Personality traits and stability Flashcards
What is a trait?
A trait is a dimension of personality used to categorise people according to the degree to which they show a particular characteristic.
What are two assumptions underlying trait theory?
Traits are stable:
1. Over time.
2. Accross situations.
What was Sheldon’s somatotypes based on?
Sheldon classified personality according to body shape.
Describe Sheldons somatypes.
- Plump = relaxed and sociable.
- Muscular = active and assertive.
- Lean = quiet and fragile.
Name one limitation of Sheldon’s somatotypes.
Doesn’t explore reasoning into why these characteristics reflect body shape.
What did the lexical hypothesis aim to do?
Identify the most important traits.
Describe the lexical hypothesis.
Researchers used dictionaries or thesaurus to count the number of words that describe personality traits.
Frequency of use is linked to importance of trait.
What were Allports trait theory categories and descriptions?
- Cardinal traits – traits that a person often becomes known for.
- Central traits – the general characteristics that form the basic foundations of personality.
- Secondary traits – traits that only appear in certain situations.
What was Cattell’s goal for the 16 personality factor system?
To identify the basic units of personality by applying empirical methods.
Name and describe the two types of traits that Cattell distinguished.
- Surface traits – groups of observations that are correlated.
- Source traits – more basic traits underlying surface traits.
What are Eysenck’s three dimensions of personality?
- Psychoticism.
- Extraversion / introversion.
- Neuroticism / emotional stability.
Describe Eysenck’s extraversion / introversion.
- Introversion involves directing attention on inner experiences, while extraversion relates to focusing attention outward on other people and the environment.
- Introvert = quiet and reserved. Extravert = social and outgoing.
Describe Esyenck’s neuroticism / emotional stability.
- Neuroticism = an individual’s tendency to become upset or emotional.
- Emotional stability = the tendency to remain emotionally constant.
Describe Eysenck’s psychoticism.
Individuals high on psychoticism tend to have difficulty dealing with reality and may be antisocial and hostile.
What were Eysneck’s beliefs surrounding the genetic relation to personality. (2)
- Eysenck believed introverts have higher base arousal levels and are easily over aroused while extraverts have lower base levels so they seek stimulation to bring their arousal up.
- Neurotics have greater activation levels.
What personality trait model has revived the most attention and support in the past two decades?
The five factor model.
What are the five factors in the five factor model?
- Openness (to experience).
- Conscientiousness.
- Extraversion.
- Agreeableness.
- Neuroticism.
Describe openness in the five factor model.
People with high openness have an active imagination and independent judgement.
People with low openness have a narrow range of interests and are conservative.
Empirical correlation shows they tend to remember their dreams more.
Describe conscientiousness in the five factor model.
People with high conscientiousness are purposeful and determined.
People with low conscientiousness are carefree.
Empirical correlation shows they have higher grades across school.
Describe extraversion in the five factor model.
People with high extraversion are talkative and energetic.
People with low extraversion hold none of the extraversion traits.
Empirical correlation shows extraverts tend to be happier.
Describe agreeableness in the five factor model.
People with high agreeableness are sympathetic.
People with low agreeableness are sceptical.
Empirical correlation shows they withdraw from social conflict.
Describe neuroticism in the five factor model.
People with high neuroticism are prone to irrational ideas.
People with low neuroticism are calm and relaxed.
Empirical correlation shows they experience more fatigue.
What does HEXACO suggest?
A sixth factor = honesty / humility.
Describe the evaluation of the trait approach. (2)
- Some debate over the number of factors and the labelling of these factors.
- It was argued that personality trait measures account for only 10% in the variance of behaviour.
What are the four types of stability?
- Intraindividual differences in consistency.
- Ipsative differences.
- Mean-level consistency.
- Rank-order consistency.
Describe intraindividual differences in consistency.
How each individual changes with time.
Describe ipsative differences.
How the prominence of attributes changes within individuals over time.
Describe mean-level consistency.
Whether people increase or decrease in trait dimensions over time.
Describe rank-order consistency.
Whether people retain the same rank ordering of trait dimensions over time.
What is William James’s quote about personality stability.
“In most of us, by the age of thirty, the character has set like plaster, and will never soften again”
What did Costa and McCrae discover about personality stability?
On the basis of their longitudinal studies that there is little change in any personality traits past the age of 30.
Why might changes in personality occur across time? (3)
- Biological maturation.
- Changes in social roles.
- Life experiences.
Give an example of a study that suggested that personality does change over time.
- Harris et al.
- Studied personality from 14 to 77.
- Six personality characteristics assessed.
- Found no positive correlation between 14 and 77.
Out of agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism and openness to experience, which increase/decrease in adulthood?
Agreeableness = increase.
Conscientiousness = increase.
Openness to experience = decrease.
Neuroticism = decrease.
Extraversion = increase.
