Test 2 (Psy 265)

Front 1

Disposition

Back 1

- relatively stable and enduring characteristics within a person
- way of classifying individuals
- the classification system itself is usually used as an explanation. (ex: whether a person is extrovert or introvert)

Front 2

The Dispositional Strategy

Back 2

- way of understanding human personality (or their behavior).
-major concept is on the word "disposition"
- ppl difer in the way they are disposed (supposed) to behave.
- ppl naturally use this strategy to describe; groups, individuals and nations.
- Ex: "Susan acts this way because she is proud"
- example of some dispositions:
clumbsy, introvert, extrovert, shy, prod, etc

Front 3

Three Types of Disposition
(Dispositional Strategy Terminology)

Back 3

1. Trait-
the definition for trait is also used for disposition.
-most narrow catergory
(ex: high or low test anxiety of and individual)

2. Type-
clusters of characteristics or clusters of traits that tend to occurr together .
- broader than traits
(ex: Type A personality)

3. Temperament-
Bilding blocks of personality
-very broad
- shows up very early in life
(ex: being socialable vs. dissociable)

Front 4

Assumptions of the Dispositional Strategy

Back 4

1. the three types: trait, types, temerament
(States vs. Traits)

2. Individuals differ in the strength of disposition, the kind of dispositions they have and the number of dispositions they have.

3. How do we measure the adaquacy of the disposition:
- look for convergent validity- (same dispositions that are highly correlated;you want things to "go together")

- look for discriminant validity (different dispositions that do not correlate highly;you want things to be unrelated)

Front 5

What are the Three Approaches in the Dispositional Strategy?

Back 5

1. Theoretical -
looks to theories to suggest which dispositions are most important.

2. Statistical (factor analysis)-
analyze very large collections of data about many ppl. to identify the basic factors that underlie the data set.
(ex: factor analysis)

3. Lexical-
the more important the disposition is, the more often it will be referred to in ordinary language.

Front 6

Frequency of use

Back 6

look to see how many times something is used.

Front 7

Factor Analysis

Back 7

allows researchers to determine empirically what behavioral measures "go together".
- used by dispositional psychologist
- suggest that a common underlying trait or disposition or/and a highlighted divergence (separatione or diffence) among measures of different traits or measures.

Front 8

What are Gordon Allport's 8 Assumptions?

Back 8

1. Traits are more than a summary label
2. distinguish traits from habits (believes traits are more general than habits)
- ex: habit (brushing teeth), trait( cleanliness)
3. Traits are dynamic (changing) and causative ( cause things).
4. Traits can be empirically determined.
5. Traits are only relatively independent of one another
- there is an overlap among traits; there will be correlation
6. Traits are not the same as attitudes
- ex: you have attitude toward asians specifically but a shy person to ppl in general
7. Behaviors and even habits that are inconsistent with the trait, are not necessarily proof of the non-existence of the trait.
-extrovert(doesn't always fit behaviors of extrovert) but doesn't mean they are not an extrovert.
8. Traits may be viewed nomothetically (individual) or Idiographically (population).

Front 9

What are the three types of Traits?

Back 9

1. Cardinal- involves nearly all aspects the individuals personality
- a ruling passion; person is driven

2. Central- Less pervasive but still general. People usually have five to ten central traits.

3. Secondary- least pervasive, less general. Displayed to close individuals.

Front 10

Raymond Cattell

Back 10

believed that...
- traits are the basic units of life
- used factor analysis
- used three types of data:
L, Q,T : Life records, Questionaires (mostly used this), Test/ Experiments (used least)
-developed at 16 factor model using factor analysis (three source traits derived from this)

Front 11

What are two ways of classifying traits?
(Cattell's view)

Back 11

1. Source traits
2. Surface traits

Front 12

Source traits

Back 12

- Building blocks of personality (there are 16; they are closely related to eachother and came out during factor analysis)
- the 16 traits were very related but unrelated to other traits.
-caused behavior
- were not modifyable (not easily changed)

Front 13

Surface Traits

Back 13

- Showed correlation with one another, they were related to one another.
- source traits influence surface taits.

Front 14

Hans J. Eysenck

Back 14

- Identified three major factors in personality: Psychoticism, Extraversion and Neuroticism.

