Trait Approach to Personality

Trait Approach to Personality

1. focus on scientific measurement, in contrast with Freud and Rogers. trait theorists use traits for three scientific functions.....

   • DESCRIPTION - traits summarize a person's behaviour. overall descriptive scheme. taxonomy - classifying things being studied.
   • PREDICTION - predict behaviour based on traits. predictions based on important practical value
   • EXPLANATION - traits used to explain behaviour

2. people think traits are central to personality. traits refer to consistent patterns in the way individuals think, feel, behave. predisposed to trait

   • DeRaad (2005) traits refer to behaviours in a social context, e.g. the social person would be sociable in all contexts.
   • JOINT ASSUMPTIONS OF TRAIT THEORY - broad predispositions called traits. all theorists agree that generalised tendencies are personality building bloc
     • trait theorists believe that overt behaviour and underlying traits are linked in a direct way
       • traits can be organised in a hierarchy, e.g. extraversion is then split into lively, sociable, etc etc..

3. ALLPORT

   • traits are basic unit of P. traits actually exist and are based in the nervous system, traits defined by frequency, intensity and range of situations
     • three types of trait. CARDINAL - every act traceable to it's influence, rare. CENTRAL - cover a more limited range of situations. e.g. friendliness
       • AND SECONDARY DISPOSITIONS - traits least conspicuous, relevant to a few situation, e.g. habits
   • Allport uses idiographic research - uniqueness of the individual, which most personality theorists don't do (use nomothetic)
     • said the adult grows out of early motives, e.g. hard work no longer to impress adults but to be valued in itself.
       • EVALUATION - overall, allports contributions limited, anti-scientific, idiographic...

4. FACTOR ANALYSIS - statistical technique used to measure if universal trait dimensions, there are so many traits some must co-occur. test large numbers

5. CATTLELL

   • LOTS DATA - Life, Observer, Test, Subject or OT - objective test
     • Cattell distinguished between surface and source traits. SURFACE - behavioural tendencies on the surface, observed, 40 groupings of surface traits
       • SOURCE TRAITS - internal psychological structures, the source of surface traits, used factor analysis to find source traits. found 16 source traits
         • 16 source traits in three categories - ability traits (skills), temprament traits (emotional life) and dynamic traits (motivational)
           • examples of 16 source traits on polar opposites e.g. one would be outgoing - reserved OR stable - emotional
             • his findings were mostly due to large amounts of Q data, although looked at L data first and later used OT.
       • EVALUATION - addressed all major aspects of personality, he laid a foundation for future research. 16 p.f.q used widely today. however large factor no
   • Cattell found similar results across cultures, ages and different types of data. as well as predicting behaviour and the genetics basis of traits
   • Cattell distinguished states and roles. STATES - refers to emotions and moods, e.g. anxiety, depression. ROLES - linked to social roles e.g. football

6. EYSENCK

   • criticised cattell for having so many traits, eysenck also influenced by factor analysis. he presumed a biological foundation of each trait.
     • eysenck did factor analysis and then secondary factor analysis. e.g. correlations first, then intercorrelations,
       • secondary analysis found factors that were independent, not correlated with another. first saw two super factors, intra-extraversion & neuroticism
         • LATER THEORY - PEN. added psychoticism (abnormal, aggressive, coldness)
         • biological basis due to variations in personality between ancient world and contemporary society. social differences between intra and extraverts
   • Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. objective tests, e.g. lemon drop test, intro/extraverts differ in amount of saliva produced
   • BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF TRAITS - intro/extraverts differ in cortical arousal, introverts more arousable. this found cross-culturally, and over time.
     • individuals high on NEUROTICISM - autonomic system that responds quickly to stress and slow to decrease. PSYCHOTICISM - levels of testosterone

7. EARLY THEORIES

   • WILLIAM SHELDON - temprament and physique. ectomorph- slim, private, restrained. mesomorph- muscly, assertive, competitive. endomorph- fat, sociable
   • GALEN - blood - (passionate). black bile - (sadness). yellow bile - (angry). phlegm - (calm)

8. FIVE-FACTOR MODEL OF PERSONALITY

   • factor analysis between eysenck 3 and cattell 16. found 5 universal traits
     • OCEAN - OPENNESS, CONSCIENTOUSNESS, EXTRAVERSION, AGREEABLENESS, NEUROTICISM
       • COSTA AND MCCRAE (1999, 2003,2008) NEO-PI-R. questionnaire with 5 factors and 6 facets each. 5 structure is a human universal. biological basis
         • DERAAD & PEABBODY (2005) said that E, A, C were cross-lingual
         • Bi 5 changes over development, 7 found in childhood, therefore 5 + or - 2

9. EVALUATION

   • SHELDON - start of psychometric approach to personality, surveys, wide population, applied stats
   • ALLPORT - uniqueness of individuals, self-concept, allport stresed the limitations of trait theory, developed a list of 4500 traits, too long
   • CATTELL - empirical validity, reduced ALLPORTS traits, large samples, broad approach, LOTS of data, comprehensive, empirically based
     • complexity (genetics and environment) - traits PREDICT behaviour, 16 p.f. questionnaire standardised measure now
   • EYSENCK - emphasised genetics, large samples, factor analysis, historical samples, cross-cultural evidence, PEN translated to other languages
     • twin studies concluded genetic basis, longitudinal traits across time, socialised into traits, behavioural, eysenck TOO PARSIMONIOUS (only 3 traits),
       • COMPREHENSIVE theory, heavy focus on genetics not on social context, personality determines contexts we seek out, theory has APPLIED VALUE. RIGOROUS APPROACH, GOOD DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION AND HEURISTIC VALUE
   • FIVE FACTOR MODEL EVAL - many sources used to draw conclusion, Big 5 UNIVERSAL, large samples, factor analysed, data then hypothesis, data-derived hypothesis
     • COSTA AND MCCRAE - NEO-PI-R allows measurement at general level, NEO-PI-R translated into other languages, traits stable and genetic basis
   • OVERALL TRAIT EVALUATION - not 100% consensus on big 5, need scientific evidence against big 5. Big 5 doesn't measure traits such as MORAL / IMMORAL. if evaluative traits were included we would have 7. trait approaches over rely on trait measures,