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Block 1 Unit 4 Key Issues in Personality

1. What role does heredity play in the shaping of one’s personality?

Heredity (nature) has a significant influence on personality, although the exact extent is debated. Twin studies are a common method to assess this influence.

2. What is the person-situation controversy?

This controversy questions the consistency of behaviour across different situations and whether personality or the situation exerts greater influence.

3. Discuss the cross-cultural issue in personality.

Personality traits are expressed differently across cultures, and a single questionnaire may not be universally applicable. This requires understanding cultural context.

4. Discuss the Nature-Nurture debate in the study of personality.

The nature-nurture debate explores the relative contributions of heredity (genes) and environment to personality development. This is an age-old debate between behavioural psychologists.

5. Discuss with examples what role does the environment play in molding an individual’s personality.

The environment, including social, family, and cultural factors, significantly influences personality. Examples include how social acceptance/deprivation can affect self-concept, or family dynamics.

6. What does the person-situation controversy depict about personality structure of a person?

The person-situation controversy questions whether traits or situational factors primarily drive behaviour. This highlights that personality is not solely about consistency but also about adaptability.

7. “The cross-cultural issue in personality is difficult to be resolved”. Why?

Cultural differences in the expression of traits make it challenging to create universally applicable personality measures.

8. What role does environment play in the constitution of one’s personality?

The environment plays a significant role in shaping personality. The environment, or "nurture," is thought to influence behaviour through socialisation and learning. According to the nurture theory, behavioural aspects originate from environmental forces in upbringing. Environmental factors such as social acceptance, social deprivation, educational factors, family determinants, the emotional climate of the home, the individual's ordinal position in the family, and the size of the family all impact personality development. The degree to which a person is accepted by a social group, and the importance they place on that acceptance, can influence the development of their self-concept. Additionally, non-shared environment experiences are considered the strongest cause of attitude variances, sometimes overshadowing genetic predispositions.

9. Discuss the nature-nurture debate in the study of personality.

The nature-nurture debate concerns the relative importance of inherent traits ("nature") versus personal experiences ("nurture") in the development of individual differences in physical and behavioural traits. Some scientists believe that genetic predispositions or instincts drive behaviour, while others believe behaviour is learned from the way a person is taught. The "nature" theory suggests traits such as intelligence, personality, aggression and sexual orientation are encoded in an individual’s DNA. The "nurture" theory proposes that an individual is a blank state at birth and that environmental factors dictate their behaviour and personality. Current understanding suggests that both sides are correct; nature provides us with inherent abilities and traits, while nurture reshapes these genetic predispositions. The fast-growing understanding of the human genome has come up with the information that both the sides are right in their own part.

10. How do genes affect the psychopathology of behaviour?

Genes can affect the psychopathology of behaviour. Nature theory suggests that abstract traits such as aggression and sexual orientation are encoded in DNA, leading to the concept of behavioural genes which can justify criminal acts or behaviours. The occurrence of a "gay gene" is another debated issue, which points to a genetic component to sexual orientation.

11. What does the genotype – environment interaction convey regarding personality?

Genotype-environment interaction refers to the way that a person's genetic makeup interacts with their environment to influence their traits. A Type I genotype-environment interaction occurs when the environment plays a more significant role when there is a genotype for low scores on a specific personality trait; for example, individuals with low genotypes for extraversion would also score low on extraversion. A Type II interaction occurs when the environment has the opposite effect, but the specifics of that are not detailed in the provided sources.

12. What- the person or the environment exert more influence in structuring a person’s personality?

The person-situation debate is an argument about whether the "situation" or personality traits are more predictive of a person's behaviour. Mischel argued that situations are better predictors of behaviour. Personality psychologists argue that low personality-behaviour correlations don’t prove that situational variables are more important. The actual relationship between personality and behaviour was found to be higher than .40. Personality is a stronger predictor of behaviour across all situations, but is not a strong predictor of an individual's behaviour at a specific time in a specific situation. Ultimately, both person and situation are important influences on behaviour.

13. How does the interactionist approach handle the person-situation debate?

The interactionist approach to the person-situation debate suggests that behaviour is a product of both personality and the appraisal of the situation. High self-monitors adapt more to the situation, displaying less consistency in their behaviour across different situations. This suggests that some individuals show more consistent behaviour, while traits may only emerge in certain situations.

