▶ You will see pictures of 3 different men.
▶ On a piece of paper please respond to the following questions/prompts.
1. Choose a name for the person in the picture.
2. Create a list of 5 personality traits you think may be used to describe the man in the picture.
3. What kind of job might this many have?
Follow the directions!
▶ 1940s’s study of 4,000 men
▶ Developed a theory that there are three basic body types, or somatotypes
▶ Endoderm
▶ Mesoderm
▶ Ectoderm
▶ Each associated with personality characteristics, representing a correlation between physique and temperament
▶ According to this view human personality traits are underwritten, as it were, by human physical types.
▶ Does this idea seem plausible?
▶ Does body type dictate temperament?
▶ To what extent does body type influence personality development, if at all?
William Sheldon-Somatotypes
▶ Trait theory is focused on identifying and measuring these individual personality characteristics.
▶ How many traits are there?
▶ Hans Eysenck claimed that any personality can be described by 3 basic factors (trait clusters) which are biologically determined.◦ Introversion-extroversion
▶ In the 1930’s there were 4,500 traits in 1990 it was been reduced to 5.
▶ A trait can be thought of as a relatively stable characteristic that causes individuals to behave in certain ways.
▶ Unlike other theories of personality, the trait approach is focused on differences between individuals.
Trait Theory
▶ Allport categorized traits.▶ Cardinal◦ Traits that dominate an
individual’s whole life.◦ Consider the origins of the
following terms⚫ Freudian, Don Juan, Christ-like
◦ rare and tend to develop later in life.
Gordon Allport’s Trait TheoryCardinal, Central, & Secondary
▶ Central Traits: The general characteristics that form the basic foundations of personality.
▶ These central traits, while not as dominating as cardinal traits, are the major characteristics you might use to describe another person.
▶ Terms such as intelligent, honest, shy and anxious are considered central traits.
Gordon Allport’s Trait TheoryCardinal, Central, & Secondary
▶ Secondary Traits: Traits that are sometimes related to attitudes or preferences
▶ Often appear only in certain situations or under specific circumstances.
▶ Some examples would be getting anxious when speaking to a group or impatient while waiting in line.
Gordon Allport’s Trait TheoryCardinal, Central, & Secondary
▶ Organizes all personality traits into 5 categories.
Five-Factor Model (Big 5) OCEAN Mnemonic device
▶ Although traits are stable tendencies to behave in certain ways, this stability does not necessarily apply across situations◦ Personality tests reveal stability in traits, but may be a weak predictor
of behavior. ⚫ Conscientiousness?
◦ PERSON –SITUATION INTERACTION
▶ Personality traits are both changeable and stable. ◦ Most change occurs before age 30 because adolescents and young adults
are more willing to adopt new values and attitudes, or revise old ones.
◦ Most stability occurs after age 30, but adults do continue to grow in their ideas, beliefs & attitudes.
Big 5 Model Raises 3 IssuesBig 5 Model Raises Issues