personality and social interaction chapter 15 copyright © 2005 the mcgraw-hill companies, inc....

Personality and Personality and Social InteractionSocial Interaction

Chapter 15Chapter 15

Copyright © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.


Three Mechanisms of Social Three Mechanisms of Social InteractionInteraction

SelectionSelection EvocationEvocation ManipulationManipulation


SelectionSelection

Personality characteristics of others Personality characteristics of others influence whether we select them as influence whether we select them as dates, friends, or marriage partnersdates, friends, or marriage partners

Own personality characteristics play Own personality characteristics play role in kinds of situations we select role in kinds of situations we select to enter and stay into enter and stay in


Personality Personality Characteristics Desired in Characteristics Desired in a Marriage Partner (Buss a Marriage Partner (Buss

et al., 1990)et al., 1990) Over 10,000 participants, from 37 Over 10,000 participants, from 37

samples in 33 countries, six samples in 33 countries, six continents, five islandscontinents, five islands

Mutual attraction/love is the most Mutual attraction/love is the most favored characteristicfavored characteristic


Personality Personality Characteristics Desired in Characteristics Desired in a Marriage Partner (Buss a Marriage Partner (Buss

et al., 1990)et al., 1990) Almost as important are personality Almost as important are personality

characteristics of dependable characteristics of dependable character, emotional stability, character, emotional stability, pleasing dispositionpleasing disposition


Assortative Mating for Assortative Mating for Personality: The Search for Personality: The Search for

the Similarthe Similar

Assortative mating: People are Assortative mating: People are married to people who are similar to married to people who are similar to themselves themselves

Are these positive correlations Are these positive correlations caused by active selection of mates caused by active selection of mates who are similar, or by-products of who are similar, or by-products of other causal processes (e.g., sheer other causal processes (e.g., sheer proximity)?...proximity)?...


Assortative Mating for Assortative Mating for Personality: The Search for Personality: The Search for

the Similarthe Similar To answer questions, Botwin et al. (1997) To answer questions, Botwin et al. (1997)

studied dating and married couplesstudied dating and married couples Correlated preferences for personality Correlated preferences for personality

characteristics desired in a potential mate, characteristics desired in a potential mate, and our own personality characteristicsand our own personality characteristics

Correlations are consistently positive: Correlations are consistently positive: Positive correlations between spouses are Positive correlations between spouses are due, in part, to direct social preferences, due, in part, to direct social preferences, based on personality characteristics of based on personality characteristics of those doing the selectingthose doing the selecting


Do People Get the Mates Do People Get the Mates They Want?They Want?

Botwin et al. (1997): Correlations Botwin et al. (1997): Correlations between preferences for ideal between preferences for ideal personality characteristics in a mate personality characteristics in a mate and the actual personality and the actual personality characteristics of an obtained matecharacteristics of an obtained mate



Consistently positive correlations: Consistently positive correlations: People seem to get mates they want People seem to get mates they want in terms of personalityin terms of personality

Partner’s personality had a large Partner’s personality had a large effect on marital satisfactioneffect on marital satisfaction



People are especially happy if they People are especially happy if they are married to partners high on are married to partners high on agreeableness, emotional stability, agreeableness, emotional stability, and opennessand openness

But difference in scores between But difference in scores between partner’s personality and one’s ideal partner’s personality and one’s ideal for that personality did not predict for that personality did not predict happinesshappiness


Personality and the Personality and the SelectiveSelective

Breakup of CouplesBreakup of Couples

According to violation of desire theory According to violation of desire theory (Buss, 1994), break-ups should be (Buss, 1994), break-ups should be more common when one’s desires are more common when one’s desires are violated than when they are fulfilledviolated than when they are fulfilled

People actively seek mates who are People actively seek mates who are dependable and emotionally stable, dependable and emotionally stable, and those who fail to choose such and those who fail to choose such mates are at risk for divorcemates are at risk for divorce


Personality and the Personality and the SelectiveSelective

Breakup of CouplesBreakup of Couples

Those who fail to get what they wantThose who fail to get what they want—including a mate who is similar——including a mate who is similar—tend to selectively break-up more tend to selectively break-up more often than those who get what they often than those who get what they wantwant


Shyness and the SelectionShyness and the Selectionof Risky Situationsof Risky Situations

Shyness: Tendency to feel tense, Shyness: Tendency to feel tense, worried, and anxious during social worried, and anxious during social interactions or even when interactions or even when anticipating social interactionsanticipating social interactions

