Biological Dimensions of Personality

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Biological Dimensions of Personality

• Hans J.Eysench
• Institute of Psychiatry, University Of London
• L. A. Pervin (Ed.), Handbook of personality
  Theory and research (pp. 244-276). First Edition,
  1990
• New York Guilford.
• Presented By Mian Zhou

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Personality and Individual Differences-- An
overview

• Personality psychology
• Shared human nature.
• Dimensions of individual differences
• Unique patterns of individuals.
• Study on individual differences
• Developing an adequate descriptive taxonomy of
  how people differ.
• Applying differences in one situation to predict
  differences in other situations.
• Testing theoretical explanations of the structure
  of individual differences.

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Eysenchs approach for personality taxonomies

• Dimensional analyses.
• Lexical approach.
• Using limited number of higher order trait
  domains to describe the huge varieties.
• Non-cognitive, biological approach.
• Hierarchical model.
• 3 dimensions (The Giant 3), PEN model.

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Eysenchs approach (continued)

• E Extraversion-introversion.
• N Neuroticism/emotional stability.
• P Psychoticism.

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PEN model

• Factor analysis.
• Superfactor?low-order factors ?low-order habits.
• Aggregation
• State-trait distinction

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Causal Aspect of PEN model

• Extraversion?cortical arousal.
• Skin conductance, brain waves, sweating
• Introvert?chronically over aroused and jittery.
• Extrovert?chronically under aroused and bored.
• Neuroticism?activation threshold in visceral
  brain.
• Heart rate,blood pressure, sweating,muscular
  tension
• Emotional stable people?high activation
  threshold.
• Emotional non-stable people?low activation
  threshold.
• Psychoticism ?increased testosterone levels.
• Liability to break with reality and be aggressive
  and cynicism.

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Apply personality theories to affective computing
I

• The hierarchical structure of Extraversion-introve
  rsion

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Apply personality theories to affective computing
II

• Predictive.
• Biological based.
• physiological measurable data from human body.
• Using sensor device the knowledge on the data
  A computer should know what kind of personality
  you have?predict your possible behavior.

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Conclusions and evaluations

• The result of testing is not too disappointing.
• Eysencks theory actually has been the basis of a
  variety of suggested modifications later.
• Other work shows that psychoticism (i.e., tough
  mindedness) is not a dimension of temperament at
  all, but rather of character (Strelau Zawadzki,
  1997).

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Reference

• Eysench, H. J. (1967). The biological basis of
  personality. Springfield, IL Charles C. Thomas.
• http//www.personalityresearch.org
• http//pmc.psych.nwu.edu
• Anstadt, Th., Merten, J., Ullrich, B. Krause,
  R. (1997) Affective dyadic behavior, core
  conflictual relationship themes, and success of
  treatment. Psychotherapy Research.
• http//personality-project.org/perproj/readings-th
  eory.htmlBiological.