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Biology of Personality and Individual Differences.

Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: This book is the result of a conference held on the campus of Stoney Book University in 2004. Like many multi-authored books arising out of a conference, this one has its strengths and limitations. The book is organized into six sections: An Overview and Historical Perspective, Studies of Extroversion and Related Traits; Age and Sex as Determinants of Individual Differences; Genetic and Neuro-analyses of Anxiety-related Traits; Individual Differences in Children and Personality in Animals. Each section is intended to present current empirical work placed in a larger, scholarly context. The first section dealing with Jeffrey Gray’s contributions to theories of anxiety, personality and psychopathology seems better suited for a college level course. He is known for his proposals of a behavioural inhibition system and his attempt to identify neurobiological substrates by which anxiety is mediated. Section 2 has eight chapters on extroversion and related traits. It includes genetic studies on sensation-seeking, the structure of personality with particular reference to four or five higher order personality traits. Section 3 addresses neurostructures such as the amygdala and the orbital frontal cortex involved in emotional control and men’s and women’s brain responses during sexual behaviour. Section 4 includes four papers on genetic and neural analysis of anxiety-related traits suggesting that there are certain genes predisposing individuals to anxiety and depression. Co-variation between anxiety and depression are thought to be influenced by the same genes but are differentiated by unique environmental stressors. The authors premise is that there are genetically-driven differences in the response of brain regions underlying emotional behaviour. Section 5 on individual differences in children includes two interesting findings that have clinical relevance: the reference to a study of over 7,000 twins in which elevated levels of callous, unemotional traits were shown to be under strong genetic influence and the finding that the earlier symptoms of anxiety between the ages of 8 and 13 reflected the same genetic risk as pubertal depression at ages 14 to 17, suggesting a shared liability as expressed across development rather than concurrently. Section 6 addresses personality in animals. The most interesting chapter in this section discusses cross-species commonalities in personality involving factor analytic studies representing 12 different species. Referring to the Human Five Factor Model plus the characteristics of dominance and activity, the dimensions of extroversion, neuroticism and agreeableness showed generality across the 12 species. Other dimensions identified ranged from sociability in pigs, dogs and rhesus monkeys to a dimension contrasting “bold approach” versus avoidance in octopuses. Factors related to neuroticism appeared almost as frequently, capturing dimensions such as fearfulness, emotional reactivity. Similar characteristics such as affability, affection, and agreeableness were also identified cross-species. This book is not for everyone. It is a dense book laden with detailed research studies covering a wide range of topics, some of which would be considered esoteric to the practicing clinician. Many of the chapters focus on research studies that would be more relevant to the researcher than clinician. However, anyone who is interested in the evidence for biological factors in personality and personality development would find some of the chapters of interest. It can be used as a reference text, although some of the material is now out of date. It combines studies involving brain systems, genetics, pharmacological manipulations and hormonal and sexual differences in animals as well as human adults and children. Perhaps reflecting the current state of knowledge, chapters dealing with developmental issues and children and adolescents are few in number but do represent some interesting new findings. As practicing child psychiatrists most of us believe that personality development is shaped by parental child rearing practices and develops in the crucible of the interpersonal relationships within the family. This book offers a sharply different view. This is not to say that parental and family influences are unimportant, only that genetic, biological, neurostructural factors are important and need to be incorporated into the understanding of both normal and abnormal personality development. As is evident from this book there is a great deal that is not known and research in the biology of childhood disorders lags behind that of research in adults. But it is also evident that there is a large body of knowledge that informs our understanding of personality development. Evidence from a myriad of sources such as cross species comparisons and genetic and neurostructural studies make clear; biology is an important determinant of emotional, behavioural and personality development. This book identifies some of the specific ways in which biology contributes to individual differences in personality and reminds us be alert to biological influences when formulating our diagnosis and treatment recommendations.
Language: English
Field: Psychology
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W74365377
FWCI: 0.681
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Cited by: 6
Related to: 10