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Questions and Answers
What characterizes autonomic-behavioral dissociation?
What is a potential impact of repressive coping on cardiovascular health?
Which of the following statements about cancer patients and repressive coping is accurate?
How does repressive coping affect pain perception?
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What influence does repressive coping have on immune function?
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Which aspect does personality primarily influence according to personality psychology?
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What is one of the roles of personality theory in psychological research?
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Which of the following approaches focuses on identifying specific personality characteristics?
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In which era did the situationist perspective, emphasizing environmental influences on behavior, emerge?
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How does personality psychology primarily differ from social psychology?
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How has the understanding of personality and behavior evolved from the 1930s to the 2000s?
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What significance does personality hold in relation to mental health?
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What practical application does personality research inform?
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What percentage of the general population is estimated to exhibit primary psychopathy traits?
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Which assessment tool is considered the gold standard for measuring psychopathy?
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What is a characteristic feature of secondary psychopathy?
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Which trait is NOT part of the Dark Tetrad?
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What is a key characteristic of the Light Triad mentioned in the notes?
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Which personality pathology is closely associated with diminished emotional responsiveness?
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Why might long-term studies be particularly important in understanding personality changes related to addiction?
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Which trait is most directly linked to enjoying cruelty and inflicting suffering?
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Which of the following is NOT a key feature of the dimensional approach to personality disorder diagnosis?
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What are the two main criteria in the dimensional approach for diagnosing personality disorders?
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Which of the following disorders is NOT included as a specific PD diagnosis in the dimensional approach?
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In the dimensional approach, what scale is used to assess levels of impairment in personality functioning?
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Which domain is NOT assessed under Criterion B of the dimensional approach?
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What is a significant criticism of the categorical approach to diagnosing personality disorders?
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Which of the following statements best describes the difference between the categorical approach and the dimensional approach?
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What aspect does the DSM-5's categorical approach consider when diagnosing personality disorders?
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What is a primary strength of the categorical approach to personality disorder diagnosis?
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What is a significant limitation of the categorical approach in diagnosing personality disorders?
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Which statement accurately reflects a strength of the dimensional approach?
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What common misconception does the categorical approach perpetuate?
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What is a major weakness of relying solely on the categorical approach for diagnosis?
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Why might the dimensional approach be more beneficial in diagnosing personality disorders?
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How does the categorical approach benefit treatment decisions?
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What impact can the categorical approach have on a patient's self-perception?
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Study Notes
Personality: Definition and Importance
- Personality is expressed through behaviors and interactions with the world.
- Personality impacts various aspects of life, including social interactions, stress management, decision-making, and goal pursuit.
Personality in Psychology
- Personality theory helps explain individual differences in reactions to situations.
- Understanding personality can predict behavior in different contexts.
- Personality is crucial for understanding mental health and disorders, as certain traits can predispose individuals to specific issues.
- Personality knowledge is essential for effective psychotherapy and counseling.
- Personality serves as a framework for integrating psychological concepts and theories.
- Personality research informs areas such as employee selection, education, and criminal justice.
Approaches to Personality
- Trait Theories focus on identifying and measuring specific personality characteristics.
- Psychodynamic Theories emphasize unconscious processes and early life experiences.
- Humanistic Theories stress the importance of free will and self-actualization.
- Social-Cognitive Theories examine how our thoughts about situations shape our personalities.
Relationship Between Personality and Social Psychology
- Historical Evolution: The relationship has evolved from a personality-centric view (1930s) to a situationist perspective (1950s-1960s) to an interactionist approach (1980s) and a nuanced understanding of complex person-situation interactions (2000s onwards).
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Focal Points:
- Personality Psychology focuses on individual differences, traits, and internal processes.
- Social Psychology examines how social environments and interpersonal interactions shape behavior.
Autonomic-Behavioral Dissociation
- A disconnect between physiological arousal and self-reported emotional state.
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Characteristics:
- Low self-reported anxiety + high defensiveness.
- High physiological arousal during stressful tasks.
- Attention bias away from threatening stimuli in experimental settings.
Impact on Physical Health
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Cardiovascular Health:
- Increased risk of hypertension and coronary heart disease.
- Poorer outcomes after cardiac events.
