CHAPTER FOUR Flashcards
The Trait Approach
Most research within the trait approach relies on correlational designs.
The trait approach assues that individuals differ in their characteristics patterns og thoughts feelings and behavior
Advanatges and Disadvantages of Trait Approach
Strength: assesses and attempts to understand how people differ
Weakness: neglects aspects of personality common to all people and how each person is unique
People Are Inconsistent
Casual observation is enough to confirm that personality traits are nit the only factors that control an individual’s behaviour : situation matter as well
Situationism
the belief that behavior is largely driven by the situation and that is relatively unimportant
Predictability
The definitive test of the usefulness of a personality trait is whether it can be used to perdict behaviour. If you kniw the score of somone on a trait you should be able to forecast what the person will do in the future
High self monitors
quickly chnage their behavior according to the situation
Low self monitors
are more likely to express their personality consistently from one situation to the next
How to improve research?
Measure behavior in real life
Check for variations in consistency
Seed to predict behavioral trends rather than single acts
The person-situation debate
was based on the finding that people are somewhat inconsistent across time.
Interactionism
The effect of a personality variable may depend on the situation, or vice versa.
Certain types of people go to or find themselves in different types of situations.
People change the situations that they are in.
Relative standard
Compare degree of predictability for personality triat with the accuracy of other methods used to perdict behaviour
Absolute standard
calculate how many correct and incorrect predictions of behavior a trait measurment with this degree of validity would yield in a hypothrtical context
What is true of the trait approach to understanding personality?
It is based mostly on correlational research.
It is based on case studies.
It focuses on how people are similar to each other.
It proposes that traits are the only things that influence behavior.
It is based mostly on correlational research.
The trait approach proposes that
personality matters because it affects and predicts important life outcomes.
personality is important because it has small effects on behavior that add up over time.
personality is better for explaining how people behave in general than are situations.
all of the above.
all of the above.
Extraversion ( individual, interpersonal, institutional outcomes)
Happiness, Graditude, Logevity
Peer acceptance, Success in dating and relationships
Occupational satisfaction, Leadership, social intrests
