Personality and Relationships

1. Personality and Relationships

2. Measuring Personality • Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) • Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) • Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) • Jenkens Activity Survey (Type A/Type B) • NEO Personal Inventory (Big 5)

3. Big Five Personality Traits • Extroversion • Neuroticism • Openness to Experience • Conscientiousness • Agreeableness OCEAN McCrae & Costa, 1990

4. Extroversion • Extroverts: High sociability, impulsiveness, like parties, crave excitement, focused on outer world, more friends • Introverts: quiet, reserved, reflective, like to think things through before speaking, focused within Cetola & Prinkey, 1986 • “introverts are habitually in a state of greater arousal than extraverts, and consequently they show lower sensory thresholds, and greater reactions to sensory stimulation.” Eysenck & Eysenck, 1969 • Lemon Test • Stereotypes of introverts/extroverts?

5. Wundt’s Hedonic Curve Adapted from Cetola & Prinkey, 1986

6. Hedonic Curve for Introverts and Extroverts Cetola& Prinkey, 1986

7. Neuroticism • Unsociable • Withdrawn • Wish to indulge in social activity but fear of being rejected takes over • Different from introversion • Anxiety, self-consciousness, emotionally unstable • High: anxious, hostile, self-conscious, and impulsive McCrae & Costa, 1990 • Opposite: Emotionally stable Eysenck & Eysenck, 1969

8. Openness to Experience • High • “Receptiveness to new ideas, approaches, experiences” (p.41-42) • Intellectually curious • Often appreciates art, literature, travel • More likely to hold unconventional beliefs • “free spirits” • Low • Prefer the familiarand practical • Resists change • Not necessarily close minded or intolerant of others McCrae & Costa

9. Conscientiousness • High • Achievement-orientated • Organized, dutiful, high level of motivation • Workaholics? • Low • Easy-going • Less exacting with themselves and with others • Slackers?

10. Agreeableness • Generous and trusting of others and want everyone to get along • Optimistic • Opposite: Antagonism • Tough-minded, non-accommodating of others • Place the interest of themselves above the interest of others • Often seen as uncooperative Which of these would you want your surgeon to be? Lawyer? Does this have anything to do with face theory?

11. Opposites Attract? • Marriage partners often have similarities (religion ethnicity, attraciveness, values) but complimentary personalities McCrae & Costa, 1990 • Personality more important than other factors in predicting marital adjustment • Difference-detecting mechanisms Buss, 1996 • I’m Outgoing and She’s Reserved: The Reciprocal Dynamics of Personality in Close Friendships in Young Adulthood Nelson, Thorne, & Shapiro, 2011 • Interpersonal Theory • Self Expansion Theory Overall, “a series of compromises and adaptations evolve over a period of time” (p. 160) in any successful relationship McCrae & Costa, 1990

12. Desirable Personalities • In a long- term mate • Extroversion- ambitious about career • Neuroticism- emotionally stable • Agreeableness- kind • Conscientiousness- dependable, hardworking • Openness- intelligent, open-minded, creative Buss, 1996

13. Desirable Personalities • In a friendship • Extroversion- bold, self-confident, ambitious about career • Neuroticism- emotionally stable • Agreeableness- kind • Conscientiousness- hardworking, dependable • Openness- open- minded, creative, intelligent, wide range of knowledge Buss, 1996

14. Undesirable Personalities • Low on agreeableness • Neglect, verbal abuse, physical abuse, sexual infidelity, inconsiderateness, self-centeredness • Emotionally unstable (neurotic) • Possessive, jealous, dependent, abusive, inconsiderate, physically self-absorbed, self centered

15. Other Undesirable Personalities • Low Conscientiousness • High instances of sexual infidelity, especially men • Low Openness • Sexualizing of others • “treating members of the opposite sex as sex objects; commenting about the attractiveness of others; expressing sexual desire for a movie star” (Buss, 1996).

