Personality Theory Chapter 7
what is a positron emission tomography?
aka PET, detects pairs of gamma rays
evening person
longer circadian rhythm (hit peak body temperature and alertness later)
what is sensation seeking?
tendency to seek out thrilling activities take risks and avoid boredom
what is the evoked potential technique?
the brain EEG is measured bu the participant is given a stimulus and the brains responsiveness is measured
what is an alpha wave?
a wave that oscillates 8 to 12 times a second. inverse indicator of brain activity. less alpha wave activity present more activity of the brain in that area
what is reward dependence?
acting in ways to produce rewards due to low levels of norepinephrine. long hours of work, a lot of effort, keep striving after others have given up
what is the ascending reticular activating system?
aka ARAS is a structure in the brain stem thought to control overall cortical arousal. introverts with already high levels of arousal need to keep their levels down while extroverts have low levels and need to increase them
what is the behavioral activation system?
aka BAS, is responsive to incentives and regulates approach behavior. Responsible for impulsivity
what is the behavioral inhibition system?
aka BIS, is responsive to cues of punishment, frustration, uncertainty and to inhibit behavior or bring about avoidance behavior. Responsible for anxiety
What is monoamine oxidase?
aka MAO, an enzyme that is responsible for maintaining the proper levels of neurotransmitters. breaks down neurotransmitter after it has allowed a nerve impulse to pass
What is an fMRI
aka functional magnetic resonance imaging. can determine which areas of the brain are active while a certain task is being performed
What is an electroencephalogram?
also called and EEG, measures the brains electrical activity
serotonin
associated with depression and other mood disorders such as anxiety. low levels lead to, fear and aggression
dopamine
associated with pleasure
norepinephrine
associated with the fight or flight response
what is a Type A personality?
behavior pattern characterized by impatience, competitiveness and hostility
What is morningness-evengingness
being either a morning person or an evening person, aka a lark or an owl.
Extraversion/Introversion
being talkative, outgoing, getting new people, going new places, hates routine vs. being quiet, withdrawn, few friends, like routines, and things that are familiar. DONT DIFFER IN RESTING LEVELS OF AROUSAL.
what are neurotransmitters?
chemicals in nerve endings that are responsible for the transmission of nerve impulse from one cell to another
What are circadian rhythms?
fluctuation of many biological processes around a 24-25 hour cycle. (body temperature, endocrine secretion rates). wide individual differences (16-50 hours)
What are physiological characteristics?
functioning of organ systems within the body
what is cardiac reactivity?
greater than normal increase of heart rate and blood pressure under stress
Zukerman's research
high sensation seekers are less tolerant of sensory deprivation. moderate correlation between extraversion and sensation seeking
What is Grey's reinforcement sensitivity theory?
human personality is based on the behavioral activation system and the behavioral inhibition system
what is electrodermal activity?
increased sweat with arousal causing an increase of skin conductance
pleasant emotions
left frontal hemisphere is more active than the right
What is Cloninger's tridimensional personality model?
levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine serotonin and norepinephrine are responsible for personality
What is the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire?
measures persoanlity using five major categories
High sensation seekers and low levels of MAO
might have less control over behavior, thoughts and emotions
What are physiological systems
nervous systems, cardiac system, and musculoskeletal system
what is Hebb's theory of optimal arousal?
people are motivated to reach an optimal level of arousal
Greater right EEG activity during rest
person is dispositionally negative
Greater left EEG activity during rest
person is dispositionally positive
what is telemetry?
process by which electrical signals are sent from the participant to the polygraph through radio waves instead of wires
what is harm avoidance?
result of low levels of serotonin
unpleasant emotions
right front hemisphere is more active than left
what is novelty seeking?
seeking thrilling experiences due to low levels of dopamine
morning person
shorter circadian rhythm (hit peak body temp and alertness earlier)
what are the measures of blood pressure?
systolic (larger number) diastolic (smaller number)
what is Geen's theory of extroversion and introversion?
they choose different levels of stimulation but are equal in arousal under chosen stimulation
what is Eysenck's theory of extroverts and introverts?
when given a choice extroverts prefer higher levels of stimulation than introverts
what is comorbidity?
where two or more disorders occur simultaneously within the same individual
