Trait Model

A trait model hypothesizes how the assessment of attributes forms human personality. “A

characteristic is a unit of analysis used to characterize, predict, and explain human cognition,

affect, and behavior at its most basic level” (Lecci, 2015). The viewpoint recommends that

individuals’ qualities impact their conduct and that certain traits will stay constant over time;

however, different situations differ for every person. Raymond Cattell is a crucial figure in the

development of the personality structure. Cattell employed statistical approaches to the

taxonomies of characteristics to try to discover the basic structure, as per Lecci (2015). Cattell’s

input to this paradigm, I suppose, is the greatest pertinent idea of personality growth.

Cattell utilized “factor analysis” on Gordon’s group of personality portrayals, considering

the statistical theory of personality. Gordon’s group of descriptive words had 18,000 phrases,

which Cattell shaped to 171. Raymond Cattell later utilized multiple methods to evaluate the

one-hundred and seventy-one phrases and develop a record of sixteen personality variables.

“Because they are considered essential components of personality, Cattell contended that any

collection of these variables may describe everyone” (Lecci, 2015). Raymond Cattell believed

the qualities had been organized in a rational order. Raymond observed that certain features are

observable to anyone, called surface traits, although others are fundamental structures

responsible for the surface traits, called source traits. Other academics, like Eysenck, were

inspired by Raymond’s factor model in creating factor models concentrating on limited features.

Personality qualities affect how individuals understand and react to life’s hurdles, as per

Donnellan and Hopwood (2011). Donnellan & Hopwood’s remark is reinforced by Cattell’s

notion concerning the structured surface and source qualities hierarchy. Everybody has a mixture
of traits that differentiates them. There exists a basis for every unique trait a person holds and

how that trait evolved, embodying the spirit of sources and surface attributes. Raymond’s theory,

in my view, is the utmost pertinent notion from the “trait model to personality development” as it

offers a simple and statistical way of explaining not just the qualities that constitute people’s

behavior and personality but surface traits. And also the basic psychological processes that

influence the traits, the source traits.