personality the total of the psychological, intellectual, emotional, and physical characteristics...
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Personality
Biological Perspectives
Sheldon's Constitutional Approach (1940)
personality related to body type
Mesomorphic Endomorphic Ectomorphic
inhibitedapprehensiveintellectualintroverted
socialblerelaxedaffectionateeven-tempered
energeticcompetitiveaggressive
Hans Eysenck's Theory (1967) three major personality
dimensions: Psychoticism Extroversion Neuroticism
Eysenck’s PEN Theory
biological basis introversion/extroversion
different levels of physiological arousal
variations in neuroticism differences in activation thresholds
sympathetic nervous system variations in psychoticism
differences in testosterone
Evidence Supporting Biological Perspective
TellegenTrait % Due to Genetics
Well-being 0.48
Social potency 0.54
Achievement 0.39
Social Closeness 0.40
Stress Reaction 0.53
Alientation 0.45
Control 0.44
Harm Avoidance 0.55
Traditionalism 0.45
Absorption 0.50
Positive emotionality 0.40
Negative emotionality 0.55
Constraint 0.58
Average 0.48
Critique of Biological Perspective
Personality
Trait Theories
personality traits
durable dispositions to behave in a particular way in a variety of situations
Allport’s Theory (1930s)
cardinal traits dominant trait that
characterizes nearly all of an individual’s behaviour
central traits prominent, general dispositions
secondary traits less consistent, situationally
determined
Costa & McCrae’s Theory (1985)
use factor analysis
five factors
Personality
Behavioural Perspectives
BF Skinner on Personality
deterministic view response tendencies:
patterns of behaving in a given situation Operant Response Tendency
Stimulus Situation
Large party where
you know relatively
few people
R1: Circulate speaking to others only if they approach you first
R2: Stick close to the people you already know
R3: Politely withdraw by looking at host’s collection of books
R4: Leave the party at the first possible opportunity
Personality as Conditioning
response tendencies acquired through conditioning
Stimulus Context
Bandura’s Social Learning Theory
reciprocal determinism: interplay among internal mental events,
external environmental events, and overt behaviour
Behaviour
Environment
Personal/Cognitive Factors
(expections, beliefs, self-efficacy)
Bandura’s Social Learning Theory
importance of cognition self-efficacy
perception that one is capable of doing what is necessary to reach one’s goals