Unit 7.2 Trait Theory Flashcards
Traits
a characteristic paattern of behavior or disposition to act a certain way
Gordon Allport
Less concerned with explaining individual traits and cared more about describing traits
18k words
Myers-Brigg Type Indicator
Myers and Brigg create a personality test using Carl Jungs personality types, ask 126 questions
Myers-Brigg Type Indicator
Extra vs intraversion
sensing or intuition ( info by practical vs imaginative)
Thinking or feeling
Judge free or perceiving ( routine vs spontaneous)
Factor analysis
grouping similar questions on a test into clusters and grading those seperatly
Eynseck
2 narrow personality traits to 2 dimensions
1. Introverted vs Extraverted
2. Emotional instability vs stability
believed gentically influenced
Biology and Personality
- Brain is seeking high arousal because arousal is low- extraverts - (Frontal lobe activity is less active in extraverts)
- Temperance , intense baby leads to intense adult
Assesing traits
Personality theories do tests by describing how people behave and put them in categories
Personality inventories- questions cover multiple traits
MMPI
MMPI ( stark Hathaway) - used to be for disorders, objective test,
empircally derived, t
ests work attitude, family, problem and anger
problem- people lie to give fake impressions
- high on lie scale ex- people respond false to a universal question like “I get angry sometimes”
The Big Five
Personality test on 5 traits
Conscienciousness- low is unorganized and carless, high is organized and disciplined
Agreeableness- low is ruthless and hard to get a long with others while high is caring
and helpful
Neuroticsm- low is stable emotions, high is unstablee
Openness- low is practical and routines, high Is imaginative, creative
Extraversion- low is keeps to self and high is sociable, fun, loving
How stable are big 5
conscientiousness increases in 20s and agreeableness increases a lot in 60s
they come and go during early and middle adulthood but then sstablize after 40s
Do Big 5 predict behavior?
Yes, ex- consciencous person is most likely better in the workforce
Evaluating Trait Prespective
Walter Mischel say a trait is not consistent, you act different in different instances
Person situation controversy
our behvior changes based on difference environments
when teacher is talking class is silent but that doesn’t mean people aren’t extraverts
Personality test scores can look weak because
behaviors aren’t consistent, howeverm peoples averagee traits over many situations are predictable
Trait Psychologist focus on
dispositions, inborn qualities that are relatively consistent over time
Problem with trait theory
describes more than explains
doesn’t look at the childhood experiences
- issue of explaining short lived vs long lasting traits
Person situation controversy
Traits change in diff environments
