Personality Chapters 6 and 7
description
Transcript of Personality Chapters 6 and 7
CHAPTERS 6 AND 7
The Trait Theory
TRAIT APPROACH Based on empirical research, mostly
correlational The ultimate criterion for the
measurement of a personality trait is can it be used to predict behavior?
Therefore, the purpose (theory) of the trait approach is:
Identify trait Predict Behavior
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES There is no zero value for a trait, only a
continuum Example: How sociable are you
compared to someone else? (no one is zero sociable)
Great at measuring how people differ from one another, not so great at assessing commonalities
The trait approach assumes that people are their traits…yet people are unpredictable!
SITUATIONS Situations are powerful in influencing
behavior What is more important for determining
what people do, the person or the situation?
Look at three things:1. Predictability2. Statistical significance of results3. Personality terms in language
SCIENTIFIC USE OF PERSONALITY TESTS
The many-trait approach
The single-trait approach
The essential-trait approach
THE MANY-TRAIT APPROACH
Long lists of traits intended to cover comprehensively the whole domain of personality
Try to find out which of the traits are correlated with behavior…then explain correlates
California Q-set: A list of 100 traits in the form of phrases, ex: “Is critical, skeptical, not easily impressed”
Raters are then asked to put into either a “highly characteristic” pile or a “not characteristic” pile.
Judge Individual(I data) (S data)
ANOTHER EXAMPLE… Sex Differences in Delay of Gratification
Results suggest that there are gender differences as well as gender similarities
Also, many aspects of personality remain fairly consistent even after childhood development
YET MORE EXAMPLES… Drug Abuse – tendencies when young
compared to teenage use Depression – gender difference when
young, depression when young correlates with young adult depression
Political Orientation – Compares ages 3-4 to political orientation at 23 years old
So…what do the conclusions of these experiments mean and why do we care about this conclusion?
THE SINGLE-TRAIT APPROACH Look at the nature, origin and
consequences of single traits Research on three traits that are viewed
as important:
1. Authoritarianism 2. Conscientiousness 3. Self-Monitoring
AUTHORITARIANISM Important because of role in social
problems (ex: Nazism) What do we want to know?
Differences in people who are authoritarians vs. those who are non-authoritarians
Conclusions:1. Not as broad a construct as title implies2. Is an individual difference construct3. An example of how a trait can explain
behavior
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS All occupational groups
No racial or ethnic differences
The “motivation variable”
Questions: Is there a relationship between your score on conscientiousness and your behavior? (Take Conscientiousness Scale in your textbook to find out!)
SELF-MONITORING Studied for a more philosophical reason
Relations between inner and outer selves
High vs. low self-monitors
Question: Again, is this trait a good predictor of behavior?
ESSENTAIL TRAIT APPROACH Funder 100 Murray 20 Cattell 16 Eysenck 3 Block2
Robert McCrae and Paul Costa (1987)
The Big Five:ExtraversionAgreeablenessConscientiousnessNeuroticismOpenness to Experience
TYPOLOGICAL APPROACH Look for basic “types” of people that
characterize the whole range of their personalities
Three basic types:Well-adjustedMaladjusted overcontrolledMaladjusted undercontrolled
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Where does personality come from?
Stable vs. change over the lifespan Individual differences are highly stable
across the lifespanSome traits show big changes over the
lifespan; social dominance, agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability
QUESTIONS TO PONDER… What are the most consistent aspects of the
people you know? What are the most inconsistent aspects?
Have you ever been in a situation in which you acted differently than you would normally? Why did this happen?
Ask your parents (or someone in that cohort) what is more important; the person or the situation in determining behavior? Then ask someone from your age group the same question. Are the answers the same or different? Why do you think that is?
MORE QUESTIONS TO PONDER… Which approach do you find the most
helpful in understanding personality? Why?
Have you ever observed a change in someone’s personality? What do you think caused the change?
What about your own personality, is it changing now? Why?