Psychology
CHAPTER 6
Personality
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychoanalytic/ Psychodynamic Theories
Trait Theories
Humanistic Theories
Social-Cognitive Theories
Biological Theories
Personality Assessment
1
Real World Psychology
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Things you’ll learn in Chapter 11
Are some people with highly negative attitudes toward gay people repressing their own sexual desires?
Q1
Which personality traits are most important for your career and academic success?
Can spending time in a foreign country change your personality?
What parenting skills are also associated with increased marital satisfaction?
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Can social media postings be used to measure your personality?
Q6
Do our genes predict how much we will give to charity?
2
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Personality
“Our unique and relatively stable pattern of thoughts, feelings and actions”
Various theories
Psychoanalytic / Psychodynamic
Trait
Humanistic
Social / Cognitive
Biological
Also assessed & measured in various ways
Tutorial Video: Exploring Your Personality
Video: Dog Personality
Personality
Definition – “Our unique and relatively stable pattern of thoughts, feelings and actions
Various theories
Psychoanalytic / Psychodynamic
Trait
Humanistic
Social / Cognitive
Biological
Also assessed and measured in various ways
3
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
Findout the difference between
Levels of consciousness
Conscious
Preconscious
Unconscious
Three mental structures
Id -
Ego
Superego
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories
Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
Levels of Consciousness
Conscious – Thoughts or motives that a person is currently aware of or is remembering
Preconscious – Thoughts, motives or memories that exist just beneath the surface of awareness and can be called to consciousness when necessary
Unconscious – The reservoir of largely unacceptable thoughts, feelings, memories and other information that lies beneath conscious awareness
Three mental structures that help to form our personalities
Id – The personality structure that is present at birth, completely unconscious and striving to meet basic drives, such as hunger, thirst, sex and aggression; operates on the pleasure principle
Ego – The personality structure that is largely conscious, and the “executive,” which deals with the demands of reality; operates on the reality principle
Superego – The personality structure that serves as the center of morality, providing internalized ideals and standards for judgment; often referred to as the “conscience”
4
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory (continued)
FIGURE 11.1
The tip of the iceberg would be analogous to the conscious mind, which is above the water and open for easy inspection
The preconscious mind (the area only shallowly submerged) contains information that can be viewed with a little extra effort
The large base of the iceberg is somewhat like the unconscious, completely hidden from personal inspection
Freud’s three levels of consciousness
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories
Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
See Figure 11.1 and caption
Note that Freud never used this analogy personally
Defense mechanisms
How the ego reduces anxiety through self-deception and distorting reality
Psychosexual stages
Five developmental periods, each with a particular kind of pleasure must be gratified for personality to develop normally
- oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital
If a need isn’t met at any stage, one could become fixated in his/her development
5
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Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory (continued)
FIGURE 11.3
Note how the ego is primarily conscious whereas the id is entirely unconscious
ID (pleasure principle)
Ego (reality principle)
Superego (the conscience)
Freud’s personality structures
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories
Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
Freud’s personality structures
See Figure 11.3 and caption
- ID (pleasure principle)
- Ego (reality principle)
- Superego (the conscience)
Note that Freud never used this analogy personally
6
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Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory (continued)
Defense mechanisms
How the ego reduces anxiety through self-deception and distorting reality
Psychosexual stages
Five developmental periods, each with a particular kind of pleasure must be gratified for personality to develop normally
If a need isn’t met at any stage, one could become fixated in his/her development
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories
Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
Defense mechanisms
How the ego reduces anxiety through self-deception and distorting reality
Psychosexual stages
Five developmental periods, each with a particular kind of pleasure must be gratified for personality to develop normally
- oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital
If a need isn’t met at any stage, one could become fixated in his/her development
7
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory (continued)
Defense mechanisms can be healthy and helpful if we use them in moderation or on a temporary basis
Defense mechanisms
FIGURE 11.4
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories
Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
Defense mechanisms
How the ego reduces anxiety through self-deception and distorting reality
See Figure 11.4 and captions
These physicians may intellectualize and distance themselves from the gruesome aspects of their work to avoid personal anxieties.
