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7/29/2019 Human Being Biological Perspective
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The Psychology of the Person
Chapter 9 Biological Approach
Naomi Wagner, Ph.D
Lecture OutlinesBased on Burger, 8th edition
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Background
Researchers have recognized that ourpersonality cannot be separated from ourbiology
For many years, the Tabula Rasa (blank
Slate) has been very popularThe Blank Slate view of human nature,suggesting that we are born empty and void ofany tendencies, abilities, etc, was espoused by
the behavioral perspectiveThis approach signifies the decline ofbehaviorism and the tabula rasa idea ofhuman nature.
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What is Biology?
Physiological differences among
individuals that translate into differences in
behavior,
The familial genetic link
The evolutionary perspective: The
understanding of the survival value of our
tendencies and behavioral characteristics.
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The Pioneering Work of Eysenck
In the 1960s Eysenck introduced the idea that
biological makeup, and not parental child-raising
methods or other environmental factors
determine our personality.Using factor-analysis, he identified 3 personality
Super-Traits: Extraversion-introversion,
neuroticism (emotional instability), and
psychoticism (egocentric and aggressive,impersonal).
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Structure of Supertraits
From a specific response, to a habitualresponse, to a trait, to a Super-Trait.
Eysenck noted stability of these
dimensions over time, their similarcross-cultural manifestations, and kinshipstudies (run in families)
Environmental factors play a role in theexpression of the inborn personalitytendencies.
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Extraversion-Introversion
Eysenck was especially interested in thisdimension
Originally he suggested that introverts andextraverts differ in terms of their cortical arousal
(extraverted were under-aroused and thus seekstimulation)
Studies did not find differences between the twotendencies while measures of brain activity in a
resting state were takenCurrently, researchers describe the Ex.-Int.differences in terms of sensitivity to stimulation,introverted being more sensitive.
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Temperament
Temperaments are inborn (inherited) generaldispositions that are regarded as the basis forlater development of more specific traits.
Buss and Flomin identified 3 temperamentaldimensions: emotionality, activity, and sociability
Thomas and Chess identified 9 dimensions
Examples: quality of mood, intensity of reaction,
adapting to novel situations, etcEffortful control-emotional self-regulation, iscurrently regarded as an important dimension
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Temperament and the Environment
In a sense, the temperament creates theenvironment:
We actively search for environments that
are compatible with our innate tendenciesFor example, an adventurous child doesnot wait for adventures to come his/her
way, but actively seek-out/create suchsituations
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(cont-d)
People react to us on the basis of our
temperament
For example: a cheerful, easy-going
person elicits different responses from the
environment as compared to a whining,
negative child
Our early environment is actually created
by the genes of our parents.
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The Role of the Environment
Environmental factors shape and modify
the expressionof our innate tendencies
For example: If you are an impulsive
person, as you go through life you
discover that your impulsivity only hurts
you
Eventually you learn to curtail your
impulsivity
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Inhibited vs. Uninhibited Children (cont-d)
Inhibited are gentle, monitored, restrained
Anxious in novel (new) situations
Uninhibited feel at ease in new situations
Inherited biological temperament
Differ in body-built, prone to allergies, even eye-
color (blue)
In early infancy- irritability, sleep disturbances,constipation, increased heart-rate and pupil
dilation
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Cont-d
fMRI (neuro-imaging) studies found
differences in brain reactivity
Abnormally high amygdala response when
presented with new or unclear stimuli
Fear of the unfamiliar throughout
childhood into adulthood
Uninhibited children are more likely to
show disruptive behaviors
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Goodness of Fit
The term refers to the ideal situation, whenwe, social agents around the child,recognize the childs temperament and
pattern our treatment of the childaccordingly.
For example, if you have ashy child, yougradually expose the child to novelsituations, support the child, not pushingthe child.
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Evolutionary Personality theory
This perspective sees human characteristics asthe result of our evolutionary legacy.
Some traits have evolved in us because, in ourprehistoric past, they were adaptive to our
survival.The concept ofnatural selectionand itsapplication to personality:
An example is the analysis of anxiety, a shared
human tendency, and the underlyingevolutionary basis: anxiety may reflect fear ofsocial rejection.
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(cont-d)
In our prehistoric past we could not havesurvived the harshness of the environmentif we did not align ourselves with other
peopleIndividuals who were rejected or excludedby the group could not survive.
Those who were sensitive to socialrejection did survive, and transmitted thisanxiety gene to their offspring.
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Application: Childrens Temperament and
School
Some children come into the world with
temperaments that may not be compatible
with the formal demands of school
Such children may be misjudged by their
teachers and may be regarded as lazy or
as lacking in motivation.
The Goodness-of-Fit model is evry
applicable here.
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Assessment: Cerebral Asymmetry
Researchers use physiological measures tounderstand personality functioning.
Recent studies using EEG on alpha-wave levels
in the anterior regions of the cerebralhemisphere has proven useful in understandingindividual differences in emotions.
Often, differences are found between the left
and right anterior regions of a person while inresting, non-emotional state
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Cont-d
Differences in cerebral asymmetry were
found when the participants were is a
resting, non-emotional state
Differences tend to be stable over time
When watching movies designed to elicit
certain emotions, people with higher left
hemisphere activity were more responsive
to the positive mood film, and vice versa
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Current explanation of the relationship
between cerebral asymmetry and emotions
Instead of looking at positive and negative
emotions, researchers now describe the
differences in terms of approach and
withdrawal tendencies
Left hemisphere activity is related to
movement toward the source of emotion
Right hemisphere activity is related to
movement away (see next slide)
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Cont-d
Higher left-hemisphere activity is related to
joy because happiness draws us toward
the source of emotion
Consistent with this analysis, researchers
found that anger is related toward Left
Hemisphere activity- angry people tend to
approach or even attack the source oftheir distress
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Is there a connection between cerebral
asymmetry and proneness to depression?
Depressed people show more right-hemisphere
activity than non-depressed
People known to have been depressed but
currently NOT in a depressive state were foundto have EEG patterns of LESS left-hem activity
when is a resting state
May be vulnerability for depression
Anxious people also were found to have higher
right-hemisphere activity
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Another Finding Related to cerebral
Asymmetry
Studies found the right-handed people
who tend to glance to their left while
engaged in reflective mental activity are
likely to show higher level of right-hemisphere activity when resting (e.g.
prone to negative emotions)
Those who glance to the right are higher inleft-hemisphere activity (positive emotions)
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Strengths and Criticism
Bridge between personality and biology
Understanding the role of genetics in human
behavior and being realistic about the feasibility
of behavior changeBased on research
But- Evolutionary concepts cannot be directly
testedLack of agreement about the number of
temperament dimensions and their definition