1. Behaviorist Theory of Personality 1
The way most people think of personality is meaningless. (Behaviorist belief)
Personality changes according to the environment (reinforcers and punishments).
If you change environment then you change the personality.

2. Somatotype Theory 2 A biological Theory by William Sheldon.
Endomorphs (Fat) tend to be friendly and outgoing.
Mesomorphs (muscular) tend to be more aggressive.
Ectomorphs (thin) tend to be more shy and secretive.
Study has not been replicated – what does this mean?.

3. Biological Theories of Personality 3
What % of personality is inherited –heritability?
We are not sure BUT temperaments do seem to be stable from infants to old age.

4. Reciprocal Influences 4
The three factors, behavior, cognition, and environment, are interlocking determinants of each other.
Bandura called the process of interacting with our environment reciprocal determinism.
OBJECTIVE 20| Define reciprocal determinism, and explain how it illustrates the social-cognitive perspective.
Stephen Wade/ Allsport/ Getty Images

5. Trait
A characteristic of behavior or a disposition to feel and act as assessed by self-reported inventories or peer reports.

6. Traits…. 5a Examples of traits: Honest Dependable Moody Impulsive
Unique group of durable dispositions and consistent ways of behaving (traits) constitutes his or her own personality

7. Trait Theories of Personality 6
They believe that we can describe people’s personalities by specifying their main characteristics (traits).
Traits like honestly, laziness, ambition, outgoing are thought to be stable over the course of your lives.

8. Factor Analysis
A statistical procedure used to identify different components of your intelligence or personality (depending on the test).
FA takes the answers you give on tests and compiles them into general traits.

9. Factor Analysis
Cattell found that large groups of traits could be reduced down to 16 core personality traits based on statistical correlations.
Excitement
Impatient
Irritable
Boisterous
Basic
trait
Superficial
traits
Impulsive

10. Exploring Traits 8a
Factor analysis is a statistical approach used to describe and relate personality traits. Cattell used this approach to develop a 16 Personality Factor (16PF) inventory.
OBJECTIVE 15| Describe some of the ways psychologists have attempted to compile a list of basic personality traits.
Raymond Cattell
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11. Idiographic Theorists 9
Using the same set of traits to classify everyone is impossible.
Each person may have a few traits that are unique to them (selfish may be important to describe one person but not another).
Gordon Allport and his cardinal dispositions (also central and secondary).

12. Personality Dimensions 10
Hans and Sybil Eysenck suggested that personality could be reduced down to two polar dimensions, extraversion-introversion and emotional stability-instability.

13. Eysenck Personality Questionnaire 10

14. The Big Five 11 Your traits will be stable over time.
Once you take a test that measures your personality according to the Big Five Scale….
Your traits will be stable over time.
They can be attributed to your genetics
They apply across different cultures
They predict other attributes.

15. The Big Five Factors 12
Today’s trait researchers believe that Eysencks’ personality dimensions are too narrow and Cattell’s 16PF too large. So, a middle range (five factors) of traits does a better job of assessment.
Conscientiousness
Agreeableness
Neuroticism
Openness
Extraversion
OBJECTIVE 17| Identify the Big Five personality factors, and discuss some of the strengths of this approach to studying personality.

16. Big 5 factors a
Conscientiousness: organized/ disorganized; careful/careless; disciplined/impulsive
Agreeableness: soft hearted/ ruthless; trusting/ suspicious; helpful/ uncooperative
Neuroticism/ Emotional Stability: calm/anxious; secure/insecure; self satisfied/ self pitying

17. Big 5 factors 12a
Openness: imaginative/ practical; variety/routine; independent/ conforming
Extraversion/Introversion: sociable/retiring; fun loving/ sober; affectionate/ reserved

18. Questions about the Big Five
1. How stable are these traits?
Quite stable in adulthood. However, they change over development.
2. How heritable are they?
Fifty percent or so for each trait.
3. How about other cultures?
These traits are common across cultures.
4. Can they predict other personal attributes?
Yes. Conscientious people are morning type and extraverted are evening type.

19. Endpoints

20. Trait Theory Criticism 13
Do NOT take into account the importance of the situation.

21. Personality Type 14
Personality types, assessed by measures such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, consist of a number of traits. For example, a feeling type personality is sympathetic, appreciative, and tactful. More research is needed on this popular test’s validity.
Sympathetic
Appreciative
Tactful
Feeling Type Personality