Test Yourself. What is Personality?

Transcription

1 Three Minute Review SOCIAL PSYCH: DEGREES OF SEPARATION Milgram s experiment 6 deg of separation under- or over-estimation? power law distribution hubs degrees of separation can vary Hollywood: 3 Internet: 19 may have many applications understanding networks (e.g., internet) public health terrorist networks brain connectivity SIGMUND FREUD Genius or misguided misogynist pervert? huge impact on pop culture Copernicus - Darwin - Freud huge impact on some psychologists but largely debunked now historical context important hysterical women in Victorian Vienna humans driven by unconscious motives, early development psychoanalysis talking cure catharsis hysteria e.g., glove anesthesia Case study: Anna O. can include hypnosis and free association seduction theory vs. repressed desires? structures of the mind unconscious, preconscious, conscious id it fuelled by libido pleasure principle ego self reality principle superego conscience ego ideal could there be brain-based analogs of these structures? hierarchical functions newer areas (esp. frontal lobes) inhibit older areas (esp. limbic system) Test Yourself Elena and Robert have trouble getting along because she lives her life based on the pleasure principle and he lives his life based on his conscience. Freud would say Elena is driven by her and Robert is driven by his. A. superego, ego B. id, ego C. id, superego D. ego, superego E. ego, id What is Personality? A person s behavior is often consistent across situations

2 How can we explain personality types? Non-psychological Hippocrates four humors (5 th century B.C.) Astrology Psychological Trait theories Sheldon s body types Type A vs. B Sensation Seekers Cattell s 16 Trait Model The Big 5 Other theories stay tuned till Thursday Hippocrates Four Humors BLOOD sanguine cheerful confident optimistic YELLOW BILE choleric irritable violent PHLEGM phlegmatic sluggish apathetic dull BLACK BILE melancholic depressed gloomy pessimistic In the 5 th C. B.C., Hippocrates theorized that the body contained four humors (fluids), each associated with a particular temperament Astrology Sheldon s Body Types William Sheldon (1942) suggested physique is related to temperament still popular in media today motivated Yale and Wellesley to take nude photos of 1000s of students to test hypotheses ECTOMORPH thin, long, fragile brainy, artistic, introverted Sheldon s Body Types MESOMORPH ENDOMORPH muscular, rectangular, strong fat, soft, round physical, energetic, courageous relaxed, sociable, warm likes to eat, sedentary Type A Personality Type A competitive self-critical driven demanding of self and others urgency everything must be done NOW! easily irritated by delays anger/hostility become easily angered even if they don t express it overtly Niles Crane on Frasier Arnold Schwartzenegger Dan on Roseanne Appointment book of Type A person who died of a heart attack soon after this date Type B low competitiveness, urgency, and hostility stop and smell the roses

3 Type A? 1. I often choose to spend time with my friends or family, even though I have something important to do. No 2. People who don't know what they want get on my nerves. 3. I function best under stress or pressure. 4. Talking about emotions is a sign of weakness and can be used by others to get at you. 5. If everybody did their job properly, my life would be much easier. Type A Personality Type A s: respond more quickly and strongly to stress seek more demanding situations have greater reactivity to stress when competing in a video game rigged so they always lost and taunted by their competitor, Type A s showed greater flight or fight responses cause and effect not clear beta-blockers ( SNS responses) Type A behavior more common in males than females experience health risks more respiratory problems, coronary heart disease (e.g., 2X rate of heart attacks) they re also more likely to drink, smoke, be obese and overwork but the health risks remain even when these are factored out\ Type C Personality? suggested in 1990s sociable, nice people who keep negative emotions bottled up may be at increased risk for cancer and less likely to survive if they get it Optimists live longer optimists have half as many illnesses optimists diagnosed with cancer live longer optimists have stronger immune systems optimism/pessimism test at age 25 predicts health after ~age 45 Sensation Seeking "defined by the need for varied, novel, and complex sensations and experiences and the willingness to take physical and social risks for the sake of such experiences most common in men aged less common in women declines with age Sensation Seeking Tests Sample items: I would like to try parachute jumping. I sometimes do crazy things just to see the effect on others. I wish I didn t have to waste so much of the day sleeping. What would you do if you won one million dollars? High SS: sports cars, big sailboats, one-night stands Low SS: luxury or comfort items High SS not simply party animals, often become entrepreneurs, entertainers, scientists, and adventurers.

4 Remember this guy? (Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence) Raymond Cattell Cattell s Trait Theory How can we decide what fundamental traits are? dictionary identifies 18,000 personality descriptors (Allport, 1937) Cattell narrowed this down to 170 and used factor analysis to group them Cattell derived 16 source traits CORRELATION How much do you like Dr. Pepper? CORRELATION MATRIX Factor Analysis Coke Classic Dr. Pepper 7-UP Coke Classic Dr. Pepper.70 7-UP r =.70 How much do you like Coke Classic? Ginger Ale Ginger Ale Factor Analysis of Personality What would you conclude from the following patterns? CORRELATION MATRIX Differences in Traits Both are equally intelligent Clergy members are more cheerful Researchers are more radical Eysenck s Three Factors Extroversion (vs. Introversion) Do you like mixing with people? (+) Do you like plenty of bustle and excitement around you? (+) Are you rather lively? (+) Eysenck is similar to Hippocrates Neuroticism (Stable vs. Unstable) Do you often feel fed up? (+) Do you often feel lonely? (+) Does your mood often go up and down? (+) Psychoticism Do good manners and cleanliness matter to you? (-) Does it worry you if you know there are mistakes in your work? (-) Do you like taking risks for fun? (+)

5 Openness Imaginative Independent Curious Broad interests OPENNESS The BIG Five Non-openness Unimaginative Conforming Incurious Narrow interests CONSCIENTIOUSNESS Conscientiousness Careful Reliable Persevering Ambitious Undirectedness Careless Undependable Lax Aimless EXTROVERSION Extroversion Introversion Reserved Fun-loving Sober Quiet Spontaneous Self-controlled AGREEABLENESS Agreeableness Antagonism Courteous Rude Selfless Selfish Trusting Suspicious Cooperative Uncooperative NEUROTICISM Neuroticism Vulnerable Self-pitying Stability Calm Hardy Self-satisfied Patient Mnemonic: O C E A N