Week 4 Trait theories Flashcards
What are the two approaches to studying personality in trait psychology?
1)Nomothetic: Generalizations, objective, experimental, numerical data.
2)Idiographic: Focus on uniqueness, subjective, qualitative, study of the individual.
What did Aristotle and Galen contribute to early trait theories?
Aristotle: Proposed traits like modesty and bravery as predictors of behavior.
Galen: Suggested personality types linked to bodily humors (e.g., Choleric, Melancholic).
What is a trait, and how did Hirschberg (1978) define it?
A trait is a stable, enduring disposition to behave in a certain way over time and situations.
Hirschberg: “Broad, enduring, relatively stable characteristics used to assess and explain behavior.”
What are the three levels of traits in Allport’s theory?
1)Cardinal Traits: Dominate a person’s life (e.g., self-sacrifice, greed).
2)Central Traits: Major characteristics (e.g., honesty, kindness).
3)Secondary Traits: Context-dependent and specific (e.g., leadership in certain situations).
What is the lexical approach, and how did Allport and Odbert (1936) use it?
The lexical approach identifies personality traits from language.
Allport and Odbert extracted 18,000 personality descriptors from dictionaries, later reduced to 4,500 adjectives.
What is Cattell’s definition of personality, and how did he approach its study?
Definition: “Personality is that which permits a prediction of what a man will do in a given situation.”
He used factor analysis to reduce Allport’s traits and identified surface and source traits.
What are surface and source traits in Cattell’s theory?
Surface Traits: Observable behaviors (e.g., punctuality).
Source Traits: Underlying traits inferred via statistical methods (e.g., conscientiousness).
What were Cattell’s methods for identifying source traits?
1)Life Record Data (L-data): Everyday behavior.
2)Self-Report Data (Q-data): Questionnaires on thoughts/feelings.
3)Objective-Test Data (T-data): Behavior in standardized conditions.
What is the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PFQ), and what are its uses?
A measure of normal-range personality with 155 Likert-scale items.
Used in clinical, organizational, educational, and research settings.
What were the main criticisms of the 16PFQ?
Some factors were too similar.
Suggested fewer dimensions could be used.
Springboard for later personality research.
What are Eysenck’s three super traits (PEN)?
Psychoticism: Egocentric, impulsive, aggressive.
Extraversion: Sociable, outgoing, impulsive.
Neuroticism: Emotionally unstable, anxious, low self-esteem.
What biological explanation did Eysenck provide for extraversion and introversion?
Related to cortical arousal in the ARAS (Ascending Reticular Activating System):
Introverts: Over-aroused, avoid stimulation.
Extraverts: Under-aroused, seek stimulation.
What was the purpose of Eysenck’s Personality Questionnaire (EPQ)?
Measured PEN traits and included a Lie Scale for social desirability.
Criticized for simplicity and low reliability, particularly for psychoticism.
What are the five traits in the Five Factor Model (OCEAN)?
Openness: Curious, imaginative.
Conscientiousness: Disciplined, organized.
Extraversion: Sociable, energetic.
Agreeableness: Trusting, cooperative.
Neuroticism: Emotionally unstable, prone to stress.
How is the Five Factor Model (Big Five) measured?
Through the NEO-PI-R questionnaire developed by Costa and McCrae.
