Introduction to psychology
Chapter 13: Personality
13.1 Where Does Personality Come From?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Summarize the results of twin studies and adoption studies as those results pertain
to personality.
Understand the role of specific genes in personality.
Identify distinct temperaments.
Review research assessing personality traits among nonhuman animals.
Personality: a person’s characteristic thoughts, emotional responses, and behaviors.
Personality Trait: a pattern of thought, emotion, and behavior that is relatively
consistent over time and across situations.
Personality Is Rooted in Genetics
Genetics play an important role in personality traits.
Numerous twin studies have subsequently found that genetic influence accounts for
approximately half the variance (40-60%) between individuals for all personality
traits.
Adoption Studies
Siblings differ due to different environments.
Siblings’ personalities slowly grow apart as their initial differences become magnified
through their interactions with the world.
Parenting style has much less impact than has long been assumed however parents
play an important role in selecting the environments that shape their children’s
personalities.
Are There Specific Genes for Personality?
Genes predispose us to have certain personality traits.
, Personality characteristics are influenced by multiple genes, which interact with the
environment to produce general dispositions.
Adding in epigenetic changes that result from interactions with the environment
makes it more difficult to identify the influence of any specific gene.
- Some traits, such as novelty seeking, have been linked to a gene associated
with dopamine levels, and emotional stability has been linked to a gene
associated with serotonin levels.
Temperaments Are Evident in Infancy
Temperaments: biologically based tendencies to feel or act in certain ways.
Represent innate biological structure and are more stable
Evident in early childhood and have long term implications for adult behavior
Three basic characteristics:
- Activity Level: overall amount of energy and of behavior a person
exhibits.
- Emotionality: the intensity of emotional reactions.
- Sociability: the general tendency to affiliate with others.
Temperament differences between girls and boys:
- Girls are more able to control attention and resist their impulses.
- Boys are more active and gain more pleasure form physical activity.
There Are Long-Term Implications of Temperaments
Childhood temperaments can predict adult personality traits.
Newborns that react to new situations or strange objects by becoming startled and
distressed often become shy and inhibited people later in life (amygdala, emotional
responses, involved in shyness)
Personality is Adaptive
Personality traits that facilitate survival and reproduction are adaptive.
Individual differences in personality within a group may be advantageous to the
group’s survival.
Animal Personalities
Chapter 13: Personality
13.1 Where Does Personality Come From?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Summarize the results of twin studies and adoption studies as those results pertain
to personality.
Understand the role of specific genes in personality.
Identify distinct temperaments.
Review research assessing personality traits among nonhuman animals.
Personality: a person’s characteristic thoughts, emotional responses, and behaviors.
Personality Trait: a pattern of thought, emotion, and behavior that is relatively
consistent over time and across situations.
Personality Is Rooted in Genetics
Genetics play an important role in personality traits.
Numerous twin studies have subsequently found that genetic influence accounts for
approximately half the variance (40-60%) between individuals for all personality
traits.
Adoption Studies
Siblings differ due to different environments.
Siblings’ personalities slowly grow apart as their initial differences become magnified
through their interactions with the world.
Parenting style has much less impact than has long been assumed however parents
play an important role in selecting the environments that shape their children’s
personalities.
Are There Specific Genes for Personality?
Genes predispose us to have certain personality traits.
, Personality characteristics are influenced by multiple genes, which interact with the
environment to produce general dispositions.
Adding in epigenetic changes that result from interactions with the environment
makes it more difficult to identify the influence of any specific gene.
- Some traits, such as novelty seeking, have been linked to a gene associated
with dopamine levels, and emotional stability has been linked to a gene
associated with serotonin levels.
Temperaments Are Evident in Infancy
Temperaments: biologically based tendencies to feel or act in certain ways.
Represent innate biological structure and are more stable
Evident in early childhood and have long term implications for adult behavior
Three basic characteristics:
- Activity Level: overall amount of energy and of behavior a person
exhibits.
- Emotionality: the intensity of emotional reactions.
- Sociability: the general tendency to affiliate with others.
Temperament differences between girls and boys:
- Girls are more able to control attention and resist their impulses.
- Boys are more active and gain more pleasure form physical activity.
There Are Long-Term Implications of Temperaments
Childhood temperaments can predict adult personality traits.
Newborns that react to new situations or strange objects by becoming startled and
distressed often become shy and inhibited people later in life (amygdala, emotional
responses, involved in shyness)
Personality is Adaptive
Personality traits that facilitate survival and reproduction are adaptive.
Individual differences in personality within a group may be advantageous to the
group’s survival.
Animal Personalities
