Lecture 1: Levels of Analysis 1. Human Nature · Traits and mechanisms of personality that are typical of our species and possessed by nearly everyone. 2. Individual and Group Differences 3. Individual Uniqueness · Individual uniqueness refers to the fact that every individual has personal and unique qualities not shared by any other person in the world. Lecture 2: Personality Assessment 1. Descriptive Research a. Self-Reports (Surverys) (S-data) i. Information provided by a person, through a survey or interview. Unstructured (open-ended) or structured. b. Observer Reports (O-data) i. Information provided by someone else about another person. Naturalistic vs. Artificial Observation c. Test Data (T-data) i. Information provided by standardized tests or testing situations. E.g. physiological measures (e.g., heart rate), measuring intelligence (IQ) d. Life History / Life-Outcome Data (L-data) i. Information that can be gathered from events, activities, and outcomes in a person's life that is available for public scrutiny. E.g., marriage, speeding tickets. 2. Explanatory Research a. Experimental Methods (random assignment) b. Correlational Methods (cross-sectional) Evaluations of Personality Measures 1. Validity 2. Reliability 3. Generalizability Lexical Approach · Lexical Hypothesis: All important individual differences have become encoded within language over time. · 2 criteria for identifying important traits: synonym frequency, cross-cultural universality Statistical Approach · Factor analysis is the primary statistical method used. Theoretical Approach . Starts with a theoretical framework, which determines which variables or traits are important to study. Trait Taxonomies 1. Eysenck's Hierarchical Model of Personality
· Extraversion (E) low end introversion, Neuroticism (N) low end emotional stability, Psychoticism (P) low end agreeableness, high testosterone and high dopamine 2. Cattell's 16 Personality Factors 3. The Wiggins Circumplex Model of Personality · Social exchange is defined by 2 resources: o (1) love (emotion component, similar to communion) o (2) status (social component, similar to agency) 4. The Five-Factor Model of Personality (The 'Big 5') (OCEAN) · 1. Extraversion (Surgency) assertiveness, excitement seeking 2. Neuroticism (Emotional Stability) anxiety, depression 3. Conscientiousness (Dependability) competence, self-discipline 4. Agreeableness trust in others, compliance 5. Openness to Experience (Openness/Intellect, Culture) fantasy, aesthetics, feelings 5. The HEXACO Model of Personality · Honesty-Humility (sincere vs. sly), Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience Lecture 3 Consistency Across Situations . Person-Situation Interaction · Person-Environment Fit · Aggregation Consistency Over Time · Personality Stability & Change o Rank-Order Stability/Change: refers to an individual's position within a group. o Mean-Level Stability/Change: refers to the average level of a population; normative increases or decreases over time. · Personality Coherence Strong Situation (people react similar) Weak Situation (personality has strongest influence) Mechanisms of Interaction · Selection o The tendency to choose or select situations in which one finds oneself as a function of personality. · Evocation ? Certain personality traits may (naturally) evoke specific responses from others. · Manipulation o Various means by which people (intentionally) influence others' behaviour or alter environments. Machiavellianism: A manipulative strategy of social interaction; personality style that uses other people as tools for personal gain; deceptive, exploitative, self-serving. · The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MMBI)