•Ch. 9 Biological Approach
•Basic Ideas
•Eysenck’s Theory of Personality
•Temperaments
•Weaknesses & Strengths
•Biological Approach – Basic Ideas
•Stresses the importance of a biological influence on personality (nature side of the debate)
•Years ago – psychologists thought we were products of our experiences
•Today – product of nature & nurture
•Not all people have identical physiological functioning (brain wave activity; hormone
levels) = differences in behavior
•Decline of Behaviorism’s influence
•Hans Eysenck (1916 – 1997)
Personality Theory
•Humans are Biosocial creatures
–Born with predispositions to respond in particular ways to the environment (traits)
–Traits can be altered by socialization
–Environment & our genes interact to produce behavior
–Biological factors (genes) play a stronger role
•Trait theorists = born with no personalities
•Added to trait theory = biological foundation of each trait (genetic component)
•Eysenck
•Relied on factor analysis
•Structural model of personality
•Basic dimensions of personality = types = supertraits
–Extraversion
–Neuroticism (emotionality)
–Psychoticism
•Top of personality structure – exert the most influence
•Dimensions on which all persons can be placed
•Structural Model of Personality
•Supertraits (types) are composed of traits
•Traits are composed of habitual responses (habits)
•Habits are composed of specific responses
•Example (in book)
•Example of Eysenck’s Model
•Specific responses – specific behavior
–Watch someone spend the afternoon talking & laughing with friends
•This person spend many hours/many afternoons with friends = habitual responses
•Interactions not limited to afternoons with friends but all kinds of social gatherings =
exhibits the trait of sociability
•People who are sociable tend to be impulsive, active, lively & excitable = these traits
combine to form the type of extraversion
•Personality Model – p.224
(Supertrait) Type = Extraversion
Traits = Sociable Impulsive Active Lively
HR-1 HR-2 HR-3 HR-1 HR-2 HR-3 HR-1 HR-2……………….
SR-1 SR-2 SR-1 SR-2……………….