Front 15

How did Eysenck's view differ from Cattell's view on disposition?

Back 15

- Eysenck's model took care of the criticisms of Cattell's model:
1.Cattell had too many tratis (Eysenk narrowed down his traits)
2. Cattell didn't have a hierarchial model ( Eysenk did)

Front 16

Eysenks model of personality has..

Back 16

In order of importance
- Types (made up of traits)
- Traits (made up of habitual responses)
- Habitual Responses

Front 17

Description of Eysenk's hierarchial model.

Back 17

1. Traits ( most influential)
2. Three traits:
a. Introversion/Extraversion
b. Neuroticism/Stability
c. Pschoticism

Front 18

Describe the three traits from Eysenk's personality model.

Back 18

1. Introversion/ Extroversion
- they were opposites (based relationship on enviorment)

2. Neuroticism/Stability
-neurotics: nervousnes, insecurity, pessimistic, suseptability to depression
-Stability: opposite of neurotocism

3. Psychoticism:
-These are sociopaths (lack loyalty, believed it was higher in men than women); correlated in some aspect

Front 19

The Big Five model

Back 19

Consist of ..
1. Five major factors that characterize people
2. McCrae and Costa were responsible for the Big Five.

Front 20

Acronym for the Big Five.

Back 20

O.C.E.A.N:
1. O (openess)
-how open a person is to experiences, how daring, and how original and unconventional a person is.

2. C- conciousness
-how concerned you are about carrying norms of a group.

3. E- extroversion
- talkative

4. A- agreeableness
- how supportive and trusting a person is ( Eysenks input)

5. N- neuroticism
- how unstable or stable (Eysenks input)

Front 21

What is missing from the Big Five?

Back 21

Psychotic and introversion

Front 22

What is psychoticism from Eysenks standpoint?

Back 22

Openess- high
Conciousness- low
Extroversion- low

Front 23

Some criticisms of the Big Five model.

Back 23

- some people believe that intelligence should be included in this model.
- one argument is that intelligence is important but it is not a personality factor.
- doesn't take into consideration a positve or negative balance.

Front 24

Kretschmer and Sheldon

Back 24

- worked on psychic and abnormal personality
- Kretschmer: did the relationship btw psychic and personality
- Sheldon: ( beginning of biological approach)
- Endomorphic
- Mesomorphic
- Ectomorphic

Front 25

What are the three Biological Approaches?

Back 25

* this is the idea that a certain body type came with a certain temperatment( personality).

1. Endomorphic: bigger and round; compliment, comfort oriented

2. Mesomorphic: very muscular; energetic, assertive, risk taker

3. Super Frail(thin): quick reactions, nervous, apprehensive, self-concious

Front 26

Darwins Theory of Evolution

Back 26

The idea that animals survived based on certain character traits inherited down that help them survive because of natural selection.

Front 27

Natural Selection

Back 27

1.) There are individual variations in each species

2.) Certain enviormental conditions will favor individuals with certain characteristics (advantages to having certain characteristics).

3.) Individuals having these characteristics will be most likely to survive and pass on genes.
Other Implications:
- species that have a great deal of variability among members are more likely to survive

Front 28

Artificial Selection

Back 28

using sex to make different species.
(ex: horse and donkey makes an oxen)

Front 29

Sociobiology

Back 29

- comes from Darwinian perspective
- The specific study of the evolutionary basis of social behavior
- Wilson ( a person) that wrote a book about evolution

Front 30

Altruistic Behavior

Back 30

- helping behavior
- some say altrusitic behavior is around because it increases reproductive fitness.
- people that are altruistic have an advantage

Front 31

What are two reason altruism has reproductive advantage?

Back 31

1.) Inclusive Fitness:
- our genes can be preserved directly or indirectly
-directly: our genes are passed
- indirectly: others pass on our genes.
Kenship Selection Theory: The ppl related to us, tendency to give help to someone depends on how genetically realated they are. (ex: we are more likely to give to others close to us)

2.) Reciprical Altruism: we help others because we are more likely to get paid back. ( the person being helped does not have to be related)
- ppl that behave in a reciprocal altruism way they are more likely to survive.
- Darwins