2 Personality Traits Personality Psychology: Foundations and Findings Marianne Miserandino Learning Objectives What is a personality trait? How do we study personality traits? How accurate are we on judging personalities? 3 How do traits define personality? Trait A person’s typical style of thinking, feeling and behaving in different situations Idiographic: individual Nomothetic: Universal traits 4 According to Eysenck, how are our personalities organized? 5 Who was Gordon Allport? (1897 – 1967) First college course on personality Raw material interacts w/environment habits and attitudes Central, Secondary and Cardinal traits Theoretical vs. Lexical approach 6 How would you score on these questions? I like to go to parties I find myself leading group conversations I make friends easily I think outside the box I am relatively open to new ideas I like to learn about different cultures I get nervous speaking to others I find I have lots of anxiety I don’t like when others are looking at me; I feel I am being judged I keep my room very organized I don’t like to get behind on my work People count on me for getting the job done What is a factor analysis? Raymond Cattell (1905 – 1998) Measurement approach: A statistical technique used to classify data. Determined 16 Personality Factors Group A:Group B:Group C: Self-SatisfiedFun-LovingWell- WorriedSociableorganized Secure - - 8 Factor analysis of Music Genres What steps are taken to conduct a factor analysis? 10 Combine and weigh participant responses to form factors Small number of factors able to recreate variation of data set responses Each factor explains certain amount of variance between participants Factor loadings estimate how strongly each question fits into given factor; interprets like correlation Each factor defined by questions with highest factor loadings Factors identified and named How were universal principles determined? Cattell Factor Analysis 16 factors 1946 Allport & Oabert Lexical Analysis 4504 trait items 1936 Fiske & Norman and Others Built on Cattell’s work Big Five factors 1949-1963 How were universal principles determined? Block California Q-Sort 5 factors 1961 Jackson Person Research Form 5 factors 1984 Myers & McCauley Myers-Briggs Type Indicator 5 factors 1985 How were universal principles determined? 13 Buss 5 traits Rooted in biology 1996 What is Eysenck’s PEN Model (Supertraits)? Determined personality differences were biologically based Three broad personality types Narrow traits associated with each factor 14 What’s the difference? Big Five Lexical Solution Roman numerals reflect frequency in lexicon Emotional Stability (Neuroticism) and Culture (Openness) Five Factor Model Factor Analysis Costa & McCrae NEO-PI-R Biologically based traits Openness What behaviors would you expect? ...