PSYB30H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Psychobiography, Sigmund Freud, Psychophysiology
Document Summary
Personality and the set of psychological traits: psychological traits: are characteristics that describe ways in which people are different from each other. >traits also define ways in which people are similar to others: average tendencies: traits can describe these tendencies. On average a high talkative person starts more conversations than a low talkative person. Psychological traits are useful for 3 reasons: they help describe people and help understand the dimensions of difference among people, they help explain behaviour, they can help predict future behaviour. Thus these 3 reasons help with showing differences among individuals. Psychological mechanisms: are like traits, but the term mechanisms refer more to the processes of personality. It has 3 essential ingredients: inputs, decision rules, and outputs. Within the individual: this means that personality is something a person carries with him or herself over time and from one situation to the next.
