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Personality Psychology

Decent Essays
Gordon Allport (1961) popularised the term 'personality' psychology and defined it as "a dynamic organisation, inside the person, of psychophysical systems that create the person's characteristic patterns of behaviour, thoughts and feelings" (Allport, 1961, pg. 11). Personality is adaptive to individual experience, constantly shaping behaviour. Personality psychology is divided into different domains, including the adjustment domain. This studies how personality operates in order to aid the adjustment and coping process of human beings, to everyday life. It also studies the consequences of personality, analysing when illness is generated. The domain claims that what personality type an individual is situated with; including what specific traits…show more content…
Examples of type A behaviours include competitativeness and ambition (Larsen & Buss, 2010). Due to a desire to be successful, it is likely that these individuals are vulnerable to high blood pressure, compared to the general population (Larsen & Buss, 2010); which often results in stress related illness and coronary heart disease (CHD). Friedman & Rosenman (1974) supported this study by concluding that type A behaviour doubles the risk of CHD (a common cause being high blood pressure). However, the study is unreliable because it fails to outline the participant's diets and exercise regimes; high cholesetrol and lack of exercise are two common causes of CHD (NHS, 2014: online). Furthermore, all of the participants were male and over half of deaths from CHD in 2009 were in men (CDC, 2015: online). Moreover, Weissinger & Iso-Ahola (2013) rejected this theory by stating that there is a link between an intrinsic motivation personality and physical wellbeing; type A individuals are less likely to experience stress related medical problems. They may also have better coping abilities than less driven, ambitious individuals. It is unclear whether personality influences physical health positively or negatively. As there is supporting evidence for both, it could be that personality is too broad a concept to make close associations. It may be more advantageous to focus on the
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