Questions and Answers
What are traits?
What is a Trait Theorist?
A person who describes personality traits in order to predict behavior.
What is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory?
The most widely researched and used personality test.
What is an empirically derived test?
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What does Conscientiousness refer to?
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What does Agreeableness describe?
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What is Neuroticism?
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What does Openness to experience refer to?
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What is Extroversion associated with?
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Who is Raymond Cattell?
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What did Gordan Allport categorize?
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What are Cardinal Traits?
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What are Central Traits?
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What do Secondary Traits relate to?
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Who developed the Three Dimensions of Personality?
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What is the difference between Introversion and Extraversion?
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What does Neuroticism refer to?
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What is Psychoticism in Eysenck's trait theory?
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Study Notes
Trait Theory Overview
- Traits encompass characteristics, behaviors, and conscious motives that define an individual's personality.
- Trait theorists aim to describe and identify personality traits for predicting behavior.
Key Personality Tests
- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory: The most researched and utilized personality test; originally created to identify emotional disorders; now serves multiple screening purposes.
- Empirically derived test: Created by evaluating a diverse set of items and selecting those that effectively differentiate between various groups.
Dimensions of Personality
- Conscientiousness: Ranges from organized to disorganized, careful to careless, and disciplined to impulsive.
- Agreeableness: Measures traits from soft-hearted to ruthless, trusting to suspicious, and helpful to uncooperative.
- Neuroticism (Emotional Stability vs Instability): Defines emotional responses from calm to anxious, secure to insecure, and self-satisfied to self-pitying.
- Openness: Spectrum from imaginative to practical, preference for variety versus routine, and independent versus conforming.
- Extraversion: Describes sociability qualities from outgoing to reserved, fun-loving to sober, and affectionate to distant.
Major Contributors to Trait Theory
- Raymond Cattell: Streamlined over 4,000 personality traits identified by Allport to 171 by blending common characteristics and discarding rare ones.
- Gordon Allport: Founded the framework of trait theory by categorizing traits into three distinct levels—cardinal, central, and secondary traits.
Types of Traits
- Cardinal Traits: These traits overpower an individual's personality, often becoming defining characteristics.
- Central Traits: Serve as fundamental characteristics that form the core of an individual's personality.
- Secondary Traits: Traits that are related to preferences or attitudes; they are context-dependent and may emerge only in specific situations.
Eysenck's Trait Dimensions
- Introversion/Extraversion: Introversion reflects a focus on inner experiences, whereas extraversion is centered on external interactions and environmental stimuli.
- Neuroticism/Emotional Stability: Neuroticism signifies a propensity for emotional upheaval, contrasted by emotional stability, which indicates constancy and resilience.
- Psychoticism: Introduced by Hans Eysenck, this dimension assesses tendencies toward antisocial behavior and emotional detachment, often observed in individuals with mental illness.
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Description
Test your knowledge on Trait Theory with these flashcards. Understand key concepts and terminology including personality traits, Trait Theorists, and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. Perfect for students and enthusiasts of psychology.