Download Discussion Questions, continued - UBC Psychology`s Research Labs

Psychology 305A:
Personality Psychology
September 18
Lecture 5
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Reminder
Tutorial 1 of the Peer Mentor Program is scheduled at
the following times:
September 18, 1:00-€
“2:00PM, Kenny 2510
September 18, 4:30-€
“5:30PM, Kenny 2510
The discussion questions for Tutorial 1 will be posted on
the course website (see Peer Mentor Program).
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Announcement
I will hold additional office hours and a “Q&A” review
session in preparation for the exam:
September 22: 9:00AM-12:00PM, Kenny 3102
September 23: 1:00-2:30PM, Kenny 3102
September 24: 12:00-1:30PM, Kenny 3102
September 24: 4:30-5:30PM (Kenny 2101, “Q&A”
review session)
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Exam Preparation Tips
• The upcoming midterm exam will include questions
unique to the textbook content (~25%), questions
unique to the lecture content (~25%), and questions
that reflect overlap between the two sources of
information (~50%). You are encouraged to study both
sources of information thoroughly.
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• With respect to the textbook content:
 Construct learning objectives for each section of the
textbook (what should I take away from this section?).
 Create questions with the titles and subtitles of
sections. Use the content of each section to answer
the questions that you have generated.
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 Identify the primary points of each section with key
words or phrases and use these to test yourself.
 Familiarize yourself with all terms that are bolded or
italicized.
 Study all figures and tables.
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• With respect to the lecture content:
 Use the learning objectives to guide your studying.
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• You need not memorize the names of researchers
who conducted idiosyncratic studies or the dates of
those studies. However, you should familiarize
yourself with the names of all major theorists (e.g.,
Cattell, Eysenck, Wiggins).
• The goal of the exam is to assess your mastery of
the course content and “jargon” of personality
psychology.
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• In order to demonstrate your mastery of the course
content on the extended response questions, you
should provide thorough and detailed responses to the
questions asked. The instructions for the extended
response section will read:
“Please respond to each of the questions below. Note
that point form answers are acceptable. Your
responses should be thorough and detailed. If
necessary, you may write on the back side of the page.”
• Assume that the marker has no knowledge of the
content related to the question.
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• The exam questions will assess your ability to recall,
synthesize, and apply course content. Examples:
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 Recall:
According to Eysenck’s taxonomy of personality,
___________ is among the three primary dimensions
of personality.
(a) conscientiousness
(b) openness to experience
(c) extraversion
(d) agreeableness
(e) c and d
Psychology 305
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 Synthesize:
List three similarities and three distinctions between
Wiggins’ taxonomy of personality and the five factor
taxonomy of personality. (6 points)
 Apply:
Explain how you would operationalize personality on the
basis of Eysenck’s theory of personality. Be specific in
your response; that is, describe the operationalization
thoroughly and in concrete terms. (4 points)
Psychology 305
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• In order to correctly respond to questions that require
synthesis and application, recall is necessary. The
correlation between recall questions and synthesis/
application questions typically exceeds .70.
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• The exam will cover:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2 (p. 13-27, 31-32; not multifactor studies; 2-3
multiple choice questions only.)
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
All material discussed in class since the start of term.
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• Reminder: In the case of a discrepancy between the
material presented in the textbook and the material
presented in class, please rely upon the material
presented in class for the purpose of exam preparation.
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A little R&R ….
(Review and Reflect)
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Personality Disorders
1. What is a personality disorder? (continued)
2. Are personality disorders better represented by
categories or dimensions?
Psychology 305
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By the end of today’s class, you should be able to:
1. review the primary symptoms of avoidant personality
disorder.
2. discuss criticisms of the personality disorder categories
in the DSM V.
3. describe the Five Factor Model of Personality
Dysfunction.
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What is a personality disorder (PD)? (continued)
3. Avoidant PD:
 A pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of
inadequacy and hypersensitivity to negative
evaluation as indicated by 4 or more of the following:
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 Avoids occupational activities that involve significant
interpersonal contact because of fears of criticism,
disapproval, or rejection.
 Is unwilling to get involved with people unless certain of
being liked.
 Shows restraint within intimate relationships because of
the fear of being shamed or ridiculed.
 Is preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social
situations.
 Is inhibited in new interpersonal situations because of
feelings of inadequacy.
 Views self as socially inept, personally unappealing, or
inferior to others.
 Is unusually reluctant to take personal risks or to engage
in any new activities because they may prove
embarrassing.
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Case Study:
John is 21 year old student who has gone to the university’s
psychological clinic with the complaint that he is anxious in social
settings. Because he is so shy and nervous, he has little contact
with others. He is worried about starting new classes and being in
rooms with strangers. He is especially worried about his
psychology courses, where “they might find out I am a nutcase.”
He is thinking of switching his major to computer science. Although
he is curious about and interested in people, he feels awkward
around them. Computers, he thinks, are much easier to get along
with.
John reports that, as a child, he was teased mercilessly by other
children. He recalls withdrawing at that time. He says that in grade
school he would try to make himself small and inconspicuous, so
others would not notice him. John cannot name any friends. He
has never held a real job. He is afraid others will not like him “when
they find out what I am really like,” so he avoids social contact.
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 Prevalence: 2.4% (Grant et al. 2004).
 F=M.
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Are personality disorders better represented by
categories or dimensions?
• Many criticisms have been proposed of the PD
categories in the DSM V:
1. the subjective identification of diagnostic categories.
2. the occurrence of comorbid diagnoses.
3. the high rate of “PD NOS” diagnoses.
4. the poor test-retest reliability of diagnoses.
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• Accordingly, many theorists argue that PDs are better
represented as extremes on personality dimensions
rather than categories:
Example: The Five Factor Model of Personality
Dysfunction.
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By the end of today’s class, you should be able to:
1. review the primary symptoms of avoidant personality
disorder.
2. discuss criticisms of the personality disorder categories
in the DSM V.
3. describe the Five Factor Model of Personality
Dysfunction.
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Analysis of the Personality of a Serial Killer:
Jeffrey Dahmer
Discussion Questions
1. You are a psychologist who wants to determine if
childhood neglect is associated with an increase in the
likelihood of exhibiting antisocial PD in adulthood. What
research method would you use? Why?
2. As a psychologist, how would you measure
psychopathy? How would you assess the reliability and
validity of your measure?
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Discussion Questions, continued
3. Which of Eysenck’s personality types best describes
Dahmer? Explain.
4. Speculate on Dahmer’s scores on Wiggins’ interpersonal
circle.
5. Can a diathesis-stress model be used to explain the
onset of Dahmer’s murderous behaviour?
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Discussion Questions, continued
6. Which, if any, PDs (e.g., schizoid, antisocial, avoidant,
narcissistic, histrionic, obsessive-compulsive) do you
think Dahmer could have been diagnosed with? Why?
7. Was Dahmer a psychopath? Explain.
8. Apply the Five Factor Model of Personality Dysfunction
to Dahmer’s personality. Can any of Dahmer’s
seemingly maladaptive traits be described in positive
terms?
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