Extraversion and Neurotism

TAKE-HOME ESSAY #2 Psy 2300, Fall 2012 •The second take-home essay will be worth 20 points. You may use your textbook, D2L resources, and class notes. You may NOT collaborate with fellow students! •Essays must be double-spaced, with 1-inch margins and a reasonable font size (e. g. , 12 point). •PLEASE CAREFULLY PROOFREAD YOUR ANSWERS FOR CLARITY & TYPOS; excessive proofreading errors will result in a deduction of points, as will a failure to follow the formatting requirements above! •The essay should be 1-3 pages long and organized into coherent paragraphs. Please organize your essay according to the subdivisions provided (a, b, c, etc. ). You do not need to use a formal essay format (introduction, body, conclusion). •Please use your own words whenever possible. If you feel you must quote from class notes or the textbook, cite the source properly. •You may answer any ONE of the three questions provided. If you answer more than one, only the first one will be graded. •Essays are DUE in the Dropbox by 9:59 p. m. on Friday, November 9th. 1. Compare and contrast the Big Five with EITHER Eysenck’s model OR Tellegen’s model (i. . , identify similarities and differences). If you choose Tellegen, focus on the three higher-order traits; just refer to the primary scales as examples if applicable. Think about how the models were derived as well as the meaning of the traits themselves. Then discuss which of the three trait models covered in class you prefer and whether you think any important aspects of personality are left out of the three models. Make sure you JUSTIFY your choice of favorite model by presenting at least two distinct reasons. 2.

Consider what it means to be high in the traits of Extraversion and Neuroticism (separately). Then make connections between each trait and current concern theory. Specifically, address how being high in these traits might influence: •Which types of goals people pursue •How their goal pursuits affect them (emotionally and cognitively) •How they progress through the incentive-disengagement cycle when a goal is blocked What I’m looking for here is a thoughtful discussion of how being high in E and being high in N might affect people’s motivational processes, using concepts from Klinger’s current concern theory.

It may help to refer to the low ends of these traits to provide a contrast with the high ends (e. g. , “unlike introverts, when extraverts pursue a goal… ”). 3. If you’d like to be a little creative, tell a “story” about a person with a particular configuration of traits. Specifically, choose AT LEAST THREE of the Big Five OR Tellegen’s primary traits (if you choose Tellegen, make sure to pick one trait from each higher-order factor). The person can be purely hypothetical or based on someone you know; I even had students discuss the fictional characters Dwight (from “The Office”) and Borat!

Describe how that person typically behaves based on how they score on the three traits you select. For example, “Ralph” might be high C, low N, and medium O. What might Ralph’s behavior patterns be like? His interpersonal relationships? His goal pursuits? Would his trait configuration lead to any particular problems in his life? What I’m looking for is a clear understanding of the traits you choose and the ability to APPLY those traits to a realistic scenario in which the traits can interact with each other. Have fun! [NOTE:I have a sample full-credit essay posted on D2L to help with this option! ]