This document provides an overview of personality type and trait theories. It describes characteristics of personality such as being dynamic and unique. It discusses several type approaches to classifying personality including Hippocrates' typology of sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholic and choleric types. Trait approaches are also covered, including Allport's, Cattell's, Eysenck's and the Five Factor Model. The document notes that interactional approaches view situational factors as also influencing personality. Videos are linked to further explain type and trait theories. Revision questions are provided at the end.

1. Personality (Type & Trait
Theories)

2. What is Personality?
Personality is some total of physical,
social, emotional and intellectual
traits of an individual that is
expressed in terms of behaviours,
attitudes, manners, values, beliefs,
interests, habits etc.

3. Characteristics of Personality
It has both physical and psychological
characteristics.
It is dynamic not static.
It is unique.
It continuously adjusts to the environment.
It is also effected by the environment.
It helps in prediction of behaviour.

4. Video Link for Personality and its
Characteristics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZe7WD-KII8
Listen this video from 2.55 secs till end

5. Type Approach- Theories
It defines human personality in
broader sense. According to
which personality refers to one
particular type and that type
includes some specific
behavioural characteristics.

6. Type Approach- Hippocrates Typology
He classified people into 4 categories:
 Sanguine
Phlegmatic
Melancholic
Choleric

7. Type Approach-Charak Samhita
(Ayurveda)
People can be classified into following categories:
 Vatta
Pitta
Kapha

8. Type Approach- Trigunas
People can be classified as:
 Sattva
Rajas
Tamas

9. Type Approach- Sheldon’s Theory
According to Sheldon, personality type are
dependent on body built and temperament. He
classified personality into three types:
Endomorphic
Mesomorphic
Ectomorphic

10. Type Approach- Jung’s Theory
He classified personality into two types:
Introverts
Extraverts

11. Type Approach- Friedman & Rosenman
They classified personality into two types:
Type A
Type B
Morris defined:
Type C
Type D

12. Video Link for Type Approaches
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtqnZKcP4B8

13. Trait Approach- Theories
It defines human personality in
terms of traits. Traits are stable,
persistent and specific way of
behaving. Their strengths and
combinations vary from person
to person.

14. Trait Approach- Allport’s Theory

15. Trait Approach - Cattell’s Theory

16. Trait Approach – Eysenck’s Theory
According to Eysenck, personality can be defined on basis of three dimensions.

17. Trait Approach – Five Factor Theory by Costa and Mc Crae

18. Video Link for Trait Theories
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFprjqqbRgc

19. Interactional Approach to Personality
It explains that situational factors also
influence personality. Sometimes, we
behave in a particular situation not
because of personality traits but because
of situational factors like rewards or
threats.

20. Revision - 1 Mark
1. _______ is a biologically based characteristic way to reacting.
2. Who among the following psychologists divided all personalities into introverts and extraverts? A) Freud B)
Jung C) Adler D) Erikson
3. _________ personalities are more suspectible to problems like coronary heart diseases.
4. Individuals having high motivation, lacking patience and are always in a hurry are characterised by Type _____
personality.
5. Type D personality is characterised by proneness to _______.
6. A ______ refers to the characteristics in which one individual differs from another in a relatively permanent
and consistent way. A) Personality B) Trait C) Humanistic D) Concept

21. Revision
7. Describe any TWO factors from the ‘Five Factor Model’ of personality.
8. How is personal identity different from social identity?
9. How do you define personality? What are the main approaches to the study of personality?
10. What is trait approach to personality? How does it differ from type approach?