Gray

Gray (1972, 1981) has modified Eysenck's theory by rotating the dimensions of extraversion and neuroticism by 45 degrees, resulting in two new dimensions: impulsivity (N+, E+), and anxiety (N+, E-). High impulsivity leads to high sensitivity to reward and to non-punishment. High anxiety leads to high sensitivity to non-reward, to punishment, and to novelty. The behavioral approach system (BAS) is the neurophysiological basis of impulsivity, whereas the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) is the neurophysiological basis of anxiety. Gray's work, although important, has been done almost exclusively on animals, making generalization to humans problematic.


Extraversion

Neuroticism

Psychoticism

Gray

Behavioral Approach / Impulsivity / Positive AffectBehavioral Inhibition / Anxiety / Negative AffectFight vs. Flight / Aggression
Atkinson
1
Approach Motivation / Need for Achievement / Joy of SuccessAvoidance Motivation / Fear of Failure / Pain of Failure

Barratt

Action OrientationAnxiety

Cloninger

Behavioral Activation / Novelty SeekingBehavioral Inhibition / Harm AvoidanceBehavioral Maintenance / Reward Dependence

Davidson

Approach / (Non-) DepressionAvoidance / Inhibition / Depression

Depue

Behavioral Facilitation / Mania / Positive EmotionalityBehavioral Inhibition
Dollard and Miller
2
ApproachAvoidance

Eysenck

Extraversion / Arousal / Positive AffectNeuroticism / Activation / Negative AffectPsychoticism / Anger

Fowles

Behavioral Activation / Impulsivity / Positive AffectBehavioral Inhibition / AversionNon-Specific Arousal

Kagan

Behavioral Inhibition

Newman

Impulsivity / Positive AffectAnxiety / Negative Affect

Revelle

Approach / Instigation of BehaviorAvoidance / Inhibition of BehaviorAggression

Simonov

"Strong" Type (Choleric) vs. "Weak" Type (Melancholic)

Tellegen

Positive Affectivity / Positive AffectNegative Affectivity / Negative AffectConstraint Avoidance

Thayer

Energetic ArousalTense Arousal

Watson and Clark

Positive AffectivityNegative Affectivity

Zuckerman

Extraversion / Positive AffectNeuroticismPsychoticism / Impulsivity / Sensation Seeking / Aggression-Anger

Extraversion

Neuroticism

Psychoticism

(This table is adapted from Revelle [1997], and Eysenck [1990].)


References

Eysenck, H. J. (1990). Biological dimensions of personality. In L. A. Pervin (Ed.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (pp. 244-276). New York: Guilford.

Gray, J. A. (1972). The psychophysiological basis of introversion-extraversion: A modification of Eysenck's theory. In V. D. Nebylitsyn & J. A. Gray (Eds.), Biological bases of individual behavior (pp. 182-205). New York: Academic.

Gray, J. A. (1981). A critique of Eysenck's theory of personality. In H. J. Eysenck (Ed.), A model for personality (pp. 246-277). Berlin: Springer.

Revelle, W. (1997, August 12). Three fundamental dimensions of personality [WWW document]. URL http://personality-project.org/perproj/theory/big3.table.html<p>


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