Original Notes for Unit 10 Part 2 *some links may no longer be valid as this was made in the summer and will be updated and condensed for class

Assessing Traits: Personality Inventories Have you taken one? They are empirically derived…which means? Objective test –Even a computer can score it –For fun –Lie scale –Scores faking…how? –If interested, you could try OR Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) – BREAK ACTIVITY

The Big Five Factors The Big 5 Currently the best approximation of the basic trait dimensions Remember “OCEAN” –Openness –Conscientiousness –Extraversion –Agreeableness –Neuroticism Emotional stability vs instability

The Big Five Factors

Questions on The Big Five –How stable are the traits? As an adult… –How heritable are the traits? About 50 % –Do the traits predict other personal attributes? Partner differences correlated with partner satisfaction

Evaluating the Trait Perspective The Person-Situation Controversy –Are traits consistent? Look for traits that persist over time and across situations –Can traits predict behavior? Not in every situation

The Social-Cognitive Perspective

Social-cognitive perspective –Social-behavioral approach –A. Bandura theorized that our traits and situations interact.

Reciprocal Influences Reciprocal determinism

Reciprocal Influences Ways individuals and the environment interact –Different people choose different environments –Our personalities shape how we interpret and react to events –Our personalities help create situations to which we react

The Biopsychosocial Approach to the Study of Personality

End Day 2

Personal Control Start Day 3 Personal control –Two ways to study personal control Correlate people’s feelings of control with their behaviors and achievements Experiment by raising and lowering people’s sense of control and noting the effects

Personal Control Start Day 3 “…[there] is an assumption that the self, as organizer of our thoughts, feelings and actions, is at the center of personality.”

Personal Control Internal Versus External Locus of Control Internal versus external locus of control –External locus of controlExternal locus of control Means… –Internal locus of controlInternal locus of control Means…

Personal Control Depleting and Strengthening Self-Control Self-control –The ability to control impulses and delay gratification –Predicts Good adjustment Better grades Social success

Personal Control Benefits of Personal Control Learned helplessness

Personal Control Benefits of Personal Control Learned helplessness

Personal Control Benefits of Personal Control Learned helplessness

Personal Control Benefits of Personal Control Learned helplessness

Personal Control Benefits of Personal Control Learned helplessness Tyranny of choice

Personal Control Optimism Versus Pessimism Optimism and Health Excessive Optimism –“Success requires enough optimism to provide hope and enough pessimism to prevent complacency.” –European American VS Asian American students success Blindness to one’s own incompetence Positive psychology Name?Positive psychology –Seligman! –Scientifically studies happiness and health –Happiness is a byproduct of a pleasant, engaged and meaningful life…

Assessing Behavior in Situations US Army spy training and Business use of simulations –Use simulations to predict behavior in similar situations

Evaluating the Social-Cognitive Perspective Based on research more than any other perspective –Sensitizes researchers to how situations affect, and are affected by, individuals Focuses too much on the situation –E.g. 2 LOTTO winners

You should be able to compare Research Methods

Break: Activity Imagine this… …You’ve just failed a psychology test. Write down 2 or 3 reasons why you would have failed. Look at your reasons. Assess what type of locus of control you feel those reasons indicate.

Exploring the Self Know the chart top p. 511*

“The first step to better times is to imagine them.” ~For a drawing, what is the source of this quote?! Self –Center of personality –Possible selves possible best possible worst Those with goals… –Spotlight effectSpotlight effect Presumption that others are noticing and evaluating us

The Benefits of Self-Esteem Self-esteem High self-esteem –Does a feeling of self worth protect us? Or… –Does feeling good simply follow doing well? Low self-esteem –People with low self-esteem tend to be down on other things and people.

A Few Things… Self-serving bias –People accept more responsibility for good deeds than for bad, successes than failures –Most people see themselves as better than average Defensive self-esteem VS secure self-esteem –D: fragile –Focusses on sustaining self –S: less fragile –Less contingent on external evaluations “By losing ourselves in relationships and purposes larger than ourselves we may achieve a more secure self-esteem and greater quality of life.”

Culture and the Self Individualism –Place greater priority on personal goals and define their identity mostly in terms of personal attributes –Higher rates of…? Remember the comparisons of Americans and Japenese?Remember the comparisons of Americans and Japenese? Collectivism –Place a premium on preserving group spirit and making sure others never lose face –Duty to family trumps personal career preferences

Individualism versus Collectivism

End of notes Crash Course: Activity: Astrology, skits and Discussion