how many adjectives can you use to describe a person? try it!
TRANSCRIPT
• How many adjectives can you use to describe a person?
• Try it!
The Essential-Trait Approach
• Odbert and Allport found over 4,500 adjectives that describe personality traits– 17,953 adjectives overall (but some were not traits)
• Are all of these really independent of each other?
• Essential Approach tries to find how many and which traits are essential
The Big Five:History
• Allport and Odbert (1936)– 17,953 trait terms
• Cattell (1943)– Factor analysis finds 35
clusters
• Fiske (1949)– Factor analysis results in 5
factors
• Tupes & Christal (1961)– Replicate Fiske
• Norman (1963) replicates Tupes & Christal, and writes a review about these “big five” traits– Surgency (extraversion)– Agreeableness– Conscientiousness– Emotional stability– Culture
Essential Trait
• Big-Five Inventory
E1, 11, 16, 26, 36 R 6, 21, 31
A7, 17, 22, 32, 42 R 2,12, 27, 37
C3, 13, 28, 33, 38 R 8, 18, 23, 43
N4, 14, 19, 29, 39 R 9, 24, 34
O5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 44 R 35, 41
R1 = 52 = 43 = 34 = 25 = 1
Agreeableness
Trust
Straightforwardness
Altruism
Compliance
Modesty
Tender-mindedness
Obi-Wan Kenobi -- This loyal, kind, and honorable young Jedi is a good man.
Emperor Palpatine -- An evil, power hungry tyrant, he is manipulative, evil, and ruthless.
Extraversion
Warmth
Gregariousness
Assertiveness
Activity
Excitement seeking
Positive emotions
Lando Calrissian -- An energetic, sociable man. He is adventure seeking, talkative, and socially skilled.
Wampas -- reclusive creatures of the ice planet Hoth. They are rarely seen & generally shy, leading a solitary existence
Conscientiousness
Competence
Order
Dutifulness
Achievement striving
Self-discipline
Deliberation
Admiral Ackbar -- This rebel Admiral is renowned for his great powers of organization, responsibility, and administrative abilities. He is individual who can be relied upon.
Han Solo -- This disheveled and scruffy smuggler leads a reckless and haphazard life, with little respect for rules and procedures.
Neuroticism
Anxiety
Angry hostility
Depression
Self-consciousness
Impulsiveness
Vulnerability
Princess Leia -- A confident & calm individual who does not crack under pressure (e.g.,. when being threatened by Lord Vader). She is brave and relaxed, even when in great danger (e.g., when disguising herself as a bounty hunter to gain access to Jabba the Hutt’s palace).
Tusken warriors -- These inhabitants of Tatooine are unpredictable, temperamental, and excitable, and known to be especially moody.
Openness to Experience
Fantasy
Aesthetics
Feelings
Actions
Ideas
Values
Yoda -- This wise, philosophical, and thoughtful Jedi master challenges the establishment, encouraging his pupils to unlearn what they have learned and see the world in novel, creative ways.
C-3PO -- This droid versed in political protocol of thousands of cultures is governed by rules and prefers not to meddle with the ways and traditions of his hosts.
The Big Five
• Also known as the Five-Factor Model
• Extraversion• Agreeableness• Conscientiousness• Neuroticism• Openness to Experience
• OCEAN
Example
• Preadolscent girls and risk behavior– Markey, Markey, and Tinsley 2003
• Subjects were 60 girls– 5th grade mothers completed BFI and girls
pubertal development was assessed– 6th grade girls reported engagement in risky
behaviors• e.g., smoking, drinking, deep kissing, etc.