During adolescence, early adulthood, During adolescence, early adulthood, shy people tend to avoid social shy people tend to avoid social situations, resulting in a form of situations, resulting in a form of isolationisolation



Shy women are less likely to go to a Shy women are less likely to go to a gynecologistgynecologist

Shy women also are less likely to Shy women also are less likely to bring up contraception with bring up contraception with potential sexual partnerpotential sexual partner



Shyness affects whether a person is Shyness affects whether a person is willing to select risky situations in willing to select risky situations in the form of gamblesthe form of gambles

Shyness, in short, has a substantial Shyness, in short, has a substantial impact on selective entry into, or impact on selective entry into, or avoidance of, situationsavoidance of, situations


Other Personality Traits Other Personality Traits and the Selection of and the Selection of

SituationsSituations

Personality affects situations to Personality affects situations to which people are exposed through which people are exposed through selective entry into, or avoidance of, selective entry into, or avoidance of, certain activitiescertain activities


EvocationEvocation

Personality characteristics of others Personality characteristics of others evoke responses in usevoke responses in us

Own personality characteristics evoke Own personality characteristics evoke responses in othersresponses in others

Once we select others to occupy our Once we select others to occupy our social environment, second class of social environment, second class of processes set into motion—evocation of processes set into motion—evocation of reactions from others and evocation of reactions from others and evocation of our own reactions by others our own reactions by others


Aggression and the Aggression and the Evocation of HostilityEvocation of Hostility

Aggressive people evoke hostility Aggressive people evoke hostility from othersfrom others

Hostile attributional bias: Tendency Hostile attributional bias: Tendency to infer hostile intent on the part of to infer hostile intent on the part of others in the face of uncertain others in the face of uncertain behavior from othersbehavior from others


Aggression and the Aggression and the Evocation of HostilityEvocation of Hostility

Because they expect others to be Because they expect others to be hostile, aggressive people treat hostile, aggressive people treat others aggressively—people treated others aggressively—people treated aggressively tend to aggress backaggressively tend to aggress back

Thus, hostility from others is evoked Thus, hostility from others is evoked by an aggressive person by an aggressive person


Evocation of Anger and Evocation of Anger and Upset in PartnersUpset in Partners

Person can perform actions that Person can perform actions that cause emotional response in a cause emotional response in a partnerpartner

Person can elicit actions from Person can elicit actions from another that upset the original another that upset the original elicitorelicitor


Evocation of Anger and Evocation of Anger and Upset in PartnersUpset in Partners

Study by Buss (1991): Role of Study by Buss (1991): Role of personality on evocation of anger personality on evocation of anger and upset in married couplesand upset in married couples Assessed personality characteristics Assessed personality characteristics

of husbands and wivesof husbands and wives Strongest predictors of upset are low Strongest predictors of upset are low

agreeableness and emotional agreeableness and emotional instability instability


Evocation Through Evocation Through Expectancy ConfirmationExpectancy Confirmation

Expectancy confirmation: People’s Expectancy confirmation: People’s beliefs about personality beliefs about personality characteristics of others cause them characteristics of others cause them to evoke in others actions that are to evoke in others actions that are consistent with initial beliefsconsistent with initial beliefs


Evocation Through Evocation Through Expectancy ConfirmationExpectancy Confirmation

Snyder and Swann (1978): People’s Snyder and Swann (1978): People’s beliefs led them to behave in an beliefs led them to behave in an aggressive manner toward an aggressive manner toward an unsuspecting target, then the target unsuspecting target, then the target behaved in a more aggressive behaved in a more aggressive manner, confirming initial beliefsmanner, confirming initial beliefs


ManipulationManipulation

Personality is linked to ways in Personality is linked to ways in which we try to influence or which we try to influence or manipulate othersmanipulate others

Manipulation or social influence Manipulation or social influence includes ways in which people includes ways in which people intentionally alter, change, or exploit intentionally alter, change, or exploit othersothers


ManipulationManipulation

Manipulation can be examined from two Manipulation can be examined from two perspectives within personality perspectives within personality psychologypsychology Are some individuals consistently more Are some individuals consistently more

manipulative than others?manipulative than others? Given that all people attempt to Given that all people attempt to

influence others, do stable personality influence others, do stable personality characteristics predict tactics that are characteristics predict tactics that are used? used?


