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    Lecture 7 Biological Approaches

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    Lecture 7 Biological Approaches

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    6 views35 pages

    Lecture 7 Biological Approaches

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    an345524

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 35

    Psyc3060

    Lecture 7:

    Biological
    Approaches

    Dr. Shannon Vettor


     How do you show that
    personality has a biological
    basis?
     Relate behaviours to brain

    Biology structures and chemistry


     Heritability or genetic
    on contributions

    Personali  Twin Studies


     Observations in human &
    ty nonhuman animals
     Evidence in many different
    cultures
     Cultural Universals
     Stability over time
    Two Related Main Questions

    What can the


    To what degree is
    structure of the
    personality a
    brain tell us
    matter of
    about
    chemistry?
    personality?
    Lecture Eysenck’s Biological Based
    Trait theory
    Overvie • PEN Model
    Jeffrey Gray: Behavioural
    w Activation Theory of
    Extraversion
    • BIS & BAS

    Brain & the Big Five


    Pavlov’s
    Cortical
    Arousal
    Hans J. Eysenck

     Descriptive (trait) Model


     Hierarchical Structure of Personality
     Three Dimensions of Personality
     PEN Model

     Causal Model
     Extraversion
     Linked to ARAS
     Neuroticism
     Linked to the limbic system
     Psychoticism
     Linked to endocrine gland
    Biological Basis of
    Personality
    • Three-fourths of personality
    dimensions can be accounted for
    by heredity
    Eysenck • Found these factors to exist
    cross-culturally
    : Causal • Stability of traits over time
    • Twin research suggests strong
    Model similarities in these dimensions

    3 Factors of Personality
    • Extraversion -Linked to ARAS
    • Neuroticism - Linked to the
    limbic system (emotional center
    of sex and aggression)
    • Psychoticism - Linked to the
    endocrine gland
    Arousal
    Theory
    Extraversion -
    Introversion

    Extraversion
    based on cortical
    arousal and
    reticular activating
    system
    • Skin conductance, brain
    waves, or sweating

    RAS – reticular formation, midbrain, thalamus, and hypothalamus.


    Optimal Arousal Levels:
    Yerkes-Dodson Law

    Extraversion-Introversion Neuroticism
    Neuroticism based on
    activation of Sympathetic
    Nervous System
    - Visceral brain/limbic
    system
    • Heart rate, blood pressure, cold
    hands, sweating, muscular tension
    Psychoticism
    related to
    increased
    testosterone
    levels and low
    monoamine
    oxidase; high
    levels of
    dopamine &/or
    serotonin
    Evidence for Eysenck’s biological
    underpinnings is weak at best
    • Genetic –support in twin studies for
    heritability of Extraversion & Neuroticism
    Things • Laboratory – mixed results for
    Extraversion
    To • Clinical – support in patient samples for
    Neuroticism; less so in normative
    Conside samples
    • “Real world” studies – EPQ is a good
    Extraversion and Neuroticism live
    predictor of behaviour outside the lab
    r 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
    Jeffrey Gray: Behavioural
    Activation Theory of
    Extraversion

     Tried to improve and build upon


    Eysenck’s theory
     Replaced Extraversion-Introversion and
    Neuroticism-Stability with Degree of
    Anxiety and Degree of Impulsivity
     Individuals vary in motivational
    systems related to positive and
    negative reinforcement (approach &
    avoidance)

     Behavioural Activations System


    and Behavioural Inhibition System
    Model of Responsiveness:
    Reinforcement Sensitivity
    Theory

    BAS BIS
    Behavioural Activation System -
    BAS

    “Impulsives”
     Sensitive to reward and
    escape from punishment
     dopamine

     Areas of the forebrain and


    higher cognitive centers of
    the brain
     Left side
     Associated with impulsivity
    and extraversion

     Some support
    BAS
    Behavioural Inhibition System
    - BIS

     Sensitive to punishment,
    “Anxious” non-reward, and novelty
     Norepinephrine,
    serotonin
     Septo-hippocampal
    system, norepinephrine,
    neocortical projections in
    frontal lobe
     Right side
     Associated with
    neuroticism and anxiety

    BIS  Some support


    So who’s right? Eysenck
    or Gray?

