A Stochastic Model of Personality Differences Based on PSI Theory
Personality Systems Interactions (PSI) theory explains differences in personality based on the properties of four cognitive systems—object recognition (OR), intuitive behaviour (IB), intention memory (IM) and extension memory (EM). Each system is associated with characteristic modes of perception an...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-02-01
|
| Series: | Mathematics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/11/5/1182 |
| _version_ | 1797614883217342464 |
|---|---|
| author | Molly Hoy Sarah Fritsch Thomas Bröcker Julius Kuhl Ivo Siekmann |
| author_facet | Molly Hoy Sarah Fritsch Thomas Bröcker Julius Kuhl Ivo Siekmann |
| author_sort | Molly Hoy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Personality Systems Interactions (PSI) theory explains differences in personality based on the properties of four cognitive systems—object recognition (OR), intuitive behaviour (IB), intention memory (IM) and extension memory (EM). Each system is associated with characteristic modes of perception and behaviour, so personality is determined by which systems are primarily active. According to PSI theory, the activities of the cognitive systems are regulated by positive and negative affect (reward and punishment). Thus, differences in personality ultimately emerge from four parameters—the sensitivities of up- or downregulating positive and negative affect. The complex interactions of affect and cognitive systems have been represented in a mathematical model based on a system of differential equations. In this study, the environment of a person represented by the mathematical model is modelled by a time series of perturbations with positive and negative affect that are generated by a stochastic process. Comparing the average activities of the cognitive systems for different parameter sets exposed to the same time series of affect perturbations, we observe that different dominant cognitive systems emerge. This demonstrates that different sensitivities for positive and negative affect lead to different modes of cognition and, thus, to different personality types such as <i>agreeable, conscientious, self-determined</i> or <i>independent</i>. Varying the relative frequencies of negative and positive affect perturbations reveals that the average activities of all cognitive systems respond linearly. This observation enables us to predict that <i>conscientious</i> and <i>independent</i> personalities benefit from increased exposure to positive affect, whereas <i>agreeable</i> and <i>self-determined</i> personalities achieve a better balance of their cognitive systems by increased negative affect. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:18:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6f071f258ca84ac09f3072c70ce344f5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7390 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:18:35Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Mathematics |
| spelling | doaj.art-6f071f258ca84ac09f3072c70ce344f52023-11-17T08:09:20ZengMDPI AGMathematics2227-73902023-02-01115118210.3390/math11051182A Stochastic Model of Personality Differences Based on PSI TheoryMolly Hoy0Sarah Fritsch1Thomas Bröcker2Julius Kuhl3Ivo Siekmann4School of Computer Science and Mathematics (CSM), Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), James Parsons Building, Byrom Way, Liverpool L3 3AF, UKInstitute for Environmental Systems Research (USF), University of Osnabrück, 49069 Osnabrück, GermanyDepartment of Physics, University of Osnabrück, 49069 Osnabrück, GermanyInstitute of Psychology, University of Osnabrück, 49069 Osnabrück, GermanySchool of Computer Science and Mathematics (CSM), Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), James Parsons Building, Byrom Way, Liverpool L3 3AF, UKPersonality Systems Interactions (PSI) theory explains differences in personality based on the properties of four cognitive systems—object recognition (OR), intuitive behaviour (IB), intention memory (IM) and extension memory (EM). Each system is associated with characteristic modes of perception and behaviour, so personality is determined by which systems are primarily active. According to PSI theory, the activities of the cognitive systems are regulated by positive and negative affect (reward and punishment). Thus, differences in personality ultimately emerge from four parameters—the sensitivities of up- or downregulating positive and negative affect. The complex interactions of affect and cognitive systems have been represented in a mathematical model based on a system of differential equations. In this study, the environment of a person represented by the mathematical model is modelled by a time series of perturbations with positive and negative affect that are generated by a stochastic process. Comparing the average activities of the cognitive systems for different parameter sets exposed to the same time series of affect perturbations, we observe that different dominant cognitive systems emerge. This demonstrates that different sensitivities for positive and negative affect lead to different modes of cognition and, thus, to different personality types such as <i>agreeable, conscientious, self-determined</i> or <i>independent</i>. Varying the relative frequencies of negative and positive affect perturbations reveals that the average activities of all cognitive systems respond linearly. This observation enables us to predict that <i>conscientious</i> and <i>independent</i> personalities benefit from increased exposure to positive affect, whereas <i>agreeable</i> and <i>self-determined</i> personalities achieve a better balance of their cognitive systems by increased negative affect.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/11/5/1182personality psychologycognitionpositive and negative affectself-regulationPSI theorymathematical modelling of personality |
| spellingShingle | Molly Hoy Sarah Fritsch Thomas Bröcker Julius Kuhl Ivo Siekmann A Stochastic Model of Personality Differences Based on PSI Theory Mathematics personality psychology cognition positive and negative affect self-regulation PSI theory mathematical modelling of personality |
| title | A Stochastic Model of Personality Differences Based on PSI Theory |
| title_full | A Stochastic Model of Personality Differences Based on PSI Theory |
| title_fullStr | A Stochastic Model of Personality Differences Based on PSI Theory |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Stochastic Model of Personality Differences Based on PSI Theory |
| title_short | A Stochastic Model of Personality Differences Based on PSI Theory |
| title_sort | stochastic model of personality differences based on psi theory |
| topic | personality psychology cognition positive and negative affect self-regulation PSI theory mathematical modelling of personality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/11/5/1182 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mollyhoy astochasticmodelofpersonalitydifferencesbasedonpsitheory AT sarahfritsch astochasticmodelofpersonalitydifferencesbasedonpsitheory AT thomasbrocker astochasticmodelofpersonalitydifferencesbasedonpsitheory AT juliuskuhl astochasticmodelofpersonalitydifferencesbasedonpsitheory AT ivosiekmann astochasticmodelofpersonalitydifferencesbasedonpsitheory AT mollyhoy stochasticmodelofpersonalitydifferencesbasedonpsitheory AT sarahfritsch stochasticmodelofpersonalitydifferencesbasedonpsitheory AT thomasbrocker stochasticmodelofpersonalitydifferencesbasedonpsitheory AT juliuskuhl stochasticmodelofpersonalitydifferencesbasedonpsitheory AT ivosiekmann stochasticmodelofpersonalitydifferencesbasedonpsitheory |