Gray's biopsychological theory of personality

Gray's biopsychological theory of personality is a model of the general biological processes relevant for human psychology, behavior, and personality, proposed by research psychologist Jeffrey Alan Gray in 1970. The theory is well-supported by subsequent research and has general acceptance among professionals.

Gray hypothesized the existence of three brain-based systems for controlling a person's interactions with their environment: the behavioural inhibition system (BIS) and the behavioural activation system (BAS), and the fight, flight, or freezing system (FFFS). BIS is related to sensitivity to punishment and avoidance motivation. BAS is associated with sensitivity to reward and approach motivation. FFFS is associated with sensitivity to fear and how an individual responds to it. There is evidence that the Behavioral Inhibition and Behavioral Activations system are connected to mood control, with positive or negative emotions occurring when rewarded or punished. Those with a relatively high BAS are said to be extroverted and outgoing while those with a high BIS tend to be more reserved and introverted. Psychological scales have been designed to measure these hypothesized systems and study individual differences in personality. Neuroticism, a widely studied personality dimension related to emotional functioning, is positively correlated with BIS scales and negatively correlated with BAS scales.

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