Deck 19: Case Studies 35-36 Evolutionary Psychology: Contributions

Question 1

Is Eric conscientious or aimless according to the case?

Answer 1

Eric is very conscientious, as evidenced by his meticulous research skills and slow but steady progress toward his degree.

Question 2

Using McCrae and Costa's five factor theory, describe Eric's personality by answering the following questions.
How can Eric's disposition be characterized? Is he neurotic or emotionally stable? Give evidence from the case to support your answer.

Answer 2

Eric could be characterized as neurotic as evidenced by his feelings of persecution and paranoia.

Question 3

Compare McCrae and Costa's thoughts about self-concept to that of Bandura and Rogers.How are they the same? How are they different?

Answer 3

McCrae and Costa view self-concept as a characteristic adaptation.Note that basic tendencies are stable but that characteristic adaptations fluctuate.Self-concept therefore can change depending upon circumstances, just as circumstances can influence the self-concept.Rogers thought that self-concept was one part of the organismic self.For Rogers, the definition of self-concept is our perception of our self, just as McCrae and Costa's definition is.For both Rogers, and McCrae and Costa, the self-concept contain both accurate and inaccurate images of ourselves.Bandura saw the self system as a set of cognitive structures that encourage consistent behavior, that allow us to engage in self regulation, and so his ideas about the self are quite different than that of McCrae and Costa's.But both Bandura, as well as McCrae and Costa, (and Rogers) suggested that self concepts are relatively accurate, with some possibility for distortion.

Question 4

Based on the evidence in the case, could Eric be characterized as open or conventional? Explain.

Question 5

Based on evidence in the case would Eric score high or low on agreeableness? Explain.

Question 6

Would Eric be categorized as introverted or extraverted? Explain.

Question 7

What would be some of the central dispositions of Eric, according to Allport's theory?

Question 8

Compare McCrae and Costa's five factor theory with Bandura's reciprocal determinism model.

Question 9

Using McCrae and Costa's five factor theory, describe Subira's personality by answering the following questions.
What does McCrae and Costa mean by conscientiousness? Would Subira score high or low on this dimension? Find examples in the case to support your answer.

Question 10

Compare the traits of Allport, Cattell and McCrae and Costa.How are they different? How are they the same?

Question 11

Using McCrae and Costa's five factor theory, describe Subira's personality by answering the following questions.
What does McCrae and Costa mean by neuroticism? Would Subira score high or low on this dimension? Find examples in the case to support your answer.

Question 12

Which of Horney's neurotic trends is Eric displaying? How do these trends compare with the traits of McCrae and Costa?

Question 13

Using McCrae and Costa's five factor theory, describe Subira's personality by answering the following questions.
What does McCrae and Costa mean by openness to experience? Would Subira score high or low on this dimension? Find examples in the case to support your answer.

Question 14

Using McCrae and Costa's five factor theory, describe Subira's personality by answering the following questions.
What does McCrae and Costa mean by agreeableness? Would Subira score high or low on this dimension? Find examples in the case to support your answer.

Question 15

How could McCrae and Costa explain some of the inconsistencies in Subira's behavior (e.g., that she is often late to meet friends but not for auditions)?

Question 16

Using McCrae and Costa's five factor theory, describe Subira's personality by answering the following questions.
What does McCrae and Costa mean by introversion and extraversion? Is Subira introverted or extraverted? Find examples in the case to support your answer.