PSYC 2740 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Ice Cream Van, Reward System, Fluoxetine

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 2740
• Professor: Stephen Lewis

Document Summary

Advantage of physiological approach: physiological characteristics can be measured mechanically and reliably. All are important to maintenance of life. Perspective of personality psychology differences in physiology create, contribute to, or indicate differences in psychological functioning. Approach assumes that differences in physiological characteristics are related to differences in important personality characteristics and behaviour patterns: ex. people differ in how sensitive their nervous systems are to stimulation. Sensitive person might frequent quiet environments physiologically oriented psychologists would say this person is introverted because he/she has an overly sensitive nervous system. Physiology is not destiny though: only one cause among many for explaining behaviour. Typical research question: whether some people will exhibit more or less of a specific physiological response than others under certain conditions. Specific statements about which traits are connected to which physiological reactions under which conditions or in response to which stimuli are now the way personality psychologists talk about physiology.