10.4 Trait Perspective

the big 5 model

extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, openness to experience

Trait expression

this is how people express traits through behavior and attitude

The cardinal, central, and secondary traits are all part of __________ categorized traits. A. Gordon Allport's B. Robert McCrae's C. Paul Costa's D. Hans Eysenck's

A. Gordon Allport's

__________ perspective attempts to explain one's personality in terms of their behavioral traits. A. Trait B. Personality C. Behavioral D. Cognitive

A. Trait

Central Traits (Allport)

According to trait theory, traits that form the basis of personality.

Extraversion, neuroticism, and conscientiousness are all factors of __________ personality traits. A. Hans Eysenck's B. the Big Five C. Gordon Allport's D. secondary

B. the Big Five

__________ theorizes that the effectiveness of personality tests can be influenced by many factors. A. Paul Costa B. Hans Eysenck C. Gordon Allport D. Seymour Epstein

C. Gordon Allport

Some studies have shown that personality traits remain the same over the course of __________. A. five years B. a person's life C. seven years D. two years

C. seven years

The qualities and characteristics that shape a person's unique character and identity refer to ___________. A. perspective B. classification C. assessment D. personality

D. personality

lecture section one

Section 1 00:00:01 PROFESSOR: This is a college student break dancing in front of a crowd. Some might think he's having fun and showing off his skills, while others may think there's no way they'd be able to be in front of a crowd like that doing anything. What sort of personality do you think this student may have? In this section, we're going to discuss the question, how 00:00:20 is our behavior connected to our personality? This is Section 1 of Trait Perspective. Our objectives are to define the term personality trait and identify the Big Five personality traits, to identify prominent trait theorists and their corresponding perspectives on personality, and to critique trait perspectives used to explain personality. In this section, we'll be defining the term personality 00:00:44 trait and identifying the Big Five personality traits. An individual's personality is represented by a variety of characteristics or specific traits. A personality trait is a characteristic pattern of behavior generally apparent across situations or circumstances. So when someone is described as being friendly, this means in most situations one is generally friendly and it's 00:01:07 unusual for them not to be seen as friendly. Adjectives are commonly used to represent one's personality traits. For example, one may be considered shy, outgoing, domineering, moody, impulsive, or friendly. An individual may or may not display personality traits in all situations. Trait expression is the manner of representing a trait 00:01:31 through behavior or attitude. It can be influenced by environment, for example, situational factors. Someone may not be very conscientious in many daily activities, but may express this more at work due to pressures or expectations Trait expression can be influenced by social display rules. 00:01:49 These govern acceptable expressions of emotions that will influence the expression of a trait. For example, one is often more reserved in a religious setting than they may naturally be in another setting. Finally, emotional and behavioral control. Some individuals are better at controlling their emotions and behaviors than others. 00:02:08 Trait theorists attempt to explain personality in terms of behavioral patterns or traits. Their focus is on researching stable, enduring behavioral patterns. Trait theorists are generally more interested in describing patterns of behavior than explaining why behavior occurs. For example, a trait theorist wouldn't look to explain why 00:02:27 the man on the motorcycle stopped to help, but instead would be concerned with identifying and classifying the personality observed, in this case, compassion. Most psychologists agree that some personality traits can adequately represent a combination of other traits. For example, one's tendency to be impulsive, impatient, and restless can represent someone who is classified as excitable. 00:02:50 Researchers seek to identify fundamental traits. Robert McCrae and Paul Costa identified five basic personality traits. The Big Five model of personality represents five personality traits as identified by Robert McCrae and Paul Costa. Each personality trait represents a range of more specific traits. 00:03:10 The traits are represented on a scale, or continuum. The factors represent the building blocks of one's personality. The Big Five model has become the dominant model used to assess personality traits in contemporary psychology. The Big Five personality traits are extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness to experience, and conscientiousness. 00:03:33 Let's take a look at each. Individuals identified as extroverted are considered friendly, affectionate, assertive, and sociable. They're often described as fun loving, and tend to have successful careers. Individuals who are considered agreeable are often cooperative, sympathetic, helpful, and trusting. They also tend to be honest, and have constructive 00:03:56 approaches to conflict resolution. Individuals who are considered neurotic are often self-pitying, worried, anxious, and insecure. They generally see minor annoyances as hopeless, and may see ordinary situations as threatening. Individuals who are open to experience are generally independent, imaginative, curious, and flexible. Those considered not as open to experience are often 00:04:23 practical, prefer routines, and are more conforming. Research indicates that openness to experience may be key in determining one's political opinions and ideology. Individuals who are conscientious tend to be disciplined, organized, punctual, and dependable. Research shows that conscientious individuals often earn high grades in school and are more likely to 00:04:46 be successful in their careers. So to review in this section, we discussed the trait perspective on personality. Traits are stable, characteristic patterns of behavior. Trait theorists attempt to explain personality in behavioral terms. And the Big Five is a personality trait classification model of personality traits. 00:05:06 Next, we'll discuss the key points of specific trait theories.

