HANS JURGEN EYSENCK: FACTOR Overview of the Biologically Based Trait Theory
THEORY • Similar to McCrae and Costa’s factor theory but
Biography based his taxonomy in both factor analysis and biology. Used 2 factor analysis o Neuroticism and extraversion that lead • The 5 factors are Extraversion, him to the publication of his book Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, “dimensions of personality” Neuroticism, and Openness. Biologically based tendency to behave in particular ways • Derivation of only 3 dimensions of from very early in life personality: Extraversion (E), Evidence for biological basis of personality Neuroticism (N), and Psychoticism (P). Temperament: • Individual differences in humans are biological o Fetal activity and fetal heart rate in 36 and not merely psychological aspects of week old foetus foreshadowed less personality. predictable eating and sleeping habits • Genetic factors have a greater impact on at 3 and 6 months after birth o A high heart rate predicted a less subsequent behaviors than do childhood experiences. emotional infant at 6 months after birth Eysenck’s Factor Theory o The prenatal environment plays an important role in shaping personality • Core of Eysenck’s view of psychology derives ( example: amount of stress of mom from his conviction that measurement is during pregnancy may alter infant’s fundamental to all scientific advances. own stress response) • Taxonomy as the crucial first step. Behavioural genetics: o The scientific study of the role of • Psychometric and biological components. heredity in behaviour • Due to findings in twin studies. o Heritability: extent to which • Factor Analysis – Statistical technique that characteristic is influenced by genetics can identify groups, clusters, or factors of o Mccrae & costa: used twin-adoption related items. studies and gene-by-environment • Must be able to detect structures in studies to study heritability personality. o Twin-adoption: research into • Factors – dimensions of personality used to hereditary influence on twins describe human behavior. (identical/fraternal- raised or • Criteria for identifying factors adopted) • Existence of psychometric o Gene-by-environment interaction evidence. research: allows researchers to assess • Possession of heritability. how genetic differences interact with environment to produce certain • Sensibility from a theoretical behaviour in some people but not in view. others • Possession of social relevance. Brain measure research Hierarchy of behavior organization o EEG (electroencephalography) to • Recognized a four-level hierarchy of behaviour record the electrical activity of the organization brain o Specific acts: Lowest level, individual EEG is superior when behaviours or thoughts that may or may not showing ‘when’ brain activity be characteristic of a person (ex. Student occurs but not that accurate finishing a reading assignment) on ‘where’ activity occurs o Habitual acts or cognitions: responses that recur under similar conditions ( ex. If a student frequently keeps at an assignment Carl Jung: essentially subjective/ individualized until it is finished, this behaviour becomes way of looking at things habitual) – reasonably reliable and consistent Hans Eysenck: Quiet, passive, unsociable, o Trait: third-level of behaviour; important careful, reserved, thoughtful, pessimistic, peaceful, semi-permanent personality dispositions (ex. sober and controlled Students have the trait of persistence) o Also defined in term of significant Principal differences intercorrelations between different Carl Jung: the direction of libido habitual behaviours Hans Eysenck: biological and genetic in nature o An observed consistency among the o Cortical arousal level, a physiological habits or repeated acts of the subject. condition that is largely inherited rather o Identified systematically through than learned factor analysis. o Delineation of personality types relies on detailed trait description. Extraverts for Hans Eysenck o Type/superfactors: Fourth level, made up of • Lower level of cortical arousal several interrelated traits • Higher sensory of threshold = lesser Types (Superfactors) reactions to sensory stimulation • Highest level. • participate more often in exciting and • An observed constellation or syndrome of traits. stimulating activities • Most generalized and inclusive variety of • Sexual intercourse earlier organization. • frequently, wide range of partners in a 3 Dimensions of Personality greater # of positions, with a larger variety Bipolarity: meaning equally distributed, at the center of of sexual behavior and will indulge in longer the dimension precoital love play • Extraversion-Introversion • quickly accustomed to strong stimuli o Sociable, lively, active, assertive, Introverts for Hans Eysenck Sensation-seeking, carefree, Dominant, • Higher level of arousal surgent, ventruesome • Lower sensory threshold = greater reaction • Neuroticism-Stability o Anxious, Depressed, Guilt feelings, Low to sensory stimulation self-esteems, Tense, Emotional, Moody, • avoid situations that will cause too much Shy, Irrational excitement • Psychoticism-Superego function o Impersonal, Tough-minded, Impulsive, • less likely to become bored and uninterested Egocentric, Creative, Unempathic, in routine activities carried on with the same Antisocial, Cold, Aggressive people Intelligence Neuroticism/Stability Unimodal