Psychology | Wiley | Personality Mix, D___Name:

Instructions: Go to my teacher site and click on the “Personality Mix” link. You’ll need to enter in your school username and password to access the mix. This program allows you to click through slides at your own pace. Your job is to take notes (fill in blanks), watch video clips, and respond to any prompts. Note: Teachers can see who is in the mix and for how long; you will lose points if you are not doing the mix properly.

Introduction to Personality Psychology We’re similar in countless ways, yet there’s little doubt we’re all unique; different from every other individual on the planet Personality psychology aims to account for the ______________________________________________________________

o How do personalities emerge?o To what extent can they _______________________?o What is the interplay between biology, culture, parenting, etc.?

1. Pick two individuals from the admin team and explain where you think their personalities would register on the Personality Assessment Survey—Owl, Koala, Peacock, Lion; qualify if they’d be low, moderate, or extremely high.

We practice informal personality psychology on a daily basis In politics and elsewhere, ___________________________________________________________________________________

on observers; our judgments of personalities carry enormous weight Experts say we’re not very good at understanding other people’s personalities

o They urge us to be more cautious and open-minded before judging otherso They remind us that personality development is complex and personalities are malleable—many experience some

significant changes over time

Defining Personality Personality psychology is a popular and growing field, but we do not have a standard definition for the term; here are some

definitions that are often used: The collective perceptions, emotions, cognitions, motivations, and actions of the individual that interact with various

environmental situations. The psychological forces that make people uniquely themselves. The various styles of behavior that different organisms habitually reflect. The visible aspect of one’s character as it impresses others. The characteristic manner in which one __________________________________________________________.

An Ancient Answer to Personality Psychology Hippocrates (460-377 BCE, Ancient Greece) Personality traits were the _____________________________________________________________________

o Yellow bile: associated with a quick-tempered dispositiono Blood: connected with sanguine, warm, cheerful temperamento Phlegm: linked with sluggish and cool dispositiono Black bile: associated with melancholic, thoughtful temperament

Diseases were a result of a lack of balance in body fluids

Biology and Personality

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Scientists have long hoped to match specific genes with traits, but it’s __________________________________________o Genes interact with the environment; genes work in groups; neuroplasticity complicates things further, changing the

structure of our brains Easiest way to hunt for biological drivers of personality is __________________________________________ (same DNA)

o Even those raised apart tend to share 2x as many personality traits as nontwin siblings Today, scientists estimate that _____________% of contributions to personality traits could be traced to DNA

2. Summarize the twin study video:

One successful study of biology and personality variants of the AVPR1a gene have been found to be more associated with ____________________________ behavior

o Higher levels of the hormone connected to the gene reinforce warm feeling of doing good; lower levels make people more selfish

Many other studies are inconclusive, but there is consensus on the following:o Nurture influences and can change “nature”

(___________________________)o Whether a specific gene is present is not as important as if gene has been

____________________________o People can be similar for different reasons; one case being more genetically

based than another

We’re similar to our siblings about ______% of the time; various theories have been used to explain:

o [Darwinian] _____________________ : competition leads to specializationo _____________________ : environment may be very different depending on

when a child is born and what the family is experiencing at that timeo _____________________ : misleading labels a family ascribes to a sibling

becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy for a child to be “different”

3. Summarize the birth order video:

Trait Theory Trait: aspect of personality considered reasonably __________________________ Trait theorists attempt to describe personality and

______________________________________ Trait personality tests are frequently used in the workplace Shortcoming: doesn’t investigate origins of personality or how people can change

for the betterTrait Theory: _____________________________________ (1916-1997) Focused on relationship between two personality dimensions: introversion-

extroversion and emotional stability-instability

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Trait Theory: The Five-Factor Model ______________________________ research finds that these five factors appear to define personality structure Position along dimensions tends to be established by _______________________________________________ Factors make up the OCEAN of human personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism

Psychoanalytic Approach: Freud (1856-1939) Personality characteristics are mostly a

____________________________________________ part of the mind A healthy personality requires a balance between the id and the superego, which naturally conflict:

o _______ attempts to satisfy animal urges while superego preaches patience and restrainto If id is too strong, person will be rude, selfish, etc.o If _____________________ is too strong, person may be worried, nervous, full of guilt/anxiety

Example: Study for test or hang out with friends?o Id (as ___________________ principle) may urge you to socializeo ________ (as ___________________ principle) may warn you to studyo Healthy ______ (as ________________ principle) concludes you should study now and after you do well on the test,

you will be able to spend time with friends and feel good about yourself

Personality evolves through _____________________________ If children encounter conflicts in particular stages and they aren’t

resolved, child may become “______________________” and develop unhealthy personality traits

Key idea: adult personality is a reflection of contents of the unconscious

Shortcoming: ______________________________ or empirical But psychologists all ______________________ with Freud that

childhood events plant seeds for adult personality

Psychoanalytic Approach: Erikson (1902-1994) Converted Freud’s psychosexual stages to ______________________________________________________________________ Personality can go one way or the other at each stage,

which represent a time of crisis in our lives

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4. Read through each stage in Erikson’s breakdown that is applicable to you; which way did your personality go at each step? Give a reason for your choice.

5. Pick one older person who is in or has been through a particular stage. How are they doing?

Behavioral/Social Learning Theory John B. Watson (1878-1958) and B. F. Skinner (1904-1990) urged psychologists to get out of subjective mind Viewed observable behavior as key to understanding personality Key idea: people change if their environment changes; ________________________________________________,

reinforcements/punishments, and conditioning Shortcoming: doesn’t explain the _______________________ of inner human experience

Bobo Doll Experiment (1960s) One of the most famous behavioral experiments _________________________________________________________________________________ Fits with studies that show abusive adults were likely to have witnessed abuse as child Key idea: much of our personality is learned

6. Summarize information from the Bobo Doll Experiment video that was not indicated in the slide above:

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