Unfortunately, defense mechanisms generally distort reality and they create some of our most dangerous habits through a vicious self-reinforcing cycle. For instance, an alcoholic who uses his paycheck to buy drinks may feel very guilty, but he can easily reduce this conflict by rationalizing that he deserves to relax and unwind with alcohol because he works so hard.
8
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DEFENSE MECHANISM DESCRIPTION
Repression Preventing painful or unacceptable thoughts from entering consciousness (e.g. forgetting the details of a traffic accident)
Sublimation Redirecting socially unacceptable impulses into acceptable activities (e.g. redirecting aggressive impulses by becoming a professional fighter)
Denial Refusing to accept an unpleasant reality (e.g. Alcoholics refusing to admit their addiction)
TABLE 11.1a
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory (continued)
See Table 10.1a
9
DEFENSE MECHANISM DESCRIPTION
Rationali- zation Creating a socially acceptable excuse to justify unacceptable behavior (e.g. Justifying cheating on an exam by saying “everyone else does it”)
Intellectu- alization Ignoring the emotional aspects of a painful experience by focusing on abstract thoughts, words or ideas (e.g. Discussing your divorce without emotion by ignoring the hidden, underlying pain)
Projection Transferring unacceptable thoughts, motives or impulses to others (e.g. Becoming unreasonably jealous of your mate while denying your attraction to others)
TABLE 11.1b
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory (continued)
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See Table 11.1b
10
DEFENSE MECHANISM DESCRIPTION
Reaction formation Not acknowledging unacceptable impulses and overemphasizing the opposite (e.g. Promoting a petition against adult bookstores even though you are secretly fascinated by pornography)
Regression Reverting to immature ways of responding (e.g. Throwing a temper tantrum when a friend doesn’t want to do what you’d like)
Displace- ment Redirecting impulses from the original source toward a less threatening person or object (e.g. Yelling at a coworker after being criticized by your boss)
TABLE 11.1c
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory (continued)
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
See Table 11.1c
11
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Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory (continued)
Oral (0-18 mos.) – Mouth (Weaning from breast or bottle)
Anal (18 mos.-3 yrs.) – Anus (Toilet training)
Phallic (3-6 yrs.) – Genitals (Overcoming Oedipus complex by identifying with same-sex parent)
Latency (6 yrs.-puberty) – None (Interacting with same-sex peers)
Genital (puberty-adult) – Genitals (Establishing intimate relationships with the opposite sex)
Freud’s Five Psychosexual Stages
PROCESS DIAGRAM 11.1
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories
Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
Freud’s Five Psychosexual Stages
See Process Diagram 11.1 and captions
- Oral (0-18 mos.) – Mouth (Weaning from breast or bottle)
- Anal (18 mos.-3 yrs.) – Anus (Toilet training)
- Phallic (3-6 yrs.) – Genitals (Overcoming Oedipus complex by identifying with same-sex parent)
- Latency (6 yrs.-puberty) – None (Interacting with same-sex peers)
- Genital (puberty-adult) – Genitals (Establishing intimate relationships with the opposite sex)
Note that the Oedipus complex refers to Freud’s term for believing that, during the phallic stage, a young boy develops a sexual attraction to his mother and rivalry with his father.
12
Alfred Adler
Behavior is purposeful and goal-directed
Inferiority complex
Carl Jung
Personal vs. collective unconscious
Archetypes
Karen Horney
Adult personalities are shaped by childhood relationships with parents
Basic anxiety
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Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories Psychodynamic/Neo-Freudian Theories
FIGURE 11.6
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories
Psychodynamic/Neo-Freudian Theories
Alfred Adler
Developed individual psychology
Instead of seeing behavior as being motivated by unconscious forces, he believed that our behaviors to be purposeful and goal-directed
Inferiority complex – Adler’s idea that feelings of inferiority develop from early childhood experiences of helplessness and incompetence
Carl Jung (pronounced YOONG)
Developed analytical psychology
Believed that our unconscious contains positive and spiritual motives as well as sexual and aggressive forces
Hence, he divided the unconscious into two forms – the personal (created from our individual experiences) and the collective ( identical in each person, inherited and consists of archetypes (primitive images and patterns of thought, feeling and behavior) – For instance, there are common similarities in religion, art and dream imagery across cultures, such as the repeated symbol of the snake in the pictured Egyptian tomb painting. (Engage your students: Are there other possible explanations? Perhaps because snakes pose a danger that the symbol has been used across time and cultures.)
