Chapter 7

Question 1

Traits

Answer 1

words that describe people’s typical styles of experience and action

Question 2

Two factors of traits

Answer 2

distinctiveness and consistency

Question 3

Description

Answer 3

traits summarize a person’s typical behavior and describe what a person is typically like

Question 4

prediction

Answer 4

people with different levels of a given personality trait may differ predictably in their everyday behavior

Question 5

explanation

Answer 5

some trait theorists suggest that trait constructs can be used to explain a person’s behavior

Question 6

Shared assumptions amongst trait theorists

Answer 6

people possess broad predispositions (traits) to respond in particular ways, the traits are organized in a hierarchical manner, and Traits are the building blocks to personality!

Question 7

Allport’s trait theory

Answer 7

• traits are the basic units of personality

- traits exist and are based in the nervous system

Question 8

cardinal trait

Answer 8

the expression of a pervasive disposition such
that the it can be observed in every act
– People typically have very few cardinal traits

Question 9

central traits

Answer 9

(e.g. honesty, kindness, assertiveness) the expression of dispositions that cover a more limited range of situations than cardinal traits

Question 10

secondary dispositions

Answer 10

traits that may be seen less often or are seen in varying degrees of significance and generality

Question 11

Allport’s explanation of functional autonomy

Answer 11

the adult grows out of early childhood motives. motives become autonomous instead of tension-reducing

Question 12

Allport’s stance on idiographic approach to research

Answer 12

idiographic approach highlighted the pattern and
organization of multiple traits within a person rather than a person’s standing, relative to others, on isolated trait variables.

Question 13

Factor analysis

Answer 13

summarizes the ways in which a large number

of variables go together/co-occur. (can find patterns as well)

Question 14

Cattel theory

Answer 14

there are hierarchical relations among trait concepts

surface traits and source traits

Question 15

surface traits

Answer 15

superficial behavioral tendencies that can be

observed because they exist “on the surface.”

Question 16

source traits

Answer 16

internal psychological structures that underlie

observable behavioral tendencies or observed intercorrelations

Question 17

Cattel’s three categories for grouping traits

Answer 17

ability traits
temperament traits
dynamic traits

Question 18

Cattel’s three types of data

Answer 18

L data (life data), Q data (self-report questionnaire data), OT (objective testing data)

Question 19

Stability and variability in behavior acc. Cattel

Answer 19

did not view people as static and behaving similarly in all

situations (state and role play factors)

Question 20

Eysenck theory

Answer 20

traits are biologically based and we must understand their basis before we can see correlations

Question 21

superfactors

Answer 21

Superfactors are traits and are consistent styles of emotion or behavior that distinguish people from one another. They are continuous dimensions with a high end and a low end.

Question 22

3 superfactors

Answer 22

introversion-extraversion, neuroticism/stability, superfactor psychoticism

Question 23

How does Eysenck explain the development of psychopathology and subsequent behavior change?

Answer 23

the type of symptoms or psychological difficulties a person experiences relate to basic personality traits and the nervous system functioning associated with the traits