Personality, 9eJerry M. Burger

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Chapter 9

The Biological Approach: Theory, Application, and

Assessment

Chapter OutlineHans Eysenck’s theory of personality

TemperamentEvolutionary personality psychology

Application: Children’s temperaments and school

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Chapter OutlineAssessment: Brain electrical activity and cerebral asymmetry

Strengths and criticisms of the biological approach

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Hans Eysenck’s Theory of PersonalityStructure of personality

Eysenck employed factor analysis to identify supertraits

All traits can be subsumed within three basic personality dimensionsExtraversion–introversionNeuroticismPsychoticism

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Figure 9.1 - Eysenck’s Hierarchical Model of Personality

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Hans Eysenck’s Theory of Personality

Eysenck divided the elements of personality into units that can be arranged hierarchicallyBasic structure - Specific response level

Initial factor analytic research yielded in two basic dimensionsExtraversion–introversionNeuroticism

Personality dimensions are independent of one another

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Figure 9.2 - Traits Associated with Eysenck’s Two Major Personality Dimensions

Source: From Eysenck, H. J., and Eysenck, B. G. (1968), Manual for the Eysenck Personality Inventory, San Diego: EDITS. Reprinted by permission of Educational and Industrial Testing Service.

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Hans Eysenck’s Theory of Personality

Extraverts are outgoing, impulsive, uninhibited, and sociable

Introverts are quiet, introspective, reserved, and distant except to intimate friends

People high on neuroticism are unstable or highly emotional, easily upset, and angered

Individuals low on neuroticism are less prone to emotional swings

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Hans Eysenck’s Theory of Personality

Psychoticism - Third supertrait found by EysenckPeople on the high end of

psychoticism are egocentric, aggressive, and impersonal

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Biological Basis for PersonalityEysenck’s arguments

Consistency of extraversion–introversion over time

Cross-cultural researches indicate the three dimensions of personality

Genetics play a vital role in determining a person’s placement on the personality dimensions

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Physiological Differences: Stimulation Sensitivity and Behavioral Activation/Inhibition SystemsSensitivity to stimulation

Introverts and extraverts differ in how their brains respond to emotional stimuli

Introverts are quickly aroused when exposed to external stimulation

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Physiological Differences: Stimulation Sensitivity and Behavioral Activation/Inhibition SystemsSensitivity to reinforcement

Reinforcement sensitivity theoryHuman brain has a behavioral

approach system (BAS) and a behavioral inhibition system (BIS)

Individuals differ in the strength of these systems, and differences are stable over time

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Physiological Differences: Stimulation Sensitivity and Behavioral Activation/Inhibition Systems

People with a high BAS seek out and achieve pleasurable goalsExperience more anger and frustration

Individuals low on BAS get pleasure out of rewards and anticipating those rewards

People with a high BIS are apprehensive and quick to retreat from problematic situationsExperience more anxiety

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TemperamentGeneral behavioral dispositions that can be expressed in different ways depending on an individual’s experiences

Development into stable personality traits depends on complex interplay of genetic predispositions and environment

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Temperament and PersonalityDimensions in temperament

Emotionality - Intensity of emotional reactionsChildren high on emotionality

frequently express angerAs adults, they are easily upset and

have quick temper

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Temperament and Personality

Activity - Person’s general level of energyHighly active children move around a lot and

prefer games that require running and jumpingAs grown-ups, they are always on the go and

prefer high-energy activitiesSociability - General tendency to affiliate and interact with others

Sociable children seek out other children to play

As adults, they have a lot of friends and enjoy social gatherings

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Temperament and PersonalityGender differences in temperamentGirls exhibit a higher level of effortful control than boys

Boys are identified with an increased level of surgency than girls

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Temperament and PersonalityAdult personalities are determined by both inherited temperament and the environment Temperament influences the environment which in turn influences the way temperament develops into stable personality traits

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Inhibited and Uninhibited ChildrenInhibited children: Controlled and gentle onesAttached to their parentsSlow to explore new environmentsAnxiety to novelty

Uninhibited children: Excited and rough onesQuick to explore new environments

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Inhibited and Uninhibited ChildrenInhibited and uninhibited styles represent inherited biological temperamentsInhibited children run the risk of developing social anxiety disorder

Uninhibited children are likely to exhibit disruptive behavior disorders

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Table 9.1 - Correlations Between Inhibition Measures at 21 Months and Behaviors at Age 5 1/2 Years

Source: From “Inhibited and uninhibited children: A follow-up study,” by J. S. Reznick et al., Child Development, 1986, 57, 660–680. Reprinted by permission of the Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

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Evolutionary Personality PsychologyInherited tendencies to become nervous and upset in certain situations that allows our species to survive

Natural selection - Inherited characteristics of a species that help them meet, survive and reproduceResponsible for psychological mechanisms

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Evolutionary Personality PsychologyAnxiety and social exclusion

Anxiety - Unpleasant emotional state, a normally functioning person would avoid

Primary cause - Social exclusionPrimitive people avoided behaviors

that lead to social exclusion in order to survive and reproduce

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Children’s Temperaments and SchoolEasy child

Eagerly approaches new situations, adaptive, and experiences a positive mood

Difficult childTough to adapt to new environments and are often in a negative mood

Slow-to-warm-up childTend to withdraw from unfamiliar situations and are slow to adapt to new tasks and activities

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Children’s Temperaments and SchoolTemperament and academic performanceChildren with either the difficult or slow-to-warm-up pattern perform poorly

Children with an easy temperament get higher grades

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Children’s Temperaments and School

Studies indicate that temperament is not related to intelligence

Certain temperaments are compatible with the requirements of the classroom

Student’s behavior evokes responses from the teacherTeachers misinterpret temperamental

differences in students

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Children’s Temperaments and SchoolMatching temperament and teaching

Goodness of fit modelCreation of environment and procedures

conducive to learning based on the temperament of the student

Teachers who match teaching style with temperament:Increase child’s chances of academic success Contribute to the child’s feelings of self-worth

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Brain Electrical Activity and Cerebral AsymmetryMeasuring brain activity

Electroencephalograph (EEG) - Measures electrical activity in different parts of the human brainEasy and does not harm the individualRecords brain activity in quick

intervalsAlpha wave is useful for research on

personality and emotion

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Brain Electrical Activity and Cerebral AsymmetryCerebral asymmetry

Difference in the activity level between the anterior region of a person’s right and left cerebral hemisphere

Different patterns are associated with differences in emotional experience

Higher activation in the:Left hemisphere is associated with positive

moodsRight hemisphere is indicative of negative

moods

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Brain Electrical Activity and Cerebral AsymmetryIndividual differences in cerebral symmetryHemisphere which displays the higher activity level differs among people

Differences in cerebral asymmetry tend to be stable over time

Left hemisphere activity is related to movement toward the source of the emotion

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Brain Electrical Activity and Cerebral Asymmetry

Right hemisphere activity is related to movement away from the source of emotion

Anxiety sufferers have higher right side activation than nonanxious individuals

Measures of cerebral asymmetry are useful to predict bipolar disorder

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Strengths of the Biological ApproachProvides a bridge between the study of personality and discipline of biology

Identified realistic parameters for psychologists interested in behavior change

Researchers have generated empirical support for hypotheses advanced from this perspective

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Criticisms of the Biological ApproachBiologists face limits on their ability to test their ideas

Assumption that every human characteristic serves a survival function

Lack of an agreed-upon model on temperament

No schools of psychotherapy based on biological approach

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