Trait Flashcards
What is a trait
A trait is a consistent, stable characteristic that differentiates individuals and forms the building blocks of personality.
Nomothetic Approach: Focuses on studying traits across populations (vs. idiographic = individual focus).
Continuum: Traits exist on a spectrum (low to high), normally distributed.
Personality: A unique combination of traits.
What are the different approaches (within the trait Approach)
What is the main trait approach for this course?
- Single-Trait Approach
- Focuses on one trait at a time (e.g., narcissism, intelligence).
- Examines how this specific trait influences behavior.
- Theoretical Approach
- Based on existing theories of personality.
Example: Maslow would measure self-actualization.
- The success of this approach depends on the strength of the theory.
Essential-Trait Approach (main focus in this course)
Essential-traits Approach
Traits are real, biologically based, stable over time, and universal.
Emphasis on identifying which traits are universal/important across cultures.
Less focus on why traits exist.
Prioritizes scientific measurability and cross-cultural consistency.
Gordan Allport (1897-1967) and Odbert - Beginnings of Modern Trait Theory
What were the three levels of traits:
What was he known for:
Dictionary Search:
Allport and Odbert combed the dictionary for 17,953 descriptors of human behavior, reducing them to 4,504 traits.
Three Levels of Traits:
- Traits – Stable (e.g., gentle disposition).
- States – Temporary (e.g., angry or cross).
- Activities – Specific actions (e.g., ranting, shaking fists).
Known for: Coining/inventing the term traits
- Traits (🌱 Core & Stable)
These are your long-lasting, consistent characteristics.
They don’t change much over time and help define who you are.
Example: If someone is gentle, that’s not just something they feel once—it’s a pattern in how they act across different situations.
📌 Think: “This is who I usually am.”
- States (🌦️ Temporary Moods)
These are emotional or mental conditions that come and go.
They’re short-term, often caused by the situation.
Example: You might normally be gentle, but if you’re under stress, you might feel angry or irritable—that’s a state, not a trait.
📌 Think: “This is how I feel right now.”
- Activities (🎭 Visible Behaviors)
These are specific actions you do at a certain time.
They’re the most visible, but also the most fleeting.
Example: You might be ranting or shaking your fists, but that doesn’t mean you’re always angry—it just shows what you’re doing in that moment.
📌 Think: “This is what I’m doing right now.”
🔁 How they connect:
Traits influence how likely you are to enter certain states,
and states can lead to certain activities.
Let’s say:
You have a gentle trait →
But you’re put in a stressful situation, so you enter an angry state →
You might end up yelling (activity).
Raymond Cattell (1905-1998) - Reducing Traits to a Few
What was he known for
How many triats
He was known for: First to use factor analysis to identify core traits
Came down to 16 personalities
🔵 1. Create a list of traits – Collect many descriptors of personality traits.
🔵 2. Test in large sample – Administer the list to a diverse group of people across cultures and settings.
🔵 3. Analyze relationships – Look at how the traits are related to each other.
🔵 4. Group traits – Organize similar traits into clusters.
🔵 5. Factor Analysis (FA) – Use statistical tools to find core dimensions.
🔵 6. Find order in chaos – Turn lots of traits into a few broad categories.
Hans Eysenck (1916-1997) – PEN Model
How many traits did he identify:
What was he known for:
3 traits
Known for: Proposed theories around the biological base of traits
Dimension: Psychoticism, Neuroticism, Extraversion
Constituent Traits (correlated): the explanations
Psychoticism
Aggressive, cold, egocentric, impersonal, impulsive, anti- social, creative, etc
Extraversion
Sociable, lively, assertive,
sensation-seeking, etc
Neuroticism
Anxious, depressed, guilty,
low self-esteem, moody, etc
Cortical arousal
Hans Eysenck (1916-1997): Introversion/Extraversion: Biological base
🔊 Extraverts
Have lower baseline cortical arousal
→ Their brains are naturally less stimulated.
They seek more stimulation from the environment to feel alert or engaged.
→ Think: parties, loud music, thrill-seeking.
May act impulsively or take risks to get that mental “boost” (sometimes jokingly called a “cortisol hit”).
📌 Summary: “I need more action to feel alive!”
🤫 Introverts
Have higher baseline cortical arousal
→ Their brains are already more stimulated by default.
Sensitive to stimulation—easily overwhelmed in loud or busy settings.
Prefer calm, quiet environments (like reading or working alone).
More responsive to conditioning and more prone to anxiety or phobias.
📌 Summary: “I already feel a lot—I don’t need more noise.”
🧪 Fun Fact: The Lemon Juice Test!
A drop of lemon juice is placed on the tongue.
Introverts salivate more than extraverts.
→ Why? Their nervous systems are more reactive.
⚡ Key Idea:
Your level of arousal affects how much stimulation you seek.
It’s not about being shy or outgoing—it’s about how your brain reacts to the world.
Hans Eysenck (1916-1997): Neuroticism: Biological base
😰 Neuroticism – Sensitivity to Stress
Some people are biologically more sensitive to stress.
They are easily conditioned, meaning their brain quickly learns fear or anxiety responses.
More likely to experience emotional instability, including:
Fear
Anxiety
Worry
Overreactions to small stressors
📌 Summary: “I feel things deeply and react strongly.”
🧠 Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Role
In people high in neuroticism, the ANS is more reactive.
→ It responds strongly to stress (e.g., faster heartbeat, sweating, etc.).
It’s also slower to return to normal, meaning they stay stressed longer even after the threat is gone.
