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Chapter Four

Chapter Four. The Trait Perspective. Themes of Dispositional Approach. Continuity in thoughts, feelings, behaviors Focus on individual differences, rather than intrapersonal processes. Types Discontinuous categories (e.g., introverts vs. extraverts)

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Chapter Four

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  1. Chapter Four The Trait Perspective

  2. Themes of Dispositional Approach • Continuity in thoughts, feelings, behaviors • Focus on individual differences, rather than intrapersonal processes

  3. Types Discontinuous categories (e.g., introverts vs. extraverts) Represent qualitative differences in people Labeling convenience Often viewed as biologically or genetically based Traits Continuous dimensions (e.g., sociability, aggressiveness) Represent quantitative differences in people Individual differences reflect differences in amount of a trait Types vs. Traits

  4. Views of Traits • Nomothetic • From the Greek meaning ‘law’ • Sees traits as universal • Comparison among individuals is possible • Individuality reflected in unique combinations of traits • Idiographic • Sees traits as idiosyncratic, not universal • Not all traits are shared • Traits may differ in connotation and importance among people • Comparisons may be not be possible

  5. What Traits Matter? • Key issues: • How many basic traits are there? • Which ones are they? • Essentially, how to define and organize the many ways we describe personality?

  6. Factor Analysis Statistical technique for decomposing large numbers of intercorrelations into basic underlying dimensions • Patterns of commonality (covariance) between descriptors indicate underlying traits • Results of factor analysis can shed light on the structure of personality • Caveat: What you get out of a factor analysis depends on what you put into it

  7. Steps in a Factor Analysis • Collect measurements on many variables • Self-reports • Observations • Collect data from many people • Compute correlations between all pairs of variables • Extract factors • Label factors based on factor loadings

  8. How to Decide the Nature of Personality • Empirical Approach • Demonstrated by Raymond Cattell • Language has evolved to describe the basic qualities of human nature • Factor analyzed 171 trait names • Resulted in 16 primary factors of personality

  9. How to Decide the Nature of Personality • Theoretical Approach • Demonstrated by Hans Eysenck • Conceptually identified 3 types or “supertraits” • Introversion—Extraversion • Emotionality—Stability • Psychoticism (least studied) • Many individual difference variables can be explained in the cross between extraversion and emotionality • Types can be further broken down into component traits

  10. Another Theoretical Approach Interpersonal Circle • Assumes that core traits derive from those that concern interpersonal functioning • Two core traits • Dominance (Dominant Submissive) • Love (Cold-hearted Warm-agreeable) • Like Eysenck’s view, individual differences arise from combinations of the two dimensions

  11. The Big Five • Growing evolution of evidence suggests there are five basic superordinate traits • Disagreement about the exact nature of the 5 traits • Why? • Factor analysis is used to identify factors • Labeling of factors is subjective • Results depend heavily on the items you start with

  12. Factor One • EXTRAVERSION (Sociability) • Other labels: Social adaptability; Assertiveness; Energy • Relevant life domain: Power • Reflected through behavioral and affective channels • Common adjectives: • Gregarious • Energetic • Timid (-) • Outspoken • Seclusive (-)

  13. Factor Two • AGREEABLENESS • Other labels: Conformity; Friendly Compliance; Likeability • Relevant life domain: Love • Reflected through behavioral, affective, and cognitive channels • Common adjectives: • Friendly • Considerate • Spiteful (-) • Kind • Cold (-) • Good-natured

  14. Factor Three • CONSCIENTIOUSNESS • Other labels: Responsibility; Will to Achieve • Relevant life domain: Work • Reflected mostly through cognitive channels • Common adjectives: • Cautious • Planful • Frivolous (-) • Serious • Careless (-) • Hard-working

  15. Factor Four • EMOTIONALITY (Neuroticism) • Other labels: Emotional Control; Emotional Lability • Relevant life domain: Affect • Reflected through affective channels • Common adjectives: • Nervous • Anxious • Calm (-) • Excitable • Composed (-) • High-strung

  16. Factor Five • INTELLECT • Other labels: Culture; Inquiring Intellect; Openness to Experience • Relevant life domain: Intellect • Reflected mostly through cognitive channels with some affect and behavior input • Common adjectives: • Imaginative • Creative • Unreflective (-) • Polished • Simple (-) • Knowledgeable • Factor with least consensus about meaning

  17. Additional Considerations of Big Five • Are all traits included? • What about evaluative words (e.g., good, bad, excellent, evil) • What is the best level of specificity? • Higher-order factors (socialization and personal growth) • Lower-order facets are more predictive of many socially significant behaviors

  18. Is Behavior Really Trait Like? • Some say “No” • Behavior across contexts tends to vary • Low association between trait self-reports and behavior • Walter Mischel’s personality coefficient (r ≈ .30) • Why low correlations? • Faulty trait self-reports of personality • Faulty measurement of behavior • Aggregation of behavior as solution

  19. Responses to Low Associations SITUATIONISM • Assumption: • Situations really drive behavior • Differences in personality are irrelevant • Data don’t support this position

  20. Responses to Low Associations INTERACTIONISM • Assumption: • Differences in personality and situations interact to cause behavior • Suggests an “analysis of variance” view of behavior • Example: • Effect of personality on behavior “depends on” strong vs. weak situations Anxiety prone Not prone

  21. Personality’s Influence on Situations • Personality influences the situations people choose to enter (e.g., church, scuba diving, work, marriage partners) • People evoke different responses from others Result: Personality can influence situations such that the situation is actually different

  22. Self-consciousness Extraversion Trait Anxiety Ask for a date? Personality Coefficient Revisited • When analysis is restricted to examination of carefully conducted studies, coefficient is somewhat higher • Size of correlation is limited by the fact that behavior is multiply-determined • Example:

  23. New View of Traits • Personality is linked to behavior only when in a situation that brings it out. • Patterns of linkages between situations and actions vary among people • Represent individuality, uniqueness • Differences represent idiographic differences in trait expression

  24. Assessment • Represents an important focus of the trait perspective. • Mostly self-report in nature • Frequently evaluate multiple indicators • Often used to create a personality “profile”

  25. Disorders of Personality • From the Big 5 perspective • Generally indicate patterns of behavior that: • Deviate from cultural norms or expectations • Interfere or disrupt person’s life • Interfere or disrupt the lives of others • Are thought of as extreme manifestations of Big 5 • From the interactionism perspective • Traits represent vulnerabilities • Disorder relies on a combination of vulnerability and a catalytic situation (diathesis-stress)

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