Trait Psychology

• What are traits in the context of personality?


  Traits are qualities that people carry around with them, part of their personality.
• How do traits define a person's personality?


  Traits define a person's personality by reflecting their consistent behaviors and characteristics.
• When did the idea that people differ in fundamental ways originate?

  The idea dates back to about 400 BC.
• Who categorized people into four different groups based on temperament?

  Hippocrates and Galen categorized people into four groups.
• What are the four temperament groups identified by Hippocrates and Galen?


  The four groups are Choleric, Melancholic, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.
• How does the concept of types differ from traits?


  Types classify people into distinct categories, while traits view personality as a continuum.
• What did Jung argue about personality types in 1933?


  Jung argued that people are either introverts or extraverts.
• How are differences among people viewed in modern personality psychology?

  Differences are seen as quantitative rather than qualitative.
• What is situationism in the context of personality?


  Situationism is the idea that discussions of consistency and stability in personality often focus on short time periods.
• What is the distinction between nomothetic and idiographic approaches in personality psychology?


  • **Nomothetic**:
  • Emphasizes differences among people on shared trait dimensions.
  • Focuses on similarities in scores.
  • Idiographic:
  • Focuses on unique traits specific to individuals.
  • Hard to predict due to individual variability.
• What are the two approaches to studying personality traits mentioned in the material?

  1. **Lexical Approach**:

  • Uses language to rate traits.
  • Identifies patterns in word associations.
  • Raymond Cattell identified 16 traits.

  1. **Theoretical Approach**:

  • Begins with a theory, such as Hans Eysenck's PEN model.
  • Focuses on three key traits: Extraversion, Neuroticism, Psychoticism.
• What are the Big Five personality traits?


  1. Openness to experience
  2. Conscientiousness
  3. Extraversion
  4. Agreeableness
  5. Neuroticism
• What does correlation measure in personality psychology?


  Correlation measures the relationship between two variables.
• What is the range of correlation values?


  Correlation values vary from -1 to +1.
• What does a correlation value over +/- 0.7 indicate?


  A correlation value over +/- 0.7 indicates a strong relationship.
• What are the key distinctions between types and traits in personality psychology?


  • **Types**:
  • Classify people into distinct categories.
  • Traits:
  • View personality as a continuum.
  • Focus on differences within individuals rather than distinct categories.
• What is the binocular rivalry task?


  The binocular rivalry task involves showing different images to each eye, suppressing one image over the other.
• What did Piedmont, Hill & Blanco (1999) find regarding sporting success?


  They found that neuroticism and conscientiousness predicted season-long performance in women's soccer.
• What is Mischel's contribution to the concept of situationism?


  Mischel contributed to the understanding of the consistency of behavior and the size of relationships in personality.
• What are the criticisms of trait theory?


  • **Situationism**:
  • Traits are relative; behavior can vary depending on the situation.
  • **Interactionism**:
  • Behavior results from the interaction between personality and environment.
  • **Situation Strength**:
  • Strong situations can suppress personality traits, while weak situations allow them to emerge.
• How do personality traits influence behavior according to the conclusion of the material?


  Personality traits play a role in behavior but do not completely define it.
• What is the diathesis-stress model in relation to personality traits?


  The diathesis-stress model suggests that certain traits may predispose individuals to problems only under stress.
• What does therapeutic change involve in the context of personality traits?


  Therapeutic change involves altering how traits manifest in behavior or avoiding situations that trigger problematic behaviors.
• What are the factors influencing academic achievement according to the material?

  • Secondary school performance
  • Intelligence
  • Conscientiousness
• How does personality relate to emotional expression?


  • Lower openness and agreeableness may lead to resistance in emotional expression.
  • Personality traits can predict attitudes towards emotional expression.