McCrae and Costa
adaptation, but it gets its own box because it is
Evolution of the Five Factor Theory
-By the 1980s, the rift between classical theories and
modern research-based theories had become quite
pronounced.
-It had become clear to them that “the old theories
cannot simply be abandoned: They must be replaced by
a new generation of theories that grow out of the
conceptual insights of the past and the empirical
findings of contemporary research”  The three peripheral components are (1)
-According to McCrae and Costa, first and foremost, a
new theory should be able to incorporate the change
and growth of the field that has occurred over the last
25 years as well as be grounded in the current empirical
principles that have emerged from research.
-The Five-Factor Model (taxonomy) into a Five-Factor
Theory (FFT).
Units of the Five-Factor Theory
Behavior is predicted by an understanding of three
central or core components and three peripheral ones.
The three central components include (1) basic
tendencies, (2) characteristic adaptations, and (3) self-
concept
(1) Basic Tendencies
The universal raw material of personality
capacities and dispositions that are generally
inferred rather than observed. Basic tendencies
may be inherited, imprinted by early experience
or modified by disease or psychological
intervention, but at any given period in an
individual’s life, they define the individual’s
potential and direction.  The question of how we respond to the
Many different elements make up basic
tendencies. In addition to the five stable
personal traits, these basic tendencies include
cognitive abilities, artistic talent, sexual
orientation, and the psychological processes
underlying acquisition of language.
(2) Characteristic Adaptations
The acquired personality structures that
develop as people adapt to their environment.
The principal difference between basic
tendencies and characteristic adaptations is
their flexibility. Whereas basic tendencies are
quite stable, characteristic adaptations can be
influenced by external influences, such as
acquired skills, habits, attitudes, and
relationships that result from the interaction of
individuals with their environment.
(3) Self-Concept
Self-concept is actually a characteristic
such an important adaptation. 
“Consists of knowledge, views, and evaluations
of the self, ranging from miscellaneous facts of
personal history to the identity that gives a
sense of purpose and coherence to life.”
Peripheral Components
biological bases, (2) objective biography, and (3)
external influences.
(1) Biological Bases
The principal biological mechanisms that
influence basic tendencies are genes,
hormones, and brain structures.
McCrae and Costa have not yet provided
specific details about which genes,
hormones, and brain structures play what
role in their influence on personality.
(2) Objective Biography
Defined as “everything the person does,
thinks, or feels across the whole lifespan.”
Objective biography emphasizes what has
happened in people’s lives (objective)
rather than their view or perceptions of
their experiences (subjective).
(3) External Influences
opportunities and demands of the context
is what external influences is all about.
Postulates for Basic Tendencies
Basic tendencies have four postulates: individuality,
origin, development, and structure.
(1) Individuality
The individuality postulate stipulates that adults
have a unique set of traits and that each person
exhibits a unique combination of trait patterns. 
The precise amount of OCEAN is unique to all of
us, and much of our uniqueness results from
variability in our genotype.
(2) Origin 
Takes a clear if somewhat controversial stance:
All personality traits are the result solely of
endogenous (internal) forces, such as genetics,
hormones, and brain structures.
(3) Development
Assumes that traits develop and change
through childhood, but in adolescence their
 development slows, and by early to mid-
adulthood (roughly age 30), change in
personality nearly stops altogether (Costa &
McCrae, 1994; Costa, McCrae, & Arenberg,
1980). 

When people are young and establishing their

relationships and careers, high E, O, and even N
would be beneficial. As people mature and
become settled, these traits are no longer as
adaptive as they were earlier.

(4) Structure 
States that traits are organized hierarchically
from narrow and specific to broad and general.

Postulates for Characteristic Adaptation

The postulate concerning characteristic adaptations
states that, over time, people adapt to their
environment “by acquiring patterns of thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors that are consistent with their
personality traits and earlier adaptations.”

(1) First Postulate

Traits affect the way we adapt to the changes in
our environment. Moreover, our basic
tendencies result in our seeking and selecting
particular environments that match our
dispositions.
(2) Second Postulate: MALAJUSTMENT
Suggests that our responses are not always
consistent with personal goals or cultural
values.  

For example, when introversion is carried to

extreme, it may result in pathological social
shyness, which prevents people from going out
of the house or holding down a job. Also,
aggression carried to an extreme may lead to
belligerence and antagonism, which then result
in being frequently fired from jobs.

(3) Third Postulate

States that basic traits may “change over time
in response to biological maturation, changes in
the environment, or deliberate interventions.”

This is McCrae and Costa’s plasticity postulate,

one that recognizes that although basic
tendencies may be rather stable over the
lifetime, characteristic adaptations are not.