1 / 19

Trait Perspective

Trait Perspective. Trait Perspective. Describe personality in terms of fundamental traits Not trying to explain why these traits exist, only describe them and classify them. Trait Perspective. Trait = a characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act

odina
Download Presentation

Trait Perspective

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Trait Perspective

  2. Trait Perspective • Describe personality in terms of fundamental traits • Not trying to explain why these traits exist, only describe them and classify them

  3. Trait Perspective • Trait = a characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act • e.g. introvert, outgoing, cheerful, anxious, … • How do we describe and classify traits? • According to “types” • Many different systems have been used

  4. Classifying Traits • Ancient Greeks: according to the four body humors - Melancholic (depressed) - Sanguine (cheerful) - Phlegmatic (unemotional) - Choleric (irritable) • Sheldon’s Body Types: - Mesomorph - Ectomorph - Endomorph

  5. Ancient Greek “Humors”

  6. Sheldon’s Body Types

  7. Classifying traits • Myers-Briggs Types: • Classifies personality according to four dichotomies (opposites) Extrovert Introvert Sensing Intuition Thinking Feeling JudgmentPerception • How do we know which systems is the best?

  8. Classifying Traits • Factor Analysis: statistical procedure to identify clusters of behavior that are related, and reflect a basic trait • e.g. outgoing people tend to say they like excitement and practical jokes, and dislike quiet reading • Trait = extraversion

  9. Eysenck Personality Questionnaire:

  10. Classifying Traits • The Big Five: • Slightly expanded set of factors that is still considered the standard in describing personality • Emotional Stability • Extraversion • Openness • Agreeableness • Conscientiousness

  11. THE BIG FIVE

  12. Classifying Traits • More recent research has revealed: • Characteristics of the Big 5: • More stable in adulthood • 50% hereditary • Cross-Cultural • Can be used to predict behavior

  13. Assessing Traits • Personality Inventories: long questionnaires where people respond (T/F) to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors • Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) • Compared responses to hundred of questions between normal and disordered people • Retained any statements that differed from normal • e.g. “Nothing in the newspaper interests me except the comics”  indicative of depression

  14. Evaluating the Trait Perspective • Person-Situation Controversy: • Remember: Is our behavior influenced by our personal disposition, or situational context? • Do personality traits persist over time and across situations? • Time: Personality trait scores correlated well over time • Children (0.31), Collegians (0.54), 30-Year olds (0.54), Over 70 (0.74) YES • Situation: little correlation between behavior in one situation and the next. NO

  15. Assessing the Trait Perspective • Therefore, scores on personality tests only mildly predict behavior • Example: If one test determines you are an extrovert, it does not predict how you will act in each social situation • But, we can use personality tests to predict the average of our traits. • The best indicator = people who know us well!

  16. Online Personality Test • This test is based on Carl Jung and Isabel Briggs Myers typological approach to personality: • http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm

  17. Lemon Test • Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

More Related