HANS EYSENCKTrait Perspective

Biography-family

born March 4, 1916 in Germany

parents were actors

parents divorced when he was 2

raised by grandmother

Biography- schooling

moved to England when Nazi’s came to power (1930’s) because he was a Jewish sympathizer

received Ph.D in Psychology from University of London in 1940

Biography cont.

psychologist at emergency hospital

taught at University of London

director of Institute of Psychiatry

wrote 75 books and 700 articles

editor of the journal Personality and Individual Differences

retired in 1983

died Sept. 4, 1997

Trait theory main terms

Eysenck’s Three Dimensions of Personality

1. Introversion/Extraversion:Introversion involves directing attention on inner experiences, while extraversion relates to focusing attention outward on other people and the environment. So, a person high in introversion might be quiet and reserved, while an individual high in extraversion might be sociable and outgoing.

2. Neuroticism/Emotional Stability:This dimension of Eysenck’s trait theory is related to moodiness versus even-temperedness. Neuroticism refers to an individual’s tendency to become upset or emotional, while stability refers to the tendency to remain emotionally constant.

3. Psychoticism:Later, after studying individuals suffering from mental illness, Eysenck added a personality dimension he called psychoticism to his trait theory. Individuals who are high on this trait tend to have difficulty dealing with reality and may be antisocial, hostile, non-empathetic and manipulative.

Sanguine - cheerful and optimistic, pleasant to be with, comfortable with his or her work.  According to the Greeks, the sanguine type has a particularly abundant supply of blood (hence the name sanguine, from sanguis, Latin for blood) and so also is characterized by a healthful look, including rosy cheeks. Ex. During the second half of the film Lester exhibits a sanguine personality. He is confident and comfortable with himself, and accepts the world he lives in.

Choleric - characterized by a quick, hot temper, often an aggressive nature.  The name refers to bile (a chemical that is excreted by the gall bladder to aid in digestion).  Physical features of the choleric person include a yellowish complexion and tense muscles. Ex. Angela has a choleric personality and is very confrontational and assertive over the course of the movie. Colonel Frank Fitz also has a Choleric personality for the same reasons.

Phlegmatic temperament - These people are characterized by their slowness, laziness, and dullness.  The name obviously comes from the word phlegm, which is the mucus we bring up from our lungs when we have a cold or lung infection.  Physically, these people are thought to be kind of cold, and shaking hands with one is like shaking hands with a fish. Ex. Ricky’s mother is the perfect example of a phlegmatic personality. She is blunt to everything going around her, as she has walled herself in from the outside world.

Melancholy temperament- These people tend to be sad, even depressed, and take a pessimistic view of the world. The name has, of course, been adopted as a synonym for sadness, but comes from the Greek words for bladck bile. Ex. Jane has a melancholic personality. She is a monotone person who never shows any emotion to others around her.

Four personality types

EMOTION OUTLINE

Unhealthy

Unhealthy people

Caroline - Moody at the sale of the house

Ricky’s dad - Aggressive always

Healthy

Heathy people

Lester Burnham - Carefree once he snapped

Ricky - Peaceful to everything around him

Jane Burnham

Self-described “goth”

Low self-esteem, insecure

Lost, trying to find herself, not to be ordinary

Embarrassed of her parents behavior

Tries to be successful

Lester BurnhamLow self-esteem, insecure

Angela hints at getting buff and Lester begins working out.

Tired of being fake and ordinary

Threatens to blackmail boss, buys Pontiac Firebird

Good Intentions

Becomes father figure to Angela

Carolyn Burnham

High strung, uptight, anal retentiveness

“I will sell this house”, cries after open house

Tries to be successful

Fakes her public image as ordinary

“To be successful you must look successful