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Trait Theories

Trait Theories. Personality Unit. What is a Trait?. Definition: A tendency to react to a situation in a way that remains stable over time A trait is any relatively enduring way in which one individual differs from another Nice Smart Arrogant Are traits temporary or permanent?.

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Trait Theories

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  1. Trait Theories Personality Unit

  2. What is a Trait? • Definition: A tendency to react to a situation in a way that remains stable over time • A traitis any relatively enduring way in which one individual differs from another • Nice • Smart • Arrogant • Are traits temporary or permanent?

  3. Trait Theory • General Assumptions: • Every trait applies to all people • These descriptions can be quantified • An extremely passiveperson might score a 1 while an extremely aggressive person would score a 10

  4. Trait Theory • Most trait theorists believe that a few basic traits are central for all people • Psychologists who accept this approach set out on their search for basic traits with very few assumptions

  5. Gordon Allport: Identifying Traits • Three types of individual traits: • Cardinal Trait – characteristic or feature that is so pervasive the person is almost identified with it • Central Trait – makes us predictable • Secondary Trait – preferences (such as food or music) have a less consistent influence over us

  6. Raymond Cattell: Sixteen Trait Theory • Factor Analysis: Statistical technique used to identify the underlying reasons variables are correlated • Surface Trait: Stable characteristics that can be observed in certain situations • 46 of Allport’s traits (occur in clusters) • Source Trait: stable characteristic that can be considered to be at the core of personality • 16 “clusters” of surface traits

  7. Cattell’s Sixteen Source Traits

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