A. Issues (cont’d)
• 3 Fundamental Questions:1. How should we
conceptualize (define) traits?
2. How do we identify the most important traits?
3. How do we formulate a comprehensive taxonomyof traits?
B. Traits as Internal Causal Properties
1. Something internal that has causal “power”.
2. Internal disposition
3. It is not necessarily expressed.• Analogy:
• Glass
C. Traits as Descriptive Summaries
1. No assumptions about internality, or causality, are made.
2. Traits simply as descriptive summaries of attributes of persons.• Sounds a bit like behaviorism to me
3. Example – Jealousy• Olaf’s jealousy (OneNote) – Read this to class
A. Lexical Approach
1. What do you think this is?
• According to Allport (Gordon) and Odbert (1936):a) Traits listed and defined in dictionary
b) Form basis of natural way of describing differences bet. people.
c) Logical starting pt. (for identifying traits) is natural language
• Examples: dominant, creative, reliable, co-operative, hot-tempered, self-centered.
A. Lexical Approach (cont’d)
1. Lots of trait terms “codified” as adjectives.
2. Dictionary about 18,000 (Norman, 1967)
3. 2 criteria for identifying important traits:1. Synonym Frequency:
• Important trait = ↑ of synonyms• Example – Dominance:
• Dominant, bossy, assertive, powerful, pushy, forceful, leader-like, domineering, influential, ascendant, authoritative, & arrogant.
• Manipulative• Arrogant• Slothful• Warm
A. Lexical Approach (cont’d)
• And…2. Cross-cultural universality
• ↑ importance of trait = ↑ languages will have a word for the trait• Example – Yanomamo Indians of Venezuela:
• Unokai – Man who has achieved “manhood” by killing another man
• Non-unokai – Man who has not achieved “manhood” by the killing of another man.
• In West – “killer” or “murderer” but no word(s) with same connotation as Yanomamo
• Above = example of ↓ importance = ↓ languages having word(s) for this concept.
B. Statistical Approach
1. Pool of personality itemsa) Trait words
b) Questions about behavior:• I find that I am easily able to persuade people to my point of
view
2. Statistical procedure:• Identify major dimensions, groups, or clusters.
• Things that go together
• Lexical often combined with statistical
B. Statistical Approach (cont’d)
• …You’re going to love this
3. Factor Analysis• “Factor analysis essentially identifies groups of items
that covary (i.e., go together) but tend not to covarywith other groups of items.
B. Statistical Approach (cont’d)
• How do we classify personality traits?• Surface Traits
• Basic Traits
honestSurface Traits
dependable excitable boisterous
impulsive
Basic Traits Trait A Trait B
Factor Analysis
B. Statistical Approach (cont’d)
4. A word of caution:a) Only get out what you put in…
• Leave out important personality trait…• Won’t show up in analysis• Initial item selection critical
C. Theoretical Approach
1. Theory that determines which variables are important• Examples:
• Psychoanalytic Theory• Measure “Oral personality”
• Measure “Anal personality”
• Self-Actualization Theorist (e.g., Maslow)• Measure individual differences in degree to which people “self-
actualize”
• How about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator?• Based upon theory/ideas developed by Carl Jung
A. Background
1. Classifying Personality Traits
Entry Word: anxious
Function: adjective
Text: 1
Synonyms AFRAID 1, aghast, ||ascared, fearful, frightened, scared,
scary, terrified
Related Word agitated, apprehensive, jittery, perturbed, upset,
worried; alarmed, bothered, disquieted, troubled, uneasy
Idioms ill at ease
Contrasted Words calm, collected, cool, easy, imperturbable,
unruffled; assured, confident, sanguine, sure
A. Background (cont’d)
• Gordon Alport (1937)• Some 250 traits???...
• Factor analysis
• 16 basic traits – Raymond Cattell (1950)
B. Cattell (1950)
Reserved
Less Intelligent
Affected by Feelings
Submissive
Serious
Expedient
Timid
Tough-minded
Trusting
Practical
Forthright
Self-assured
Conservative
Group-dependant
Relaxed
Uncontrolled
Outgoing
More Intelligent
Emotionally Stable
Dominant
Happy-go-lucky
Conscientious
Venturesome
Sensitive
Suspicious
Imaginative
Shrewd
Apprehensive
Experimenting
Self-sufficient
Tense
Controlled
Classifying (cont’d)
• 16 basic traits – Raymond Cattell (1950)
• “Big Five” basic traits• Robert McCrae and Paul Costa (1987)
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
(Constraint)
Openness to
Experience
Neuroticism
(Negative
Emotionality)
Extraversion
(Positive
Emotionality)
Extraversion
(Positive
Emotionality)
sociable
outgoing
upbeat friendly
assertive
gregarious
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
(Constraint)
Openness to
Experience
Extraversion
(Positive
Emotionality)
Neuroticism
(Negative
Emotionality)insecure
anxious
hostile
vulnerable
self-conscious
Neuroticism
(Negative
Emotionality)
curiosity
imaginativeness
flexibilityAgreeableness
Conscientiousness
(Constraint)
Extraversion
(Positive
Emotionality)
Neuroticism
(Negative
Emotionality)
Openness to
Experience
unconventional attitudes
artistic sensitivity
vivid fantasy
Openness to
Experience
Conscientiousness
(Constraint)
Extraversion
(Positive
Emotionality)
Neuroticism
(Negative
Emotionality)
Openness to
Experience
sympathetic
cooperative
trustingAgreeableness
modest
straight forward
Agreeableness
Extraversion
(Positive
Emotionality)
Neuroticism
(Negative
Emotionality)
Openness to
Experience
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
(Constraint)
diligent
disciplined
punctual
dependable
well-organized
Conscientiousness
(Constraint)
Big Five
• 5 Traits• Extraversion
• Outgoing, sociable, upbeat, friendly, assertive, gregarious
• Neuroticism• Anxious, hostile, self-conscious, insecure, vulnerable
• Openness to Experience• Curiosity, flexibility, vivid fantasy, imaginativeness, artistic
sensitivity, unconventional attitudes
• Agreeableness• Sympathetic, trusting, cooperative, modest, straightforward
• Conscientiousness• Diligent, disciplined, well-organized, punctual, dependable
Wikipedia Entry on Big Five
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits
• See “facet” or “primary” traits• Under heading “Five Factors”:
• 3rd paragraph after “neuroticism”
Classifying Personality Traits
• “Big Five”• Pluses
• Highly replicated.
• Widely accepted.
• Minuses• Descriptive only (this is important).
• Simplistic??
• So, what are some personality theories that attempt to get at causal and developmental factors?
Myers Briggs Type Indicator
• Katharine Cook Briggs
• Isabel Briggs Myers
• Inspired by Carl Jung’s Psychological Types (1921)
• Theory driven?
• MBTI Wikipedia
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