Dispositional Approach - Traits

Question 1

Quote (Larsen, Buss, Wismeijer & Song, 2017, p. 3) overview of what is personality?

Answer 1

Personality is the set of psychological traits and mechanisms within the individual that are organized and relatively enduring and that influence his or her interactions with, and adaptations to, the intrapsychic, physical and social environments”

Question 2

There is a score/scale/trait/dimension of what two traits?

Answer 2

Introversion and Extraversion

Question 3

Examples of personality traits

Answer 3

Extraversion			Anxious
Optimism				Helpful
Dominance			Impulsive
Altruism				Brave
Generous				Unbiased
Cooperative			Warm

Question 4

Goals of Trait Theory

Answer 4

Describe the basic classes of behaviour that define human personality
Devise ways of measuring patterns of behaviour as individual differences in personality (quantitative characterisation)
Understand and predict behaviour

Question 5

We use personality traits to…

Answer 5

Describe a person’s characteristics or behaviour:
Does not assume that traits cause a behaviour; it is only a description

Give explanation to F, A, T in a person:
Internal needs, drives and desires that predict a particular behaviour in a person
Some internal needs and drives are unknown, or seldom expressed until required for measurement.

Question 6

Lexical approach to studying traits

Answer 6

Words were formed to describe individual differences

The more descriptive the words, and the more they are found cross culturally, the more important the referent.

Question 7

Statistical approach to studying traits

Answer 7

Using statistics (factor analysis) to group description words into clusters

Question 8

Theoretical approach to studying traits

Answer 8

Informed by theories and then proceed to investigate selective characteristics

Question 9

Walter Mischel (1968) observed that…

Answer 9

personality traits do not predict how individuals will behave well enough.

Question 10

What is Situational Consistency dependant on?

Answer 10

Importance of a specific trait to the person:
Depends on how much value the person places on a particular trait, e.g. being co-operative vs being right

Interactions among traits, and between traits and situations (trait X situation):
Is a particular trait expressed in one situation and not in another?

Likelihood of self-monitoring:
How aware is the person of his own personality, behaviour, and situation?

Question 11

Describe Temporal Consistency

Answer 11

Consistency over time:

From infancy, and adolescence to adulthood

Some traits are known to be more stable over time than others (e.g., emotionality).

Some traits are known to change over time.

Neuroticism, extraversion (decline)

Agreeableness, conscientiousness (may increase)