Personality
Biological Perspectives
Sheldon's Constitutional Approach (1940)

personality related to body type

Ectomorphic
inhibited
apprehensive
intellectual
introverted

Endomorphic
socialble
relaxed
affectionate
even-tempered

Mesomorphic
energetic
competitive
aggressive
Hans Eysenck's Theory (1967)

three major personality
dimensions:



Psychoticism
Extroversion
Neuroticism
Eysenck’s PEN Theory


biological basis
introversion/extroversion


variations in neuroticism


different levels of physiological arousal
differences in activation thresholds
sympathetic nervous system
variations in psychoticism

differences in testosterone
Evidence Supporting Biological Perspective
Trait
Tellegen
% Due to Genetics
Well-being
0.48
Social potency
0.54
Achievement
0.39
Social Closeness
0.40
Stress Reaction
0.53
Alientation
0.45
Control
0.44
Harm Avoidance
0.55
Traditionalism
0.45
Absorption
0.50
Positive emotionality
0.40
Negative emotionality
0.55
Constraint
0.58
Average
0.48
Critique of Biological Perspective
Personality
Trait Theories
personality traits

durable dispositions to behave in a
particular way in a variety of situations
Allport’s Theory (1930s)

cardinal traits


central traits


dominant trait that characterizes
nearly all of an individual’s
behaviour
prominent, general dispositions
secondary traits

less consistent, situationally
determined
Cattell’s Theory (1957)


uses factor analysis
develops 16PF
Costa & McCrae’s Theory (1985)


use factor
analysis
five factors
Personality
Behavioural Perspectives
BF Skinner on Personality


deterministic view
response tendencies:

patterns of behaving in a given situation
Operant Response Tendency
R1: Circulate speaking to others
only if they approach you first
Stimulus Situation
Large party where
you know relatively
few people
R2: Stick close to the people you
already know
R3: Politely withdraw by looking
at host’s collection of books
R4: Leave the party at the
first possible opportunity
Personality as Conditioning

response tendencies acquired through
conditioning
Stimulus Context
Bandura’s Social Learning Theory

reciprocal determinism:

interplay among internal mental events, external
environmental events, and overt behaviour
Behaviour
Environment
Personal/Cognitive
Factors
(expections, beliefs,
self-efficacy)
Bandura’s Social Learning Theory


importance of cognition
self-efficacy

perception that one is capable of
doing what is necessary to reach
one’s goals