Trait Theories

Trait Approach

• does not try to explain behavior

• it is descriptive

• identifies personality characteristics that can be represented along a continuum

Trait

• categorizes people according to degree to which they display a particular characteristic

• assumptions - personality characteristics are stable over time

Surface trait vs Source trait

Surface trait

• characteristics or attributes that can be inferred from observable behavior (what behaviors we see)

• Ex. observing that someone is social and talk in class

Source trait

• most fundamental aspect of personality; broad, basic traits that are thought to be universal and few in number

• Ex. this student might be high in extroversion which causes them to be social and talkative

Nomothetic approach vs Idiographic approach

Nomothetic

• describing personality along a finite number of traits: extroversion, neuroticism

• these traits can be applied to anyone

Idiographic

• identifies any combination of traits to describe an individual

• infinite possibilites

• idiographic traits may not apply to everyone

Central, Secondary, Cardinal Traits

Central

• can easily describe an individual’s personality

• ex. extroversion

Secondary

• preferential, not main predictors of behavior

Cardinal

• single dominating trait in personality

Jungian Personality Theory

• Not a trait approach

• Carl Jung

• personality traits for perceiving the environment and obtaining/processing info

• binary outcomes

• not reliable or repeatable

Factor Analysis

• Data reduction technique

• Simplify relations among variables

• Identify common patterns in data

• Simplifies assessment - short surveys, easier analysis

• Finds naturally occurring and covarying traits

Raymond Cattel

• used factor analysis to identify personality traits

• proposed 16 personality traits

• different to Eysenck who suggested 2 primary personality traits

The Big 5

• Costa and McCrae

• traits seem stable over lifespan

• biologically influenced

• Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism

Openness

• involves active imagination, divergent thinking and intellectual curiosity

• people on the high end are unconventional and independent thinkers

• individuals on the low end prefer familial than imaginative

Conscientiousness

• people on the high end are organized, plan oriented and determined

• people on the low end are careless, easily distractable from tasks and undependable

Extraversion

• places extreme extroverts at one end and extreme introverts at the other

• extroverts are very sociable

• introverts are reserved and independent

Agreeableness

• people with high scores are helpful, trusting and sympathetic

• individuals with low scores tend to be antagonistic and skeptical

Neuroticism

• places people according to their emotional stability and personal adjustment

• people with high scores are more vulnerable to anxiety and depression

• people with low scores tend to be calm and well adjusted

Taste Buds

• sweet

• salty

• sour

• bitter

• umami

Lexical Approach

Allport and Odbert searched dictionary for words that describe people then were filtered:

• removed physical attributes (tall)

• removed cognitive abilities and talents (smart)

• removed transient states (sad)

• removed highly evaluative terms (moron)

HEXACO Model

Adds 1 factor:

• honesty-humility

• emotionality/neuroticism

• extroversion

• agreeableness

• conscientiousness

• openness to experience

Self-Report Inventories

Limitations

• participants may fake responses to look better (or worse)

• forcing participants to choose predetermined responses

• high number of times leads to loss of interest

• takers not always accurate in self-judgements

• not a personality test, by itself, is likely to provide a definitive description of any given individual

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

• self-report

• easy to administer

• popularly used in companies for developmental purposes

Barnum Effect

When someone believes personality descriptions specifically apply to them, while the description applies to mostly everyone

Prevent Faking

• Correct for social desirability

• Behavioral personality tests

• Use forced choice response options

• Ask for written elaborations

• Include warnings that fakers can be caught

Carelessness and Sabotage

• participants can get bored with long tests and select responses randomly

• test takers sometimes report incorrect info to sabotage a research project (rare)

• instruction explanation, surveillance and stressing the importance of the test can reduce the problem

• people may randomly mark answers on test without paying attention

• some test include attention check items

• social desirability - extent to which people present themselves favorably (potentially problematic)

Projective Tests

Rorschach Inkblot Test:

• subject describes what they see on inkblot cards

Thematic Apperception Test:

• subjects look at ambiguous, black and white drawings and create narratives or stories based on them, revealing underlying motives and needs

Strengths

• info can facilitate therapy

Limitations

• scoring highly subjective

• fails to produce consistent results

• poor at predicting future behavior

Walter Mitchell

• observed behavior and personality traits correlate weakly

• situation is main determinant of behavior

• traits are weak predictors of behavior alone

Hartshorne and May

• gave thousands of children multiple behavioral tests of dishonesty: lying, cheating, stealing

• dishonesty varied widely across situations, with little consistency

Is the Structure of Personality Universal?

• We can test if traits are universal by translating tests to other languages

  • openness to new experiences least consistent

• Culture specific traits

  • differences in non-western vs western culture

  • chinese personality assessment inventory

Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory

Harmony

• peace of mind, contentment

Ren Qing

• adherence to cultural norms based on reciprocity, exchange of social favors and exchange of affection

Modernization

• response to modernization and attitudes toward traditional chinese beliefs

Thrift vs Extravagance

• virtue of saving rather than wasteful spending

Ah-Q Mentality

• defense mechanisms, belittling others

Face

• social behaviors to enhance one’s face and to avoid losing face

Traits vs Types

Traits

• dimensional, continuum

• often assessed as continuous variables

• likert scales

Typers

• categorical or nominal

• Carl Jung

• sensing or intuitive

Describing Personality

• Motives, needs and goals (humanistic)

• Genetics (biology)

• Self-schemas (cognitive)

• Life narratives (qualitative)

Designing Assessments

• avoid double-barreled questions

• use neutral or unbiased language

• minimize the use of negative wording

• avoid repetitive response

• use rating scales consistently

• likert scales

• minimize items and survey length