PSYCO333 Lecture Notes - Walter Mischel, Trait Theory, Sept
17 Nov 2011
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Document Summary
Older people are more consistent in their personality than younger people. Personality assessments and intuitions about personality are fundamentally flawed. No consistent differences between personality; situation is the only predictor. Predictability: personality traits are useful if they can be used to predict behaviour. Personality traits and behaviour correlate at . 40(situationist view) (personality response) flaws) Mischel only focused on a few studies that obtained dissapointing results. (methodological. However, the studies were still able to find correlations. Focus on behavioural trends instead of single actions accurate 70% of the time. A prediction of behaviour based on a personality trait score is likely to be. Compared prominent examples from social psych of the power ot situations to shape behaviour. Festinger and carlsmith (1959): cognitive dissonance; r = -. 36. Darley and latane (1968): bystander intervention; r = -. 38 and r = -. 39. Milgram (1975): obedience; r = . 42, r = . 36.
