The Nature & Nurture Podcast Nature & Nurture #104: Dr. Colin DeYoung - Personality Neuroscience & Cybernetics
Jun 14, 2023
Colin DeYoung, personality neuroscientist and Professor of Psychology at the University of Minnesota, dives into the science behind personality. He unpacks the Big Five traits—Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism—and their neural correlates. The discussion explores how personality is shaped by genetics and environment over time. DeYoung also examines personality in primates, self-awareness, and its crucial role in mental health, offering insights into the interplay between traits and well-being.
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Scientific Personality Definition
- Personality scientifically covers all persistent individual differences in behavior, motivation, emotion, and cognition.
- It observes patterns of psychological experiences and behaviors without ethical judgment of 'better' or 'worse'.
Big Five as Covariance Dimensions
- Personality traits capture patterns of covariance among specific behaviors and experiences in individuals.
- The Big Five describe major dimensions arising from co-occurring traits, not a strict list limiting personality research.
Big Five: Extraversion & Neuroticism
- Extraversion links to sensitivity to rewards, motivating sociability and positive emotions.
- Neuroticism relates to sensitivity to threats, clustering negative emotions like anxiety and anger.