Trait Theory

Bookmark this page Personality consists of broad dispositions, called traits, that tend to lead to characteristic
responses. People can be described in terms of the basic ways they behave, such as whether the are outgoing and friendly, or whether they are dominant and assertive. Basic Five Factors

1. Emotional stability 1. Being calm rather than anxious, secures rather then insecure, selfsatisfied than self-pitying.

2. Extraversion 1. Sociable instead of retiring, fun-loving instead of sober, and affectionate

instead of reserved.

3. Openness 1. Imaginative rather than practical, preferring variety to routine, and being
independent rather than conforming uncooperative.

4. Agreeableness 1. Being softhearted, not ruthless, trusting, not suspicious, and helpful not 5. Conscientiousness 1. Being organized rather than disorganized, careful rather then careless,
and disciplined, not impulsive. Individualism Giving priority to personal goals rather then to group goals; it emphasizes values that serve the self such as feeling good, personal distinction, and independence. Collectivism Emphasizes values that serve the group by subordinate personal goals to preserve group integrity.

Criticism to Trait Theory

1. (Walter Mischel (1968)) 1. Personality and Assessment 2. Criticized the trait view of personality, as well as the psychoanalytic

approach 1. Both emphasis the interval organization of personality 2. Personality often changes according to a given situation 1. Response to personality as consisting of broad, internal traits that are consistence across situations and time. 3. Trait measure do a poor job of predicting actual behavior 4. Situationism Personality often varies considerably from one context to another. Trait Situation Interaction Theory

1. They believe that both trait (person) and situation variables are necessary to

understand personality. They also agree that the degree of consistency in personality depend on the kinds of persons, situations, and behaviors sampled. (Pervin, 1993, Mischel, 1995) 2. The link between traits and situations has been more precisely specified 1. The narrowing and more limited trait is, the more likely it will predict behavior. 2. Some people are consistent on some traits 3. Personality traits exert a stronger influence on an individuals behavior when situational influence is less powerful.