A Taxonomy of 11 Tactics of A Taxonomy of 11 Tactics of Manipulation (Buss et al., Manipulation (Buss et al.,

1987)1987)

Developed through a two-step Developed through a two-step procedureprocedure

Nominations of acts of influenceNominations of acts of influence Factor analysis of self-reports and Factor analysis of self-reports and

observer-reports of nominated actsobserver-reports of nominated acts 11 tactics identified, including charm, 11 tactics identified, including charm,

coercion, silent treatment, reason coercion, silent treatment, reason


Sex Differences in Sex Differences in Tactics of ManipulationTactics of Manipulation

With exception of regression (crying, With exception of regression (crying, whining), men and women are whining), men and women are similar in performance of tactics of similar in performance of tactics of manipulation manipulation


Personality Predictors of Personality Predictors of Tactics of ManipulationTactics of Manipulation

High surgency: Coercion, High surgency: Coercion, responsibility invocationresponsibility invocation

Low surgency: Self-abasement, Low surgency: Self-abasement, hardballhardball

High agreeable: Pleasure induction, High agreeable: Pleasure induction, reasonreason



Low agreeable: Coercion, silent Low agreeable: Coercion, silent treatmenttreatment

High conscientiousness: ReasonHigh conscientiousness: Reason Emotionally unstable people use a Emotionally unstable people use a

variety of tactics to manipulate variety of tactics to manipulate others, but the most common is others, but the most common is regressionregression



High intellect-openness: Reason, High intellect-openness: Reason, pleasure induction, responsibility pleasure induction, responsibility invocationinvocation

Low intellect-openness: Social Low intellect-openness: Social comparisoncomparison


The Machiavellian The Machiavellian Personality:Personality:

A Closer Look A Closer Look

Machiavellianism: Manipulative Machiavellianism: Manipulative strategy of social interaction, strategy of social interaction, personality style that uses other personality style that uses other people as tools for personal gainpeople as tools for personal gain




People who score high on People who score high on Machiavellianism (“high Machs”) Machiavellianism (“high Machs”) select situations that are loosely select situations that are loosely structure, untethered by rules that structure, untethered by rules that restrict the deployment of restrict the deployment of exploitative strategyexploitative strategy




High Machs tend to evoke specific High Machs tend to evoke specific reactions from others, such as anger reactions from others, such as anger and retaliation for having been and retaliation for having been exploitedexploited

High Machs influence or manipulate High Machs influence or manipulate others in predictable ways, using others in predictable ways, using tactics that are exploitative, self-tactics that are exploitative, self-serving, and deceptiveserving, and deceptive


Narcissism and Social Narcissism and Social Interaction:Interaction:

A Closer Look at One A Closer Look at One Personality Dimension and Personality Dimension and

Social InteractionSocial Interaction Those high on narcissism are Those high on narcissism are

exhibitionistic, grandiose, self-exhibitionistic, grandiose, self-centered, interpersonally centered, interpersonally exploitativeexploitative


Narcissism and Social Narcissism and Social InteractionInteraction

Selection: Associate with people who Selection: Associate with people who admire them, who will reflect positive admire them, who will reflect positive view they hold of themselvesview they hold of themselves

Evocation: Exhibitionism splits people—Evocation: Exhibitionism splits people—some view them as brilliant and some view them as brilliant and entertaining, others as selfish and entertaining, others as selfish and boorishboorish

Manipulation: Highly exploitative of Manipulation: Highly exploitative of othersothers


Summary and EvaluationSummary and Evaluation

Personality does not exist solely in Personality does not exist solely in the heads of individualsthe heads of individuals

Personality affects the ways in which Personality affects the ways in which we interact with others in our social we interact with others in our social worldworld


Summary and EvaluationSummary and Evaluation(continued)(continued)

We select people and environments, We select people and environments, choosing social situations to which choosing social situations to which we will expose ourselves—we will expose ourselves—personality plays a key role in the personality plays a key role in the selection processselection process

We evoke emotions and actions in We evoke emotions and actions in others, based in part on our others, based in part on our personality characteristicspersonality characteristics


Summary and EvaluationSummary and Evaluation(continued)(continued)

Personality plays a key role in which Personality plays a key role in which we use tactics to influence or we use tactics to influence or manipulate othersmanipulate others

personality and social interaction chapter 15 copyright © 2005 the mcgraw-hill companies, inc....

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