evaluate Buss and Plomin.

Back 10

1. Study supports 'Temperament is innate' view.

2. monozygotic twins are treated similarly, which could have affected the results.

3. Cannot be generalised, as not everyone is a twin.

Front 11

Aim and Method of Kagan and Snidman.

Back 11

Aim: To see whether temperament is due to biological differences.

Method: Reactions of 4m.o. babies in new situations were studied, for the 1st min. they were able to see the carer, but the next 3 mins the baby couldn't see the carer, but the experimenter holding different toys.

Front 12

Results of Kagan and Snidman.

Back 12

Results: 20% were distressed (crying, vigorous movement), classed as 'high reactive'. 40% barely moved or showed emotion, classed as 'low reactive'. The others fell somewhere between the two. 11 years later, there was still a difference; high reactives were shy, low reactives were calm.

Front 13

Conclusion of Kagan and Snidman.

Back 13

Conclusion: These two temperaments are due to inherited differences in the way the brain responds.

Front 14

Evaluate K&S.

Back 14

1. Large sample, therefore can generalise.

2. Lab study, therefore lacks ecological validity.

3. Researchers may have missed behaviour when recording, affecting the results.

Front 15

What is a Type Theory?

Back 15

Personality types are thought to be inherited. They can be described using related traits.

Front 16

What are the 3 personality types Eysenck identified?

Back 16

Extroversion, introversion and neuroticism.

Front 17

Describe each personality type.

Back 17

Extroversion- describes people who look to the outside world for entertainment.

Introversion- describes people who are content with their own company.

Neuroticism- describes people who are highly emotional and show a quick, intense reaction to fear.

Front 18

Give 3 traits for each personality type.

Back 18

Extroversion: sociable, lively and easy-going.

Introversion: quiet, spend time alone, like routine.

Neuroticism: anxious, irritable and shy.

Front 19

Aim and Method of Eysenck's study

Back 19

Aim: To investigate personality differences between people.

Method: 700 servicemen took a questionnaire, which were analysed the results using factor analysis (a statistical technique).

Front 20

Results and Conclusion of Eysenck's study

Back 20

Results: 2 dimensions identified: extroversion--introversion and neuroticism--stability.

Conclusion: Everyone can be placed somewhere on these 2 dimensions, most in the middle.

Front 21

Evaluate Eysenck's study

Back 21

1. Only described a limited number of personality types.

2. Questionnaires could have bee based on current mood.

3. Cannot be generalised as it what 700 servicemen.

Front 22

What is a Personality Scale?

Back 22

A way of measuring personality using yes/no questions.

Front 23

What is The Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI)?

Back 23

The scale used to measure extroversion--introversion and neuroticism--stability.

Front 24

What is Psychoticism?

Back 24

A third dimension identified by Eysenck. People who score high on this dimension are hostile, aggressive, insensitive and cruel.

Front 25

What is The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ)?

Back 25

This scale also measures extroversion, introversion and neuroticism, but also psychoticism.

Front 26

Describe a Stable Extrovert.

Back 26

Sociable, outgoing, talkative, responsive, easy-going, lively, carefree.

Front 27

Describe a Stable Introvert.

Back 27

Calm, even-tempered, reliable, controlled, peaceful, thoughtful, careful.

Front 28

Describe an Unstable Extrovert.

Back 28

Touchy, restless, aggressive, excitable, changeable, impulsive, optimistic.

Front 29

Describe an Unstable Introvert.

Back 29

Moody, anxious, pessimistic, reserved, unsociable, quiet.

Front 30

Define Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD).

Back 30

A condition in which the individual does not use socially acceptable behaviour or consider the rights of others.

Front 31

Name 3 characteristics of APD

Back 31

Not following norms and laws, deceitful, impulsive, irritable and aggressive, careless about safety, irresponsible, cannot keep a job or friends, lacking remorse.

Front 32

What is the Amygdala?

Back 32

Part of the brain involved in emotion.

Front 33

What is Grey Matter (Cerebral Cortex)?

Back 33

The outer layer of the brain.

Front 34

What is the Prefrontal Cortex?

Back 34

The very front of the brain. it is involved in social and moral behaviour and controls aggression.

Front 35

What is a biological cause of APD?

Back 35

Some researchers believe that brain abnormalities are the main cause of APD.

Front 36

Aim and Method of Raine et al.

Back 36

Aim: To support the theory that abnormalities I the prefrontal cortex cause APD.

Method: 21 men with APD and a control group of 34 healthy men underwent an MRI. All subjects were volunteers.

Front 37

Results and Conclusion of Raine et al.

Back 37

Results: The APD group had 11% reduction in the grey matter compared with the control group.

Conclusion: APD is caused by a reduction in the brain's grey matter.

Front 38

Evaluate Raine et al.

Back 38

1. Supports the biological explanation of APD.

2. Only studied males, therefore cannot be generalised.

3. Since all were volunteers, the APD group may not have been representative of more severe cases as well.

Front 39

What are Socioeconomic factors?

Back 39

Social and financial issues that can affect an individual.

Front 40

What are the situational causes of APD?

Back 40

-Socioeconomic factors

-Quality of home life

-Educational factors

Front 41

Aim and Method of Farrington.

Back 41

Aim: To investigate development of antisocial behaviour in males from childhood to 50y.o.

Method: Longitudinal study of 411 males in a deprived inner-city area of London, from 8-50y.o. Parents and teachers interviewed and searches for family convictions.

Front 42

Results and Conclusion of Farrington.

Back 42

Results: 41% were convicted of at least 1 crime between 10-50. Most important risk factors were family convictions, bad education, poverty and poor parenting.

Conclusion: Situational factors lead to the development of antisocial behaviour.

Front 43

Evaluate Farrington.

Back 43

1. Not controlled environment, so extraneous variables could have affected results.

2. Interviews could have had socially desirable answers, affecting results.

3. Environmental study, so high ecological validity.

Front 44

Aim and Method of Elander et al.

Back 44

Aim: To investigate childhood risk factors to prevent antisocial behaviour in adults.

Method: 225 twins with childhood disorders were investigated and interviewed 10-25 years later.

Front 45

Results and Conclusion of Elander et al.

Back 45

Results: Childhood hyperactivity, conduct disorders, low IQ ad reading problems were strong predictors of APD in adulthood.

Conclusion: Disruptive behaviour in childhood can be used to predict APD in adulthood.

Front 46

Evaluate Elander et al.

Back 46

1. Supports view that childhood risk factors mean people are more likely to develop to APD.

2. Looked at twins, so cannot be generalised.

3. Genetics could have affected it instead, as they didn't look into that.

Front 47

Practical implications of research into APD

Back 47

Difficult to prevent/treat as there are many factors.

If APD is biological, there is no treatment.

If APD is situational, reducing childhood risk factors will reduce likelihood of APD.