PSY 233 1st EditionExam # 1 Study Guide Lectures: 1 - 7Lecture 1 (August 20) and Lecture 2 (August 22)Should look over the 50 myths covered, there will be a question or two regarding themChapter 1What are the 5 goals for the personality theorist?1. Observation is scientific- Study large groups of people- Ensure that observations are objective- must eliminate any preconceptions or stereotypes that might bias one’s observation, shoot for replication- Use specialized tools to study thinking processes, emotional reactions, and biological systems that contribute to personality functioning2. Theory that is systematic- Relating ideas to one another to create a theory that is systematic and organized- Theory is designed to provide explanation, can explain what they observe in research- Must relate all their ideas to one another to create theory that is systematically organized3. Theory that is testable- Want people to challenge it so they come up with the same answer as the researcher- Must develop theoretical ideas that can be tested by objective scientific evidence4. Theory that is comprehensive- Addressing significant questions about personality functioning, development, and individual differences5. Applications from theory to practice- Develop testable, systematic theory that can convert into beneficial applicationsWhat is the definition of personality?The psychological qualities that contribute to an individual’s distinctive and enduring patterns offeeling, thinking, and behavingWhat does it mean when the professor/textbook says “distinctive”?Personality psychology addresses psychological features that differentiate people from one another. What does it mean when the professor/textbook says “contribute to”?The personality psychologist searches for psychological factors that causally influence, partly explains an individual’s distinctive and enduring tendencies.What is the definition of structure?The concept that refers to the more enduring and stable aspects of personality. Personality structures represent the building blocks of personality theory.What is a hierarchy?A relation between entities in which one of them is an example of, or serves the purpose of, the other. In any given personality theory, different variables often are related hierarchically. Ex: trees and plants- trees are an example of the higher-level category “plants”Ex: Jogging and getting in shape- jogging serves the purpose of getting in shapeWhat are personality processes?Psychological reactions that change dynamically (change over relatively brief periods of time). A rapid, dynamic flow of motivation, emotion, and action. Ex: personality lability (swings to extremes), moving rapidly from one activity and the accompanying emotions What is temperament?Biologically based emotional and behavioral tendencies that are evident in early childhood. The temperaments studied in depth are fear reactions and inhibited behaviors.Lecture 3 (August 25) What are the environmental determinants of personality?Culture- individual rights (Americans) vs. Collective rights (Asian cultures). Each culture has its own institutionalized and sanctioned patterns of learned behaviors, rituals, and beliefs. Provide people with answers to significant questions about the nature of self, ones role in one’s community, and the values and principles that are the most important in life. May exert an influence on personality that is subtle yet universalSocial Class- What opportunities does a wealthy person have vs. a poor person, many aspects of an individual’s personality can only be understood by reference to the group to which the person belongs. Social class factors influence how individuals see themselves and how they perceive members of the other social classes- Socioeconomic status influences the cognitive and emotional development of theindividual Family- How do parents/family members influence a child’s personality? 1. Through their own behavior, parents present situations that elicit certain behavior in childrenEx: frustration leads to aggression2. Parents serve as role models for identification3. Parents selectively reward behaviorsPeers- What role does positive or negative peer relationships play in personality development? Considered more important to personality development than family experiences. Peer groups socialize the individual into acceptance of new rules of behavior. What are the views of Freud and Skinner regarding internal and external determinants of behavior?Freud- believed in unconscious drives, that we are controlled by internal forces in our unconscious mindSkinner- external forces cause behaviors, environmental rewards and punishments that govern our actionsLecture 4 (August 27)Chapter 2What does LOTS of Data stand for?* Useful system for organizing the field’s alternative sources of data*L- Data: information obtained from a person’s LIFE historyEx: court and police records, records of arrests and convictionsO- Data: information provided from known OBSERVERS (parents, family, friends). These people are provided with a questionnaire or other rating form in which they rate the target individual’s personality characteristics. Data on any individual can be obtained from one observer or from multiple observersT- Data: information obtained from experimental procedures where researchers measures a person’s performance on tasks, are objective. Ex: SAT, ACT, WechslerS- Data: information that participants report about themselves (“s” stands for self), questionnaire-based S-data is a very popular data sourceWhat is nomothetic?Fixed measure, strategies of assessment and research in which the primary goal is to identify a common set of principles or laws that apply to all members of a population or persons- Greek for “law”- Most commonly employed method in personality psychology- Describe a population of persons in terms of a fixed set of personality variables, using a fixed set of items to measure themWhat is idiographic?Flexible measure, strategies or assessment and research in which the primary goal is to obtain a portrait of the potentially unique idiosyncratic individual- Greek for “personal” or “private”Lecture 5 (August 29)What is reliability?The extent to which observations and events can be replicated, whether measures are dependable or stable. -