14. Discuss the nomothetic view to personality.

The nomothetic view to personality is based on the tendency to see one's personality as constant, hereditary, and resistant to change, with minimal influence from the environment. Nomothetic approaches state that the way a person will act under certain circumstances can be calculated and anticipated. Gordon Allport identified this approach to personality testing. The nomothetic approach relies on quantitative research methods such as self-report questionnaires to establish universal behaviours.

15. Discuss the idiographic view to personality

The idiographic view to personality focuses on the uniqueness of the individual, and suggests that a scientific understanding of personality is only possible by focusing on that uniqueness. Idiographic approaches study the single case or individual in depth. This involves qualitative research methods such as case studies, diary entries, and interviews to capture the uniqueness of individual behaviours and experiences.

16. What does the Five- Factor Model propose regarding personality?

The Five-Factor Model (FFM) proposes that there are five broad personality factors: Extraversion (E), Neuroticism (N), Conscientiousness (C), Agreeableness (A), and Openness (O). Each factor is composed of a constellation of traits and is as broad and abstract as Eysenck’s superfactors.

• Extraversion (E) assesses the quality and intensity of interpersonal interactions. High scorers are sociable, active and talkative, whereas low scorers are reserved and quiet.
• Neuroticism (N) assesses emotional stability. High scorers are prone to emotional instability, and low scorers are calm and unemotional.
• Conscientiousness (C): This refers to being goal-directed, organised, and responsible vs impulsive and careless.
• Agreeableness (A) : This encompasses traits like altruism, trust and modesty.
• Openness (O) : This dimension captures an individual's willingness to try new things and their breadth of interest.

17. Discuss the characteristic issue underlying Five- Factor Model across cultures.

The Five-Factor Model across cultures presents some characteristic issues. While the factors E, A, and C appear in most cultures, N and O sometimes disappear. It is not clear whether these factors are not present in some cultures, or whether the methods of assessment are not adequate in capturing them. Personality traits are expressed differently in different cultures, suggesting a need for culturally sensitive measures rather than a single set of questionnaire items.

18. "The interactionist approach gives a mid-way to person-situation controversy" . Discuss.

The interactionist approach does provide a middle ground in the person-situation controversy. This approach suggests that behaviours are a product of both personality and the individual's appraisal of the situation, where behaviour is described as = personality x appraisal of the situation. The person-situation debate was a challenging yet constructive argument for personality psychology.

19. What are the theoretical and methodological flaws in personality research?

There are several theoretical and methodological flaws in personality research. One flaw is that different theoretical models explain personality with respect to their own propositions, which can be contradictory and confusing. There is a need for an eclectic model that incorporates all of the various perspectives. Other flaws include:

• The free will vs determinism debate: Whether behaviour is directed by freedom or by determined forces.
• The uniqueness vs universality debate: Whether each person is unique or driven by universal behaviour patterns.
• Physiological vs purposive motivation: Whether behaviour is driven by basic needs or by goals and values.
• Conscious vs unconscious motivation: Whether behaviour is determined by conscious or unconscious forces.
• Stage vs non-stage theories of development: Whether development occurs in predetermined stages or not.
• Cultural determinism vs cultural transcendence: The extent to which personality is molded by culture.
• Early vs Late Personality Formation: Whether personality is established in early childhood or if it is flexible into adulthood.
• Optimism vs Pessimism: Whether humans are fundamentally good or bad. Additionally, the methodologies can be flawed; for example, there is a lack of in-depth case studies in learning theory. Also, assessment techniques, including self-report tests, can be prone to biases, and projective tests lack standardization.

20. What does the nomothetic versus idiographic debate in personality present?

The nomothetic versus idiographic debate in personality presents two different approaches to studying personality. The nomothetic approach seeks to establish universal laws that apply to all people, focusing on common traits and using quantitative methods. The idiographic approach focuses on the uniqueness of individuals, using qualitative methods to understand the richness and complexity of personality.

21. What role can the Five- Factor Model play in resolving the Theoretical controversy in personality research?