Lecture 6 - Allport, Cattell, Eysenck PDF

Psyc3060 Lecture 6: Allport, Cattell, & Eysenck DR. SHANNON VET TOR Lecture Overview Gordon Allport Raymond B. Cattell ◦ Biography ◦ Biography ◦ Structure of Personality ◦ Definition of Personality...

Psyc3060 Lecture 6: Allport, Cattell, & Eysenck DR. SHANNON VET TOR Lecture Overview Gordon Allport Raymond B. Cattell ◦ Biography ◦ Biography ◦ Structure of Personality ◦ Definition of Personality ◦ Surface vs Source Traits ◦ The Psychologically Healthy Person ◦ Different types of data ◦ Structure of Personality ◦ L, Q, & T data ◦ Traits ◦ 16 Personality Factors ◦ Personal Dispositions ◦ Development of Personality ◦ Proprium Hans J. Eysenck ◦ Hierarchy of Personality Structure ◦ Motivation ◦ Functional Autonomy ◦ Descriptive PEN model ◦ Superfactors  Born in Montezuma, Indiana in 1897 Gordon Allport Youngest son of a country doctor and a former schoolteacher Earned undergraduate degrees in philosophy and economics from Harvard in 1919 ◦ Mediocre grades After fortuitous meeting with Freud, decided to complete a PhD in psychology at Harvard in 1922 Gave the first ever class in personality (in the US) in 1937 President of American Psychological Association in 1939 Died in 1967 of lung cancer Allport’s Psychology of the Individual Psychology of the Individual ◦ Emphasized Uniqueness of the Individual ◦ Traits Do Not Capture Individuality ◦ Broad, Comprehensive Theory Preferable to Narrow Theory Sought to answer three questions: 1. What is Personality? 2. What is the role of Conscious Motivation? 3. What are the characteristics of a healthy person? 1. What is Personality? Personality is "the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic behaviour and thought." ◦ Dynamic “Personality is something and does ◦ Psychophysical something … it is what lies behind specific ◦ Determinant of behaviour acts and within the individual” ◦ Characteristic ◦ Behaviour & Thought 2. What is the Role of Conscious Motivation? Healthy adults aware of what and why they are acting Accepted self-report at face value Some motivation is driven by hidden impulses Most compulsive behaviours originate in childhood  3. What are the Characteristics of a Healthy Person? 1. Extension of the sense of self ◦Authentic participation 2. Warm relating of self to others ◦Intimacy, compassion, unconditional love, kinship with all 3. Emotional security or self-acceptance ◦Self-acceptance, accepts emotion, high frustration, tolerance 3. What are the Characteristics of a Healthy Person? 4. Realistic perception of their environment ◦Objectivity, accepts reality as it is, task oriented 5. Insight and humour ◦Self-understanding, genuine sense of humour 6. Unifying philosophy of life ◦Mission, purpose, directedness  Structure of Personality Personality is stable; Consistency across diverse situations Components of Personality: 1. Common Traits → “Traits”; shared 2. Personal Dispositions → individual ◦ Cardinal dispositions ◦ Central dispositions ◦ Secondary dispositions  Structure of Personality: Personal Dispositions Cardinal Traits Most Pervasive ◦ “ruling passion” Personal Disposition: “Generalized neuropsychic structure Influence on behaviour Central Traits (peculiar to the individual), with the capacity to render many stimuli ◦ Influences most behaviour functionally equivalent, and to initiate and guide consistent (equivalent) forms of adaptive and stylistic behaviour” Secondary Traits ◦ Inconsistent & generalised Least Pervasive Development of Personality: Proprium Proprium ◦ Behaviours that are regarded as warm, central, and important to their lives ◦ Composition of all the important aspects of a personality as a result of a person’s experiences and growth ◦ Maintains our sense of self ◦ The behaviours and characteristics that we deem central to our lives ◦ Determines how we perceive the world & what we remember from our experiences Nonpropriate Behaviours ◦ Basic drives/needs ◦ Tribal customs ◦ Habitual behaviours Development of Personality: Motivation A Theory of Motivation ◦ Theory Must Include Both Reactive and Proactive Behaviours Adequate Theory of Motivation 1. It must recognize the contemporary nature of motives 2. It must allow for the existence of several types of motives 3. It must recognize the importance of cognitive processes, to planning and intention 4. It must recognize that each person’s pattern of motivation is unique  Development of Personality: Functional Autonomy Functional Autonomy ◦ Some human motives are functionally independent from the original motive responsible for the behaviour. ◦ If a motive is functionally autonomous it IS the explanation for the behaviour, and we don’t need to look beyond it for hidden or its primary cause(s). 