PSYC1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Learned Helplessness, Operant Conditioning, Oral Stage
26 Jun 2018
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Trait:
Identifying and describing the combination of characteristics that accounts for the consistencies
within us, and the differences between us
Underlying structure of personality – stable
Traits are biologically/genetic based genetically predisposed to trait, but environment switches this
on or off
Assumptions:
- Personality traits are relatively stable over time
- Personality traits are relatively stable across situation (predict behaviour)
- Everyone’s trait profile is different
Typologies:
- Melancholic
- Choleric irritable, ambitious, moody
- Phlegmatic happy, social, easy going
- Sanguine
Typologies based on body type:
- Endomorph – sociable, easy going
- Mesomorph – bold, assertive
- Ectomorph – fragile, sensitive
Problems with typologies:
It assumes that:
- We fit into discrete categories
- All people within a category are basically alike
- Personalities of people in one category are qualitatively different from the personalities of
people in other categories
- Too simplistic
Eysenck’s Theory:
Extroversion-introversion, neuroticism-emotional stability and psychoticism-impulse control
Extroversion is the tendency to be sociable, active, and willing to take risks. Introverts are
characterised by social inhibition, seriousness and caution.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Neuroticism is a continuum of emotional stability and instability, people with high neuroticism
report feeling anxious, guilty, tense and moody and have low self esteem.
Psychoticism is people who are aggressive, egocentric, impulsive and antisocial. People scoring low
on psychoticism are empathetic and able to control their impulses.
Behavioural Approach system:
BAS: behavioural approach system is structure attuned to rewards, leads people to seek stimulation
and arousal
BIS: behavioural inhibition system is the structure attuned to punishment and leads people to avoid
dangerous or painful experiences
Extroverts have a stronger BAS so are more influenced by potential rewards than potential
punishments.
Modern trait approach:
Traits: the inclinations or tendencies that direct how a person usually thinks and behaves
Consistency – across time, similar and different situations (predicts behaviour)
- Situational variables: the circumstances people find themselves in largely determine their
behaviour
- Principles of aggregation: a trait does not refer to a specific behaviour in a specific situation
but rather a class of behaviours over a range of situations
- Temperament is the basic personality disposition that is heavily influenced by genes and
predicts patterns of behaviour in later life
- Person by situation interactions – people express particular traits in particular situations
Everyone has the same traits, in different amounts
- Drive consistent patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving
- Uniqueness = unique pattern of traits
Gordon Allport:
- Nearly 18000 terms to describe personality
- Each person – only a few traits
- Cardinal trait trait that dominates your behaviour , most are governed by central traits
- Central traits (he is reliable) across most situations
- Secondary traits (she dislikes crowds) only evident in a certain situation
- Unique combination of central and secondary traits
- People possess some traits but not others
Key issues:
- How many underlying traits are there
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Identifying and describing the combination of characteristics that accounts for the consistencies within us, and the differences between us. Traits are biologically/genetic based genetically predisposed to trait, but environment switches this on or off. Personality traits are relatively stable across situation (predict behaviour) All people within a category are basically alike. Personalities of people in one category are qualitatively different from the personalities of people in other categories. Extroversion is the tendency to be sociable, active, and willing to take risks. Introverts are characterised by social inhibition, seriousness and caution. Neuroticism is a continuum of emotional stability and instability, people with high neuroticism report feeling anxious, guilty, tense and moody and have low self esteem. Psychoticism is people who are aggressive, egocentric, impulsive and antisocial. People scoring low on psychoticism are empathetic and able to control their impulses. Bas: behavioural approach system is structure attuned to rewards, leads people to seek stimulation and arousal.