Karen Horney (pronounced HORN-eye)
Blended Freudian, Alderian and Jungian theory
Believed that most of Freud’s ideas about female personality reflected male bias and misunderstanding
Women’s everyday experiences with social inferiority led not to penis envy but to power envy
Felt personality development depends largely on social relationships, particularly on the relationship between the parent and the child
Basic anxiety – the feelings of helplessness and insecurity that adults experience because as children they felt alone and isolated in a hostile environment; we cope with this anxiety by moving toward, away from or against other people – to be psychologically healthy, we must strike a balance among these three styles
13
Major criticisms of Freud
Inadequate empirical support
Many concepts can’t be scientifically tested
Overemphasis on various things
Sexuality
Biology
Unconscious forces
Corresponding reduced focus on other things
Learning
Culture
Sexism and derogatory view of women
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories Evaluating Psychoanalytic Theories
FIGURE 11.7
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories
Evaluating Psychoanalytic Theories
Major criticisms of Freud
Inadequate empirical support
Many concepts can’t be scientifically tested (In the picture, is this an example of Freud’s first stage of psychosexual development or just a natural part of all infants’ attempts to self-soothe, or their evolutionary adaptive sucking behaviors?
Overemphasis on various things
Sexuality
Biology
Unconscious forces
Corresponding reduced focus on other things
Learning
Culture
Sexism and derogatory view of women
14
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Are some people with highly negative attitudes toward gay people repressing their own sexual desires?
Q1
People who identify as having a heterosexual orientation but show a strong sexual attraction to same-sex people in psychological tests tend to have more sexual prejudice and higher levels of hostility toward gay people. (Weinstein et al., 2012)
15
Trait Theories Early Trait Theories (continued)
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Cattell’s 16 Source Traits
Trait Theories
Early Trait Theories
Cattell’s 16 Source Traits
Note that each of the 16 are on a continuum between low (1) and high (10)
16
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Trait Theories Modern Trait Theory
The five-factor model (FFM)
Includes five basic dimensions
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism
Informally referred to as “The Big Five”
Note that the first letter of these five dimensions forms the acronym O-C-E-A-N
Trait Theories
Modern Trait Theory
The five-factor model (FFM)
Includes five basic dimensions
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism
Informally referred to as “The Big Five”
Note that the first letter of these five dimensions forms the acronym O-C-E-A-N
17
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Trait Theories Modern Trait Theory
The five-factor model (FFM)
Do you think these five factors accurately reflect your key personality traits?
Each of the five factors exist on a continuum (from low to high)
FIGURE 11.8
Trait Theories
Modern Trait Theory
The five-factor model (FFM)
Includes five basic dimensions
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism
Each of these five factors exist on a continuum (from low to high)
Engage your students: Do you think these five factors accurately reflect your key personality traits? Why or why not? Also, some have said that scoring high on the first four factors are the “nice” traits. Under what conditions could scoring low on extraversion (being introverted) be advantageous? (various possible responses)
18
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Which personality traits are most important for your career and academic success?
Q2
Conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness are reliable predictors for success.
Conscientiousness is most strongly linked with academic grade point average (GPA), especially in subjects that students generally find uninteresting. (Dumfart & Neubauer, 2016; Rahafar et al., 2016; Vecchione et al., 2016)
Engage your students: Based on your own college experience, can you see why this makes intuitive sense? How would you explain why extraversion does not positively correlate with GPA?
