approaches to personality (2)

Question 1

What is the lexical hypothesis, and how has it influenced key trait models of personality?

Answer 1

lexical hypothesis – all aspects of individual personality can be described from single words used in language
We don’t need to go out and explore personality in research as we already have linguistic data which tells us how we speak/perceive personality

Question 2

How did Allport and Odbert contribute to the development of the lexical hypothesis?

Answer 2

Collected a pool of 555k personality words from a dictionary
Narrowed down to 18k terms referring to behavioural differences
Narrowed down to 4.5k by removing terms relating to cognitive, physical or transient states

Question 3

What is factor analysis, and how does it contribute to understanding personality traits?

Answer 3

Factor analysis a data reduction technique which uses correlations between several variables to identify a number of underlying latent variables
aims to identify factors with high factor loadings (strongly related to many items in the dataset) and low cross-loadings (factors represent a specific set of variables)

Question 4

How do researchers conduct a factor analysis?

Answer 4

1. researcher decides how many factors to extract.
2. research names factors based off items that load onto it.
3. researcher ensures identified factors have low cross-loadings and high factor loadings.

Question 5

Describe Cartell’s 16 Personality Factor Model and its development process.

Answer 5

100 people rated others on 171 traits
60 clusters of terms identified - reduced to 45 ‘surface traits
factor analysis
Using self-report, test performance and other ratings - reduced to 16 latent personality traits/source traits (scales not categories)
16 traits explain variability within the 45 surface traits, and are listed in order of greatest influence on surface traits

Question 6

Evaluate Cattell’s 16 PF.

Answer 6

Positives
data driven theory development, promotion of factor analysis
revised 16PF questionnaires still used
basis of subsequent ‘big 5’ models
Negatives
subjectivity in analysis
16 - too many factors, many correlate meaning they are not independent
other models suggest fewer, independent factors are better - e.g 5 independent second order factor model

Question 7

What are the five factors in the BIG FIVE model of personality, and who developed it?

Answer 7

Revision of Catelle’s work by Costa and McCrace (1985) identified 5 supertraits - Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness of Experience
Further identfied from analysis of Golberg’s 5 factor model – Agreeableness, Conscientiousness (OCEAN MODEL)

Question 8

Outline the methods Costa and McCrae developed to measure the 5 supertraits.

Answer 8

NEO-Personality Inventory and NEO PI-R
Standardised questionnaires to measure the facets/subtraits of each of the 5 supertraits
Each supertrait has 6 facets which is measured by several items in the questionnaire

Question 9

BIG 5 (outline&facets)
NEUROTICISM

Answer 9

neuroticism - tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, anger, and vulnerability
facets - depression, self-consciousness, impulsiveness, anxiety, vulnerability, hostility

Question 10

BIG 5 (outline&facets)
EXTRAVERSION

Answer 10

extraversion - extent to which a person is outgoing, sociable, energetic, and assertive
facets - activity, positive emotions, excitement seeking, assertiveness, gregariousness, warmth

Question 11

BIG 5 (outline&facets)
OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE

Answer 11

openness to experience - tendency to engage in engage in intellectual activities and levels of curiosity and (unconventional) ideas, associated with high intellect
facets - fantasy, aesthetic seeking, feelings, actions, ideas, values

Question 12

BIG 5 (outline&facets)
AGREEABLENESS

Answer 12

agreeableness - tendency to be friendly and conform to pro-social behaviour
facets - trust, alturism, directness, compliance, modesty, tenderness

Question 13

BIG 5 (outline&facets)
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS

Answer 13

conscientiousness - tendency to be proactive, determined, responsible and self-disciplined
facets - competence, order, dutifulness, self-discipline, deliberation, achievement seeking

Question 14

What are the criticisms of the BIG FIVE model, and how does it compare to alternative models like the PEN model?

Answer 14

Critics of the BIG FIVE model, such as Eysenck (PEN) argue 3 traits is better as openess is a measure of intelligence, not personality, and agreeableness is a combination of LOW P and N and high E
Costa and McCrae found - high correlations/conceptual between some traits but poorer ones in OAC traits and PEN

Question 15

What are some contemporary alternatives to the BIG FIVE model?

Answer 15

Alt. Big 5 (Zuckerman)
1. Impulsive Unsocialized sensation seeking
2. aggression-hostility
3. activity
4. sociability
5. neuroticism-anxiety

HEXACO
Honesty-humility
Emotionality
eXtraversion
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Openness to Experience

Question 16

What are psychometrics?

Answer 16

Use correlations to find words which are similar in meaning (basis of data reduction techniques) and determine overall ‘latent factors’
strong weak/positive correlations - related to a common latent factor by either representing the same thing, or being two ends of an axis
no correlation - no underlying factor

Question 17

Evaluate the OCEAN model of personality.

Answer 17

Positives
most widely used trait model
cross-cultural stability of factors
evidence of biological underpinnings
useful ‘common currency’
negatives
other models HEXACO or Alt. Big 5
important factors such as narcissim not represented
over reliance on self-report measures of personality
single words insufficient to completely describe personality

Question 18

Outline Block’s critique of the OCEAN model.

Answer 18

Factors derived from factor analysis depend on which variables are entered and numbers of factors extracted - leads to inconsistent solutions
- single words insufficient to describe all aspects of personality
- overeliance on undergrads who may have unstable personalities
- simple correlations do not capture full complexity of relationships between terms e.g wittiness and intelligence
- some factors not represented e.g narcissism

Question 19

Which of Cattell’s 16 source traits has been associated with intelligence by subsequent literature?

Answer 19

Factor B - Abstract - Concrete Reasoning