Results
Puberty .29
Extraversion .10
Agreeableness -.38
Conscientiousness -.42
Neuroticism .03
Openness -.04
Results
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
1 2 3
Openness to Experience
Ris
k B
ehav
ior
Early Puberty Risk = .44 (Open) + .54
Average Puberty Risk = -.01 (Open) + .41
Late PubertyRisk = -.25 (Open) + .28
Low Average High
Results
• Demonstrates predictive power of the Big-5
• Demonstrate show traits can interact with other elements (e.g., pubertal development) to create different behaviors
Using Traits to Understand Behavior
• Different approaches:
• The Single-Trait Approach
• The Many-Trait Approach
• The Essential-Trait Approach
• The Simultaneous-Trait Approach
The Simultaneous-Trait Approach
• Trait approaches tend to be “one-dimensional”
• They only consider one trait at a time
• “He is extraverted”• Pro: Simple and automatic• Con: Not all extraverts act the same
The Simultaneous-Trait Approach
• An “extraverted” and “agreeable” person
• An “extraverted” and “disagreeable” person
The Simultaneous-Trait Approach
• An “extraverted” and “agreeable” person– Warm
• An “extraverted” and “disagreeable” person– Controlling
The Simultaneous-Trait Approach
• This approach examines how traits “blend” together within an individual
The Interpersonal Sphere
• Ask yourself:• High (+)• Moderate (0)• Low (-)
– How dominant are you?– How warm are you?
Interpersonal Circumplex
WarmCold
- 0 +
Interpersonal Circumplex
Dominant
Submissive
+
0
-
Interpersonal Circumplex
WarmCold
Dominant
Submissive
Interpersonal Circumplex
Warmth +Warmth -
Dom
inance +D
ominance -
Cold-Hearted
Arrogant-Calculating
Assured-Dominant
Gregarious-Extraverted
Warm-Agreeable
Unassuming-Ingenuous
Unassured-Submissive
Aloof-Introverted
Extrav
ersion
Agreeableness
Participants
n = 184 (50% female; 50% male)
Age M = 19.62
Range 17 to 29 years old
Markey & Funder, 2002
Behaviors Relevant to Agency and Communion
• Each participant interacted in three different situations with an opposite sex stranger
Unstructured Cooperative Competitive
Coding Behaviors
• For each interaction, 64 social behaviors were coded by four different judges
• e.g., “Speaks quickly”
“Displays ambition”
“Offers advice”
Warm-Agreeable
• Seems to enjoy the interaction• Seems to like the other person• Expresses warmth• Behaves in a cheerful manner • Makes or approaches physical
contact
Gregarious-Extraverted
• Exhibits social skills• Interviews their partner• Is talkative• Engages in constant eye contact• Initiates humor
Assured-Dominant
• Tries to control the interaction• Dominates the interaction• Shows a wide range of interests• Appears relaxed and comfortable• Volunteers a large amount of
information about self
Arrogant-Calculating
• Exhibits condescending behaviors
• Speaks in a loud voice• Speaks quickly• Talks at rather than with partner
Cold-Hearted
• Expresses criticism• Keeps partner at a distance• Acts irritated• Speaks sarcastically • Tries to undermine, sabotage, or
obstruct
Aloof-Introverted
• Reserved and unexpressive• Seems detached from the
interaction• Shows physical signs of tension• Exhibits awkward interpersonal
style• Expresses insecurity (overly
sensitive)
Unassured-Submissive
• Expresses guilt• Behaves in a fearful or timid
manner• Expresses self pity or feelings of
victimization
Unassuming-Ingenuous
• Laughs frequently• Seeks reassurance from others• Smiles frequently• Expresses agreement frequently
• Applying the Interpersonal Circumplex to predict important childhood events
Markey, Markey, & Tinsley, 2004
Affiliation +Affiliation -
Control +
Control -
Cold-Hearted
(DE)
Arrogant-Calculating
(BC)
Assured-Dominant
(PA)
Gregarious-Extraverted
(NO)
Warm-Agreeable
(LM)
Unassuming-Ingenuous
(JK)Unassured-Submissive
(HI)
Aloof-Introverted
(FG)
Method
• Participates
– 117 preadolescent children • 52 girls, and 65 boys
– All were in the 4th grade (M = 9.88).
• Each child was videotaped interacting with his or her parent(s).
