1 / 16

Hans J. Eysenck

Hans J. Eysenck. 1916 - 1997. Personality. More or less stable and enduring organization of a person’s character, temperament, intellect, and physique, which determines his unique adjustment to the environment. Theory. Personality is mostly biological but can be influenced by environment

layne
Download Presentation

Hans J. Eysenck

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Hans J. Eysenck 1916 - 1997

  2. Personality • More or less stable and enduring organization of a person’s character, temperament, intellect, and physique, which determines his unique adjustment to the environment

  3. Theory • Personality is mostly biological but can be influenced by environment • Biological view validated by: • The same three personality orientations are found universally regardless of social and cultural factors • These traits show stability within individuals over long periods of time in the face of differing experiences • Evidence supported by twin studies

  4. Theory • Personality results from levels of excitation, arousal and inhibition of an individual’s nervous system. • Hereditary in nature • Involves ARAS and Limbic Systems (visceral brain)

  5. Theory • Based on three dimensions (Types or Superfactors): • Extraversion / Introversion • Neuroticism / Stability • Psychoticism / Superego

  6. Extraversion / Introversion • Extraverts • Have a “strong nervous system” • Have a higher sensory threshold (although lower sedative threshold) • Need and actively seek excitement and stimulation • Can tolerate relatively intense stimuli w/o being overwhelmed

  7. Extraversion / Introversion • Introverts • Have a “weak nervous system” • Low sensory threshold (higher sedative threshold) • Shy away from excitement and stimulation • Quickly overwhelmed by intense stimuli

  8. Neuroticism / Stability • Greater brain activity shown in limbic (visceral brain) area (emotion) and in sympathetic nervous system. • React emotionally to things others consider insignificant (overreactive autonomic nervous systems) • Not necessarily equated with debilitating psychological symptoms • Held to diathesis-stress model of mental illness • Genetically predisposed toward neuroticism or emotional stability

  9. UNSTABLE Moody Touchy Anxious Restless Rigid Aggressive Sober Excitable Pessimistic Changeable Reserved Impulsive Unsociable Optimistic Quiet Active choleric melancholic INTROVERTED EXTRAVERTED Passive phlegmatic sanguine Sociable Careful Outgoing Thoughtful Talkative Peaceful Responsive Controlled Easygoing Reliable Lively Even-tempered Carefree Calm Leadership STABLE

  10. Psychoticism / Superego Control • Does not necessarily refer to psychotic disorders • Characterized by degree of impulsivity and emotional detachment from others. • High score more aggressive, antisocial, cold and egocentric, nonconforming, impulsive, and hostile • Low score are more altruistic, highly socialized, caring, empathetic, cooperative, conforming, and conventional • Higher the score the lower the stress needed to push toward psychotic behavior

  11. Psychoticism / Superego • Also includes creativity and genius • Males more than females (related to maleness) • High genetic component but less than extraversion and neuroticism • Eventually determined that criminals score high on all three dimensions.

  12. Types Extraversion Traits Assertive Traits Sociable Traits Active Habitual Response Expresses Needs Habitual response Considerate Habitual response Smiles at eveyone Habitual response Shakes everyone's hand Habitual response Parties Habitual response Energetic in everything Specific Response Level

  13. Theory • Hierarchy of Behavior Organization • 1rst level: types or superfactors • Made up of several interrelated traits • 2nd level: traits • “important, semi-permanent personality dispositions” • “defined in terms of significant intercorrelations between different habitual behaviors” • 3rd level: habitual responses • Behaviors or thoughts that recur under similar conditions • 4th level: specific acts and cognitions • Individual behaviors or thoughts that may or may not be characteristic of a person

  14. The Big 5 • Openness • Conscientiousness • Extraversion • Agreeableness • Neuroticism

  15. The Big 5 • There is considerable empirical support for Personality Disorders being understood as maladaptive variants of the Big 5. The first four in particular define the domains of impairment used to diagnose personality and mental disorders. • Extraversion & Agreeableness • Two largest domains account largely for all manner of interpersonal relatedness • Conscientiousness • Concerns control and regulation of behavior • Neuroticism • Primarily important to the fields of clinical psych and psychiatry • Openness • Primarily deals with culture or society’s interest in creativity, intellect, imagination, and conventionality. There are aspects of openness in PDs as well.

More Related