Human Being Biological Perspective

7/29/2019 Human Being Biological Perspective

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The Psychology of the Person

Chapter 9 Biological Approach

Naomi Wagner, Ph.D

Lecture OutlinesBased on Burger, 8th edition


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Background

Researchers have recognized that ourpersonality cannot be separated from ourbiology

For many years, the Tabula Rasa (blank

Slate) has been very popularThe Blank Slate view of human nature,suggesting that we are born empty and void ofany tendencies, abilities, etc, was espoused by

the behavioral perspectiveThis approach signifies the decline ofbehaviorism and the tabula rasa idea ofhuman nature.


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What is Biology?

Physiological differences among

individuals that translate into differences in

behavior,

The familial genetic link

The evolutionary perspective: The

understanding of the survival value of our

tendencies and behavioral characteristics.


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The Pioneering Work of Eysenck

In the 1960s Eysenck introduced the idea that

biological makeup, and not parental child-raising

methods or other environmental factors

determine our personality.Using factor-analysis, he identified 3 personality

Super-Traits: Extraversion-introversion,

neuroticism (emotional instability), and

psychoticism (egocentric and aggressive,impersonal).


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Structure of Supertraits

From a specific response, to a habitualresponse, to a trait, to a Super-Trait.

Eysenck noted stability of these

dimensions over time, their similarcross-cultural manifestations, and kinshipstudies (run in families)

Environmental factors play a role in theexpression of the inborn personalitytendencies.


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Extraversion-Introversion

Eysenck was especially interested in thisdimension

Originally he suggested that introverts andextraverts differ in terms of their cortical arousal

(extraverted were under-aroused and thus seekstimulation)

Studies did not find differences between the twotendencies while measures of brain activity in a

resting state were takenCurrently, researchers describe the Ex.-Int.differences in terms of sensitivity to stimulation,introverted being more sensitive.


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Temperament

Temperaments are inborn (inherited) generaldispositions that are regarded as the basis forlater development of more specific traits.

Buss and Flomin identified 3 temperamentaldimensions: emotionality, activity, and sociability

Thomas and Chess identified 9 dimensions

Examples: quality of mood, intensity of reaction,

adapting to novel situations, etcEffortful control-emotional self-regulation, iscurrently regarded as an important dimension


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Temperament and the Environment

In a sense, the temperament creates theenvironment:

We actively search for environments that

are compatible with our innate tendenciesFor example, an adventurous child doesnot wait for adventures to come his/her

way, but actively seek-out/create suchsituations


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(cont-d)

People react to us on the basis of our

temperament

For example: a cheerful, easy-going

person elicits different responses from the

environment as compared to a whining,

negative child

Our early environment is actually created

by the genes of our parents.


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The Role of the Environment

Environmental factors shape and modify

the expressionof our innate tendencies

For example: If you are an impulsive

person, as you go through life you

discover that your impulsivity only hurts

you

Eventually you learn to curtail your

impulsivity


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Inhibited vs. Uninhibited Children (cont-d)

Inhibited are gentle, monitored, restrained

Anxious in novel (new) situations

Uninhibited feel at ease in new situations

Inherited biological temperament

Differ in body-built, prone to allergies, even eye-

color (blue)

In early infancy- irritability, sleep disturbances,constipation, increased heart-rate and pupil

dilation


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Cont-d

fMRI (neuro-imaging) studies found

differences in brain reactivity

Abnormally high amygdala response when

presented with new or unclear stimuli

Fear of the unfamiliar throughout

childhood into adulthood

Uninhibited children are more likely to

show disruptive behaviors


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Goodness of Fit

The term refers to the ideal situation, whenwe, social agents around the child,recognize the childs temperament and

pattern our treatment of the childaccordingly.

For example, if you have ashy child, yougradually expose the child to novelsituations, support the child, not pushingthe child.


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Evolutionary Personality theory

This perspective sees human characteristics asthe result of our evolutionary legacy.

Some traits have evolved in us because, in ourprehistoric past, they were adaptive to our

survival.The concept ofnatural selectionand itsapplication to personality:

An example is the analysis of anxiety, a shared

human tendency, and the underlyingevolutionary basis: anxiety may reflect fear ofsocial rejection.


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(cont-d)

In our prehistoric past we could not havesurvived the harshness of the environmentif we did not align ourselves with other

peopleIndividuals who were rejected or excludedby the group could not survive.

Those who were sensitive to socialrejection did survive, and transmitted thisanxiety gene to their offspring.


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Application: Childrens Temperament and

School

Some children come into the world with

temperaments that may not be compatible

with the formal demands of school

Such children may be misjudged by their

teachers and may be regarded as lazy or

as lacking in motivation.

The Goodness-of-Fit model is evry

applicable here.


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Assessment: Cerebral Asymmetry

Researchers use physiological measures tounderstand personality functioning.

Recent studies using EEG on alpha-wave levels

in the anterior regions of the cerebralhemisphere has proven useful in understandingindividual differences in emotions.

Often, differences are found between the left

and right anterior regions of a person while inresting, non-emotional state


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Cont-d

Differences in cerebral asymmetry were

found when the participants were is a

resting, non-emotional state

Differences tend to be stable over time

When watching movies designed to elicit

certain emotions, people with higher left

hemisphere activity were more responsive

to the positive mood film, and vice versa


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Current explanation of the relationship

between cerebral asymmetry and emotions

Instead of looking at positive and negative

emotions, researchers now describe the

differences in terms of approach and

withdrawal tendencies

Left hemisphere activity is related to

movement toward the source of emotion

Right hemisphere activity is related to

movement away (see next slide)


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Cont-d

Higher left-hemisphere activity is related to

joy because happiness draws us toward

the source of emotion

Consistent with this analysis, researchers

found that anger is related toward Left

Hemisphere activity- angry people tend to

approach or even attack the source oftheir distress


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Is there a connection between cerebral

asymmetry and proneness to depression?

Depressed people show more right-hemisphere

activity than non-depressed

People known to have been depressed but

currently NOT in a depressive state were foundto have EEG patterns of LESS left-hem activity

when is a resting state

May be vulnerability for depression

Anxious people also were found to have higher

right-hemisphere activity


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Another Finding Related to cerebral

Asymmetry

Studies found the right-handed people

who tend to glance to their left while

engaged in reflective mental activity are

likely to show higher level of right-hemisphere activity when resting (e.g.

prone to negative emotions)

Those who glance to the right are higher inleft-hemisphere activity (positive emotions)


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Strengths and Criticism

Bridge between personality and biology

Understanding the role of genetics in human

behavior and being realistic about the feasibility

of behavior changeBased on research

But- Evolutionary concepts cannot be directly

testedLack of agreement about the number of

temperament dimensions and their definition

Human Being Biological Perspective

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