OVERVIEW What is the trait approach? What is a trait? Examples of taxonomies Deriving taxonomies Measuring personality Major criticisms of the trait approach as a comprehensive theory of personality

WHAT IS THE TRAIT APPROACH? Related to our intuitive lay notions of personality… "I am a very independent, somewhat overbearing female who is quick to speak her mind…I am sometimes stubborn, judgmental, and I have been known to forgive too easily which makes me seem 'two-faced' at times.” "Easy-going, reflective, sarcastic sense of humor, loyal, caring, competitive, analytical, self-critical, compassionate.” "I guess the best way to describe my personality is fickle…there are certain prevalent traits that most people can pinpoint once they get to know me. My main characteristic is cheerful sarcasm.” "I have a great tendency to be a perfectionist…I am a superstitious person…also, I am a completely honest person…I see myself as less of a speaker and more of a listener."

WHAT IS THE TRAIT APPROACH? “ Psychologists working from this perspective seek to label, measure, and classify people with the trait terms of everyday language (for example, friendly, aggressive, honest) in order to describe and compare their psychological attributes.”

WHAT IS THE TRAIT APPROACH? Main Assumptions Traits are stable over time Traits are stable across situations Individuals are unique in –How strongly they show a particular trait –Their patterns of traits –The number of traits that they show

WHAT IS THE TRAIT APPROACH? Research Goals Search for the most important or the most basic dimensions of personality Discover the sources of these traits –Biological bases? –Basic processes and mechanisms? –Development? Create a nomological network of constructs Develop tests to measure traits

WHAT IS THE TRAIT APPROACH? BIG FIVE TAXONOMY OPENNESS CONSCIENTIOUSNESS EXTRAVERSON AGREEABLENESS NEUROTICISM Basic processes, individual traits, taxonomies, nomological net... AGGRESSIVENESS CIRCUMPLEX AGENCY COMMUNION COPING STYLE CARDIOVASCULAR RISK PSYCHOPATHOLOGY THOUGHTS EMOTIONS BEHAVIORS PHYSIOLOGY

WHAT IS A TRAIT? Defining trait a quantitative value on a scale that describes the degree to which a person “has” a particular quality IntrovertedNeutralExtroverted Quality of Introversion-Extroversion

WHAT IS A TRAIT? Normal Distribution VALUE ON THE SCALE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE THAT VALUE

WHAT IS A TRAIT? Histogram of Dominance Scale VALUE ON THE SCALE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE THAT VALUE

WHAT IS A TRAIT? The State-Trait distinction... Trait Relatively enduring disposition across time and situation State Emotions or behaviors that fluctuate across time and situation, generally due transient causal agent

WHAT IS A TRAIT? Different approaches to traits... Nomothetic Examines individual differences in a large population Idiographic Intensive study of one or a few individuals

EXAMPLES OF TAXONOMIES Hippocratic CholericSanguine Yellow bileBlood IrritableOptimistic MelancholicPhlegmatic Black bilePhlegm DepressedCalm

EXAMPLES OF TAXONOMIES Sheldon’s Dimensions of Physique Endomorphic Ectomorphic Mesomorphic soft, heavy fragile, brainy muscular, strong Viscerotonic Cerebrotonic Somatotonic relaxed, sociable introverted, restrained energetic, assertive

EXAMPLES OF TAXONOMIES Personality and Health Type A -- higher risk of heart disease –Chronic overarousal of the body’s stress response? –Practicing poor health habits? –Low social support? Type B -- lower risk of heart disease –Relaxation, serenity, lack of time urgency? Type C -- higher risk of cancer –Stoicism and no “fighting spirit” –there is no evidence for this one!

EXAMPLES OF TAXONOMIES Jungian Typology Extraversion or Introversion Intuition or Sensation Thinking or Feeling Judging or Perceiving

EXAMPLES OF TAXONOMIES The Big Five O penness C onscientiousness E xtraversion A greeableness N euroticism

EXAMPLES OF TAXONOMIES An Example of a Big Five Study Personality and Coping Style (O’Brien & DeLongis, 1996) Significant correlations between: O and looking at problems in a positive light C and using planful problem-solving E and looking to others for social support A and avoidance of confrontation N and inappropriate, avoidant coping

EXAMPLES OF TAXONOMIES The Interpersonal Circumplex Friendly Hostile Submissive Dominant Status dimension Affiliation dimension

DERIVING TAXONOMIES Factory Analysis/Psycholexical Approach Wiggins’ IAS-R Jovial Kind Charitable Softhearted Tender Friendly Gentlehearted Tenderhearted WARM/ AGREEABLE

MEASURING PERSONALITY Being Critical of Questionnaire Construction What are the biases? What is the questionnaire’s reliability? Is the questionnaire valid? Types of validity: –Face validity –External validity –Construct validity –Ecological validity Does the questionnaire catch false presentation or haphazard responding?

MEASURING PERSONALITY Reasons for Personality Assessment Clinical treatment, psychiatric evaluation –MMPI Research –State/Trait Anxiety, California F Scale, Q-Sort, Machiavellianism, NEO-PI, Wiggins’ IAS-R Employment counseling/Employee hiring –Myers-Briggs, Strong Interest Inventory Education –IQ, SAT, Myers-Briggs Self-discovery –Myers-Briggs Fun –Cosmopolitan Quizzes, Purity Test

MAJOR WEAKNESSES OF THE TRAIT APPROACH “Method in search of theory” -- personality located in descriptors rather than underlying processes Quibbling over traits and supertraits Poor empirical support Of course words with similar meaning will cluster together Does not account well for differences across situations No guide for effecting personal growth or social change Does not necessarily hold up cross-culturally

REVIEW OF MAIN POINTS Trait theorists seek to label, measure, and classify individuals according to what is stable and unique about them. Researchers study individual traits, taxonomies of traits, and nomological networks of traits. Researchers have used the statistical technique factor analysis to create taxonomies based on language. The most prominent model in the psychological literature is the Big Five. The construction of useful questionnaires is a challenging process that entails critical evaluation for biases, reliability, and validity. While it is useful for researchers to think about personality in terms of traits, sole theoretical reliance on the trait approach does not allow a complete picture of personality to emerge.