Trait Theory Practice Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the core concepts, historical foundations, major models (Eysenck, Big Five, Wiggins), and statistical methods of trait theory.

Trait Perspective

The view that personality consists of stable qualities that influence behaviour across situations and over time, focusing on individual differences rather than unconscious conflict or social learning.

Types

Distinct, qualitative categories used to classify personality on an either/or basis, such as Type A vs Type B.

Traits

Continuous dimensions of personality representing quantitative differences where people differ by degree rather than kind.

Choleric

One of Hippocrates' four temperaments, described as being irritable.

Melancholic

One of Hippocrates' four temperaments, described as being depressed.

Sanguine

One of Hippocrates' four temperaments, described as being optimistic.

Phlegmatic

One of Hippocrates' four temperaments, described as being calm.

Nomothetic

An approach to personality that views traits as universal, applying the same traits to everyone to allow for comparison between people.

Idiographic

An approach to personality that focuses on the unique individual, where traits may differ from person to person, making comparison difficult.

Lexical Approach

The idea that important personality traits for human interaction are encoded within language.

Gordon Allport ($1937$)

A researcher who identified approximately $8,000$ trait adjectives and reduced them to a list of $171$ traits.

Raymond Cattell ($1947$)

A researcher who used factor analysis to reduce personality traits into $16$ personality factors.

Eysenck’s Hierarchy

The organization of personality from specific behaviours to habits, then to traits, and finally to supertraits.

PEN Model

Eysenck's theory of three main supertraits: Psychoticism, Extraversion, and Neuroticism.

Wiggins’ Interpersonal Circle ($1979$)

A model proposing that personality differences arise from combinations of two major dimensions: Dominance (dominant vs. submissive) and Love/Warmth (cold vs. warm).

Factor Analysis

A statistical method used to reduce many personality variables into underlying dimensions by identifying patterns of correlation or covariance.

Openness

A Big Five trait dimension characterized by being creative and curious.

Conscientiousness

A Big Five trait dimension characterized by being organized and disciplined; it often predicts achievement.

Extraversion

A Big Five trait dimension involving sociability, outgoingness, and a need for stimulation.

Agreeableness

A Big Five trait dimension characterized by being kind and cooperative.

Neuroticism

A Big Five trait dimension characterized by emotional instability, reactivity, and anxiety.

Social Desirability Bias

A limitation of trait assessment where individuals may respond to self-report questionnaires based on how they want to appear rather than how they truly are.