Cattell, Eysenck, Five-Factor, HEXACO, and the Dark Triad

Who founded trait theory in psychology?

Raymond Cattell

Who did Cattell work with?

Spearman and Thorndike

What was Cattell's main goal in his research?

To predict how someone will respond to a given stimulus situation.

What did Cattell analyze?

behaviors, things that could be seen

What are traits according to Cattell?

Reaction tendencies derived from factor analysis. Predictable characteristics that reflect consistent behaviors across situations.

What are the three categories of traits according to Cattell?

1. Common vs Unique

2. Ability, Temperment, & Dynamic

3. Surface vs Source

What is the difference between common and unique traits?

Common traits are shared by most people, while unique traits distinguish individuals.

What are ability traits?

Skills, capacities, attitudes, and interests.

What do temperament traits refer to?

Emotions and feelings that influence reactions to people and situations.

What are dynamic traits?

Forces that motivate our goals and behaviors.

What is the difference between surface traits and source traits?

Surface traits are unstable and vary between situations, while source traits are unique to an individual and permanent elements of their behavior.

What are constitutional traits?

Traits that are biological and innate.

How does personality contribute to romantic relationships?

Similar personality traits lead to stable marriages and very different personality traits lead to unstable marriages.

What are environmental-mold traits?

Traits shaped by social and environmental influences.

What percentage of personality does Cattell believe is genetic?

One-third.

What percentage of personality does Cattell attribute to social and environmental influences?

Two-thirds.

What are the three types of data used in Cattell's assessment?

L-data (life data), Q-data (questionnaire data), and T-data (test data).

What is L-data?

life ratings of behaviors observed in real-life situations

What is Q-data?

self-report questionnaire data rating own characteristics, attitudes, and interests

What is T-data?

data derived from personality testing resistant to faking

What does the 16 Personality Factor (PF) Test assess?

Personality for research, clinical diagnosis, and job success prediction.

What are the three personality dimensions identified by Hans Eysenck? (PEN)

Psychoticism, Extraversion, and Neuroticism.

What characterizes someone high in psychoticism?

Aggressive, cold, egocentric, impulsive, and antisocial tendencies.

What does high extraversion indicate about a person?

They tend to thrive in social situations and have lower cortical arousal.

What is neuroticism associated with?

A negative worldview, negative view of oneself, increased risk of depression/anxiety, and a tendency to catastrophize.

What did Eyesenck believe traits were determined by?

Heredity.

What is the Five-Factor Model of Personality also known as? (OCEAN)

OCEAN: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.

What does the HEXACO model add to the Five-Factor Model?

It introduces a sixth factor, Honesty-Humility.

Who proposed HEXACO - the 6 factor model?

Ashton & Lee

What is the dark triad of personality?

It is a three factor approach to understanding the dark side of personality; proposed by Paulhus & Williams.

What are the components of the Dark Triad of Personality?

Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy.

What is narcissism characterized by?

A sense of grandiosity, inflated self-importance, extreme selfishness, and need for admiration/attention

What does Machiavellianism involve?

Manipulating others to achieve personal goals.

What traits characterize psychopathy?

Callousness, insensitivity, egocentrism, antisocial behavior, taking advantage of othes, and using charm and violence.