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Understanding Personality: Trait Perspective 1 Understanding Personality: Trait Perspective Tim DeAndrea Personality Psychology Professor Herman Date 11/09/2023
Understanding Personality: Trait Perspective 2 Understanding Personality: Trait Perspective The subject of someone's personality is captivating for psychologists. It comprises many different things, like behavior, emotion, and cognition, which all shape who a person is. At the core of it all lies the trait perspective. This perspective is like a framework that determines how consistent patterns of behavior and thoughts develop in people. It believes personality can be broken down into traits that stay steady over time and in many different situations. In this article, we go on an adventure to explore this perspective with a specific focus on three people: Gordon Allport, Hans Eysenck, and Raymond Cattell. These three have done wonders in expanding our understanding of personality and, as a result, left their print on the psychology field that will last forever. Defining Traits and Trait Theory Defining Traits In personality psychology, traits are stable and enduring attributes that help us understand how someone thinks, behaves, and feels in different situations. They are what makeup who we are at our core. What is interesting is that they stay consistent as time goes on. This quality becomes the foundation for a deep understanding of someone, as it is nearly only possible to change someone long-term with a significant event happening to them. So studying this is essential for figuring out why people act the way they do, just as much as it provides insights into an individual's personality. Trait Theory of Personality
Understanding Personality: Trait Perspective 3 The trait theory of personality has a simple premise: specific traits can determine and separate individuals. They believe that these traits are embedded within a person and have a strong influence on how they behave. Instead of labeling people as having a trait, this theory puts them on a spectrum. It allows for more complex categorization and understanding. They are allowing us to get closer to fully understanding the nature that is human personality. Gordon Allport: The Founder of Trait Psychology Gordon Allport is greatly admired in personality psychology and praised for his pivotal contributions to creating the trait perspective. He believes that traits serve as the foundation of personality and aid us in understanding our differences. In 1937, he created a classification system with three tiers: cardinal, central, and secondary, each playing its role in characterizing our behavior (Allport, 1937). His work solidifies how deep and complex those simple traits are, making him a trailblazer whose legacy will forever be remembered. Cardinal Traits Cardinal traits are what define someone's personality. They are so profound and extraordinary that they become the person's identity. In 1937, Allport published a book about these infrequent characteristics; with them, he concluded that they have immense power over individuals. Their influence is so powerful that it can show in every aspect of life — thoughts, emotions, and behavior (Allport, 1937). These rare attributes are the foundation of a person's character and shape their overall mental state. Central Traits
Understanding Personality: Trait Perspective 4 Cardinal traits, as defined by Allport in 1937, are vital. They influence most of our behavior and, in some instances, define our personality. Central traits, on the other hand, are not as intense; while they are prevalent, they do not have the same dominance as cardinal traits do. However, they are still a crucial part of who we are. They form a foundation that shapes how we behave and see the world around us (Allport, 1937). Secondary Traits Allport describes secondary traits as the less enduring and impactful parts of someone's personality. Compared to cardinal and central traits, these do not have a firm consistency or influence over behavior. They are only situation-specific and emerge in particular contexts, restricting their effect on an individual's overall personality structure. Even though they can contribute to slight deviations in behavior, they are not as significant as more extensive characteristics (Allport, 1937). In a way, they represent a subtler layer of one's personality that shapes conduct for specific circumstances instead of exerting a dominating or enduring influence. Hans Eysenck: The Biological Basis of Personality The emphasis on the biological foundation of personality and a groundbreaking framework leads Hans Eysenck's contributions to the trait perspective. That contribution was made in 1967 and stated that personality traits could be given three dimensions: extraversion- introversion, neuroticism-emotional stability, and psychoticism. His point was that traits could fall into one of these categories. Through his understanding of the human body, he can take a further step at advancing the field (Eysenck, 1967).
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