Personality Psychology: Approaches and Data

• Personality psychology studies individual differences in behavior, thoughts, and emotions
• The field seeks to understand trait development including influences, actions and stability over time
• Different approaches focus on specific aspects - traits, biology, psychoanalysis, humanism, or cognition - rather than trying to explain everything at once.

Different Approaches

• Trait Approach focuses on identifying and measuring stable personality characteristics
• Biological Approach examines genetic, neurological, and evolutionary factors
• Psychoanalytic Approach explores unconscious motivations and childhood experiences
• Humanistic Approach centers on personal growth, free will, and self-actualization
• Cognitive/Behavioral Approach studies how thoughts and learning experiences shape personality

Types of Data

• Self-Report (S-Data) is information provided by the person themselves, such as questionnaires
  • Pros are direct insight and ease of collection
  • Cons are bias and social desirability
• Informant Report (I-Data) is reports from people who know the individual, such as peer ratings
  • Pros are external perspective and basis in real-world behavior
  • Cons are limited knowledge and potential bias
• Life Outcomes (L-Data) is real-life facts about a person, such as job history or criminal record
  • Pros are objectivity and real-world relevance
  • Cons can be influence from external factors unrelated to personality
• Behavioral Data (B-Data) is observations of behavior in real or experimental settings
  • Pros are objectivity and allowance of controlled testing
  • Cons include limitation to specific situation and failure to generalize

Measurement

• Reliability refers to consistency of measurement
• Validity refers to accuracy of whether the test measures what it claims to measure
• Generalizability refers to the applicability of findings across different populations and settings
• Aggregation combines multiple observations to reduce error and increase reliability

Research Designs

• Case Studies provide in-depth analysis of an individual
• Correlational Studies examine relationships between traits without manipulating variables
• Experimental Studies manipulate variables to establish cause-and-effect relationships

Person-Situation Debate & Interactionism

• Person-Situation Debate argues whether personality traits or situational factors drive behavior
• Interactionism recognizes that personality and situations interact to shape behavior

Determinants of Accurate Judgement

• Good Judge has high intelligence, empathy, and social skills
• Good Target displays consistent, transparent behavior
• Judgable Traits include traits like extraversion and agreeableness, which are easier to observe

Realistic Accuracy Model (RAM)

• States that accurate personality judgments occur through four stages: relevance, availability, detection, and utilization

Ways to Study Personality via Traits

• Single-Trait Approach examines one trait in depth, such as narcissism
• Many-Trait Approach examines multiple traits at once
• Essential-Trait Approach identifies the most important traits, such as the Big Five
• Typological Approach groups people into personality types

Self-Monitoring

• High Self-Monitoring adjusts behavior to fit situations
• Low Self-Monitoring acts consistently regardless of context

Big Five Traits & Characteristics

• Openness includes being creative and open to new experiences
• Conscientiousness includes being organized and responsible
• Extraversion includes being outgoing and social
• Agreeableness includes being compassionate and cooperative
• Neuroticism includes being prone to stress and emotional instability
• Lexical Hypothesis suggests that important personality traits become embedded in language over time

Personality Stability, Development, and Change

• Heterotypic Continuity means that personality traits manifest differently at different ages, such as childhood shyness turning into adult social anxiety

Person-Environment Transactions

• Active transactions involve seeking environments that fit personality
• Reactive transactions involve responding differently to the same environment based on personality
• Evocative transactions involve that personality elicits certain responses from others

McAdams’ Narrative Identity Layers

• Traits refers to basic dispositional traits (Big Five)
• Personal Concerns refers to life goals and motivations
• Personal Stories refers to personal narratives shaping identity

Changing Personality

• Methods of Personality Change include: therapy, major life events, and intentional efforts such as goal setting
• Cohort Effects refers to personality differences based on generational influences, such as social norms shaping traits differently across generations