Psychology 2035A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Narcissism, Trait Theory, Terror Management Theory

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2035A/B
• Professor: Alvin Segal

Document Summary

3. evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of biological theories of personality. Research has generally supported many evidence of this perspective. However, the biological perspective has also been criticized on the following grounds: There are statistical problems with the estimation of hereditary influence. Problems with hindsight bias : the common tendency to mold one " s interpretation of the past to fit how events actually turned out. Contemporary approach to personality: describe narcissism and its effect on behavior. Narcissism a personality trait marked by an inflated sense of importance, a need for attention and admiration, and a sense of entitlement. Narcissism was not widely discussed outside of psychoanalytic circles until the 1980s, when researchers developed scales to assess narcissism as a normal personality trait. Studies have shown that narcissists have highly positive but easily threatened self-concepts, and their behavior is driven by a need to maintain their fragile self-esteem.