Personality - Trait Theory Flashcards
What do contemporary personality psychologists primarily focus on?
Trait approaches to personality
How do traits exist according to trait approaches?
On a continuum
Most people fall in the middle f the continuum
What are the three major dimensions of personality traits according to Eysenck?
- Extraversion/Introversion
- Emotional Stability/Unstability
- Psychoticism/Constraint
Define introversion in Eysenck’s Trait Theory.
How shy, reserved, and quiet people are
Define extraversion in Eysenck’s Trait Theory.
How sociable, outgoing, and bold people are
What does Eysenck’s second dimension refer to?
Variability in people’s moods and emotions
What characterizes neurotic individuals according to Eysenck?
Frequent and dramatic mood swings, especially toward negative emotions
What does psychoticism reflect in Eysenck’s Trait Theory?
A mix of aggression, poor impulse control, self-centeredness, and lack of empathy
What is the modern term used to describe Eysenck’s psychoticism?
Constraint
What are the five basic personality traits identified in the Five-Factor Trait Theory?
- Openness to experience
- Conscientiousness
- Extraversion
- Agreeableness
- Neuroticism
Which two traits in the Big Five are consistent with Eysenck’s theory?
- Extraversion
- Neuroticism
What does the conscientiousness trait in the Big Five reflect?
How careful and organized you are
What does the agreeableness trait in the Big Five reflect?
The extent to which you are trusting and helpful
What does the openness to experience trait indicate?
The extent to which you are imaginative and independent
Fill in the blank: The acronym to remember the Big Five personality traits is _____
O C E A N
What are the characteristics of the openness to experience trait?
- Imaginative versus down-to-earth
- Likes variety versus likes routine
- Independent versus conforming
What are the characteristics of the conscientiousness trait?
- Organized versus disorganized
- Careful versus careless
- Self-disciplined versus weak-willed
What are the characteristics of the extraversion trait?
- Social versus retiring
- Fun-loving versus sober
- Affectionate versus reserved
What are the characteristics of the agreeableness trait?
- Soft hearted versus ruthless
- Trusting versus suspicious
- Helpful versus uncooperative
What are the characteristics of the neuroticism trait?
- Worried versus calm
- Insecure versus secure
- Self-pitying versus self-satisfied
What does evidence suggest about the Big Five personality traits?
They are seen across cultures and predict various behaviors
True or False: People have varying degrees of each of the five personality traits.
True
What is the personality Trait Theory
Personality is based on your characteristics and tendencies to act in a certain way overtime and in most situations.
