Trait Theories of Personality (College Board AP® Psychology): Revision Note
Trait theories of personality
Trait theories propose that personality consists of stable characteristics (traits) that influence how individuals think, feel, and behave across situations and over time
A trait is a consistent predisposition to behave in a particular way
E.g. a highly extraverted person is sociable and energetic in many situations, not just occasionally
Key assumptions of trait theories:
Traits are relatively stable over time
They do not change dramatically from day to day or year to year
Traits are cross-situationally consistent
A person high in conscientiousness tends to be organized and diligent at work, at home, and in social situations
Traits are measurable
They can be assessed using standardized personality inventories
Trait theories take a nomothetic approach
They seek to identify universal dimensions of personality that apply to all people, rather than describing the unique individual
Trait theories differ from psychodynamic and humanistic approaches by focusing on quantitative, empirical measurement
The Big Five theory of personality
The Big Five (also called the Five Factor Model) is the most widely accepted and empirically supported trait theory of personality
It was developed through factor analysis of large datasets of personality descriptions across multiple studies and cultures
This is a statistical technique that identifies clusters of related traits
Personality is described along five dimensions remembered by the acronym OCEAN:
Trait | Description | High score | Low score |
|---|---|---|---|
Openness to Experience | Curiosity, creativity, willingness to try new things | Creative, imaginative, intellectually curious, open to new experiences | Conventional, practical, prefers routine, resistant to change |
Conscientiousness | Organization, diligence, self-discipline, goal-directedness | Organized, reliable, hardworking, punctual | Disorganized, impulsive, careless, easily distracted |
Extraversion | Sociability, assertiveness, positive emotionality, energy | Sociable, talkative, energetic, seeks stimulation | Quiet, reserved, prefers solitude, low need for stimulation |
Agreeableness | Cooperativeness, trust, empathy, prosocial orientation | Cooperative, trusting, kind, conflict-avoidant | Competitive, suspicious, antagonistic, less concerned with others |
Neuroticism | Emotional instability, anxiety, tendency to experience negative emotions | Anxious, moody, easily stressed, emotionally reactive | Calm, emotionally stable, resilient, less reactive to stress |
Neuroticism is sometimes described in its positive form as emotional stability
A low neuroticism score indicates high emotional stability
Measuring personality
The Big Five traits are measured using personality inventories
These are standardized self-report questionnaires
Participants respond to questions about their typical thoughts, feelings, and behaviours
Responses are scored and analyzed using factor analysis to identify where the person falls on each of the five dimensions
Factor analysis is the key statistical method used in trait research:
It identifies patterns in responses, grouping related items into underlying factors that represent broad personality traits
Examiner Tips and Tricks
For Skill 1.A, scenario questions may require you to identify which Big Five trait is being demonstrated
Ensure that you know what a high or low score on that trait means, and connect it specifically to the behavior described in the scenario
For Skill 2.A, trait research usually uses correlational or survey-based designs
Ensure that you can identify the research design in a study involving personality inventories
Be able to explain that it produces self-report data showing relationships between variables, but cannot establish causation
For Skill 3.C, Big Five data may be presented in tables or graphs
Read scores carefully, remembering that higher scores show stronger expression of the trait and lower scores show its opposite
Ensure you can identify patterns and explain what they suggest about likely behaviour
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