Date: October 7th
Location: Your couch! See your e-mail for the Zoom link!
Directions: See your e-mail for tips for signing into Zoom!
Credits: Today’s reading is adapted from lessons written by the incomparable Mary Burns for SDCE.
Embedded Files
hi, who are you?
hi, who are you?
What makes you … well, YOU? Aside from the color of your eyes, your hair, the sound of your voice, your personality is a large part of what makes you different from your spouse, your neighbor, the person you pass in the grocery store. Your personality refers to the individual differences in the way we all think, feel, and behave. It is your pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that distinguish you from the person next to you. Personality is individual and remains largely consistent throughout your life.
Psychologists have tried to define personality, but the definitions can vary. Definitions of personality include:
Predictions of what a person will do or say in a given situation
Psychophysical systems within an individual that determine behavior and thought
Patterns of behavior that characterize an individual
Pattern of permanent traits and unique characteristics that give consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior
No matter the definition, scientists who study personality focus mainly on two areas: understanding differences and personality disorders, and understanding how various parts of a person come together to form a whole.
Take a fun quiz to discover your personality type!
You can also watch this video and answer questions to determine your personality (just for fun)!
how did you get this way?
how did you get this way?
First of all, why the term “Blue Zones”? Back in 2000, Michel Poulain, a Belgian demographer, had just discovered that centenarians in Sardinia Italy were concen
what is the secret?
what is the secret?
So how does personality develop? Is it nature? Nurture? A mix of both? As with most of science, there are different schools of thought regarding how personality forms and develops. These different schools of psychology can include:
Type Theories - some of the earliest thoughts on personality. They suggest that personality types relate to biological influences.
Train Theories - personality is a result of internal, genetically based, characteristics.
Psychodynamic Theories - follows the work of Freud, emphasizing the effects of the unconscious mind on personality.
Behavioral Theories - stresses the interaction between the individual and the environment. This theory includes only observable and measurable behaviors, generally ignoring internal thoughts and feelings.
Humanist Theories - emphasizes the importance of free will and individual experiences in developing personality.
the big five
the big five
The ‘Big Five’ refer to personality traits (not football teams). These traits are how psychologists break down human personality for study and discussion. The Big Five are:
Neuroticism (moodiness)
Extraversion (enthusiasm)
Openness (open-minded)
Agreeableness (related to altruism)
Conscientiousness (related to self-control)
As we have advanced our study and knowledge of the brain, scientists are working to understand how the structure and shape of our brains might influence our personalities. As humans have evolved, our brains have become more adept at stretching and folding the area of the cortex, allowing our brains to increase size while still fitting into our skulls. Our skulls have grown at a slower rate than our brain, so this folding is critical to our advancement. Ideally, we want the most brain area (folding) with the least amount of thickening of the cortex. As we age, our cortex thickness tends to decrease while the area and folding increase.
In a recent study, an international team of researchers analyzed brain scans to look at the differences in brain cortical anatomy (the structure of the outer layer of the brain) and three key elements: the thickness, area and amount of folding in the cortex, and how these measures relate to the ‘Big Five’ personality traits. Researchers found that high levels of neuroticism, which can predispose people to neuropsychiatric disorders, can be associated with thickness in the cortex and folding in some areas of the cortex, like the prefrontal-temporal cortices (see diagram). In contrast, openness was associated with the opposite pattern, reduced thickness and folding in other parts of the prefrontal cortex.
This study seems to suggest that personality is associated with brain maturation, which can be influenced by genetic factors. That different brain structures can be linked to personality differences suggests that genetics plays some sort of role in personality. The study authors also referenced a previous study of teenage brains that showed that those with serious antisocial behaviors had significantly different brain structures than that of their more social peers.
Check out this 3.5 minute video that explains the Big Five:
For a 15 minute video, check out this TED Talk describing the differences between introverts and extroverts and the idea that your personality can be modified:
personality and injury
personality and injury
Of course, our brain is like any other part of our body and subject to injury and trauma. But it has taken us much longer to realize just how much injury can affect. When we break an arm bone, we can set it, watch it heal, and work on the muscles surrounding it. It is much more difficult to assess what is damaged inside our brains and how trauma might affect many areas of our lives.
One area that we are seeing more research is head trauma and concussions. The NFL has been dealing with these issues in the last few years as football players are repeatedly exposed to head traumas. A recent survey of deceased NFL players’ brains revealed that 99% of them suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease. In many of the cases, the players had undergone dramatic personality changes, which often led to their deaths. The families of these players donated their brains to science to try to determine the reason for the changes and their ultimate demise. Symptoms may take years to appear, but can include changes like apathy, depression, or irritability. As they progress, sufferers of CTE may experience tremors, seizures, sleep disorders, mood changes, cognitive, memory and speech difficulties, and dementia. CTE is not only seen in football and soccer players, but also in soldiers who sustain mortar shell attacks at close to mid-range.
Scientists are working on understanding why the personality changes after head injuries. It may have to do with what happens to the brain when it sustains an injury. In a concussion, the nerve functions in different areas of the brain become paralyzed as the brain bangs into the skull and rattles inside the head. Some cells die. When they do, the neurons inside swell like inflated balloons, then shrink again. The surrounding cell membrane dissolves and releases neurotransmitters. Particularly affected are serotonin (mood-lifting) and glutamate (movement and sensory perception). The flood of neurotransmitters enhances brain activity in the surrounding brain regions, overstimulating them, which can trigger structural changes. This can happen after both a mild traumatic brain injury and other brain injuries, like a stroke.
The structural changes that occur after a head injury often trigger changes in personality. That even small modifications to neurological structure can lead to personality changes certainly challenges the idea that personality is formed in infancy and remains unchanging as we age. However, shifts if personality after brain injury can be positive as well as negative. That suggests that not all positive personality change is a result of genetics or simple maturation.
For a short (4 minute) video on the NFL concussion crisis, click here:
works cited
works cited
Brierley, C. (2017, January 25). Personality traits linked to differences in brain structure. Retrieved from cam.ac.uk: http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/personality-traits-linked-to-differences-in-brain-structure
Brogaard, B. (2016, October 24). Personality and the Brain, Part 8. Retrieved from psychologytoday.com: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-superhuman-mind/201610/personality-and-the-brain-part-8
Carney, C. M. (2010, January). Personality and Behavior Changes. Retrieved from merckmanuals.com: http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/mental-health-disorders/overview-of-mental-health-care/personality-and-behavior-changes
Cherry, K. (2017, July 20). What is personality and why does it matter? Retrieved from verywell.com: https://www.verywell.com/what-is-personality-2795416
Personality. (2012, January). Retrieved from apa.org: http://www.apa.org/topics/personality/
Personality changes and brain tumours. (2012, April). Retrieved from thebrauntumourcharity.org: https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/understanding-brain-tumours/living-with-a-brain-tumour/side-effects/personality-changes-and-brain-tumours/
Page updated
Report abuse