1. Perseverative Functional Autonomy ◦ Peripheral habits 2. Propriate Functional Autonomy ◦ Self-sustaining motives/interests ◦ Processes that are not functionally autonomous ◦ (1) biological drives, such as eating, breathing, and sleeping; (2) motives directly linked to the reduction of basic drives; (3) reflex actions such as an eye blink; (4) constitutional equipment such as physique, intelligence, and temperament; (5) habits in the process of being formed; (6) patterns of behaviour that require primary reinforcement; (7) sublimations that can be tied to childhood sexual desires, and (8) some neurotic or pathological symptoms.  Development of Personality (of Self) Timeline Propriate Development First Year Infant learns that they exists through sensory experiences Second Year Child learns that identity remains intact although circumstances change Third Year Feeling of pride results from individual accomplishments Fourth Year Child extents self-image by recognizing that certain objects belong to him Fourth-Sixth Year Child develops conscience and can deal with concept of right and wrong Sixth-Twelfth Year Child uses reason and logic to solve problems Adolescence Child makes future goals and organises life around them Adulthood Individual who has synthesized the preceding stages of development Important Points Regarding Allport’s Theory Believed the study of personality Criticisms: should emphasise the experience ◦ Based on speculation, not scientific of unique, normal adults and method should aim to describe ◦ Hard to falsify psychological structures that determine the individual's ◦ …but rates high on parsimony and characteristic ways of thinking internal consistency and behaving  Born in Staffordshire, England 1905 ◦ 9 years old through WWI Education Raymond B. ◦ B.Sc in Chemistry & Physics Cattell ◦ PhD in Psychology ◦ Studied with Charles Spearman ◦ Intelligence & factor analysis Moved to States ◦ Worked with Allport at Harvard ◦ Applied factor analysis to personality ◦ Began idiographic research Surface and Source Traits: Personality Structure in Cattell’s Theory Trait ◦ “that which defines what a person will do when faced with a defined situation” Surface Traits ◦ Clusters of overt behaviour responses that appear to go together, are highly inter- correlated ◦ More superficial, specific, and variable Source Traits ◦ Internal psychological structures that are the underlying cause of surface traits ◦ Core personality structures ◦ Deep-seated, stable, and influence behaviour across contexts Surface and Source Traits: Personality Structure in Cattell’s Theory Source Traits ◦Types 1. Ability Traits (skills & abilities); 2. Temperament Traits (emotional; stylistic); 3. Dynamic Traits (motivating) a) Ergs (innate; instinctual basis) b) Metaergs (learned; developed from ergs through social learning) i. Sentiments (formed early; enduring; general) ii. Attitudes (specific tendencies and actions) Different Types of Data L Data = Life Record Data Q Data = Personality Questionnaires T Data = Objective Tests  Factor Descriptors A Warmth Reserved Outgoing B Reasoning Less Intelligent More Intelligent C Emotional Stability Affected by feelings Emotionally stable E Dominance Humble Assertive F Liveliness Sober Happy-go-lucky 16 G Rule Consciousness Expedient Conscientious Personality H Social Boldness Shy Venturesome Factor I Sensitivity Tough-minded Tender-minded (16PF) L Vigilance Trusting Suspicious (source traits) M Abstractedness Practical Imaginative N Privateness Straightforward Shrewd O Apprehension Self-Assured Apprehensive Q1 Openness to Change Conservative Experimenting Q2 Self-Reliance Group-dependent Self-sufficient Q3 Perfectionism Self-conflict Self-control Q4 Tension Relaxed Tense 16PF5 Global Factors