Personality The Self Chapter 9 Personality Biological Approaches

Personality & The Self Chapter 9

Personality Biological Approaches Personality is an entity (Reification)

Galen - 4 Humors H H Blood Phlegm Yellow Bile Black Bile

Sheldon - Somatotypes H H H Ectomorph Mesomorph Endomorph

Somatotypes = Personalities H H H Ectomorph = Cerebrotonia Mesomorph = Somatotonia Endomorph = Visceratonia

Current Biological Theories H H H Cattell - 16 Traits Eysenck - Types “The Big Five” 7

The “Big Five” Personality Characteristics – I Surgency (Extraversion) – II Agreeableness – III Conscientiousness – IV Emotional Stability (vs. Neuroticism) – Culture, intellect, openess

Behavioral Approach to Personality H H Behavior - You are what you do. Lundin (1961) Personality is: – “that organization of unique behavioral equipment an individual has acquired under the special conditions of his (or her) development” H H H Body is the location for your behavior (Baer) Environment shapes personality Behavior is situation specific

Behavioral Systems Approach H H Genotype/environment interactions (temperament) Person/Environment Interactions Personality as a skill Personality as a dynamic attractor

Temperaments (Thomas, Chess, & Birch) H H H H · Activity Level: · Rhythmicity: · Approach or Withdrawal: · Adaptability: Is the child able to adjust easily to changes in caretaking patterns? · Intensity of Reaction: · Threshold of Responsiveness: Quality of Mood: · Distractibility

Temperaments (Bates) H H H H Negative emotionality Difficultiness Adaptability to new situations or people Activity Level Self-regulation (smoothability) Reactivity Sociability-positive emotionality

How Stable is Temperament H H Low agreement among different observers (e. g. , mother, father, teacher). Weak correlations between early months measures and later. Around end of year 1, better short-term stability After second year, beter long-term stability

Child Constellations H H H Easy Child Difficult Child Slow-to-Warm Child

Which Category?

Implications H H “Goodness of Fit” Nonlinear Model

Role of Environment H Genotype-Environment Interactions – (Heavily genetic-constitutional –e. g. early temperament) H Person-Environment Interactions – (Heavily environmentally acquired) Personality H H Consistency in enviornments mean consistency in behavior. (Pasive, evocative, and active interactions contribute to this) Drastic changes in environment produce changes in personality (e. g. , Patty Hearst). Previously reinforced behaviors put on extinction. New behaviors reinforced. Personality as behavioral attractor. (i. e. , organized pattern of behavior.

How the Environment Organizes Behavior H H Familiar environments produce familiar behavior We actively maintain familiar environments We are reinforced by familar environments We environments are unfamiliar – We try to change them – They change us ‡ ‡ previous behaviors are extinguished new behaviors emerge and are organized

Sex Differences H H How Do Gender Related Behaviors Develop? Sex Role Stereotypes and Societal/Cultural Expectations Parental Expectations & Reinforcement of Gender Appropriate Behaviors Androgyny - Combining Roles

The Self H H Self Concept and Self Recognition Self-Awareness & Perspective Taking – Relational Frame Theory H H Self statements Stable vs. Unstable Traits – Internal - stable – External - unstable H H H Self-Efficacy Beliefs Self Control Self Esteem

Self-Control H H Matching Law & Choice Problem – Small Immediate vs. – Large Delayed H Change Value by changing amount or delay

The Self Revisited