19
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© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Trait Theories Evaluating Trait Theories
Wide-ranging support exists for the FFM
Demonstrates a high degree of shared preferences for certain traits
Strong cross-cultural support
Allows for the prediction of real-life preferences and behaviors
Criticisms of the FFM
Fails to consider situational determinants
Offers insufficient explanation for why people develop specific traits
Trait Theories
Evaluating Trait Theories
Wide-ranging support exists for the five-factor model (FFM)
Demonstrates a high degree of shared preferences for certain traits
Strong cross-cultural support
Allows for the prediction of real-life preferences and behaviors
Criticisms of the FFM
Fails to consider situational determinants
Offers insufficient explanation for why people develop specific traits
24
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Trait Theories Evaluating Trait Theories (continued)
Mate Preferences and the Five-Factor Model
WHAT MEN MOST WANT IN A MATE
1. Mutual attraction – love 6. Education & intelligence
2. Dependable character 7. Sociability
3. Emotional stability & maturity 8. Desire for home & children
4. Pleasing disposition 9. Refinement, neatness
5. Good health 10. Good looks (*)
TABLE 11.2a
* - Not on women’s top 10
Trait Theories
Evaluating Trait Theories
See Table 11.2
25
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Trait Theories Evaluating Trait Theories (continued)
Mate Preferences and the Five-Factor Model
WHAT WOMEN MOST WANT IN A MATE
1. Mutual attraction – love 6. Sociability (7)
2. Dependable character 7. Good health (5)
3. Emotional stability & maturity 8. Desire for home & children
4. Pleasing disposition 9. Ambition & industriousness (-)
5. Education & intelligence (6) 10. Refinement, neatness (9)
TABLE 11.2b
- - Not on men’s top 10
# - Ranking on men’s top 10
Trait Theories
Evaluating Trait Theories
See Table 11.2
26
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Class Activity HumanisticTheories
How did Abraham Maslow and Carl Roger define personality?
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Self concept – Real Self Vs Ideal Self
Trait Theories
Early Trait Theories
Trait defined – “a relatively stable personality characteristic that describes a pattern of thinking, feeling and acting”
Allport
trait hierarchy, with a person’s most pervasive or important traits on top
Cattell
16 source traits
Eysenck – 3 basic types of traits
Extraversion-introversion
Neuroticism (the tendency toward insecurity, anxiety, guilt and moodiness)
Psychoticism (being out of touch with reality)
27
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Class Activity Social- Cognitive Theories Biological Theories
How did Albert Bandura from Socia – cognitive perspective and Eyenck from biological perspective viewed personality?
Trait Theories
Early Trait Theories
Trait defined – “a relatively stable personality characteristic that describes a pattern of thinking, feeling and acting”
Allport
trait hierarchy, with a person’s most pervasive or important traits on top
Cattell
16 source traits
Eysenck – 3 basic types of traits
Extraversion-introversion
Neuroticism (the tendency toward insecurity, anxiety, guilt and moodiness)
Psychoticism (being out of touch with reality)
28
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Humanistic Theories Roger’s Theory
Self concept
The way we see and feel about ourselves
The most important component of personality
Unconditional positive regard
Love and acceptance with ‘no strings attached’
Such an atmosphere is essential to help children develop to their fullest potential
Tutorial Video: Applying Rogerian Techniques
Humanistic Theories
Roger’s Theory
Self concept
The way we see and feel about ourselves
The most important component of personality
Unconditional positive regard
Love and acceptance with ‘no strings attached’
Such an atmosphere is essential to help children develop to their fullest potential
29
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Humanistic Theories Roger’s Theory (continued)
According to Rogers, in order to be regarded as a well-adjusted individual, there needs to be a great deal of overlap (congruence) between one’s real and ideal selves.
According to Rogers, poor mental health and personality maladjustment result when there is an incongruence – or mismatch – between our ideal and real selves.
Humanistic Theories
Roger’s Theory
See ‘Psychology and You’ dialogue box
According to Rogers, in order to be regarded as a well-adjusted individual, there needs to be a great deal of overlap (congruence) between one’s real and ideal selves.
