QUIZ 2
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ID please—anyone not have?
Pencil Student ID bubbles on Scantron NOW
Name and ID on all pages
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Return 1 hr from start time: Stay put in last 10 min
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Stay quietly in seats until all quizzes are collected
Longer answers corresponding to Q1 and Q2
2130 Personality Psychology
“Know Thyself”
Professor Ian McGregor
Goal Dynamics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upenR6n7xWY
Lecture Overview
 Psychodynamic
Experiments
 PxE of Aggression
 Priming and Frustration
 Experimental Evidence
 Goal Theory
Approach-Avoid
Goal
dispositions and states
Conflict
Displacement behaviors, ideals, anger
Experiments
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Random assignment to conditions
Manipulation independent variable
Experimental control can “bottle
causal relations in the lab”
Internal validity but limited external
validity sometimes
The Smart Unconscious
(Dijksterhuis, Science, 2006)
Correct
Conscious
Deliberation
Unconscious
Incubation
Incorrect
Simple Choice
Complex Choice
“Transference” onto Interaction Partner Who
Resembles Your Own Lover (Anderson, 2004)
Good
Similar
Attributes
Are:
1.Good Actions
2. Good Feelings
3. Good Memory
Positive
Negative
Bad
Someone Else's Lover
Your Lover
Interaction Partner Described as Resembling
Dream Rebound
(Idealized from Wegner, et al.,2004)
1
Yes
Friend
in
Dreams?
No
Friend #1
Friend #2
0
Think of Friend #1
Before Bed
Suppress thinking of
Friend #1 Before Bed
Participants Asked to Talk about “Worst Moments”
(Idealized pattern of results from Weinberger & Davidson, 1994)
Also blood pressure and HR up
Also, more Hedges and Qualifications
Slow Here
Slow
How long
they took to
answer?
Instructions
Be Vulnerable
Be Businesslike
Fast
Non-Repressors
Repressors
Responses of Repressors to Seeing Horrible Movie
(Idealized pattern of results from Boden & Baumeister, 1997)
Slow
How Long
to Think of
Happy
Thoughts
Fast
Movie Topic
Nice
Horrible
Non-Repressors
Repressors
Displaced of Aggression
(Idealized pattern of results from Marcus Newhall, Pedersen, et al.,2000)
Participants'
Noise-Blast
Aggression
Against
Brian
1
0.8
Does Brian
Resemble Andrew?
0.6
Yes
0.4
0.2
0
No
Yes
Does Andrew Provoke the Participant?
No
Reasons for Personality Science Revival
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Big-5
Experimental Personality Research
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Trait aggression
X situational frustration or priming
(press)
Exampes of Aggression
Person P’ of Aggression
Environment ‘E’ of Aggression
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Situational Priming
 Of
aggressive responses
 Of aggressive goals? (next
week)
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Frustration to Aggression
 Motivated
belief about the target
of aggression (deserve it)
 Motivated belief about need for
aggression (teach lesson)
 Why does aggression feel good
after frustration?
Aggressive ‘P’ x ‘E’ Prime
(Idealized results from Bushman, 1995; Anderson & Dill, 2000)
P x E interaction
1
E (Environment)
Media Aggression
Violent Acts
Shocks
Noise Blasts
Low Exposure
High Exposure
0
Non-Aggressive
Aggressive
P (Personality)
Aggressive ‘P’ x ‘E’ Frustration
(Idealized results from Bushman & Baumeister, 1998)
P x E interaction
1
'E'
Frustration
None
Criticism
Noise Blasts
0
Non-Aggressive
Aggressive
‘P’
Goal Theory
Murray
From drives and motives,
to approach and avoidance
goals
Ivan Pavlov
Kurt Lewin
Definition of a Goal
Not merely a stimulus, nor a response.
Rather, it is the combination of a
stimulus and a motivated behavioural
orientation to respond by approaching
or avoiding that stimulus.
 Rats do not learn responses, they learn
goals. Block their original response to a
stimulus, and they will immediately
adopt a new means of achieving the
same goal.
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Ideals As Abstract Goals
(Carver & Scheier; Powers; Higgins; Vallacher & Wegner)
Ideals, Meanings, Values,
Worldviews, Self-Guides
Concrete Goals
Approach and Avoidance
Personalities and States
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Extraversion vs. Neuroticism (Eysenck)
Promotion-focus for approach goals
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Orientation toward positive incentives to approach
Focus on ideal states to be attained
Excitatory tendencies “go for it”—positive feelings
“Goal Shielding”—narrow focus of attention “locked and loaded
Relative left cerebral hemisphericity (early lesion studies)
Prevention-focus and avoidance goals
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Orientation toward negative states to be avoided
Focus on responsibilities, duties, and what one ought to do to avoid
distress
Inhibitory tendencies “be careful”—negative feelings
Vigilance—and rumination about threats and vulnerabilities
Relative right cerebral hemisphericity (early lesion studies)
Goal Conflict and Uncertainty
 Jeffrey
Gray: Neuropsych of Anxiety
Inhibition
Anxiety
of focal goal
to discourage persistence
Vigilance
for alternatives
“OSCAR” Approach Avoidance
“HECTOR” Approach Approach
Pavlov (1927)
Classical Conditioning: US, UR, CS, CR
Pavlov (1927)
Motivational Ambiguity Caused Distress
Lewin (1935)
Goal Conflict Made Toddlers Stubborn and Angry
Goal Regulation
Approach
Uh-Oh! Oh No!
Approach /Avoid
Anxious
vigilance
Scans for viable
alternatives
Resume eager
absorption in
approach
Eager Displacement Goals
Eager Displacement Ideals?
Ideals As Abstract Goals
(Carver & Scheier; Powers; Higgins; Vallacher & Wegner)
Ideals, Meanings, Values,
Worldviews, Self-Guides
Concrete Goals
Angry Approach
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Recall the avoidance is associated with
 Anxious
vigilance—and rumination about threats and
vulnerabilities (feels bad)
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But approach is associated with goal shielding and
positive affect—only notice things related to goal
Strongly engaging an approach goal may be one way
to protect self from anxiety of threats
Aggression is approach-oriented—i.e., one must move
toward something to hit it
This can explain the dog and toddler tantrums, and
aggressive responses to frustration
Angry approach (i.e., of anger) shields one from
distress of conflict, uncertainty, and frustration