distribution • Neurotics are characterized as moody, tense, Independence of factors (zero correlation) anxious, depressed and irrational. • Tendency to overreact emotionally and EXTRAVERSION: may have difficulty in returning to their Carl Jung: objective/non personalized view of normal state after emotional arousal. the world • Does not necessarily suggest a neurosis. Hans Eysenck: sociability & impulsiveness but also jocularity, liveliness, quick-wittedness, • Diathesis-stress model of psychiatric illness optimism and other traits indicative of people • Diathesis – Predisposition who are rewarded for behavior association with • High N scorers usually only need a lower others level of stress to produce a neurotic disorder. INTROVERSION: Psychoticism/Superego function • High P scorers are found to be cruel, hostile, and insensitive to the needs and feelings of others. • High level of creativity. • Controlling and Authoritarian. • Whereas low P scorers are caring, DNA cooperative, altruistic, and conventional. • Diathesis-stress model also applies for Genetic Origins of the personality Psychoticism and those who are high scorers are 1. What causes one person to have a low threshold at risk of psychotic breaks. of response in the hypothalamus and another a high threshold? The Biological Basis of Personality 2. Why does one individual have balance in favor of inhibitory potentials? • Personality types result from differences in central Two broad possibilities suggested in the past are: nervous system (CNS) functioning • 1. Either the traits are inherited and the individual Implications: was born that way • 2. Environmental influences produced the • Genetic basis of personality pertinent characteristics • Relatively stable & unchanging • The logic of genetic studies rests upon the known ARAS system: Collection of nerve fibers located at the amounts of genetic relatedness to be found in base of the spinal cord and lower portion of the brain. different pairs of person
• Help regulate level of arousal in the brain Psychopathology
• Ascending Reticular Activation System Personality Measurement tests • Cortical excitation & inhibition • Lie: Scale to detect faking High ARAS arousal: Maudsley Eysenck Junior Eysenck • Predisposes to introversion Personality Personality Eysenck Personality Low ARAS arousal: Inventory InventoryPersonality Questionair Inventory e • Predisposes to extroversion Extraversio Extraversio Extraversio Extraversion • Antecedents: genetic and biological n n n • Consequences: experimental variables as Neuroticism Neuroticism Neuroticism Neuroticism conditioning experiences, sensitivity and memory Lie Lie Lie as well as social behaviors such as criminality, creativity, psychopathology, and sexual behavior Psychoticism • Personality has genetic determinants that indirectly shape biological intermediaries, and How psychopathology occurs these biological intermediaries help mold P, E, and • Eysenck suggests that high neuroticism is N correlated to developing a neurotic disorder. Disorder: PERSONALITY • Eysenck didn’t give any specific pathology but too much of extraversion or introversion may cause a person to have: o Phobias, compulsions, obsessions or Limbic P Conditioning Sociability become a psychopath. system sensitivity Diathesis-Stress Model arousal Criminality • Diathesis: makes it more or less likely that an Vigilance individual will succumb to the development of Distal antecedents (Generic personality determinants) Creativity psychopathology if a certain stress is encountered proximal antecedents (biological intermediaries) psychometric trait constellations proximal consequences (experimental studies) distal consequences (social behaviour) • Stress: a life event that disrupts the equilibrium of a person’s life. • Diathesis-stress model: asserts that if the combination of the predisposition and the stress exceeds a threshold, the person will develop a disorder Change Eysenck on psychotherapy • Stated that psychotherapy, had no evidence for efficacy and studies supporting psychotherapy were flawed • Behavior therapy began as a way of applying research relating to learning and conditioning to clinical problems • Eysenck’s emphasis on biological basis of personality is consistent with biological therapies • Heredity has a strong role in neuroticism, extraversion, and psychoticism. • Nonetheless, Eysenck maintains that all neurotic behavior is learned. • According to Eysenck, the core phenomenon in neurosis is a conditioned fear reaction. • Since behaviors are learned, they can be unlearned, using behavior therapies Behavior Therapy Methods • Counter Conditioning: procedure often utilized for therapeutic purposes, in which a conditioned response (CR) is weakened by associating the stimulus (CS) that evokes it with a new response that is antagonistic (incompatible) with the CR. • Modeling: demonstration of behavior by one person so that another person can imitate it. • Flooding: form of behavior therapy in which the client is exposed to the most intense stimuli that evoke fear, typically for prolonged periods of time, in an effort to extinguish it. • Systematic Desensitization: technique designed to reduce the strong anxieties associated with various stimuli; the client is gradually exposed to them and, at each level in the anxiety hierarchy, learns new responses through counter conditioning
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