Coding Behaviors
• Children were coded using the Interpersonal Circumplex
Affiliation +Affiliation -
Control +
Control -
Cold-Hearted
(DE)
Arrogant-Calculating
(BC)
Assured-Dominant
(PA)
Gregarious-Extraverted
(NO)
Warm-Agreeable
(LM)
Unassuming-Ingenuous
(JK)Unassured-Submissive
(HI)
Aloof-Introverted
(FG)
Method
• One year after study 1 children were asked to complete the Risk Behavior Assessment
• 94 completed the assessment (M = 10.87 years)
Method
• Asked if they had participated in the following behaviors
• Smoked a cigarette (9% had)
• Consumed alcohol (22% had)
“Risky” Child
Interpersonal Circumplex
• Note: the IC measures 2 FFM traits
• By using only 2 traits you can actually measure 8 personality characteristics
– This number can actually be even larger!
Affiliation +Affiliation -
Control +
Control -
Cold-Hearted
(DE)
Arrogant-Calculating
(BC)
Assured-Dominant
(PA)
Gregarious-Extraverted
(NO)
Warm-Agreeable
(LM)
Unassuming-Ingenuous
(JK)Unassured-Submissive
(HI)
Aloof-Introverted
(FG)
Interpersonal Circumplex
By using only 2 traits you can actually measure 8 personality characteristics
Affiliation +Affiliation -
Control +
Control -
Cold-Hearted
(DE)
Arrogant-Calculating
(BC)
Assured-Dominant
(PA)
Gregarious-Extraverted
(NO)
Warm-Agreeable
(LM)
Unassuming-Ingenuous
(JK)Unassured-Submissive
(HI)
Aloof-Introverted
(FG)
What if another dimension is added?
• What if we add another dimension to the IC?
– Consider 3 dimensions simultaneously
Markey & Markey, 2006
What is the best dimension to add?
Warmth +Warmth -
Dom
inance +D
ominance -
Cold-Hearted
Arrogant-Calculating
Assured-Dominant
Gregarious-Extraverted
Warm-Agreeable
Unassuming-Ingenuous
Unassured-Submissive
Aloof-Introverted
The Interpersonal Sphere
• Extraversion and Agreeableness
• Conscientious
– Contains interpersonal information– Together EAC are the “largest” factors of the
FFM• “The Big 3”
The Interpersonal Sphere
• Ask yourself:• High (+)• Moderate (0)• Low (-)
– How dominant are you?– How warm are you?– How conscientious are you?
A three-dimensional approach to personality
• How might conscientiousness “blend” with dominance and warmth?
Conscientiousness and Dominance0e
0e
Driven-Determined
. UnconscientiousConscientiousness
Do
mina
nce
Assured-Dominant
Unassured-Submissive
Passive-Indifferent
Conscientious .
Cautious-Gaurded
Reckless-Rash
Conscientiousness and Warmth0e
0e
Warmth
Co
nscin
etiou
sness
Unconscientious
Conscientious
Warm-Agreeable
Dependable-Helpful
Stolid-Stern
Unreliable-Disloyal
Cold-. Hearted
Sensitive-Tender
A three-dimensional approach to personality
• Combining these three circles creates the Interpersonal Sphere (IPS).0e
0e
Extraversion
Do
mina
nce Warmth
Agree
able
ness
Gregarious-Extraverted
Warm-Agreeable
Unassuming-Ingenuous
Unassured-Submissive
Aloof-Introverted
Cold-Hearted
Arrogant-Calculating
Assured-Dominant
0e
0e
Warmth
Co
nscin
etiou
sness
Unconscientious
Conscientious
Warm-Agreeable
Dependable-Helpful
Sesitive-Tender
Stolid-Stern
Unreliable-Disloyal
Cold-. Hearted
0e
0e
Driven-Determined
. UnconscientiousConscientiousness
Do
mina
nce
Assured-Dominant
Unassured-Submissive
Passive-Indifferent
Conscientious .
Cautious-Gaurded
Reckless-Rash
+ + =
Markey & Markey (2006). European Journal of Personality.
Conclusion
• Personality is a unique “blend” of traits
• Like chemistry’s periodic table– Elements do not exist in a vacuum– Combine together!
• H20, NH3, CO2, etc.
Using Traits to Understand Behavior
• Different approaches:
• The Single-Trait Approach
• The Many-Trait Approach
• The Essential-Trait Approach
• The Simultaneous-Trait Approach
Question
• Where did your personality come from?
