PERSONALITY, NOVELTY SEEKING, ADDICTION
Personality
Personality is determined by temperament and character.
Temperament Character
Inborn form of human nature Emergent form of human nature
Individual differences in strength of Individual differences in person’s goals
drives underlying basis emotions and values -> how we react in a
(Spanish <-> Scandinavian) certain way
Set of inclinations we are born with Develops through the interaction of
temperament and environment
Predisposition Set of habits acquired over lifetime
Hardwired in from birth (nature part) Disposition (nurture)
History
Over time, there were always 4 different types of personality but these changed
over time. The origin of the personalities also changed. The 4 temperaments
seen over time are (based on Keirsey):
- Artisan
- Guardian
- Idealist
- Rational
The test of Keirsey’s 4 temperaments is still used nowadays in USA during job
interviews.
Definition
Gordon W. Allport (psychologist)
Omnibus definition: personality is everything that makes you an individual. It
is the integration and interaction of your genetic inheritance, your experience
and your ways to relate the 2.
Temperament and character is included in this definition so looking from
personality POV, it is not a bad definition but useless according to Allport.
There was also no guidance to distinguish different personalities. Another
POV is needed to study personality.
Trait or integrative/ configurational approach: a trait is a dynamic trend of
behaviour which results from the integration of numerous specific habits of
adjustment and which expresses a characteristic mode of the individual’s
reaction to his surroundings. A trait is a predisposition to act the same way in a
variety of situations.
Traits are part of personality and differ between people. The focus lies on
temperament part of personality but Allport was still not convinced.
1
, Systems or hierarchical approach: personality contains 3 layers or
components: the persona, the self and the unconscious processes.
1. Persona: external layers so mask for different occasions. You learn while
growing up how to behave in certain circumstances as a child. This evolves
through life
2. Self: private ego behind the mask. This dominates the conscious
experience and is closely tied to personal memories -> controlling of
mental processes for executive process. Self provides executive functions
so how you react
3. Unconscious processes: not normally accessible to conscious awareness.
Freud says that this drives you and could be accessed by hypnosis
The trait theory had a revival in late 20th century with the big 5 -> 5 main
personality traits that can be found in every research: extraversion,
agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness.
C. R. Cloninger
Cloninger was not only interested in observing but also understand the different
mechanisms in variation in genes linked to physiological differences like NT
concentrations in the brain. This was performed by twin and family studies,
neuropharmacology studies, … He lay the basis of the psychobiological model of
personality.
Tridimensional personality questionnaire (TPQ): tool developed to study
personality by using 3 traits of personality: novelty seeking, harm avoidance and
reward dependence. These traits are regulated by temperament and genetically
independent -> differences in NT. TPQ is a self-report inventory.
TPQ has multiple disadvantages:
- Poor differentiation personality disorders of poor social judgement <->
well-adapted individuals with extreme personality profiles
- Neglected some DSM-III-R personality disorders like paranoid
- Lack explanation some personality factors explained by other dimensional
model
A new model was created where adaptation was included -> TCI.
Temperament and character inventory (TCI): now 7 factors are included (4
temperament and 3 factor). It is a self-report with 240 questions.
2
Personality
Personality is determined by temperament and character.
Temperament Character
Inborn form of human nature Emergent form of human nature
Individual differences in strength of Individual differences in person’s goals
drives underlying basis emotions and values -> how we react in a
(Spanish <-> Scandinavian) certain way
Set of inclinations we are born with Develops through the interaction of
temperament and environment
Predisposition Set of habits acquired over lifetime
Hardwired in from birth (nature part) Disposition (nurture)
History
Over time, there were always 4 different types of personality but these changed
over time. The origin of the personalities also changed. The 4 temperaments
seen over time are (based on Keirsey):
- Artisan
- Guardian
- Idealist
- Rational
The test of Keirsey’s 4 temperaments is still used nowadays in USA during job
interviews.
Definition
Gordon W. Allport (psychologist)
Omnibus definition: personality is everything that makes you an individual. It
is the integration and interaction of your genetic inheritance, your experience
and your ways to relate the 2.
Temperament and character is included in this definition so looking from
personality POV, it is not a bad definition but useless according to Allport.
There was also no guidance to distinguish different personalities. Another
POV is needed to study personality.
Trait or integrative/ configurational approach: a trait is a dynamic trend of
behaviour which results from the integration of numerous specific habits of
adjustment and which expresses a characteristic mode of the individual’s
reaction to his surroundings. A trait is a predisposition to act the same way in a
variety of situations.
Traits are part of personality and differ between people. The focus lies on
temperament part of personality but Allport was still not convinced.
1
, Systems or hierarchical approach: personality contains 3 layers or
components: the persona, the self and the unconscious processes.
1. Persona: external layers so mask for different occasions. You learn while
growing up how to behave in certain circumstances as a child. This evolves
through life
2. Self: private ego behind the mask. This dominates the conscious
experience and is closely tied to personal memories -> controlling of
mental processes for executive process. Self provides executive functions
so how you react
3. Unconscious processes: not normally accessible to conscious awareness.
Freud says that this drives you and could be accessed by hypnosis
The trait theory had a revival in late 20th century with the big 5 -> 5 main
personality traits that can be found in every research: extraversion,
agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness.
C. R. Cloninger
Cloninger was not only interested in observing but also understand the different
mechanisms in variation in genes linked to physiological differences like NT
concentrations in the brain. This was performed by twin and family studies,
neuropharmacology studies, … He lay the basis of the psychobiological model of
personality.
Tridimensional personality questionnaire (TPQ): tool developed to study
personality by using 3 traits of personality: novelty seeking, harm avoidance and
reward dependence. These traits are regulated by temperament and genetically
independent -> differences in NT. TPQ is a self-report inventory.
TPQ has multiple disadvantages:
- Poor differentiation personality disorders of poor social judgement <->
well-adapted individuals with extreme personality profiles
- Neglected some DSM-III-R personality disorders like paranoid
- Lack explanation some personality factors explained by other dimensional
model
A new model was created where adaptation was included -> TCI.
Temperament and character inventory (TCI): now 7 factors are included (4
temperament and 3 factor). It is a self-report with 240 questions.
2