According to Rogers, poor mental health and personality maladjustment result when there is an incongruence – or mismatch – between our ideal and real selves.
30
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
What parenting skills are also associated with increased marital satisfaction?
Q3
Interestingly, parents who in responsive caregiving also tend to show this same pattern of behavior (unconditional regard) toward their spouses, which in turn leads to higher levels of relationship satisfaction. (Millings et al., 2013)
This suggests that unconditional positive regard is important in all types of relationships.
31
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Humanistic Theories Maslow’s Theory
We have a basic human tendency to pursue self-actualization (an inborn drive to develop our talents and capacities)
Personality development results from the natural progression of seeking to meet higher and higher levels of needs
Only a few, rare individuals ever become fully self-actualized (e.g. Einstein, Gandhi)
Humanistic Theories
Maslow’s Theory
We have a basic human tendency to pursue self-actualization (an inborn drive to develop our talents and capacities)
Personality development results from the natural progression of seeking to meet higher and higher levels of needs
Only a few, rare individuals ever become fully self-actualized (e.g. Albert Einstein, Mahandas Gandhi. Eleanor Roosevelt)
32
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Humanistic Theories Maslow’s Theory (continued)
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Although the natural progression is upward, regression toward a lower level can occur – especially under stressful conditions – such as during natural disasters or a period of unemployment.
FIGURE 11.10
Humanistic Theories
Maslow’s Theory
See ‘Psychology and You’ dialogue box
33
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Humanistic Theories Evaluating Humanistic Theories
Lasting impacts
Valuable insights useful for personal growth and self-understanding
Strong impact in the areas of contemporary counseling and psychotherapy, childrearing, education and managerial practices
Criticized in areas of naïve assumptions, poor testability, inadequate evidence and narrowness of focus
Humanistic Theories
Evaluating Humanistic Theories
Have provided valuable insights useful for personal growth and self-understanding
Strong impact in the areas of contemporary counseling and psychotherapy, childrearing, education and managerial practices
Criticized in areas of naïve assumptions, poor testability, inadequate evidence and narrowness of focus
34
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Social-Cognitive Theories Bandura and Rotter
Albert Bandura
Self-efficacy (his term for self-confidence)
Reciprocal determinism – the interplay of:
Internal personal factors
Environment
Behavior
Julian Rotter
Your behavior and personality are determined by:
What you expect to happen following an action
The reinforcement value attached to specific outcomes
Social-Cognitive Theories
Bandura and Rotter
Albert Bandura
Self-efficacy (his term for self-confidence)
Reciprocal determinism – the interplay of:
Internal personal factors
Environment
Behavior
Julian Rotter
Your behavior and personality are determined by:
What you expect to happen following an action
The reinforcement value attached to specific outcomes
35
Social-Cognitive Theories Bandura (continued)
Bandura’s theory of reciprocal determinism
FIGURE 11.11
According to Bandura, personality is determined by a three-way, reciprocal interaction of the internal characteristics of a person, the external environment and the person’s behavior.
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Social-Cognitive Theories
Bandura
See Figure 11.11 and caption
According to Bandura, personality is determined by a three-way, reciprocal interaction of the internal characteristics of a person, the external environment and the person’s behavior.
36
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Social-Cognitive Theories Evaluating Social-Cognitive Theories
Contributions
Offer testable, objective hypotheses
Provide operationally defined terms
Reliance on empirical data
Believe that both personality and situations predict behavior in real-world situations
Criticisms
Too great of a focus on situational influences
Doesn’t adequately acknowledge the stability of personality or sociocultural, emotional and biological influences
Social-Cognitive Theories
Evaluating Social-Cognitive Theories
Contributions
Offer testable, objective hypotheses
Provide operationally defined terms
Reliance on empirical data
Emphasize the role of cognitive processes in personality
Believe that both personality and situations predict behavior in real-world situations
Criticisms
Too great of a focus on situational influences
Doesn’t acknowledge personality stability
Doesn’t consider sociocultural, emotional and biological influences
37
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Can spending time in a foreign country change your personality?
