TRAIT THEORY OF
PERSONALITY
Understand individuals by breaking down behavior patterns
into observable traits, (instead of observable behaviors).
Personalities are determined by a combination of traits.
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS:
1. Personality Traits are relatively stable, and therefore predictable.
2. Personality Traits are consistent in diverse situations.
3. Each person has a different set or degree of particular traits.
GORDON ALLPORT (1897-1967)
INFERRING TRAITS FROM BEHAVIOR
What people do is a great clue as to
personality traits. If a person enjoys, biking,
running and hiking, we can infer they are
athletic (a trait), if they enjoy mountain
climbing and moto-x, we might infer they are
adventurous.
-We can infer traits by observing people in
natural or experimental settings.
ALLPORT’S 3 CATEGORIES OF TRAITS
Cardinal Traits
Central Traits
Secondary Traits
-Dominates personality
across time and situations.
-Five to Ten traits that are
stable across time and
situation.
-Characteristics that are only
evident in certain situations.
-Most important component
of personality ie. Ambition or
self-sacrifice.
-Very few people develop a
cardinal trait – usually late in
life.
-Building blocks of
personality ie. Friendliness,
meanness, happiness.
-General adjectives that
would be used to describe
someone
-Basis for most personality
theories
-Less obvious and consistent
ie. Liking icecream, disliking
Rap music
-Of less importance to
personality theorists.
RAYMOND CATTELL (1905-1998)
Cattell condensed
thousands of traits to 16
primary traits. The 16
PF (personality factors)
test is still in use today.
Divided personality traits into
2 categories:
• SURFACE TRAITS: Behavior we see
people engaging in on a regular basis.
Easily observed.
• SOURCE TRAITS: produce the behaviors
we can see. Underlie surface behavior.
HANS EYSENCK (1916-1997)
• Argued that only 2 factors were
necessary to explain personality
differences. Proposed a 2 factor model
to encompass Cattell’s 16 factors.
• FACTOR 1:
Extraversion-Introversion
• FACTOR 2:
Neuroticism – Emotional Stability
Costa & McRae’s : ‘Five Factor Theory’
More recent research suggests that 5 personality
factors seem to be inherited or at least appear early on
in most people.
Important to ignore + or – connotations with
terminology.
Everyone possesses all 5 of these traits to a greater or
lesser degree. (Continuum rather than have or not
have).
EXTRAVERSION
INTROVERSION
-Engaged with external world
- Quiet & low-key
-Enjoy being around others
- Disengaged from external world – don’t
seek out social involvement
-Energetic & enthusiastic
- Prefer solitude
-Attention seekers
- Require less stimulation than extraverts
-Often positive
- Shyness sometimes mistaken for
unfriendliness
AGREEABLENESS
• Value getting along with others
• Considerate, friendly, generous, helpful
• Willing to compromise
• Optimistic view – believe that people
are basically honest, decent &
trustworthy
DISAGREEABLENESS
• Place self interest above getting along
with others.
• Unconcerned with others’ well-being,
unlikely to extend themselves for
others.
• Skeptical of others’ motives –
suspicious, unfriendly, uncooperative
While agreeableness is obviously advantageous for attaining & maintaining popularity, it is not
useful in situations requiring tough or absolute decisions.
Disagreeable people can make excellent scientists, critics or soldiers.
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
IMPULSIVITY
• Contemplation & careful planning.
• Snap decisions, acting on impulse
• Persistent, reliable
• Fun, zany, exciting
• Prudence (wise & cautious) – Conscientious people
are typically considered intelligent by others.
• Unreliable, lacking ambition
• Avoid trouble
• Often successful
• Can be perceived as stuffy or boring
• Perfectionists & workaholics
• Distractibility = smaller, scattered and/or
inconsistent accomplishments
• Responding to impulse – short term
pleasure, but long term consequences
• Ie. Drug use - long term effects on health
NEUROTIC
STABLE
• Tendency to experience negative feelings
eg. Anxiety, anger, depression
• Less easily upset & emotionally
reactive
• Emotionally reactive
• Calm & emotionally stable
• More intense responses, more likely to
interpret situations as threatening or
minor frustrations as hopeless difficult
• Free from persistent negative
feelings
• Irritability
• Problems in emotional regulation result in
ability to think clearly, make decisions or
cope.
(* Does not necessarily mean an
abundance of positive feelings – that
falls under extraversion).
OPENNESS(TO EXPERIENCE)
CLOSE-MINDEDNESS
- Imaginative, creative
• Down-to-earth, conventional
- Intellectual curiosity, appreciative of art,
sensitive to beauty
• Narrow, common interests
- Ability to think in symbols or abstract
terms
• Prefer straightforward and obvious.
• Embrace familiarity – resistant to change
- More aware of feelings
- Individualistic & Non-conformist
- Intellectuals often score high on openness
– but not directly related to intellect.
* Although openness is often presented as more mature –closed thinking can be more useful.
Research shows closed thinkers thrive in areas such as police work, sales & service occupations
THE BIG 5 PERSONALITY TEST
http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/
http://personality-testing.info/tests/BIG5.php
http://psychcentral.com/personality-test/start.php