lecture section two

Section 4 00:00:00 PROFESSOR: This is a picture of two pyramids. The most important part of a pyramid is said to be its base. The base is built upon until the structure reaches a point, and then it's recognized as a pyramid. Some trait theorists believe personalities have a solid base or dominant traits. In this section, we'll discuss the question, do you have a 00:00:20 dominant trait that defines your personality? This is the section two of Trait Prospective. Our objectives are to define the term personality trait and identify the big five personality traits, to identify prominent trait theorists and their corresponding prospectives on personality, and to critique trait prospectives used to explain personality. In this section, we'll be identifying prominent trait 00:00:44 theorists and their corresponding perspectives on personality. Trait theorists seek to identify specific personality traits that represent a broad range of individual characteristics. The research generally involves observing behavior and classifying traits. Hans Eysenck was a trait theorist who researched the 00:01:03 heritability of personality traits. He viewed personality as a hierarchy of traits. Using statistical analysis and research to assess personality traits, Eysenck claimed basic personality traits were derived from higher order traits of extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism. Let's take a look at each. Eysenck's perspective of extraversion is similar to how 00:01:26 it's described in the big five model. It includes traits such as being sociable, outgoing, active, and energetic. Eysenck's view of neuroticism is also similar to how it's described by the big five model. It includes less broad traits such as being restless, nervous, moody, and insecure. Psychoticism was one trait the big five model didn't include. 00:01:51 Psychoticism includes less broad traits like being self-centered, impulsive, unkind, antisocial, or manipulative. Gordon Allport was a prominent trait theorist who categorized personality traits into three categories. These categories were cardinal, central, and secondary. Let's take a look at each. 00:02:13 Cardinal traits are dominating personality traits. They tend to characterize one's whole personality. This trait is generally represented by a passion that tends to dominate one's personal behavior. Individuals with a dominant cardinal trait may spend their lives seeking a specific passion like money or fame. This trait is easily apparent to others. One can become known by this trait. 00:02:35 For example, Ebenezer Scrooge is defined by his greed. Just as Mother Teresa is defined by her kindness or religious service. Allport claimed that having a dominant cardinal trait is often rare. Central traits are personality traits that are found in most people to some degree. Common characteristics of central traits include being 00:02:55 smart, easygoing, or shy. Central traits are easily detected in others but are not as dominating as cardinal traits. Allport claimed that individuals have five to ten central traits on average. Terms such as intelligent, honest, shy, and anxious, are considered central traits. Secondary traits are personality traits that often 00:03:17 appear in specific situations or circumstances. These traits are not as apparent in individuals as cardinal or central traits and maybe noted only by close acquaintances. They may also appear only in certain situations or around certain stimuli. For example, one is generally not nervous until speaking in front of a large group of people. 00:03:36 Allport considered preferences or situational attitudes all secondary traits. So to review in this section, we discussed prominent traits theorists. Hans Eysenck developed three dominant personality traits that he said to find our personality. They were extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism. Gordon Allport had three trait categories, cardinal, central, 00:04:00 and secondary. Next, we'll evaluate the trait perspective in explaining personality.

