PsychExchange.co.uk Shared Resource

*Baby research!* • With your partner identify 2 strengths and 2

weakness of using babies in research• Discuss the use of twin samples?

*collect in homework from last week*

• Since we are missing a lesson next week due to staff dev day we are going to start psychometrics today

AQA Syllabus

• Definition of personality, including temperament.• Description and evaluation of studies of temperament, including

the work of Thomas (1977), Buss & Plomin (1984), and Kagan (1991) (see your homework this week).

• Eysenck's type theory (1952); extroversion, introversion, neuroticism.– Personality scales, including EPI (1964) & EPQ (1975).– Evaluation of Eysenck's type theory.

• Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD); – characteristics of APD (DSMIV 2008) – causes of APD;

• biological: the role of the amygdala,including the work of Raine (2000).• situational: including the work of Farrington (1995), and Elander (2000).

– Description and evaluation of studies of the causes of APD.– Implications of research into APD.

You should be able to...

• Describe and Evaluate the work of Kagan and Snidman (1991)

• Describe & Evaluate Eysenck's ‘personality type’ theory (1952); extroversion, introversion, neuroticism.

• Describe the EPI (1964) & EPQ (1975) personality scales.

Personality and Temperament...what’s the difference?

• Personality is the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that make an individual unique.

• Temperament is the genetic component of personality. It refers to our inborn personality traits

Baby synapses

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J-JflThHks&feature=related

One final temperament study...Kagan and Snidman (1991)

Kagan and Snidman (1991)Aim Investigate whether temperament is due to biological differences.

Method

-Studied reactions of 500, four-month-old babies to new situations.-For the 1st minute the baby was placed in a seat with the caregiver

sitting nearby. -For the next 3 minutes the caregiver moved out of the baby’s view

while the baby was shown different toys by the researcher.

Results

- 20% of babies showed distress by crying, vigorous movements of the arms and legs and arching of the back classed as high reactive (shy)

- 40% babies showed little movement or emotion classed as low reactive (calm).

- 40% babies fell somewhere between the two - In a follow-up study 11 years later there was still a difference in

the way the two groups reacted to situations…shy and calm respectively

Conclusion Kagan and Snidman concluded that these two temperaments are due to inherited differences in the way the brain responds.

How is personality measured?

*Eysenck’s Type theory of personality*• Type theory – personality types are thoughts

to be inherited. They can described using related traits.

• Extroversion • Introversion• Neuroticism

*Match up– Activity Resource*Extroversion A personality type that describe

people who are content with their own company. They have a small number of very close friends and

are usually serous and like routine.

Neuroticism A personality type that describes people who look to the outside world for excitement. They are

sociable, lively and often have many friends.

Introversion A personality type that describes people who are highly emotional

and show a quick, intense reaction to fear. They are anxious, shy and

moody and are lacking in confidence.

Eysenck

• Believed personality types were caused by the type of nervous system that the individual inherits. – For example, in the neurotic, the nervous system

reacts quickly and strongly to stress• Nature or nurture?

Make sure if you are asked to define one of Eysenck’s personality types, that you can also

give an example to support what you say

*small soldiers*How did Eysenck conquer personality types?

• Eysenck’s research• You will be given one item of

Eysenck’s research.• This might be a AO1 or an AO2

point• As a class you need to get in

order! From the aim, through the procedure and to the results, conclusion and positive then negative evaluation points.

*Now make you own line of small soldiers*

so you have a little revision army

• sections on A3 paper need to be folded at 8.5cm

Session 2

AQA Syllabus

• Definition of personality, including temperament.• Description and evaluation of studies of temperament, including

the work of Thomas (1977), Buss & Plomin (1984), and Kagan (1991) (see your homework this week).

• Eysenck's type theory (1952); extroversion, introversion, neuroticism.– Personality scales, including EPI (1964) & EPQ (1975).– Evaluation of Eysenck's type theory.

• Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD); – characteristics of APD (DSMIV 2008) – causes of APD;

• biological: the role of the amygdala,including the work of Raine (2000).• situational: including the work of Farrington (1995), and Elander (2000).

– Description and evaluation of studies of the causes of APD.– Implications of research into APD.

You should be able to...

• Describe and Evaluate the work of Kagan and Snidman (1991)

• Describe & Evaluate Eysenck's ‘personality type’ theory (1952); extroversion, introversion, neuroticism.

• Describe the EPI (1964) & EPQ (1975) personality scales.

Personality Scales • Eysenck developed these to measure

personality (an example of a Psychometric test)

1. Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI)2. Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ)

EPI• Designed to measure

extroversion-introversion and neuroticism (instability) and stability

• Comprised of a series of yes/no answers

• 2 dimensions are not related so the individual can be defined as stable/extrovert; stable/introvert; unstable extrovert or unstable introvert

Traits associated with Eysenck’s personality types

EPQ

• Also included a measure of Psychoticism • Most people score low on psychoticism...but

those people who score high tend to be:• Hostile• Aggressive• Insensitive• Lacking in feelings• Cruel

*Final thoughts*

• Where does your personality come from?

• Is your personality fixed or can it change?

• Does ‘personality’ as a label help or hinder an individual?

• Is personality due to nature or nurture?

You should be able to...

• Describe and Evaluate the work of Kagan and Snidman (1991)

• Describe & Evaluate Eysenck's ‘personality type’ theory (1952); extroversion, introversion, neuroticism.

• Describe the EPI (1964) & EPQ (1975) personality scales.

Homework

• Pages 43-45• Complete evaluation questions for Kagan et al

(1991) • Carry out the EPQ to discuss next lesson • http://similarminds.com/eysenck.html

Stretch and Challenge

• http://www.personality-project.org/revelle/publications/rr81.small.pdf

• Above is an academic comparison of Eysenck’s two scales

S&C... Early brain development...nature or nurture?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J-JflThHks&feature=related

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYyGyEX0CL0&feature=fvw

Kagan and Snidman (1991)Aim To investigate whether temperament is due to biological differences.

Method They studied the reactions of 500, four-month-old babies to new situations. For the first minute the baby was placed in a seat with the caregiver sitting nearby. For the next three minutes the caregiver moved out of the baby’s view while the baby was shown different toys by the researcher.

Results Twenty per cent of the babies showed distress by crying, vigorous movements of the arms and legs and arching of the back. They were classed as high reactive.(shy) Forty per cent of the babies showed little movement or emotion. They were classed as low reactive (calm). The remaining infants fell somewhere between the two. In a follow-up study 11 years later there was still a difference in the way the two groups reacted to situations…shy and calm respectively

Conclusion Kagan and Snidman concluded that these two temperaments are due to inherited differences in the way the brain responds.

Evaluate Kagan and Snidman’s study homework

• Kagan and Snidman studied 500 babies. What is the advantage of having a large sample?

• The study was carried out in an experimental setting. Outline one advantage and one disadvantage of carrying out research in an experimental setting.

• The reactions of the babies were observed and recoded. What is the disadvantage of observing behaviour.