Trait Theory Chapter 11

Key Concepts PERSONALITY TRAITS are permanent characteristics each of us has Taken together, they make up our personality Traits influence how we perceive the world and respond to it Trait theorists agree on what a personality trait is Disagree on which are most important & how they are observed Trait theories are concerned with describing what personality is rather than where personality comes from.

Gordon Allport Theory starts with common terms used to describe people Honest, dominant, outgoing, etc. Three categories of traits Stronger and most often expressed  weaker, less commonly expressed

Traits Cardinal Traits Central Traits Extremely strong personality characteristics Expressed in almost all activities “Ruling Passion” Quite rare Hitler; Mother Teresa Central Traits Highly characteristic; apply to most situations Described by 5-10 of them Contains what we think of as traits Optimistic, decisive, etc. Hitler’s cardinal trait  power and control Mother Teresa  concern for others

Traits cont. Secondary Traits Nomotheitc approach Idiographic approach Weakest, least characteristic Appear only in certain situations Do not describe someone well Aggressive only when others attacked Nomotheitc approach Study large groups of people searching for general laws Idiographic approach Studying individuals to understand uniqueness

Hans Eysenck Factor Analysis Describes the extent to which personality variables are related There are only 2 dimensions necessary to describe personalities

Dimensions Extraversion Emotional Stability Opposite: Introversion Scaled from very outgoing to very quiet Opposite: emotional instability How much a person is affected by feelings

Eysenck Trait Questionnaire

Raymond Cattell Source Traits Surface Traits Describe regular behavior Friend constantly gives in, never takes a stand Traits cluster together because of underlying trait Underling trait Produces behaviors we can see Source trait from example: submissive 16 total source traits

Raymond Cattell

Examining Personality Traits

The Five-Factor Model Twin studies have shown that five personality factors seem to be inherited Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, Openness to experience Found across cultures Tend to be relatively set throughout life Established early, set by our 20s

Effects of the Environment Personality theorists believe ~50% of personality is heredity Environment is not strictly “good” or “bad” Seemingly same environment vastly different for different kids Reacting differently to the same things Example: Birth order Interactions with siblings carry more weight on our personality than interactions with parents