SP - Trait Theories Lesson
Learning Target:
- Compare and contrast trait theories of personality with other theories of personality.
Courtesy of the AP psychology course and exam description, effective fall 2024. (n.d.). Links to an external site.
Trait Theories
While other personality theories emphasize our similarities, trait theory focuses primarily on describing individual personal differences. Traits are those identifiable patterns of behavior or consciousness that motivate and explain our behavior. When describing a friend or family member to someone, you describe their traits. A trait theory of personality attempts to identify, describe, and measure those individual differences. We will examine diverse types of traits as well as various trait theories.
Surface vs. Source Traits
The traits that we use to describe friends and family are those traits that lie on the "surface" and are called surface traits. These traits are easily identifiable by observing people's behavior. The list of surface traits is exceptionally long. Psychologist Gordon Allport found more than 4,000 words in the dictionary that could be used to describe personality.
Source traits are thought to make up the fundamentals of personality. These traits give rise to surface traits. Theorists believe that there are only a few true source traits.
Trait Theories
Trait theories in psychology propose that personality can be described and understood through a set of distinct traits or characteristics. These traits are stable and enduring over time, and they help to predict a person's behavior across a variety of situations. Trait theories focus on identifying and measuring these traits, often through self-report measures or observer ratings.
The Big Five Theory
The Big Five Theory of personality offers valuable insights into the dimensions that shape our individuality. According to this theory, personality can be primarily understood through five key traits: agreeableness, openness to experience, extraversion, conscientiousness, and emotional stability (neuroticism). Researchers can discern and organize different aspects of individuals' personalities based on their responses using specialized personality inventories that leverage factor analysis.
While some earlier personality theories were deemed too intricate or overly simplistic, the Big Five Theory aimed to strike a balance. It posits that these five fundamental dimensions capture the essence of human personality and have been crucial in social contexts, aiding our species in survival by identifying leaders and contributors to society.
Upon undergoing a personality assessment based on the Big Five, individuals often discover that their traits remain relatively stable over time, are influenced by genetic factors, exhibit cross-cultural consistency, and can offer insights into other attributes. Additionally, an extended version known as the Five Factor Model, advanced by Robert McRae and Paul Costa, effectively links these traits to observable behaviors.
The ongoing research into the Big Five Theory seeks to address significant questions surrounding personality traits. Researchers explore the stability of these traits over time, the consistency between self-reported traits and external assessments, the potential correlation between these traits and brain structures or birth order, the universality of these traits across diverse cultures, and the predictive capability of the Big Five traits in shaping everyday behaviors. Through continuous investigation and analysis, the Big Five Theory continues to enhance our understanding of human personality dynamics and their broader implications on individual behavior and society.
| Big 5 Traits | Example Behavior for LOW scorers | Example Behavior for HIGH Scorers |
|---|---|---|
|
Openness |
Prefers not to be exposed to alternative moral systems; narrow interests; inartistic; not analytical; down-to-earth | Enjoys seeing people with new types of haircuts and body piercing; curious; imaginative; untraditional |
| Conscientiousness | Prefers spur-of-the-moment action to planning; unreliable; hedonistic; careless; lax | Never late for a date; organized; hardworking; neat; preserving; punctual; self-disciplined |
| Extraversion | Preferring a quiet evening reading to a loud party; sober; aloof; unenthusiastic | Being the life of the party; active; optimistic; fun-loving; affectionate |
| Agreeableness | Quickly and confidently asserts own rights; irritable; manipulative; uncooperative; rude | Agrees with others about political opinions; good-natured; forgiving; gullible; helpful |
| Neuroticism | Not getting irritated by small annoyances; calm, unemotional; hardy; secure; self satisfied | Constantly worrying about little things; insecure; hypochondriacal; feeling inadequate |
*Memory tip: Picturing OCEAN will help you recall these. You should know the Big Five for the AP Psychology Exam.
Other Assessments
A current way of assessing personality is using self-report inventories such as the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory). The inventory contains items shown in research to differentiate between people. It is scored by comparing answers to standardized norms collected by large groups. The goal is to discriminate between groups by looking for differences in subjects compared to the norm.
Watch the video below on trait theory.
Raymond Cattell and Hans Eysenck
Raymond Cattell
Trait theorist Raymond Cattell took Gordon Allport's list of thousands of traits and reduced them to 171 characteristics by eliminating those that seemed uncommon or redundant. By using factor analysis (a statistical measure used to identify related items) he was able to identify traits that were even more closely related and reduce his list to sixteen key personality factors. He believed that these sixteen factors represented the essential source traits that make up human personality. Each trait represents a dimension that ranges between two extremes. For example, if you are timid or shy you could be extremely shy and avoid others or a little shy to the extent that you do not like to speak in front of large crowds.
Text-Only version of the chart above
Each trait represents a dimension that ranges between two extremes.
Reserved, unsociable <--> Outgoing, sociable
Less intelligent, concrete <--> More intelligent, abstract
Affected by feelings <--> Emotionally stable
Submissive, humble <--> Dominant, assertive
Serious <--> Happy-go-lucky
Expedient <--> Conscientious
Timid <--> Venturesome
Tough-minded <--> Sensitive
Trusting <--> Suspicious
Practical <--> Imaginative
Forthright <--> Shrewd, calculating
Self-assured <--> Apprehensive
Conservative <--> Experimenting
Group-dependent <--> Self-sufficient
Undisciplined <--> Controlled
Relaxed <--> Tense
Hans Eysenck
British psychologist Hans Eysenck proposed an even simpler model of source traits. He believed that individual differences in personality are due to biological differences among people. His personality theory includes three dimensions. The first is introversion-extroversion: One who is introverted is quiet and reserved, while an extrovert is outgoing and sociable. Like Cattell's theory, your personality can fall onto various degrees of each trait. His second major division is neuroticism-emotional stability. Neuroticism is the predisposition to become emotionally upset, while emotional stability describes a predisposition to be emotionally even.
Eysenck believed that these two dimensions could be combined to classify four basic types of personality: introverted-neurotic, extroverted-neurotic, extroverted-stable, and introverted-stable. Later he identified the third dimension he called psychoticism. Someone who scores high on psychoticism is antisocial and cold, while those who score low are warm and caring.
Four Basic Personality Types:
Text-Only version of the image above
Melancholic Personality (Emotionally Unstable/Neurotic and Introverted):
Moody, Anxious, Rigid, Sober, Pessimistic, Reserved, Unsociable, Quiet
Phlegmatic Personality (Emotionally Stable and Introverted):
Passive, Careful, Thoughtful, Peaceful, Controlled, Reliable, Even-tempered, Calm
Choleric Personality (Emotionally Unstable/Neurotic and Extroverted):
Touchy, Restless, Aggressive, Excitable, Changeable, Impulsive, Optimistic, Active
Sanguine Personality (Emotionally Stable and Extroverted):
Sociable, Outgoing, Talkative, Responsive, Easygoing, Lively, Carefree, Leadership
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