- Possible mechanisms: chronic physiological arousal, delayed help-seeking, poor adherence to treatment.
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Cancer:
- Mixed findings, but some evidence of poorer outcomes in cancer patients who are repressors.
- May influence delayed diagnosis due to symptom minimisation.
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Immune Function:
- Some studies suggest repressors have altered immune responses.
- Potential for increased susceptibility to infectious diseases.
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Pain Perception and Management:
- Repressors often report less pain but show higher physiological arousal during painful stimuli.
- May lead to undertreatment of pain conditions.
Psychopathy and the Dark Triad/Tetrad
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Psychopathy:
- Personality pathology involving predatory behavior, emotional detachment, callousness, impulsivity, and antisocial behavior.
- Prevalence: 1.2-4.5% in general population, 20-40% in prison population.
- Primary Psychopathy: Low anxiety, narcissism, possibly genetic.
- Secondary Psychopathy: High anxiety, possibly acquired.
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Assessment:
- Gold Standard: Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R).
- Assesses interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial dimensions.
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Causes:
- Secondary psychopathy linked to adverse childhood experiences.
- Primary psychopathy may have neurobiological basis (e.g., amygdala dysfunction).
- Associated with diminished emotional responsiveness and fearless dominance.
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Treatment:
- Limited evidence for effective treatment.
- Some studies show treatment may increase aggression in some psychopaths.
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Dark Triad:
- Constellation of psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism.
- Traits are intercorrelated but not equivalent.
- Associated with unethical behavior, selfishness, and antisocial tendencies.
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Dark Tetrad:
- Adds everyday sadism as a fourth trait.
- Sadism linked to enjoying cruelty and inflicting suffering.
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Light Triad:
- Proposed as opposite of Dark Triad.
- Consists of Kantianism, Humanism, and Faith in Humanity.
- Associated with more positive traits and outcomes.
Personality & Wellbeing and Personality Assessment & Theory
- Overview of Humanistic and Positive Psychology
- Self-Determination Theory and Basic Psychological Needs
- Personality Variables and Subjective Well Being
- McAdams's Personality Triad
Categorical Approach to Personality Disorder Diagnosis
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Strengths:
- Simplicity.
- Familiarity.
- Aids clinical decision-making.
- Facilitates communication.
- Provides treatment guidance.
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Weaknesses:
- Oversimplification.
- Comorbidity.
- Stigma.
- Limited severity focus.
- Arbitrary thresholds.
Dimensional Approach to Personality Disorder Diagnosis
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Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD):
- Views personality pathology as existing on a continuum, rather than discrete categories.
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Key Features:
- Continuous rather than categorical.
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Two Main Criteria:
- Criterion A: Levels of Personality Functioning.
- Criterion B: Pathological Personality Traits.
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Criterion A: Levels of Personality Functioning:
- Assesses impairment in four domains: Identity, Self-direction, Empathy, and Intimacy.
- Uses a scale from 0 (no impairment) to 4 (extreme impairment).
- Moderate or greater impairment is required for a PD diagnosis.
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Criterion B: Pathological Personality Traits:
- Assesses five broad trait domains: Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Antagonism, Disinhibition, and Psychoticism.
- Each domain includes several more specific trait facets.
- Traits are rated on a 4-point scale.
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Specific PD Diagnoses:
- Retains six specific PD diagnoses (Antisocial, Avoidant, Borderline, Narcissistic, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Schizotypal).
- Defined by particular combinations of impairment and traits.
Comparing Strengths and Weaknesses of Both Approaches
- Categorical Approach:*
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Strengths:
- Simplicity.
- Familiarity.
- Aids clinical decision-making.
- Facilitates communication.
- Provides treatment guidance.
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Weaknesses:
- Oversimplification.
- Comorbidity.
- Stigma.
- Limited severity focus.
- Arbitrary thresholds.
- Dimensional Approach:*
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Strengths:
- Nuanced description.
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Weaknesses:
- Complexity and requiring more training and expertise.
- Less familiarity and alignment with existing clinical practice.
- Ongoing research needed to validate and refine the approach.
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Description
Explore the definition and significance of personality in psychology. This quiz covers various theories and approaches to personality, including how individual differences impact behavior and mental health. Test your understanding of how personality influences social interactions, decision-making, and psychotherapy.