Personality the total of the psychological, intellectual, emotional, and physical characteristics that make up the individual, especially as others see.

Personality

Biological Perspectives

Sheldon's Constitutional Approach (1940)

personality related to body type

Mesomorphic Endomorphic Ectomorphic

inhibitedapprehensiveintellectualintroverted

socialblerelaxedaffectionateeven-tempered

energeticcompetitiveaggressive

Hans Eysenck's Theory (1967) three major personality

dimensions: Psychoticism Extroversion Neuroticism

Eysenck’s PEN Theory

biological basis introversion/extroversion

different levels of physiological arousal

variations in neuroticism differences in activation thresholds

sympathetic nervous system variations in psychoticism

differences in testosterone

Evidence Supporting Biological Perspective

TellegenTrait % Due to Genetics

Well-being 0.48

Social potency 0.54

Achievement 0.39

Social Closeness 0.40

Stress Reaction 0.53

Alientation 0.45

Control 0.44

Harm Avoidance 0.55

Traditionalism 0.45

Absorption 0.50

Positive emotionality 0.40

Negative emotionality 0.55

Constraint 0.58

Average 0.48

Critique of Biological Perspective

Personality

Trait Theories

personality traits

durable dispositions to behave in a particular way in a variety of situations

Allport’s Theory (1930s)

cardinal traits dominant trait that

characterizes nearly all of an individual’s behaviour

central traits prominent, general dispositions

secondary traits less consistent, situationally

determined

Cattell’s Theory (1957)

uses factor analysis develops 16PF

Costa & McCrae’s Theory (1985)

use factor analysis

five factors

Personality

Behavioural Perspectives

BF Skinner on Personality

deterministic view response tendencies:

patterns of behaving in a given situation Operant Response Tendency

Stimulus Situation

Large party where

you know relatively

few people

R1: Circulate speaking to others only if they approach you first

R2: Stick close to the people you already know

R3: Politely withdraw by looking at host’s collection of books

R4: Leave the party at the first possible opportunity

Personality as Conditioning

response tendencies acquired through conditioning

Stimulus Context

Bandura’s Social Learning Theory

reciprocal determinism: interplay among internal mental events,

external environmental events, and overt behaviour

Behaviour

Environment

Personal/Cognitive Factors

(expections, beliefs, self-efficacy)

Bandura’s Social Learning Theory

importance of cognition self-efficacy

perception that one is capable of doing what is necessary to reach one’s goals