    Eysenck’s sensory arousal Gray’s behavioural


    theory: activation theory:
     Strengths:  Strengths:
     Explains effects of sensory  Explains effects of
    stimulation on introverts and personality on conditioning
    extraverts very well very well
     Explains EEG findings very  Explains effects of
    well personality on subjective
    affect very well
     Compatible with animal
     Weaknesses: learning literature
     Bad at explaining findings
    from learning studies
     Weaknesses:
     Bad at explaining subjective
     Bad at explaining sensory
    affect findings
    stimulation and EEG findings
    Reminder of Real World

    Importance of frontal
    cortex?
     https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbe
    rt_the_surprising_science_of_happin
    ess
    The Big Five and the Brain

    The Big Five traits can be organized into two


    Metatraits:

     Stability:
     Includes emotional stability, conscientiousness, agreeableness,
    and the abilities to control impulses, moderate emotions, and
    compromise with others
     Plasticity:
     Includes extraversion and openness, exploration, activity, and
    emotional expression; they are associated with dopamine
    The Big Five and the Brain:
    Extraversion

     There is a strong connection between extraversion and response to


    dopamine

     Extraverts respond to it more strongly, meaning that they enjoy


    rewards more and, therefore, they are extra motivated to seek
    them out.

     The dopaminergic system stimulates the release of endorphins


     produces pleasure
     produces a strong dopamine-mediated motivation to do it again which
    may lead to addiction.
     Located in the midbrain with axonal projections into the nucleus
    accumbens, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala
    The Big Five and the Brain:
    Neuroticism

    The brain structure that most research has associated


    with neuroticism is the amygdala
     The amygdala of shy people becomes highly active when
    they are shown pictures of people that they don’t know
     Anxiety disorders such as panic attacks and post-traumatic
    stress disorder (PTSD) tend to have an active amygdala
    The Big Five and the Brain:
    Neuroticism

     When the amygdala is aroused by the perception of


    threat or danger, it transmits signals to the
    hypothalamus causing cortisol to be released into
    the bloodstream by the pituitary and then adrenal
    glands (this is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal [HPA] axis).
     Stressful events: Raise cortisol levels, which can
    increase the tendencies toward anxiety and
    depression
     Long-term effects: A rise in the risk of diabetes and
    heart disease, mental health declines, especially
    levels of anxiety and depression
    The Big Five and the Brain:
    Conscientiousness

    The key structure for planning and self-restraint is the frontal


    cortex
     Insula: Plays an interesting role in conscientiousness
     Involved in generating potentially distracting impulses (internal
    awareness and adjusting their behaviour when needed).
     kind of like self restraint- the more control there is, the
    stronger that ability becomes.
    When actions of the prefrontal cortex are successful in
    overcoming distractions, people may:
     Display self-control
     Pursue planned goals
     Create plans and actually follow through (setting goal and
    organization) Attention- focusing on tasks without getting distracted.
    The Big Five and the Brain:
    Agreeableness

    Neurological research points to the insula and its role in


    two brain processes that appear to be especially
    important for Agreeableness
     Mentalizing: Understanding what other people are thinking
     Empathy: Understanding other people’s feelings
    The Big Five and the Brain:
    Openness

    Openness can be divided into two facets:


    Intellect and Openness
     Intellect: Refers to being interested in abstract
    thought and theoretical speculations
     Openness: Refers to responding to aesthetic
    stimuli including art, music, natural beauty, and
    even private fantasies
     Linked with dopamine and the prefrontal cortex
    So What?

     Our behaviour is controlled by the brain and various chemicals


     The brain underlies and influences much that we call personality

     Biology and evolution can explain some of our behaviour but not
    all
     Set expectations of what we can expect of an individual
     They don’t provide means of change
     Scientific basis on personality (objective measur
    MIDTERM 2 NEXT WEEK!

    Same
    Covers
    format as Non-
    Lectures 5,
    midterm 1 – cumulative
    6, & 7
    MC only
    I’ve included the next few slides to help
    you identify some of the areas of the
    brain that I mentioned and are
    mentioned in the textbook.
    The Cortex
    Hemisphere Lateralization

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