lecture 5 *PTA*

body shape as substrate of personality

1. endomorph ( viscerotonic )
2. mesomorph ( somatotonic )
3. ectomorph ( cerebrotonic )

fat : relaxed , sociable , tolerant, comfort : loving, peaceful

muscular : active , assertive, vigorous, combative

schilod : quiet, fragile, sensitive, non assertive

1. Eysenck
2. Gray
3. Zuckerman
4. Cloninger

activating reticular arousal systeem : extraversion / introversion

behavioural activation system : impulsivity

behavioural inhibition system : anxiety

Monoamine oxidase ( MAO) : sensation seeking

serotonin : harm avoidance

dopamine : novelty seeking

neopinephrine : reward depednece

one of the founding fataher of empirical psychology

extraverion / emotionally stable ( neuroticism ) scheme

ampunt of activation of the enrvous system ( arousal)

restiuclar activating system

in the brain stem

incoming stimulation activate ARAS nuclei which activate the brain ( telling them : incoming information !)

cognitive perosrmance and emotional well being are optimized at an optimal arousal level

introverts : higher arousability ( stimuli cause stronger reaction )

extroverts : lower arousability ( higher need for stimulation )

specific environemnt condition + personality characteristic = psychological response / physiological indicator = performance higher or lower

loud parties

introversion

overstimulation

increased heart rate

skin conduction

stress→ sweat → moist skin→ conduction

the amount of activation of th elimbic system directs personality

people with high score on neuroticism will react stronger to emotionally menaingfull stimuli and have higher activation of limbic system

amygdala in limbic system

emotionally menaingfull stimuli

using functional MRI

BAS and BIS

behavioural activation system

positive emotions and the activation of behaviour , especially reward seeking

negative emotions and the suppression of behavior, especially behavior that may result in punishment

sensitive to direct rewards ( impulsivity is the behavioural dimension related to this sensitivity )

sensitive to punsihemnt ( anxiety os the behavioural dimension related to. this sensitivity )

create differences in sensitivvity to punsihment and reward

some people have righ or left dominance of spontaneous osscialtions

intrinsic sponatenous oscilations ( Alpha waves)

EEG

stimuli with a positive content generate relaivelt more activity in the left hemisphere

stimuli with a negative content act in the opposite way

right dominance is found more in the avoidance baheviour

left dominance is more commin ith people with left dominance approach

serotonin palys an important role in the frontal cortex : emotional regulation ( amygdala )

sensation seeking ( being open to new expiriences )

1. Thrill and adventure seeking (TAS)
2. Expirience seeking (ES)
3. Boerdom suspticability (BS)
4. Dishibition (DIS)

major neurotransmitter in the system

most importnat fot the reinforcement trough reward

a brief peak in the activity nerve cells with dopamine receptors creates a "rush"

all adictive drugs work based on the dopamine spikes ( cocaine )

this peak is maximized if you have a low dopamine base level and or a strog reaction to dopamine

enzime that breaks down neurothransmitter

1. low levels of MAO (monoaxidase amine) in blood
2. higher basal dopamine in some brain areas, especially reward processing
3. dopamine recepotors that are less sensitive

Variants (alleles) in genes lead to other proteins

2R allel , 4R aleel , 7R allel

7R allel less resposnsive to dopaminegenic neurotrans

long 7 repeat : variaiton associated with high sensation seelking

only one dopamine sticks : not that good of a connection

need far more dopamine to be released in order to make the 'feel good sensation'

2 and 7

assume that evoulution slected behvaiours that maximized how many of one's genetic variants are passed on to the next generation

adaptations is what has been usefull along survival

natural selection : selects best adaptation fit to the environment

creation of sperm cell and egg cell

each gene has two copies ( allels )

DNA replication is NOT perfect ( mutations)

the frequency of a certain genetic variant gradually increases

there is just one variant of the gene that is good

the optimal form will increse in number and everuyone will have it

why are not all genes good if directional selction is avaialbe?

multiple variants are preserved because the intermmidiate values of a trait are most successful for reproduction

survival is neccery but reporduction is key

traits that yielded ' mating benefits' can become much more important )

fertility, cmaouflage , good imunity system , strength

some traits are selcted that even counter survival ( peakcock that are really colourfull , big anthlers that break heards)

Emphasizing sex: specific characteristics to be successful in the intersexual selection

wether the allels on an individual continue to be present in the next generation in the next gernetion is not just depended on that individual's chance of production

helping your relative increasses the chances that your allels are passed

women : partener that can take care of the child

men : slection of traits related to fertility

men : become jelous when there is sex

women : become more jelous ehn there is love

1. stabilizing selection
2. perosnality co evolves with other traits allowing for a wide range
3. frequency dependet selction of perosnality
4. optimal personality is time and context dependent

being high neurotic and low neurotic can be both bad so we salect based on different criteria : midddle road

big and storng van be dominant and aggresive, small and weak can be passive and cooperative

(criminality pays when the majority of people are well behaved, cooperating citizens