Psychology: Sensitivity and Temperament

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Questions and Answers

What does rank-order stability primarily assess in personality traits?

The average level of traits in a population over time

The trait fluctuation within individuals across their lifespan

The correlation of trait levels at two different points in time (correct)

The genetic consistency of personality traits over generations

What level of test-retest reliability for the Big Five traits was found in Costa & McCrae's study at age 60?

0.45 across various age groups

0.85 across all traits

0.65 over a 30-year period (correct)

0.30 for a span of 50 years

Which Big Five trait has a mixed emergence timeline, appearing earlier than conscientiousness but later than neuroticism?

Openness

Neuroticism

Extraversion (correct)

Agreeableness

How does the Little Six model relate to temperament traits and the Big Five?

It organizes temperament traits in terms of the Big Five plus an additional dimension. Signup and view all the answers

What correlational value did Damian et al. (2019) find for the Big Five traits over a 50-year span?

0.30 Signup and view all the answers

In Rothbart's findings on temperament traits, which trait is associated with high extraversion?

Surgency Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best reflects the findings on rank-order stability of personality according to longitudinal studies?

Rank-order stability remains consistent across various life stages. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of the concept of stability in personality traits?

Rank-order stability shows how individuals maintain their relative standing over time. Signup and view all the answers

What has been identified as a significant genetic influence on personality?

Temperament as a child's innate predisposition Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the role of environmental factors in personality change?

Environmental changes can lead to lifelong personality transformation. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes individual stability from rank-order stability?

Individual stability reflects personal consistency in traits rather than relative standing. Signup and view all the answers

What type of studies primarily demonstrate the stability of personality traits over time?

Longitudinal studies Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following traits is part of the Big Five personality traits model?

Conscientiousness Signup and view all the answers

In relation to personality development, what aspect of temperament has been shown to predict later outcomes, such as educational achievement?

Effortful control Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is generally considered to contribute minimally to personality stability over long periods?

Major life events Signup and view all the answers

What is a major implication of the fact that temperament can predict later personality traits?

Intervention in early childhood may alter future personality development. Signup and view all the answers

What factor accounts for the majority of variance in test-retest reliability for personality traits?

Genetic factors Signup and view all the answers

What has been shown to influence rank-order stability in couples according to personality assessments?

Genetic relatedness of partners Signup and view all the answers

Which environmental factor has been linked to changes in personality stability?

Migration patterns Signup and view all the answers

Longitudinal twin studies emphasize the impact of which primary influence on personality differences?

Genetic influences Signup and view all the answers

Which trait is likely to decrease first during the developmental patterns observed from age 3-16 in the Little Six?

Extraversion Signup and view all the answers

According to Costa & McCrae's review, which traits demonstrated an increase in adults?

Agreeableness and Conscientiousness Signup and view all the answers

What does the evidence suggest about environmental consistency in promoting personality stability?

It has weak evidence at best Signup and view all the answers

What change in personality trait typically occurs first during adulthood based on long-term studies?

Extraversion decreases before Conscientiousness increases Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Orienting Sensitivity and Temperament

Orienting sensitivity refers to the enjoyment of sensory experiences.
Temperament structure changes throughout childhood.
Rothbart's model suggests connections between temperament and personality traits.
Some temperament traits, like neuroticism, emerge earlier than others, such as conscientiousness.

The "Little Six"

The "Little Six" theory expands upon the Big Five personality traits by adding a sixth dimension: activity.
Activity gradually merges with high levels of extraversion and low levels of conscientiousness.
Temperament becomes more psychologically elaborated over time, with traits becoming more complex and nuanced.

Personality Stability

Rank order stability refers to an individual's position relative to others on a trait.
Mean-level stability refers to the average level of a trait across a population.
Individual stability refers to the consistency of a trait within an individual over time.

Rank Order Stability

Rank order stability is often measured using test-retest reliability.
Research shows that rank order stability for the Big Five traits is moderate to high, with test-retest correlations of around 0.65 for periods up to 30 years.
This suggests that if someone scores above average on a trait at age 30, there is a high likelihood they will remain above average on that trait at age 60.

Mean Level Change

Research has found complex developmental patterns in the "Little Six" across the lifespan.
Extraversion, agreeableness, openness, and activity tend to decrease over time.
Conscientiousness decreases initially but then increases again.
Neuroticism increases and then decreases, with different trajectories for boys and girls.

Influences on Rank Order Stability

Environmental channelling refers to how the environment shapes individual behavior.
Research suggests that couples with similar personalities tend to exhibit greater rank order stability than those with less similar personalities.
Environmental selection refers to individuals choosing environments that align with their personality.
Personality influences assortive mating, migration, and vocational choice.
However, there is limited evidence that environmental transitions significantly impact personality stability.
Overall, genetic influences play a significant role in the stability of individual differences in personality.
Environmental influences, though present, have a weaker impact on maintaining personality consistency.

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Description

This quiz explores the concepts of orienting sensitivity and temperament in psychology. It delves into Rothbart's model of temperament, the 'Little Six' theory, and the stability of personality traits over time. Test your understanding of these foundational aspects of personality development!