1. Personality Warm-Up Reflection
Write a brief “Letter of Recommendation” paragraph in which your teacher/counselor describes your personality (behavior, feelings, motivation, etc.)
Be prepared to share with the class

2. Personality Traits
What are the traits of a successful person? (Generate a list with person next to to you).

3. Trait Approach to Personality
Traits - An aspect of personality that is relatively stable
Assumes person has traits based on behavior (consistent in different situations)
Drawback – Explains/describes personality but does not explain the origin of traits
Benefits – Link between personality, abilities, interests – guide for education/career
Shortcoming – Pigeonholes people; simplistic

4. Hippocrates
Believed traits were a result of a combination of bodily fluids (Humors).
Yellow Bile – Choleric or quick-tempered
Blood – Sanguine or warm, cheerful temperament
Phlegm – Phlegmatic – Sluggish, cool disposition
Black Bile – Melancholic – thoughtful, depressive personality

5. Gordon Allport (1930’s)
Searched the dictionary for personality descriptors (over 18,000)
Physical, Behavioral, Moral Traits
Believed traits to be inherited and fixed in the nervous system
Studied individuals
A person’s behavior is a product of combinations of traits – building blocks of personality

6. Raymond Cattell (1950’s) Studied groups rather than individuals
Personality consists of 46 surface traits which can be derived from 16 source traits
Take Cattell’s 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire for yourself
Take Cattell's Test!

7. Hans Eysenck (1950’s) Similar to Hippocrates’ scheme
Focused on the relationship between two personality dimensions
Introversion/Extroversion
Stable/Unstable
Cataloged various personality traits according to where those traits appear within the Introversion/Extroversion and Stable/Unstable dimensions.
Similar to Hippocrates’ scheme

9. The Big Five
Recent research suggests there may be five basic personality types
Cross-cultural studies suggest these temperaments may be largely inborn (inherited)
A person’s position along these dimensions may be established at an early age and remain stable throughout life
Where does your personality lie on the continuum?

10. The Big Five Extroversion < > Introversion
Agreeableness < > Disagreeableness
Conscientiousness < > Carelessness
Stability < > Instability
Openness < > Closed Mindedness