Costa and McCrae Part 2.

What are the four assumptions the five factory theory makes about human nature?

Knowability, rationality, variability, and proactivity

Knowability

The assumption that personality is a proper object of scientific study; much can be gained from the scientific study of personality in individuals and groups

Rationality

The assumption that people are generally capable of understanding themselves and others

Variability

Asserts that people differ from each other in psychologically significant ways

Proactivity

The assumption that the causation-point of human action is to be sought in the person—it is worthwhile to seek the origins of behavior in a person’s characteristics

Explain why the Five-factor theory has little to say about the biological bases of traits

While the Five-factory theory acknowledges genes and brain structures, the developmental, neuroanatomical, and psychophysiological pathways remain insufficiently understood, so detailed biological theory would be premature

Criticism of the five-factor model (not theory)

1. It excludes honesty-humility, and thus would have difficulty explaining altruistic behaviour

2. Despite saying that none of the big-five traits are correlated, extraversion and agreeableness are somewhat, which makes people think personality is just one-factor

3. It hasn’t been tested in numerous world languages and cultures—in Eastern cultures, people say openness to experience is not important

How do personality components interact?

Through dynamic processes