The Influence of Micro-contexts & Macro-contexts on PersonalityJanuary 16, 2014The silly nature vs. nurture debateo Experiment 1: Maze Bright vs. Maze-Dull rats (Tryon 1940)- Maze-solving abilitiy is genetically heritable—since IQ test cannot be given, the researches timed how long it took to run the maze- Selectively bred over generations based on # of errors- After seven generations, there was no overlap between bright and dullrats—the only smartest dull ones are only as bright as the dumbest bright ones.o The Effect of Environment on Maze-Bright & Maze-Dull rats (Cooper and Zubek, 1958)- What happens when we raise them in different environments?- New experiment: manipulate the environment1. Normal environment: had soft bedding, enclosed spaces, moderate stimulation2. Restrictive environment: had just a food box and a water pan3. Enriched environment: had lots of toys, ramps, slides, tunnels, mirrors—highly stimulating- Advantage of bright-rates was completely wiped out when raised “impoverished”- Disadvantage of dull-rates overcome when raised “enriched”o What do we learn?- Evolution and DNA are not just the first draft, but rather the blue print.- In other words, it is not nature OR nurture; it is interactionism- G x E (Genes X Environment= Phenotype of a trait)- Our cards are dealt from two decks—combination of two Macro-contexts vs. Micro-contextso What constitutes of environment?- Macro-contexts: culture, social structure, gender, and history1. Micro-contexts: All of the social and physical features of a situation—where am I, who’s with me?2. Psychological Affordances: our subjective experiences of and interpretations of situations. (break-ups, fights, car crashes)Cultures effect of Personalityo Experiment 2: “The Cultural” Brain- Children and chimps are shown clear and opaque boxes—must do certain tasks before they get the rewardo Three important dimensions of culture1. Culture means “We do it this way”a. Dr. Sapolsky’s “kind baboons” example2. An organized body of rules concerning the way in which individuals should:- Communicate and interact with one another- Think about themselves and their obligations- Set and pursue certain life goals- To have a “culture brain” means readily absorb all these rules and expectations- However, the rules of reward/punishment significantly differ across culturesMacro-context: Cultureo Ask people to fill in “I am_____.”- In America :80% of responses are personal traits (I am calm, tall, mischevious) whereas 20% refer to social roles ( I am married, an American, an Arsenal soccer fan)- In China, most responses were precedent to the groupo Individualist cultures are cultures in which the gals of the individual take precedence over the goals of the group—success is measured by how far one stands out- Self-made millionaire, employees of the montho Collectivist: culture is a culture in which the goals of the group take precedence over the goals of the individual- Success and self-esteem are a reflection of one’s contributions to the group as a whole & fulfilling one’s social obligations- Ex: loyalty to company or family, specialized skills, fitting in…The consequence for Personality?o It shapes how we define ourselves (as we saw)o It shapes our sense of what obligations we must meet and what traits we must possess be deemed a “good person”“Locus of Control”: cultures tell us who is in control of our lives—their ability to get rewards and avoid punishmento Western/ Individualistic cultures tend to have an internal locus of control- The person is in charge, and individually responsible for outcomeso Eastern/ Collectivist: tend to have an external locus of control- An individual’s outcomes are largely a product of a social circumstance, political-historical events, or fate (out of one’s
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