lecture section three

Section 7 00:00:00 PROFESSOR: Trait theorists describe one's personality with the use of adjectives after analyzing one's behavior. But how accurate is this assessment in describing one's personality and can your personality be summed up in only a few words? We'll discuss the answer to this question more in section three of Trait Perspective. 00:00:21 Our objectives are to define the term personality trait and identify the big five personality traits, to identify prominent trait theorists and their corresponding perspectives on personality, and to critique trait perspectives used to explain personality. In this section, we'll be critiquing trait perspectives used to explain personality. Some basic claims of trait theorists are that personality 00:00:45 traits are highly heritable or that genetics influences personality traits. For example, if your parents are easygoing, it's more likely that you are too. They also claim that traits are generally consistent or stable across time that certain traits predict specific behaviors or attitudes and that traits are universal or found other cultures. 00:01:06 Numerous studies have drawn support for the claims of trait theorists. Traits appear to be stable across time and research indicates that traits are somewhat influenced by heredity. The big five personality traits show consistency in predicting certain behaviors and attributes in individuals. And the big five personality traits are 00:01:24 apparent in other cultures. Still, some researchers are critical of trait theorists claims. Researchers have noted inconsistency in personality traits across situations. This is known as the person situation controversy. Critics claim that the big five personality traits do not adequately account for variation in human behavior. 00:01:44 And some researchers have questioned the generalized ability of the big five model. Research indicates a possible variation in personality traits across cultures. Let's look at reasons for support and criticisms of the trait perspective more in depth. Data accumulated from 152 long-term studies provide adequate support for the stability 00:02:05 of personality traits. These traits remained consistent over the course of seven years. For example, research on the level of agreeableness has linked this aspect of personality back to childhood meaning if one shows those tendencies in childhood, they're likely to have them later on in life. Researchers also discovered that traits tend to stabilize 00:02:25 more as individuals grow older. Critics highlight variation in personality traits across situations. The person situation controversy is a controversy that demonstrates how situations often influence individual behavior regardless of one's dominant personality characteristics. Remember, that traits are assessed using personality 00:02:45 tests and that these aren't always a perfect predictor of one's behavior across situations. This concept was researched by Walter Mischel. Mischel claimed that behavior is determined by specific situations rather than specific personality characteristics. For example, one who is generally honest in business dealings, may cheat on tax returns. 00:03:06 Or one who is normally introverted, may be more extroverted at a party. Many psychologists now recognize that both the person and the situation interact to influence behavior due to research support gathered for both claims. Research on the heritability of personality traits, generates mixed results. Differences and similarities in the personalities of 00:03:28 relatives are both found in genetic research. The influence of genetics on personality is found to be around 50%. For example, if one's mom is open and agreeable, it's 50% likely that her children will be open and agreeable, as well. Some studies have shown strong correlations between personality traits and other personality 00:03:48 attributes or behaviors. Examples include people who are characterized as conscientious are often also considered to be hardworking and honest. People who are characterized as extroverted are often also considered to be successful in attaining goals. And people considered to be neurotic have a higher probability of developing a mental disorder. 00:04:09 Some critics claim that the big five personality traits are not adequate enough to fully assess one's personality. This argument is based on the idea that more than five traits are needed to account for personality variations found in humans. Honesty-humility has been proposed as the sixth fundamental trait. 00:04:26 And critics argue that traits such as being manipulative, conservative, humorous, or egotistical are not adequately represented by the big five model of personality. Cross-cultural research has found the big five personality traits to be evident in other cultures. But variability among traits has also been found. Some skeptics believe cross-cultural personality tests should be designed to be more culture specific. 00:04:51 They argue that environment or cultural beliefs influence one's personality. For example, if an individual lives in a society that promotes self-reliance, one may be more inclined to behave in a way that reflects this attribute. So to review in this section, the trait perspective was analyzed through trait stability, trait heritability, trait predictability, and cultural consistency. 00:05:13 In this lesson, we discussed the trait prospective. Personality traits are characteristic patterns of behavior that are generally consistent across situations. The big five personality traits are commonly used to represent varying personalities. Hans Eysenck and Walter Cannon are prominent trait theorists who attempted to classify or categorize personality traits. Research support for the trait perspective included 00:05:37 consistency and stability across time and cultures, heritability influences, and adequate predictability of behavior. Finally, research criticisms have highlighted variability in traits across situations in cultures, as well as, possible issues with the generalized ability of the big five model.

Secondary Traits (Allport)

more personal characteristics that are more limited in occurrence

Hans Eysenck

personality theorist; asserted that personality is largely determined by genes, used introversion/extroversion

trait theories

theories that endeavor to describe the characteristics that make up human personality in an effort to predict future behavior, describe and classify rather than reason why

Gordon Allport

trait theory of personality; 3 levels of traits: cardinal, central, and secondary

Cardinal Traits (Allport)

traits around which a person organizes his or her life