The Psychology of the Person Chapter 7 Trait Approach

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The Psychology of the PersonChapter 7 Trait
Approach

• Naomi Wagner, Ph.D
• Lecture Outlines
• Based on Burger, 8th edition

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Personality as Trait Dimension

• The trait approach sees human characteristics as
  lying along a hypothetical continuum from less of
  the trait to more of the trait, and each person
  can be described in terms of his or her standing
  on this continuum.
• Extravert________________Introvert

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The Normal Distribution

• If we were to measure a large number of people
  along a trait, we will find that the scores are
  normally distributed (you need to understand this
  expression)
• The trait approach assumes that traits are
  stable over time in a person, and consistent
  across situations.

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The Normal Distribution
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Special Features of the Trait Approach

• The trait approach is interested in predicting
  the typical behavior of people who score within a
  certain segment of the trait continuum- such a
  low in social anxiety, or high in social anxiety.
  
• The approach enables to compare across people,
  such as low or high in anxiety.
• The approach does not attempt to predict the
  behavior of a specific person.
• It describes personality, but does not attempt to
  explain it the underlying mechanisms of traits.

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Allport

• Allport was the founder of the trait approach
• He suggested two avenues to study personality
• The nomothetic that looks at typical behavior
  across people (e.g. how do anxious people
  typically behave)
• The idiographic the in-depth study of one
  person, such as in a case-study.

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Nomothetic ApproachComparison across people

• How people typically behave in agiven situation

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Central, Secondary, and Cardinal TraitsAccording
to Allport

• Central Traits about 5 traits along which a
  particular person can be described
• Secondary traits other, less central traits in
  a particular individual
• Cardinal trait Just ONE trait that takes over
  , often related to psychopathology, for example,
  a person who is paranoid, a tendency that is
  reflected in all aspects of his/her behavior.

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The Idiographic Approach Studying ONE person in
dpeth

• The central traits of a given person are relevant
  in this approach

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Henry Murray

• Described personality along psychogenic needs,
  that can be regarded as traits, because they
  affect behavior.
• Murray identified about 20 such needs
• In an attempt to understand a persons behavior,
  it is important to know how the strength of the
  needs within the person, relative to one another

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The Press

• Murray maintained that an environmental factor
  may give rise to a need in a person
• He labeled such factor press
• For example- you may not be aware of your need
  for order, until you find yourself in a very
  messy room
• Murray developed a projective test, the TAT
  (Thematic Apperception test)

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Murray (cont-d)

• An example of the relative strength Let us say
  that you have a strong need to affiliate (to be
  with other people), and also a strong need to
  achieve.
• You are invited to a party tonight, while
  tomorrow there is an important test
• Your decision whether to go to the party or study
  for the test reflects the relative strength of
  these 2 needs.

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Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

• What is going on in this picture?

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TAT (cont-d)

• What is going on in this picture?

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TAT

• What is going on in this picture?

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Cattell and Factor Analysis

• Raymond Cattell used the statistical technique of
  factor analysis to identify the basic structure
  of personality
• Factor Analysis is a procedure looking for
  correlations among various measures (in this
  case- personality tests)
• For example, each person is given 10 different
  tests, and the procedure identifies which tests
  go together, that is, the yield similar high
  scores, suggesting a common underlying factor
• Cattell identified 16 basic traits, source
  traits

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Factor Analysis and the Big FiveIn Search of the
Structure of Personality

• Extraversion (vs. Introversion)
• Neuroticism (emotional stability-instability)
• Conscientiousness disciplined and goal-directed
• Agreeableness Being kind and warm to others
• Openness Intellectual curiosity, imagination

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Big Five Studies

• The same 5 dimensions have been identified in
  other cultures, other languages
• When people describe their friends, they are
  using these dimensions
• Studies suggested to refer to the dimensions as 5
  plus-minus 2
• Factor Analysis depends on the data being
  inserted into the procedure.

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Criticism of the trait approach

• An enduring controversy in personality concerns
  the relative importance of traits compared to
  situational determinants of behavior.
• Critics charge that traits do not predict
  behavior well
• Critics also charge that there is little evidence
  for cross-situational consistency.
• Traits explain only about 10 of differences
  among people.

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In Defense of Traits

• Trait advocates answer that if traits and
  behaviors are measured correctly, a significant
  relationship can be found.
• They suggest to aggregate (pull together) several
  behavioral measures of a trait
• In addition, advocates maintain that the amount
  of behavioral variance explained by traits is
  considerable and important.

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Defense (cont-d)

• Aggregating data- that is, looking at the
  persons behavior across time and situations
  provides support for the trait assumption of
  consistency.
• It is also important to identify traits that are
  relevant for the person in order to assess
  consistency along time and across situations.
• Though traits are responsible for only 10 of the
  variance among people, this 10 is relevant when
  decisions need to be make based on comparisons
  between people.

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In the Workplace

• Conscientiousness was found to be the personality
  dimensions preferred in employment settings

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Assessment Self-Report Inventories The MMPI

• The MMPI was originally developed in the 1940s
  to aid in making psychiatric diagnosis
• It had undergone several revisions and it is now
  the most widely-used personality self-report
  inventory.
• It has 10 clinical scales and 4 validity scales.
• Validity scale to identify faking

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Problems with Self-Report Inventories

• Faking Good Wanting to present oneself in a
  better light
• Faking bad Wanting to present oneself in a worth
  light (to be deemed incompetent to stand trial,
  for example)
• Carelessness
• Sabotage
• Response Tendencies, such as social desirability
  or acquiescence

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Current Status of Trait Approach

• Though originally the trait approach was not
  concerned with the underlying mechanisms, Allport
  suggested that one day the biological basis of
  traits will be identified, and this is the
  current status
• The trait approach has generated a great deal of
  research
• It enables the comparisons across people (e.g.
  when you want to identify the best candidate for
  a job)
• It is NOT translated into psychotherapy.