Traits & Trait Taxonomies Flashcards
1
Q
what are traits?
A
- Basic building blocks of personality; universal dimensions with individual differences
- Almost any adjective (or sometimes noun) that describes the way some people are and others are not
- Traits are not: emotional states, attitudes, beliefs, cognitive ability (IQ), physical attributes (short, tall), social categories (bully, nerd)
- Broad traits are referred to as “factors”; more specific ones called “narrow traits” or simply “traits” (rather than factors)
2
Q
2 perspectives about what traits are
A
- Internal causal properties: traits are internal (carried across conditions) and influence or cause behaviour (looking inside)
- Descriptive summaries of behaviour: traits merely describe average behaviour over time (no assumption about internality or causality (looking outside)
3
Q
different approaches to evaluating importance of traits
A
- lexical approach
- statistical approach
- theoretical approach
- Note that these approaches are multifaceted; often start with lexical, goes to statistical, and theoretical informs both stages
4
Q
lexical approach
A
- All important individual differences have become encoded in language over time, because trait terms are important for communication
- 2 criteria for identifying important traits:
- Synonym frequency: words used to describe a certain trait appear frequently in a language (ie. Multiple synonyms for extraversion exist)
- Cross-cultural universality
5
Q
statistical approach
A
- Narrows down large, diverse pool of personality items to major ones
- Most researchers first use lexical approach to come up with pool of items, then apply statistical methods in order to organize and categorize items based on their degree of covariance
- Factor analysis is the primary statistical method used (identifies groups of terms that covary or “go together”, but tend to covary with other groups of items, suggests underlying factors)
6
Q
theoretical approach
A
Starts with a theoretical framework, which determines which variables/traits are important to study (ex. Freud’s personality types based on psychosexual fixations)
7
Q
trait taxonomy
A
- a comprehensive system that includes within it all of the major traits of personality
- Traits in a taxonomy are organized in some systematic manner, often hierarchically
8
Q
different types of trait taxonomies
A
- Eysenk’s model of personality
- Cattel’s 16 personality factors
- The Wiggins Circumplex
- 5 Factor Model (“Big 5”)
9
Q
Eysenk’s model of personality
A
- proposed criteria for personality traits: heritable and psychophysiological foundation
- proposed 3 broad traits, each consisting of narrower traits, each consisting of habitual actions, each consisting of specific actions
- ex. Within the broad trait of extroversion, narrow trait is being direct, which consists of the habit of introducing yourself first in all interactions, which consists of the specific action of introducing yourself 1 time
10
Q
3 broad traits proposed by Eysenck’s model
A
- extroversion: sociable, talkative, etc. (opposite = introversion)
- neuroticism: anxious, moody, etc. (opposite = emotionally stable)
- psychoticism: impulsive, unempathetic, etc. (opposite = agreeable)
11
Q
psychophysiological foundations proposed by Eynseck’s model
A
- extroversion: suggested introverts’ brains are more easily aroused than extroverts, therefore avoid socially stimulating situations
- Current research does indicate that introverts are more reactive to moderate levels of stimulation than extroverts (difference is in arousability of CNS, not baseline activity)
- Neuroticism is associated with increased reactivity of limbic system and low tolerance for stress (ANS) is more easily activated
- Research does indicate that higher neuroticism is associated with increased psychological and physiological reactivity (ex. Skin conduction)
- Psychoticism: associated with high levels of testosterone and low levels of MOA (which is associated with writing and speaking)
- Psychoticism-creativity link: high creativity observed in children of psychopathic parents; artists tend to report higher psychoticism; creative people suffer more mental illness
12
Q
problems with Eysenck’s model
A
- Not all-inclusive: other empirical studies have found more than 3 factors
- Other traits demonstrate heritability (ex. Conscientiousness, novelty-seeking)
- Other traits demonstrate psychophysiological foundation (ex. Sensation-seeking)
13
Q
Cattell’s 16 Personality Factors (basics)
A
- Goal was to identify and measure the basic units of personality
- Believed that the true factors of personality should be found across different types of data, such as self-reports and laboratory tests
- Came up with 16 factors
- Problems: failed to replicate the 16 factors, not precise (16 factors is a lot)
- However, did help shape Big 5
14
Q
Wiggins Circumplex
A
- Primarily concerned with interpersonal traits; interactions between people involving social exchanges
- pros: explicitly defines behaviour, specifies relationships between each trait in model, directs researchers to “gaps” in interpersonal behaviour that haven’t been studied much
- cons: limited to 2 dimensions,
15
Q
Wiggins Circumplex: social exchanges
A
- Social exchange is defined by 2 resources:
- Love: emotional component, similar to communion
- Status: social component, similar to agency
