- Describe early trait theories
- Understand the traits described by the Big Five personality theory
- Explain the person-situation debate
- Discuss how personality stays the same or changes over time
trait theorists
Trait theorists believe personality can be understood via the approach that all people have certain traits, or characteristic ways of behaving. Do you tend to be sociable or shy? Passive or aggressive? Optimistic or pessimistic? Moody or even-tempered? Early trait theorists tried to describe all human personality traits.
- Cardinal traits: a trait that dominates your entire personality, and hence your life—such as Ebenezer Scrooge’s greed and Mother Theresa’s altruism. Cardinal traits are not very common: Few people have personalities dominated by a single trait. Instead, our personalities typically are composed of multiple traits.
- Central traits: the traits that make up our personalities (such as loyal, kind, agreeable, friendly, sneaky, wild, and grouchy).
- Secondary traits: traits that are not quite as obvious or as consistent as central traits. They are present under specific circumstances and include preferences and attitudes. For example, one person gets angry when people try to tickle him; another can only sleep on the left side of the bed; and yet another always orders her salad dressing on the side. And you—although not normally an anxious person—feel nervous before making a speech in front of your English class.
In an effort to make the list of traits more manageable, Raymond Cattell (1946, 1957) narrowed down the list to about 171 traits, then used that list to identify 16 factors or dimensions of personality: warmth, reasoning, emotional stability, dominance, liveliness, rule-consciousness, social boldness, sensitivity, vigilance, abstractedness, privateness, apprehension, openness to change, self-reliance, perfectionism, and tension (Table 1).
Cattell developed a personality assessment based on these 16 factors, called the 16PF. Instead of a trait being present or absent, each dimension is scored over a continuum, from high to low. For example, your level of warmth describes how warm, caring, and nice to others you are. If you score low on this index, you tend to be more distant and cold. A high score on this index signifies you are supportive and comforting.
| Factor | Low Score | High Score |
|---|---|---|
| Warmth | Reserved, detached | Outgoing, supportive |
| Intellect | Concrete thinker | Analytical |
| Emotional stability | Moody, irritable | Stable, calm |
| Aggressiveness | Docile, submissive | Controlling, dominant |
| Liveliness | Somber, prudent | Adventurous, spontaneous |
| Dutifulness | Unreliable | Conscientious |
| Social assertiveness | Shy, restrained | Uninhibited, bold |
| Sensitivity | Tough-minded | Sensitive, caring |
| Paranoia | Trusting | Suspicious |
| Abstractness | Conventional | Imaginative |
| Introversion | Open, straightforward | Private, shrewd |
| Anxiety | Confident | Apprehensive |
| Openmindedness | Closeminded, traditional | Curious, experimental |
| Independence | Outgoing, social | Self-sufficient |
| Perfectionism | Disorganized, casual | Organized, precise |
| Tension | Relaxed | Stressed |