Q4
High school students who study abroad (thereby experiencing a change in environment) show greater changes in personality than those who do not. (Hutteman et al., 2015)
Exchange students showed substantial increases in their self-esteem compared to those who stayed home.
38
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Can spending time in a foreign country change your personality?
Q4
39
The Biological Bases of Personality (Eysenck)
Brain structures that correlate with particular traits
Impulsiveness
Risk-aversive vs. risk-seeking
2. Neurochemistry
Sensation-seeking is linked to levels of MAO
Novelty-seeking/extraversion is linked to dopamine
3. Genetics
Behavioral genetics – Fraternal twins Vs Identical twins
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Biological Theories 3 Major Contributors to Personality
Video: Shy Brains
Biological Theories
Three Major Contributors to Personality
The Biological Bases of Personality (Hans Eysenck)
The Biological Bases of Personality (Eysenck)
Brain structures that correlate with particular traits
Impulsiveness
Risk-aversive vs. risk-seeking
2. Neurochemistry
Sensation-seeking is linked to levels of MAO (monoamine oxidase) – an enzyme that regulates levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine
Novelty-seeking/extraversion is linked to dopamine (along with addictive personality traits)
40
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Biological Theories 3 Major Contributors to Personality (continued)
The Biological Bases of Personality (continued)
3. Genetics
Behavioral genetics
Studies of identical and fraternal twins suggested that about 40-50% of our personality traits are genetic
Studies of parents and their biological and adopted children showed that parents’ traits correlated moderately to their biological children and hardly at all to their adopted children
Biological Theories
3 Major Contributors to Personality
The Biological Bases of Personality (continued)
3. Genetics
Behavioral genetics
Studies of identical and fraternal twins suggested that about 40-50% of our personality traits are genetic
Studies of parents and their biological and adopted children showed that parents’ traits correlated moderately to their biological children and hardly at all to their adopted children
41
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Do our genes predict how much we will give to charity?
Q5
One study found that individuals with a “niceness gene” were more likely to report engaging in various types of prosocial behaviors, such as:
- giving blood
volunteering
donating to charitable organizations
(Poulin et al., 2012)
42
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Biological Theories 3 Major Contributors to Personality (continued)
Identical versus fraternal twins
FIGURE 11.13
100% shared genes
Share the same placenta
Are always the same sex
Around 50% shared genes
No more genetically similar than non-twin siblings
Share environment in the womb (“womb mates”)
Biological Theories
3 Major Contributors to Personality
Identical vs. fraternal twins
See figure 11.13 and caption
43
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Biological Theories 3 Major Contributors to Personality (continued)
Adoption Studies
FIGURE 11.14
Biological Theories
3 Major Contributors to Personality
The Biological Bases of Personality (continued)
Adoption studies
See Figure 11.14 and captions
44
Benefits
Exciting insights with clear links between some traits and various brain areas, neurotransmitters and/or genes
Recognition that traits are never the result of a single biological process
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Biological Theories Evaluating Biological Theories
Drawbacks
Potential to overemphasize genetics
The role of the unshared environment – even in the same family – has been overlooked
Biological Theories
Evaluating Biological Theories
Benefits
Exciting insights with clear links between some traits and various brain areas, neurotransmitters and/or genes
Recognition that traits are never the result of a single biological process
Drawbacks
Potential to overemphasize genetics
The role of the unshared environment – even in the same family – has been overlooked
45
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Biological Theories Evaluating Biological Theories (continued)
Multiple influences on personality
FIGURE 11.15
What factors help to contribute to this girl being shy?
40-50% Genetics
27% Nonshared environment
7% Shared environment
16-26% Unknown
Biological Theories
Evaluating Biological Theories
Multiple influences on personality
What makes this girl shy? At least 3 factors:
Genetic factors (40-50%)
Nonshared environmental factors (27%)
Shared environmental factors (7%)
…plus a health dose of the ‘unknown’ (16-26%)
46