• Random
• Environment
• Genetics
“Twin Study”
Dizygotic (DZ)
“Fraternal”
No more genetically related than siblings
Monozygotic (MZ)
“identical”
Genetically identical
“Twin Study” Example
Give 100 MZ pairs a measure of Extraversion
Calculate a correlation
r = .50
Give 100 DZ pairs a measure of Extraversion
Calculate a correlationr = .30
Twin Study
• Why is MZ > DZ?
• Heritability Coefficient– The proportion of behavioral variance that can be
explained by genetic variance
• (MZr – DZr) x 2• (.50 - .30) x 2 = .40• Heritability of Extraversion = 40%
Behavior Genetics
• Note: Doesn’t really study behavior or genetics directly
• Typical Heritability of personality traits is around 40%
Behavior Genetics
• Genes matter!
• Heritability are almost always greater than zero
• Not all of personality is determined by the environment or random chance
Genes and Environment
• Environment can affect heritability
• Example:– Height and food intake
Genes and Environment
• Genes work though the environment to affect behavior
Genes and Environment
Genes gave him bad eyesight
Genes and Environment
Wearing glasses caused him to be teased and rejected by the opposite sex
Genes and Environment
Due to these interaction he becomes introverted
Note: Introversion due in part to genes, but only came about through environment
Genes and Environment
• Diathesis-Stress Model
• A genetic predisposition can cause a person to develop maladaptive behaviors in stressful situations
Diathesis-Stress
GeneticPredisposition
No GeneticPredisposition
GeneticPredisposition
No GeneticPredisposition
Diathesis-Stress
GeneticPredisposition
No GeneticPredisposition
GeneticPredisposition
No GeneticPredisposition
Stressful Event Occurs No Stressful Event Occurs
Diathesis-Stress
Disorder No Disorder No Disorder No Disorder
Behavior Genetics
• Limitations
• All humans are highly similar to each other– Share 90% of genes
• BG is only looking at differences in the remaining 10%
Behavior Genetics
• Limitations
• Saying “A father shares 50% of his genes with his daughter” really means
• “A father shares 50% of the genetic material that varies across individuals with his daughter”
• Heritability Coefficient– The proportion of behavioral variance that can be
explained by genetic variance
Behavior Genetics
• Why do you have two feet? – Environment?– Genes?
• Heritability of arms would be zero!
Behavior Genetics
• Thus, if there is no variation due to genetic influences heritability will be zero
Question
• Where did your personality come from?
• Random
• Environment
• Genetics
Behavior Genetics
• Genes matter!
• Heritability are almost always greater than zero
• Not all of personality is determined by the environment or random chance
Behavior Genetics
• Limitations
• All humans are highly similar to each other– Share 90% of genes
• BG is only looking at differences in the remaining 10%
Behavior Genetics
• Thus, if there is no variation due to genetic influences heritability will be zero
• Why would some elements of our personality and body not vary across people?
• Important for survival!
Evolution
• Applied to human behavior:
• Behaviors are present because in the evolutionary history of human species, these behaviors were helpful or necessary for survival.– Survive– Reproduce
Evolution
• Examines the shared 90% of genes
• Asks: How a behavior pattern could have been adaptive during the development of the human species
Evolution
• Not forward thinking– e.g., giraffes neck
• Don’t want to consciously do this (we are wired)– Its not about what you consciously want, its
about what you ultimately try to do!
But I don’t want to have kids!
• You would not be here if SOMEONE didn’t have children.
• What caused them to reproduce?
• Sexual urges (do you think you would be here otherwise?)
• Your sexual urges are based on an inherited instinct
• Even if you don’t WANT to reproduce, your sexual urges make it more likely that you WILL have children
• Other examples: pornography, etc.
Evolution
• Morality and evolution
• Naturalistic Fallacy• If it is natural it is good• e.g., you and kids
• Political objections are irrelevant from a scientific standpoint
Evolution
• Works at the level of the GENE, not the individual
• “You” really are not even important (or any animal) in an evolutionary framework it is all about the GENES!– “The Selfish Gene”