Understanding Individual Differences PDF

Understanding Individual Differences  Personality  a person’s set of stable characteristics (manner as a feature) & traits that responsible for consistent patterns of behavior in different situations.  An individual’s personality is determined by inherited genes & the environment...

Understanding Individual Differences  Personality  a person’s set of stable characteristics (manner as a feature) & traits that responsible for consistent patterns of behavior in different situations.  An individual’s personality is determined by inherited genes & the environment.  Heredity  50 to 55 % of personality traits may be inherited. (i.e. trait).  Environment  includes family, group membership, culture, & life experiences.  The environment may have a more important role than inherited characteristics.  Cultural Values  Culture  the set of shared attitudes, beliefs, values, norms, customs, practices, & symbols that distinguishes the members of one group people from another.  Culture a “way of life” meaning the way people do things.  Culture  is passed on to the next generation by learning, whereas genetics are passed on by heredity.  Cultural values impact a person’s behavior at work.  Cultural values  the commonly kept standards of what is acceptable or unacceptable, important or unimportant, right or wrong, workable or unworkable, etc., in society. Cont… Cultural Values  Individualism  the tendency of individuals to look after themselves & their immediate families.  Collectivism  the tendency of individuals to emphasize their belonging to groups & look after each other in exchange for loyalty.  Power distance  the extend to which individuals in a society accept status & power distribution.  Uncertainty avoidance  the extend to which individuals rely on procedures & organizations to avoid ambiguity & risk.  Gender role orientation (masculinity vs femininity)  the extent to a society values materialism or the quality of life.  Lon-term/short-term orientation  the extent to which a society focuses of future.  Indulgence Vs Restraint An indulgent society is one which values the satisfaction of human needs and desires; a restrained society sees the value in curbing ones' desires and withholding pleasures to align more with societal norms.  Personality Factors That Affect Performance  We don’t see a person’s personality, however, we see behaviors that reflect these internal characteristics.  Big Five Personality Factors: these factors describe individuals’ emotional stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, & openness. 1) Emotional stability  the degree to which a person is secure, calm, & free of persistent negative feelings. 2) Agreeableness  a person’s ability to get along with others. 3) Extraversion  the degree to which a person is sociable. Personality Factors That Affect Performance 4) Conscientiousness  the degree to which a person is careful, responsible, organized, & self-disciplined. 5) Neuroticism  is typically defined as a tendency toward anxiety, depression, self-doubt, and other negative feelings. All personality traits, including neuroticism, exist on a spectrum—some people are just much more neurotic than others.  A spectrum (plural spectra or spectrums) is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without steps, across a continuum. Cont.. Personality Factors That Affect Performance  Self-Esteem  the extent to which an individual beliefs that he or she is a worthwhile & a deserving individual.  Locus of control  the degree to which individuals believe that they can control events affecting them.  Internal locus of control  individuals believe that their actions & behaviors determine many of the events in their lives.  External locus of control  individuals believe that chance, fate, or other individuals primarily determine what happen to them.  Emotional intelligence  how well an individual handles oneself & others rather than how smart or how capable the individual is in terms of technical skills.  Personality Traits Needed for Success  Integrity:- the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.  Resilience:- the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties, & toughness.  Interpersonal sensitivity (emotional and social):- is the ability to accurately assess others' abilities, states, and traits from nonverbal cues.  Examples of Lacking Interpersonal Sensitivity  Difficulty in initiating relationships.  Difficulty maintaining relationships.  Difficulty expressing one's feelings within relationships.  Difficulties communicating one's needs.  Lack of social support.  Decisiveness:- the ability to make decisions quickly and effectively.