Raymund Catell

• Trait


  Relatively permanent reaction tendencies that are basic structural units of the personality
• Types of traits


  • Common trait
  • Unique trait
• Common trait


  Possessed by everyone to some degree, refer to fundamental characteristics or dimensions shared by a large portion of the population
• Unique trait


  Shared by few people which distinguish them from others, particularly apparent in their interests and attitudes (e.g. eccentricity)
• Types of personality traits

  • Attitudes
  • Ability traits
  • Temperament traits
  • Constitutional traits
  • Environmental-mold traits
  • Dynamic traits
• Attitudes


  Our interest in and our emotions and behaviors toward some person, object, or event
• Ability traits

  The efficiency of a person with their skills and abilities toward a goal
• Temperament traits


  The feeling and emotion which helps in determining how well we react to people and situations
• Constitutional traits


  Source traits that have biological origin, such as behavior resulting from drinking too much alcohol
• Environmental-mold traits


  Source traits that have an environmental origin, such as influence of society
• Dynamic traits


  The force that underlie our motivations and drive our behavior
• ERG is a constitutional trait derived from the Greek word "ergon" which is the innate source or driving force for all behavior
• Sentiment or SEMS (Socially Shaped Ergic Manifolds) is an environmental-mold trait of pattern-learned attitudes that derives from external influences that can be unlearned
• Surface trait


  Could be unstable and can either weaken or strengthen in response to different situations
• Source trait


  A unitary personality factor that is a single, stable, and permanent element of our behavior, derived from factor analysis
• Stages of personality development

  • Infancy (Birth to 6 months)
  • Childhood (6 to 14 months)
  • Adolescence (14 to 23 years old)
  • Maturity (23 to 50)
  • Late Maturity (50 to 65)
  • Old Age (65 and above)
• Infancy (Birth to 6 months)


  Formation of ego, Superego, and social attitudes
• Childhood (6 to 14 months)


  Independence from parent
• Adolescence (14 to 23 years old)

  Conflicts about independence, self-assertion, and sex
• Maturity (23 to 50)


  Satisfaction with career, marriage, and family
• Late Maturity (50 to 65)


  Personality changes due to physical and social circumstances
• Old Age (65 and above)


  Adjustment to loss of friends, career, and status
• 16 Personality Factors


  • Warmth
  • Reasoning
  • Emotional Stability
  • Dominance
  • Liveliness
  • Rule-Conscious
  • Social Boldness
  • Sensitivity
  • Vigilance
  • Abstractedness
  • Privateness
  • Apprehension
  • Openness to Change
  • Self-Reliance
  • Perfectionism
  • Tension
• Warmth


  Measures an individual's preference for solitude and introspection versus sociability and outgoingness
• Reasoning


  Reflects the level of cognitive ability or intellectual capacity
• Emotional Stability


  Assesses emotional stability, with individuals ranging from being highly emotionally reactive to being emotionally resilient
• Dominance


  Describes the degree to which individuals assert themselves or defer to others in social interactions
• Liveliness


  Indicates the general disposition towards seriousness and responsibility versus being carefree and easygoing
• Rule-Conscious


  Relates to the degree of conscientiousness or reliability in fulfilling duties and obligations
• Social Boldness


  Measures the level of risk-taking and adventurousness versus cautiousness and timidity
• Sensitivity


  Reflects the balance between rational, tough-minded thinking and sensitive, empathetic responses to situations
• Vigilance


  Evaluates the tendency to trust others versus being skeptical or suspicious of their intentions
• Abstractedness


  Assesses the inclination towards practicality and realism versus creativity and imagination
• Privateness


  Assesses the honest or direct in expressing one's thoughts or feelings versus showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters
• Apprehension


  Measures self-confidence and assurance versus insecurity and apprehension
• Openness to Change


  Describes the preference for traditional, conservative approaches versus openness to new experiences and experimentation
• Self-Reliance


  Indicates reliance on group support and conformity versus independence and self-sufficiency
• Perfectionism


  Assesses impulse control and self-discipline versus impulsiveness and lack of restraint
• Tension


  Reflects the general level of tension and anxiety versus relaxation and calmness in demeanor