Global Factors Low High Low High Extraversion Introverted, socially inhibited Extraverted, social participant Extraversion Introverted, socially inhibited Extraverted, social participant Anxiety Low anxiety, relaxed, Low anxiety, relaxed, imperturbable, well-adjusted High anxiety, High anxiety, tense, tense, perturbable, histrionic Anxiety imperturbable, well-adjusted perturbable, histrionic Tough-Mindedness / Willpower Receptive, open-minded, Receptive, open-minded, intuitive, emotionality, feeling Tough-minded, resolute,determined Tough-minded, resolute, non-empathetic, non- Tough-Mindedness intuitive, emotionality, feeling empathetic, determined Independence Accommodating, agreeable, Accommodating, agreeable, selfless, subdued Independence, persuasive, Independence, persuasive, wilful Independence selfless, subdued wilful Self-Control Unrestrained, impulsive, Unrestrained, impulsive, uncontrolled Self-controlled, Self-controlled, inhibitory of inhibitory impulses of Self-Control uncontrolled impulses Try It Yourself For demonstration purposes ◦ http://similarminds.com/cattell-16-factor.html Cattell: Development of Personality 1. Heredity & Environment 2. Sentiments and attitudes develop through learning ◦ Classical conditioning ◦ Operant conditioning ◦ Structured learning 3. Childhood ◦ Parental Behaviours ◦ Birth order Cattell: Things to Keep in Mind Inability to replicate the findings Overly complex and redundant…but led to development of Big Five Ambiguity of some of the personality factors Despite criticisms….popular in clinical and occupational contexts Hans J. Eysenck Born in Germany ◦ Left during Nazi occupation Moved to England ◦ Served as a psychologist in an emergency hospital during WWII ◦ Trained in clinical psychology in the States ◦ Developed negative view of psychoanalysis Controversial figure http://www.youtube.com/watch?v Studied Thurstone’s work on factor =ZN4Hod8Clv8 analysis in undergrad Hierarchical Structure of Personality Super Factor (continuous dimensions) Traits Habits Acts/Behaviours Remember the 4 Humours? Humours, Temperaments, & Eysenck’s Theory  Three Dimensions: PEN Model Psychoticism Extraversion Neuroticism Aggressive Sociable Anxious Assertive Irresponsible Depressed Egocentric Dominant Guilt Feelings Unsympathetic Lack of reflection Low self-esteem Manipulative Sensation-seeking Tense Achievement-oriented Impulsive Moody Dogmatic Risk-taking Hypochondriac Masculine Expressive Lack of autonomy Tough-minded Active Obsessive Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ): Answer the following 5=Very Much; ….1=Not At All 8. Are you rather lively? E 9. Would it upset you a lot to see a child or animal suffer? P 1. Do you have many different hobbies? E 10. Do you often worry about things you should 2. Do you stop to think things over before doing not have done or said? N anything? P 11. Can you usually let yourself go and enjoy 3. Does your mood often go up and down? N yourself at a lively party? E 4. Are you a talkative person? E 12. Are you an irritable person? N 5. Would being in debt worry you? P 13. Do you enjoy meeting new people? E 6. Do you ever feel "just miserable" for no 14. Do you believe insurance plans are a good reason? N idea? P 7. Do you lock up your house carefully at night? P 15. Are your feelings easily hurt? N For Demonstration Purposes This test is a little shorter, though there are a few similar / identical questions ◦ http://similarminds.com/eysenck.html Things To Consider Extraversion and Neuroticism live on in the Big Five Personality Factors Psychoticism didn’t work so well ◦ Though other researchers agree that Big Five doesn’t really cover criminal behaviour well Evidence for Eysenck’s biological underpinnings is weak at best General Strengths & Criticisms of Trait Theories Strengths ◦ Objectivity – mostly relies on statistical or objective data ◦ Ability to categorize observable behaviours ◦ Ease of Use and Understanding – used to develop a number of assessment devices; allows use to compare people Criticisms ◦ Poor Predictor of Future Behaviour ◦ Doesn’t address Development of Traits ◦ Gives little guidance on how to change personality Next lecture… BIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF PERSONALITY