Question

Identify a theory used to guide current research in a discipline of interest. (Summarize the origins of the theory. Summary includes year, author, and original purpose of theory)

List and define 3 of the theory’s constructs and describe the relationship among the constructs.

Answer 1

• Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristics behaviour and thought.
• Eysenck’s Personality Theory
• Origins of the theory
  • Eysenck (1952) proposed a theory of personality.
  • It was based on biological factors. It argued that individuals inherit a type of nervous system that affects their ability to learn and adapt to the environment. It shapes their personality.
  • Eysenck used to work at the Maudsley psychiatric hospital in London. He used make an initial assessment of each patient before their mental disorder was diagnosed by a psychiatrist.
  • Through that experience, he created a battery of questions. After he applied it to 700 soldiers who were suffering from neurotic disorders.
  • The answers to these revealed first order personality traits which he narrowed down to three traits using factor analysis.
    • Extroversion
    • Neuroticism
    • Psychoticism

• Relationship between the three constructs
  • These are secondary traits derived by factor analysis and are independent of each other.
  • Extroversion Vs Introversion
    • People high on the trait of extroversion
      • Sociable and outgoing and readily connect with others
    • People high on the trait of introversion
      • Higher need to be alone, engage in solitary behaviours, and limit their interactions
  • Neuroticism Vs Stability
    • People high on neuroticism
      • Tend to be anxious
      • Tend to have an overactive sympathetic nervous system
      • Tend to go into a flight-or-fight reaction
    • People high on stability
      • Tend to need more stimulation to activate their flight-or-fight reaction
  • Psychoticism Vs Socialism
    • People who are high on psychoticism
      • Tend to be independent thinkers, cold, nonconformist, impulsive, antisocial, and hostile
    • People who are high on socialization
      • Tend to have high impulse control
      • Tend to be more altruistic, empathetic, cooperative, and conventional