Environmental cues

Question 1

What is the concept of the extended phenotype?

Answer 1

-Dawkins: the effect a gene has on its environment, inside or outside of the organism’s body.

Question 2

How can cues indicate a person’s personality?

Answer 2

• individuals select and create their physical environments to reinforce their personality
• observers are able to use information from everyday environments to form an impression of the occupant

Question 3

How are stereotypes helpful?

Answer 3

• used to fill in information gaps

Question 4

What is Brun

Answer 4

• there are underlying constructs that we want to discover e.g. occupant’s real C
• then there is the observer’s judgment e.g. rating of occupant’s C.
• then there are cues (but how many cues are valid?–> how many actually point to observer accuracy?)
• cue utilzation (are these cues being used appropriately e.g. how much the cue utilization leads to cue validity).

Question 5

What are the two levels of personality expression?

Answer 5

• areas that are of low control e.g. nationality

- areas that are of high control e.g. passwords, underwear

Question 6

What did Sam Gosling say are the three different types of features in our environment?

Answer 6

• identity claims

Question 7

What do identity claims suggest about our personality?

Answer 7

• decorations that don’t serve a functional purpose but are non-random e.g. posters, award; can be directed towards self or others (e.g. in closet or not)

Question 8

What do feeling regulators serve in our environment?

Answer 8

• help manage emotions and thoughts

e. g. family photos, room ambience, music selection

Question 9

What do behavioural residuals refer to?

Answer 9

• physical traces left in the environment by our actions
• best observed in places where people spend a lot of time
  e. g. rubbish

Question 10

Describe the “The Bedroom Study”

Answer 10

• self and friend rated personality
• team of snoopers go into rooms and rate BIG-5 personality
• team of coders record features of the room

Question 11

Which cues are actually valid to correctly identify personality in bedrooms?

Answer 11

The most valid cues to personality facets are Openness and Conscientiousness (also N)
Openness: valid cues- distinctivee space, variety of books, music, magazines,
Invalid cues- decorated and cluttered, variety of music
Conscientiousness: valid cues: well lit spaces, uncluttered space, organised, neat and comfortable
invalid cues: cheerful and colourful, good condition,

Question 12

What does Brunswick’s model of environmental cues suggest?

Answer 12

• referred to as the lens model
• concerned with the ecological validity of perceptual cues and the need to understand environment
• sees the process as bottom up, with the person reacting as a physiological organism.

Question 13

What were some valid cues for agreeableness in the office field guide?

Answer 13

• high-traffic location

Question 14

How were exraversion and openness validly detected in the work space?

Answer 14

• amount of decorations and personalisation signalled these facets

Question 15

What were some conclusions based on first impressions?

Answer 15

• they count to a degree
• Extraversion was the most observable and easy to judge trait
• spontaneous condition offers more valid cues

Question 16

What are some implications for the environmental cues?

Answer 16

• architectural design
• counselling/therapy settings
• interpersonal/employee selection
• self-enhancement