Five Factor Trait Theory

MCRAE AND COSTA

ROBERT MCCRAE
• Born April 28, 1949 in Maryville, Missouri
• The youngest of three children
• After completing an undergraduate degree in
philosophy from Michigan State University, he
earned a PhD in psychology from Boston
University.
• Following the lead of Raymond Cattell, he
began using factor analysis as a means of
measuring the structure of human traits.
PAUL T. COSTA, JR.
• Born September 16, 1942 in Franklin, New
Hampshire.
• He earned his undergraduate degree in
psychology from Clark University and a PhD
from the University of Chicago.
• In 1978 he began working with Robert McCrae
at the National Institute of Aging, where he
continued to conduct research on human
development and aging.
CONCEPT OF HUMANITY

 Factor theories generally assume that

human personality is largely the product of
genetics and not the environment.
 Thus, we rate these two theories very high
on biological influences and very low on
social factors.
 In addition, we rate both about average on
conscious versus unconscious influences
and high on the uniqueness of individuals.
 The concepts of free choice, optimism versus
pessimism, and causality versus teleology are
not clearly addressed by these theories.
UNITS OF THE FIVE FACTOR THEORY
 McCrae and Costa predict behavior through an
understanding of three central or core
components and three peripheral ones.
 Basic tendencies - the universal raw material of
personality
 Characteristic adaptations - acquired personality
structures that develop as people adapt to their
environment
 Self-concept - refers to knowledge and attitudes
about oneself
Peripheral components include:
 Biological bases - which are the sole cause
of basic tendencies
 Objective biography - which is everything a
person does or thinks over a lifetime
 External influence - or knowledge, views, and
evaluations of the self.
BASIC POSTULATES

 The two most important core postulates are

basic tendencies and characteristic
adaptations.
 Basic tendencies have four postulates—
individuality, origin, development, and
structure.
• The individuality postulate stipulates that
every adult has a unique pattern of traits.
• The origin postulate assumes that all
personality traits originate solely from
biological factors, such as genetics,
hormones and brain structures.
• The development postulate assumes that
traits develop and change through
childhood, adolescence, and mid-adulthood.
• The structure postulate states that traits are
organized hierarchically from narrow and
specific to broad and general.
FACTOR AND TRAIT THEORIES

 McCrae, Costa and others have used factor

analysis to identify traits, that is, relatively
permanent dispositions of people.
 They have insisted that the proper number of
personality factors is five—no more and no
fewer.
THE BIG FIVE
 O- Openness to experience
 C- Conscientiousness

 E- Extraversion

 A- Agreeableness

 N- Neuroticism

Five factors show some permanence with age;

that is, adults tend to maintain a consistent
personality structure as they grow older.
DESCRIPTION OF FIVE FACTORS
• McCrae and Costa agreed with Eysenck that
personality traits are basically bipolar, with
some people scoring high on one factor and
low on its counterpart.
• For example, people who score high on N
tend to be anxious, temperamental, self-
pitying, self-conscious, emotional, and
vulnerable to stress-related disorders,
whereas people with low scores on N tend to
have opposite characteristics.
• People who score high on E tend to be
affectionate, jovial, talkative, a joiner, and fun-
loving, whereas low E scorers tend to have
opposing traits.
• High O scorers prefer variety in their life and are
contrasted to low O scorers who have a need for
closure and who gain comfort in their
association with familiar people and things.
• People who score high on A tend to be trusting,
generous, yielding, acceptant, and good
natured.
• Low A scorers are generally suspicious, stingy,
unfriendly, irritable, and critical of other people.
 Finally, people high on the C scale tend to be
ordered, controlled, organized, ambitious,
achievement-focused, and self-disciplined.
 Together these dimensions make up the
personality traits of the five factor model, often
referred to as the "Big-Five."
 Costa and McCrae have developed a widely
used personality inventory: the NEO-PI
 Traits have been linked to vital outcomes
such as physical health, well-being, and
academic success .
 Traits have also been linked to more
everyday outcomes such as mood.
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