📌 Summary: “My body stays in ‘alarm mode’ longer than most.”
🔑 Key Idea:
Neuroticism isn’t just emotional—it’s biological.
Some people’s bodies and brains are wired to respond more intensely to stress.
Hans Eysenck (1916-1997): Psychoticism (introduced later, less support): Biological base
😈 Psychoticism – Impulsivity & Aggression
People high in Psychoticism often struggle with:
Impulse control – acting without thinking
Aggressive or antisocial behavior
Coldness or lack of empathy
These traits may lead to rule-breaking or criminal behavior in extreme cases.
📌 Summary: “I act fast, think later—and don’t care much what others think.”
🧬 Biological Basis
Higher testosterone levels are linked to aggression and impulsivity.
Since males generally have higher testosterone, Eysenck used this to explain: → Why more male criminals show high Psychoticism traits.
⚠️ Important Note:
Psychoticism is not the same as psychosis (like schizophrenia).
It’s more about tough-mindedness, impulsivity, and low empathy.
🔑 Key Idea:
High Psychoticism = Biologically-based lack of restraint
→ Often seen in people who are aggressive, impulsive, and emotionally detached.
Place these theorist in historical chronological order in terms of their contribution to trait research:
Cattell, Eysenck, Allport
- Allport
- Cattell
- Eysenck
situationism, Reciprocal Determinism
What is the decade of doubt
Year
📉 The Decade of Doubt (1960s–1970s)
A major controversy in personality psychology—people began to question whether traits really matter.
🔥 What Happened?
🧠 Walter Mischel (1968) – The Spark of the Debate
Argued that behavior is driven more by situations than by stable traits.
A person may act friendly at work but shy at a party—so can we really say they’re always “friendly”?
This view is called situationism.
📌 Summary: “People act differently depending on the situation—not because of who they are, but where they are.”
🔁 Albert Bandura (1977) – Reciprocal Determinism
Introduced the idea that:
Personal traits ↔ Behavior ↔ Environment
All three influence each other continuously.
📌 Summary: “It’s not just traits or the situation—it’s both influencing each other.”
🧨 The Situationist Critique
The idea that traits aren’t reliable almost destroyed personality psychology as a science.
But instead of collapsing, the field responded by:
Refining trait theory
Improving how traits are measured
Focusing more on when traits show up, not just if they exist.
🧩 Key Assumptions of Trait Theory (defended and refined):
Consistency – People tend to act in similar ways across similar situations.
Distinctiveness – Traits make people different from each other.
Stability – Traits are relatively stable over time.
Meaningful Differences – Traits reflect real psychological differences, not just labels.
✅ Bottom Line:
The Decade of Doubt challenged the idea of fixed traits…
But it helped evolve personality psychology into a more nuanced science that considers both traits and situations.
Do traits describe or explain variability
No traits describe a central tendency in a relaxed, normal unstructured kind of environment
OCEAN Traits
Paul Costa
Robert McCrae
1980s
Tested with what (2 types)
Openness
* Conscientiousness
* Extraversion
* Agreeableness
* Neuroticism
Commonly tested with the NEO-PI-R or the IPIP-NEO
McCrae and Costa Five Factor theory (2003)
What was their big claim?
🧬 The Big Five Are…
Universal – Everyone has these traits in different amounts.
Psychological structures – Traits are real parts of the mind, not just labels.
Raw materials – Traits are the basic ingredients of personality.
🔁 Traits Influence Development
Traits are not just reflections of behavior—they actually shape how we grow and develop psychologically.
Your level of a trait like openness or conscientiousness can guide your thoughts, choices, and emotional responses.
🧠 Biological Foundation
Each of the Big Five traits has a biological basis:
Linked to neural structures
Influenced by brain chemistry
Genetically inherited
🚫**No Role for Environment?
McCrae & Costa argue that the Big Five are not influenced by the environment.
**This is an extremely strong “nature” (not nurture) position.
📌 Summary: “Your traits are written into your biology—not shaped by life experiences.”
⚡ Bold Claim:
Traits are universal, biological, stable, and the driving force of personality.**
State another one of their (McCrae & Costa’s Five Factor Theory (2003))claims about traits stability and age.
Did they have to change that claim?
Traits become stable around the age of 30
Yes
Genetically determined biological factors?
The assumption
Biological structures are
stable so traits are too
Environmental factors and personalities?
Assumptions
🌿 Environmental Factors & Personality
People choose and shape environments that reinforce their existing traits.
Others respond to you in ways that support your current traits (e.g., treating a shy person as shy).
So, while personality can change, social/environmental feedback tends to stabilize it over time.
📌 Summary: “We shape our environments, and they shape us back—keeping our traits steady.”
Cultural context
Emic Approach
Focuses on traits and behaviors unique to a specific culture.
Uses an insider’s perspective to understand people within their cultural context.
Methods: Open-ended or culturally tailored questions (fit the language, values, and customs of that culture).
📌 Summary: “Understand personality from within the culture—not by applying outside standards.”
Cultural context- ousider
Etic Approach
Focuses on traits that exist across all cultures (universal traits).
Uses an outsider’s perspective to compare people across cultures.
Methods: Uses standardized tools (e.g., translates existing questionnaires into other languages).
📌 Summary: “Compare traits across cultures using the same lens.”
Michael Ashton and Kibeon Lee - HEXACO
The Big 5 model including honesty or honesty/humility
Funder and Ozer (1983), Epstein (1979)
Responded by analyzing the amount of variability the situation can predict.
