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Understanding the Big Five: Trait Theory of Personality

Explore the Trait Theory of Personality, focusing on the Big Five traits: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Learn about Allport's perspective, Cattell's Factor Analysis, Eysenck's dimensions, and the stability and cross-cultural aspects of the Big Five. Contemplate the Person-Situation Controversy in trait theory research.

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Understanding the Big Five: Trait Theory of Personality

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  1. CHS AP Psychology Unit 10: Personality Essential Task 10-5:Describe the trait theory of personality with specific attention to the Big Five traits of openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

  2. An individual’s unique makeup of durable dispositions and consistent ways of behaving (traits) constitutes his or her personality. The Trait Perspective:Not Why but What

  3. Allport • Goal was to define personality in terms of identifiable behavior patterns • Description and classification • Allport & Odbert (1936), identified 18,000 words representing traits. • Cut this down to 200 – still too much

  4. Exploring Traits Factor analysis is a statistical approach used to describe and relate personality traits. Cattell used this approach to develop a 16 Personality Factor (16PF) inventory. Raymond Cattell (1905-1998)

  5. Factor Analysis Irritable Boisterous Impatient Excitement Superficial traits Basic trait Cattell found that large groups of traits could be reduced down to 16 core personality traits based on statistical correlations. Impulsive

  6. Hans and Sybil Eysenck suggested that personality could be reduced down to three polar dimensions, extraversion-introversion,emotional stability-instability, and psychoticism Personality Dimensions

  7. Today’s trait researchers believe that Eysencks’ personality dimensions are too narrow and Cattell’s 16PF too large. So, a middle range (five factors) of traits does a better job of assessment. The Big Five Factors

  8. Questions about the Big Five 1. How stable are these traits? Quite stable in adulthood. However, they change over development. 2. How heritable are they? Fifty percent or so for each trait. 3. How about other cultures? These traits are common across cultures. Yes. Conscientious people are morning type and extraverted are evening type. 4. Can they predict other personal attributes?

  9. Evaluating the Trait Perspective The Person-Situation Controversy Walter Mischel (1968, 1984, 2004) points out that traits may be enduring, but the resulting behavior in various situations is different. Therefore, traits are not good predictors of behavior.

  10. Trait theorists argue that behaviors from a situation may be different, but average behavior remains the same. Therefore, traits matter. The Person-Situation Controversy

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