16. Personality and Sexual Infidelity • Buss, 1996 • 100 married couples- took personality test as newlyweds and questioned 4 years later • Low Conscientious men AND women likely to cheat • Women high in openness to experiences likely to cheat • Submissive partners are likely to be cheated on

17. Nonverbal Communication and Personality When it comes to conversational distance: • Extraverts- likely to choose to sit opposite of other person and avoid positions that would put them at an angle • Introverts- choose positions that would keep that at more of a distance (visually and physically) sit diagonally Knapp & Hall, 2006

18. Nonverbal Communication and Personality • Dominant people show more eye contact than submissive people • Extraverted, Agreeable, and Open people show more gazing activity (eye contact) than other personalities Knapp & Hall, 2006 • What does this mean for relationships? • Flirting?

19. Nonverbal Communication and Personality • Is there a relationship between personality/temperament and certain body types? • Some people believe there is a correlation

20. I feel most of the time _____, _________, and ______ • Calm • Anxious • Cheerful • Contented (often content. Happy or at ease) • Relaxed • Confident • Tense • Impetuous (impulsive) • Complacent (self-satisfied) • Reticent (reserved- don’t say everything you know) • Energetic • Self-conscious

21. When I study or work I seem to be ______, ______, and ___________. • Efficient • Enthusiastic • Reflective • Placid (calm, quiet) • Sluggish • Competitive • Leisurely • Meticulous • Precise • Determined • Thoughtful • cooperative

22. Socially, I am ____, _____, and ________. • Outgoing • Affable (shows warmth and friendliness) • Tolerant • Gentle-tempered • Considerate • Awkward • Affected (emotionally moved easily) • Soft-tempered • Argumentative • Shy • Talkative • Hot-tempered

23. I am rather ____, ______, and ____. • Active • Warm • Domineering • Introspective • Forgiving • Courageous • Suspicious • Cool • Sympathetic • Serious • Soft-hearted • Enterprising

24. Other people consider me rather ___, _____ and _______. • Generous • Adventurous • Withdrawn • Dominant • Optimistic • Affectionate • Reckless • Detached • Sensitive • Kind • Cautious • Dependent

25. Pick one of each three • Assertive, relaxed, tense • Hot-tempered, cool, warm • Withdrawn, sociable, active • Confident, tactful, kind • Dependent, dominant, detached • Enterprising, affable, anxious

26. Section A • Forgiving • Sympathetic • Soft-hearted • Generous • Affectionate • Kind • Sociable • Soft-tempered • Warm • Affected • Tolerant • Dependent • Calm • Relaxed • Complacent • Contented • Sluggish • Placid • Leisurely • Cooperative • Affable

27. Section B • Dominant • Cheerful • Confident • Energetic • Impetuous • Efficient • Enthusiastic • Competitive • Determined • Outgoing • Hot Tempered • Argumentative • Talkative • Active • Domineering • Courageous • Enterprising • Adventurous • Reckless • Assertive • optimistic

28. Section C • Detached • Tense • Anxious • Reticent • Self-Conscious • Meticulous • Reflective • Precise • Thoughtful • Considerate • Shy • Awkward • Cool • Suspicious • Introspective • Serious • Cautious • Tactful • Sensitive • Withdrawn • Gentle-tempered

29. 6 5 10 Wells & Siegel (1961) stereotypes about personalities of people with different body types Knapp & Hall, 2006

30. Buss, D. M. (1996). The five- factor model of personality: Theoretical perspectives. J. S. Wiggins (Ed.) New York: The Guilford Press. • Cetola, H., & Prinkey, K. (1986). Introversion-extraversion and loud commercials. Psychology and Marketing, 3, 123-132. • Eysenck, H. J., & Eysenck, S. B. (1969). Personality structure and measurement. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited. • Knapp, M. L., & Hall, J. A. (2006). Nonverbal communication in human interaction (6th ed.) Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education. • McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T. (1990). Personality in adulthood. New York: The Guilford Press. • Nelson, P. A., Thorne, A., & Shapiro, L.A. (2011). I’m outgoing and she’s reserved: The reciprocal dynamics of personality in close friendships in young adulthood. Journal of Personality, 79 (5), p. 1113-1147.