Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Theories of Personality: Review of Social-Cognitive Theories and Cognitive

Theories.

New Lesson on Trait Theories.

Connecting previously learned content to Personality

• We will review Bandura and how his experiments led to his theory on personality.

• We will review the core of cognitive theories and how it relates to Kelly and Beck’s theories of personality.

Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Social-Cognitive Theory: Bandura

• Personality Development

Cognitive-Personal Factors: our beliefs, expectation, values,

intentions, social roles as well as out emotional

makeup and biological and genetic influences.

Behaviors: our personal actions

Environmental Factors: our social,

political and cultural influences and our personal

learning experience.

Cognitive Theories: George Kelly

• George Kelly (1905-1967) developed the Personal Construct Theory.

• Our personality consists of our thoughts about ourselves, including our bias, errors, mistakes, and false conclusions.

• Individuality comes from the way we organize our schemas, our mental representation of people, event and concepts.

• We have a limited response due to our organization of our potential responses.

Cognitive Theories: Aaron T. Beck

• Aaron T. Beck (1921-) noticed that his patients’ tendency to think negatively (anticipating the worst) and maintain irrational thought processes.

• Developed a theory to turn negative thoughts into constructive ones.

• Explained problems as related to the environment, not automatically assuming they were personality flaws.

• Through analysis, different strategies for past experiences that were negative from flawed thoughts would be developed.

What is the Trait Theory of

Personality?AP PsychologyMs. Badalucco

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Using our traits to analyze our behaviors.

• Some theorists argue that studying our personality traits will help us better understand human behavior.

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

2 Basic Assumptions Trait Theorists make:

1. Every trait applies to all people.2. These traits are quantifiable.

• For example:– Everyone can be aggressive, but the

scale is what changes from person to person.

In contrast to Freud

• Freud began with a well defined theory of instincts. When he observed someone who was stingy, he set out to explain why using his theory.

• Trait Theories do not set out to determine whether stinginess was a trait, but rather are curious whether the individual is stingy in multiple scenarios.

• They may also wonder if stinginess is a sign of a more basic trait, like possessiveness.

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008).

Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Gordon Allport (1897-1967)

• Compiled a list of traits from the dictionary. He combined synonyms and clusters of synonyms.

• Common Traits applied to everyone.• Individual Traits applied to a specific

person.– Cardinal Traits– Central Traits– Secondary Traits

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Cardinal Trait

• A characteristic or feature that is so pervasive the person is almost identified with it.

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Central Trait

• These traits make us predictable.• For example: she is assertive.

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Secondary Trait

• Least important to Allport, include our preferences in food and music.

• According to Allport, they have a less consistent influence on us.

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Raymond Cattell (1905-1998)

• Used factor analysis to quantify personality traits.

• Used Allport’s list of traits.• Proposed that characteristics that

can be observed in certain situation make up 46 traits called surface traits.

• Using factor analysis, he narrowed this list to 16 source traits.

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Source Traits

• The core of our personality.• Cattell argued that by measuring

these traits, we can predict human behavior.

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Hans Eysenck (1916-)

• Using factor analysis of personality data, he concluded that there are two basic dimensions of personality. Later in his career, he would add a third.1. Stability vs. Instability2. Extraversion vs. Introversion3. Psychoticism

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Stability vs. Instability

• Refers to the degree at which a person is in control over their feelings.

A person on the instable end of the spectrum is moody, anxious and restless.

A person on the stable end of the spectrum is easygoing, relaxed, well-adjusted and even-tempered.

Stable Instable

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Extraversion vs. Introversion

Extraverts are sociable, outgoing, active, lively people.

Introverts are more thoughtful, reserved, passive, unsociable and quiet.

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Psychoticism

Self-centered, hostile, and aggressive

“Superego”, socially sensitive, high on caring and empathy and easy to work with.

The 5 Robust Factors

• These five traits appear in multiple research studies.1. Extraversion2. Agreeableness (sympathetic to others, kind,

trusting.)3. Conscientiousness (dutiful, dedicated to

completing tasks, organized and responsible.)4. Openness to Experience (open-minded and willing

to try new intellectual experiences, new ideas, or creative experiences.)

5. Emotional Stability (experiences things relatively easily without getting too upset. The opposite being neuroticism.)

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Review of the Theories of Personality

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Behaviorist Theories

• Rewards and punishment.• Skinner

Social Learning Theories

• Cognitive-personal factors, our behaviors and environmental factors interact to shape our personalities.

• Bandura

Psycho-analytical Theories

• Emphasize the importance of early childhood experiences, repressed thoughts, and conflict between conscious and unconscious forces.

• Freud, Jung and Adler

Cognitive Theories

• Our analysis of our own perceptions, thoughts, and feeling shape our personalities.

• Kelly, Beck

Humanistic Theories

• Emphasize our capacity for personal growth, development of our full potential, and freedom to make choices.

• Maslow, Rogers

Trait Theories

• Focus on identifying, measuring, and classifying similaritities and differences in personality characteristics or traits.

• Allport, Cattell and Eysenck

Trait Theories of Personality: Kasschau, Richard A. (2008). Understanding Psychology. New York, New York: McGraw Hill

Summary

1. How did Bandura believe personality developed?

2. What are the 2 basic assumptions behind Trait Theory?

3. What would life be like if people had only an id? A superego?

4. List the traits that you think make up the “self-actualized” person.