Brain Structures and Neurotransmitters in Personality: An Overview - Prof. Stephanie Nicol, Exams of Personality Psychology

Download Brain Structures and Neurotransmitters in Personality: An Overview - Prof. Stephanie Nicol and more Exams Personality Psychology in PDF only on Docsity! Which brain structures/regions are important to personality (and how)? a. Ascending Reticular Activating System (ARAS) – believed to be where the diff. between Extraversion (understimulated) /Introversion (overstimulated) b. Amygdala – Assesses whether a stimulus is threatening or rewarding. Relevant traits: Anxiety, fearfulness, sociability, sexuality, optimism. c. Frontal Lobes – social understanding/self control, damage here results in difficulty understanding others’ emotions, unable to regulate feelings and make sound decisions d. Anterior Cingulate – role in emotional reactions, important in experiencing emotions. -What are common methods of studying the brain? Psychosurgery a. Prefontal Leucotomy/Lobotomy - damages small areas of white matter behind each frontal lobe to decrease pathological arousal. Difficulty in anticipating event b. Damaging brain may hurt more than intended area. Probably not a one to one correspondence of brain  behavior. -What neurotransmitters/hormones are important to personality? a. The study of systems and interconnections – neural circuitry will probably be more fruitful than the study of discreet areas. b. Central Nervous System – Brain/Spinal Cord, several neurotransmitters work almost exclusively in the CNS. c. Peripheral Nervous System – Epinephrine exclusive here. d. Dopamine – Related to sociability, general activity level, novelty seeking. Lack of – reward deficiency syndrome, also might be related to Bipolar 1. a. Behavioral activation system – Reward seeking, approach related behavior, energetic, impulsive b. Behavioral inhibition system – Responds to risk, inhibition, anxious e. Serotonin – role in inhibition of behavioral impulses, particularly emotional impulses. Benefits: avoid excessive worrying, being too quick to anger, being over sensitive. Low serotonin levels  dangerous criminals, arsonists, suicidal individuals. Irrational anger, hypersensitive to rejection, chronic pessimism, obsessive worry. a. Prozac – Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor – increases serotonin levels in nervous system. Stops needless worry, stress, increased cheerfulness. Cosmetic Psychopharmacology – personality not solely based in neurochemistry. Hormone – affects the body in a location diff. from where the chemical is produced Epinephrine/Norepinephrine: Fight or flight response. This response problem if too easily triggered. Epinephrine release  strongly related to encoding of memories. Oxytocin  nurturing/social behavior, relaxation, seduction of fear, resource gathering. Nature of Generalizability Concerns Methodologically: Potential harm to body of scientific knowledge Substantively: findings psychologists report may be incomplete a. May lead to erroneous or incomplete translation of research to practice. Testosterone: In both sexes associated with sociability, impulsivity, lack of inhibition/conformity. Holding blue-collar industrial jobs. Cortisol –released in response to physical or psychological stress and helps prepare body for action. Important for normal metabolic processes, heart rate etc. Chronically high levels in people with severe stress, anxiety, depression. Low levels  PTSD, sensation seeking, impulsivity, not following norms. -What are the effects of genes/environments? -Monozygotic - .60, Dizygotic - .40  normal heritability coefficient = .40 -effects of genes are interactive and multiplicative. Genes matter! -Does family matter? Extreme conclusion: no. -Traits w/ little variation will have heritability close to zero. (Number of arms) -Limitations of heritability coefficient  tallness, highly heritable but environmentally influenced. -The more necessary a trait is to survive the longer it is passed down. TWO types of depression Social loss  Crying Failure  withdraw, not use resources Diff environment results in diff. traits. Traits are frequency dependent. -How did neo-freudians differ from Freud? 1. Less emphasis on sex 2. Less emphasis on the unconscious 3. Less emphasis on instinctual drives & internal workings of mind. 5 propositions that are supported: 1. Much of mental life is unconscious. 2. The mind does many things at once and can be in conflict with itself 3. Events of childhood shape adult personality 4. Relationships formed with significant other people establish patterns 5. Psychological development involves moving from an unregulated, immature state to a more regulated, mature state. (Relationships more important. -What is social interest? Organ inferiority? Birth order? Anima? Animus? Social interest- desire to relate positively, productively w/ other people. -Organ inferiority  try to compensate for what they felt was weak as a child. (Adler) -Birth Order  unique social setting a strong influence on personality. (Adler) Oldest born  use achievements for attention Second born  try to best older, usually fail Last  feel pressure to succeed, overwhelming. -Collective Unconscious – all people share in-born memories and ideas (Jung). -Archetypes – Core ideas of how people think about the world (Jung). -Persona –social mask. Anima- ideal image of woman in male mind Animus – ideal image of man in female mind. -Rejected notion of penis envy, women still envious of male freedoms and privileges (Horney) -Adult behavior based on efforts to: overcome basic anxiety acquired in childhood. (Horney) -Describe psychosocial development (Erickson) -Certain basic conflicts arise at each stage of life, not all conflicts take place in unconscious mind. Infancy – basic needs being met by parents Toddler –Who is in charge, obedience vs. independence Preschool – sense of right/wrong Childhood – develop skills/attitudes to succeed in work/contribute to society Adolescence – Goals, identity, what is/is not important Young Adults – Find intimate life partner Middle Adulthood – Guide next generation or settle into life Seniors – Despair about earlier mistakes or gained wisdom/life experience -What are the themes/concepts of object relation theory? Melanie Klein/D.W. Winnicott Objects: Emotionally important people Object relation theory: analysis of interpersonal relationships. -Relate to others via images in our minds, images do not always match reality. 4 Principal themes: 1. Every relationship has elements of satisfaction/frustration or pleasure/pain 2. The mix of love/hate 3. Distinction between the parts of love object and the whole person 4. The psyche is aware of and disturbed by contradicting theories. Theories based on work with children, play therapy splits love objects into good/bad parts.