I enjoyed this week’s topic on personality, motivation and emotion. Now that we have discussed both emotion and motivation in detail, this week has looked at the connection between the two and integrated previous topics we have covered throughout our psychology degree by incorporating our understanding of personality. I guess it makes you realise just how much all subject areas of psychology are connected. What I found most interesting however, was how both motivation and emotion when influenced by personality can cause happiness or unhappiness, which is related to my text book chapter on positive thinking.
In the textbook Reeve (2009) starts the chapter by asking the reader if they are happy. Not only does he ask this, but he asks if someone were to follow you around all day for several days would they see someone who is always happy, experiencing positive emotions and whether it is an intense happiness or just something like contentment. In answer to this question, Reeve (2009) goes on to say that most people are happy, however some are simply happier than others.
When answering these questions myself, I would say that I am generally happy. I would say that I am most happy when I am spending time with my friends and family and having a bit of fun. However, at this very point in time, with lots of assessment due and exams not too far away I guess I am not experiencing an ‘intense’ happiness. This ‘level’ of happiness should hopefully change after this semester is finished however. Once the weather is warmer, I am not stressed, on holidays and celebrating my Birthday, Christmas and New Years I am sure my happiness will increase!
Reeve (2009) states that there are three motivational principles that are related to personality. These are happiness, arousal and control. These personality characteristics explain why people have varying motivational and emotional states in the same or similar situations (Reeve, 2009). The reason that individuals have such differing experiences to the same situation is a result of how a stimulus is interpreted and experienced. An individual’s personality traits will determine how positively someone responds to these stimuli, which in turn determines just how happy or unhappy someone is.
Two of the big five personality traits, neuroticism and extraversion are said to be predictors of happiness. Neuroticism is an indicator of how emotionally stable someone is. Those who are high on this construct are predisposed to negative emotionality, stress, anxiety and upset. These people tend to get stressed more easily and are subject to more negative episodes (Neill, 2010). Those low in neuroticism are deemed as emotionally stable and steady. Extraverts tend to be more sociable, enjoying the company of others. They are also more socially dominant and seek out stimulating environments.
Studies have concluded that extraversion is a predictor of positive happiness and neuroticism is a predictor of unhappiness (Neill, 2010). Extraverts have more positive moods than introverts, have greater capacity to experience positive emotions and are more enticed by positive rewards that the environment has to offer. Neurotics on the other hand have a stronger behavioural inhibition system, which alerts the individual to greater threats and harm within their given environment, increasing their cautiousness. A negative event in their environment will cause them more distress and lead to negative emotions and anxiety (Reeve, 2009). As we can see, extraverts and those who are low on neuroticism are likely to seek out new experiences and be less worried about their consequences, making them a happier person.
I know that I will be a happier person once the text book chapter is out of the way. It is due next week now, I don’t think I will touch on the idea of extraversion and neuroticism and positive thinking in my chapter due to the word count, time and the fact that emotion is also prevalent in these findings. However I will be discussing the idea of happiness, well being and the personality traits resilience and hardiness and how each of these determines how positively someone thinks. It is good to know that James is available to help us. However I for some reason want to have written my chapter before I put it up on the Wikiversity page. In my next blog I will provide a link to my finished chapter. Until then though, I better keep working on my chapter so you will have something to actually read!
References
Neill, J. (2010, October 27). [Personality Motivation and Emotion Lecture]. Lecture presented at the University of Canberra
Reeve, J. (2009). Understanding motivation and emotion. United States of America
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