Cattell Personality Theories Study Terms & Definitions

Who was Raymond Cattell?

born in England 1905. science major at the university of London, doctorate in psychology at 23 from kings college.

What is factor analysis

a measure of the association between two variables in which 0 indicates no association and +1 or -1 a strong association.

what is an example of factor analysis

correlation of +.68 between extraversion test score and number if times a person talks in class.

What did Cattell say about personality?

Personality is that which permits a prediction of what a person will do in a given situation.

How can we measure personality?

Personality test, 16 PF, intelligence tests.

What are the three sources of data beyond personality tests?

questionnaire data, objective test data, life record data.

what is an example of Q-data?

16 PF and myers brigg

What are examples of Objective Test data

Rorsach Inkblot and TAT

what is an example of life record data

The life history of an individual

What is a surface trait

traits defined simply at the level of observable behavior.

what is a source trait

basic underlying personality traits

what is an example of surface and source trait.

An introverted(source) person displays shyness, is quiet, and dislikes crowds.

The 16 PF

Multiple-choice personality questionnaire developed by Cattell to measure 16 normal adult personality dimensions.

Five second-order factors

Extraversion

Anxiety

Tough-Mindedness

Independence

Self-Control

psychological adjustment

Neurosis and psychosis

Neurosis

A person ability to control their impulses and emotions.

What are the three types of triats

ability traits, temperament traits and dynamic traits.

Fluid intell

aspects of innate intelligence, including reasoning abilities, memory, and speed of information processing; relatively independent of education and tends to decline as people age

Crystalized

knowledge and skills gained through experience and education and the ability to access that knowledge; intelligence that tends to increase over the life span

temperament traits

traits that describe our general behavioral style in responding to our environment

Ergs

dynamic, constitutional source traits anger fear sex etc.

Dynamic traits

Ergs, metaergs, subsidiation.

metaergs

*environmental-mold (learned) dynamic source traits

*sentiments & attitudes

subsidation

sentiments depend on ergs, and attitudes depend on sentiments

The dynamic lattice

confluence learning

Predicting behavior

-Some research in psychology aims to develop laws that enable scientists to predict behavior with some probability greater than chance

Nomothematic

approach to personality that focuses on identifying general laws that govern the behavior of all individuals

idiographic

approach to personality that focuses on identifying the unique configuration of characteristics and life history experiences within a person

R-technique

Form of factor analysis used to infer underlying source traits in large subject populations.

P technique (Cattell)

form of factor analysis that permits assessment of the unique trait structure of an individual

constitutional traits

hereditary

environmental mold traits

learning, multiple abstract variance analysis

Heritability

extent to which a trait is influenced by genetics

Big Five

openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism

Cattell defined personality as that which permits

prediction of what a person will do in a given situation.

catell's major contribution has been

measurement

syntality

group differences in personality

Responses to pencil and paper self-report tests (such as those that ask subjects to rate how much they agree with statements such as "I generally prefer to be with people rather than alone") are called

Q-data

cattle classified projective test, such as Rorschach inkblot test as

T-data

your driving, record grade point average, and letters or recommendation might be studied by Cattell who would call them

L-data

Underlying patterns of personality, which reappear in a variety of populations, are called (by Cattell) __________.

source traits

fluid intelligence

is the innate ability to learn.

Crystalized Intelligence (Cattell)

includes the effects of formal education

traits are hereditary source traits such as emotional reactivity, that determine the style and tempo of behavior

temperament

------traits are motivational traits

dynamic