PSYC2014 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Immanuel Kant, Wilhelm Wundt, Differential Psychology
Document Summary
The traits approach: hippocrates the four-humour approach (bodily fluid) blood, phlegm, black and yellow bile. Somatotopy william sheldon: surveyed large number of people and used psychometrics to find associations between body types and personality elements, methods and conclusions were controversial as made comments on race and gender. Main premises of the personality approach: premise that personality exists, probabilistic system with both quantitative and qualitative. Personality is the dynamic and organised set of characteristics possessed by a person that uniquely influences cognition, motivations, attitudes, behaviours and psychology in general . Traits vs states: states refer to a condition (intensity, centrality and arousal) of corresponding traits at any given point in time not the same as moods. What is temperament: characteristics reaction patterns present from an early age, biologically based elements of personality, personality elements present in infancy and childhood. Inherited sub class of personality dimensions: fuzzy distinction between temperament and personality traits, forces of personality, biological and genetic, evolution, environment.
