Trait Theory II in Personality Psychology

A set of flashcards reviewing key concepts from the Personality Psychology lecture, focusing on Trait Theory, its applications, criticisms, and research findings.

What is the fundamental lexical hypothesis in personality psychology?

Personality descriptions exist in language, and important traits are encoded effectively.

Who conducted the early factor analysis that contributed to the Five-Factor Model?

Norman (1963) and Goldberg (1990) were key contributors.

What are the five main factors in the Five-Factor Model?

Surgency, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Intellect.

What does the term 'cross-cultural universality' imply in personality psychology?

Important individual differences are encoded as single terms in many of the world’s languages.

Which two researchers' work is foundational to the Five-Factor Theory?

McCrae and Costa.

Which personality factor is characterized by traits such as gregariousness and assertiveness?

Extraversion.

What is a potential criticism of DeYoung et al.'s (2010) research?

False positives are likely due to multiple hypothesis testing.

How do observer ratings compare to self-reports in predicting personality performance?

Observer ratings are better predictors of performance than self-ratings.

What stability do the five-factor scores exhibit over time?

They remain stable across time but can change relative standings among individuals.

What social age range experiences consistent changes in personality traits according to the survey findings?

Between the ages of 31 to 50.

What challenges arise from cross-sectional internet research on personality?

The cohort effect and lower quality of responses in internet samples.

How does higher conscientiousness affect workplace performance?

It tends to predict better work performance.

What is the relationship between neuroticism and subjective well-being?

Individuals with lower neuroticism report higher levels of well-being.

What alternative trait does the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory measure?

Interpersonal Relatedness (IR) in addition to the FFM traits.

What is the HEXACO model in relation to FFM?

It includes Honesty-Humility as an additional factor alongside the FFM traits.

What does the concept of cultural universality suggest regarding personality traits?

Cultural universals in individual differences should be consistent with evolutionary perspectives.

How might factor analysis be misinterpreted?

It may lead to conclusions that obscure individual differences rather than explain them.

What is the significance of Gray's Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST)?

It links personality traits to biological systems and neural subsystems.

What is a key criticism of traditional trait theories?

They may oversimplify human behavior by relying solely on higher-level traits without considering situational context.

What does the social-cognitive approach emphasize in personality psychology?

Behavior varies according to different situations, challenging the consistency assumption in personality.