{"id":651,"date":"2020-06-17T16:09:14","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T16:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=651"},"modified":"2020-12-20T20:58:06","modified_gmt":"2020-12-20T20:58:06","slug":"trait-theorists","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/chapter\/trait-theorists\/","title":{"raw":"Trait Theories","rendered":"Trait Theories"},"content":{"raw":"<div id=\"25120\" class=\"ui-has-child-title\"><section>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">By the end of this section, you will be able to:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Discuss early trait theories of Cattell and Eysenck<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Discuss the Big Five factors and describe someone who is high and low on each of the five factors<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idp126272\">Trait theorists believe personality can be understood via the approach that all people have certain\u00a0<strong><span id=\"term740\">traits<\/span>,<\/strong> or characteristic ways of behaving. Do you tend to be sociable or shy? Passive or aggressive? Optimistic or pessimistic? Moody or even-tempered? Early trait theorists tried to describe all human personality traits. For example, one trait theorist, Gordon Allport (Allport &amp; Odbert, 1936), found 4,500 words in the English language that could describe people. He organized these personality traits into three categories: cardinal traits, central traits, and secondary traits. A cardinal trait is one that dominates your entire personality, and hence your life\u2014such as Ebenezer Scrooge\u2019s greed and Mother Theresa\u2019s altruism. Cardinal traits are not very common: Few people have personalities dominated by a single trait. Instead, our personalities typically are composed of multiple traits. Central traits are those that make up our personalities (such as loyal, kind, agreeable, friendly, sneaky, wild, and grouchy). Secondary traits are those that are not quite as obvious or as consistent as central traits. They are present under specific circumstances and include preferences and attitudes. For example, one person gets angry when people try to tickle them; another can only sleep on the left side of the bed; and yet another always orders their salad dressing on the side. And you\u2014although not normally an anxious person\u2014feel nervous before making a speech in front of your English class.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idp516400\">In an effort to make the list of traits more manageable, Raymond Cattell (1946, 1957) narrowed down the list to about 171 traits. However, saying that a trait is either present or absent does not accurately reflect a person\u2019s uniqueness, because all of our personalities are actually made up of the same traits; we differ only in the degree to which each trait is expressed. Cattell (1957) identified 16 factors or dimensions of personality: warmth, reasoning, emotional stability, dominance, liveliness, rule-consciousness, social boldness, sensitivity, vigilance, abstractedness, privateness, apprehension, openness to change, self-reliance, perfectionism, and tension (<a class=\"autogenerated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-7-trait-theorists#Table_11_07_01\">Table P.5<\/a>). He developed a personality assessment based on these 16 factors, called the 16PF. Instead of a trait being present or absent, each dimension is scored over a continuum, from high to low. For example, your level of warmth describes how warm, caring, and nice to others you are. If you score low on this index, you tend to be more distant and cold. A high score on this index signifies you are supportive and comforting.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"Table_11_07_01\" class=\"os-table\">\r\n<table class=\"top-titled\" summary=\"Table 11.5 \">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th colspan=\"3\" scope=\"col\">Personality Factors Measured by the 16PF Questionnaire<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th scope=\"col\">Factor<\/th>\r\n<th scope=\"col\">Low Score<\/th>\r\n<th scope=\"col\">High Score<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Warmth<\/td>\r\n<td>Reserved, detached<\/td>\r\n<td>Outgoing, supportive<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Intellect<\/td>\r\n<td>Concrete thinker<\/td>\r\n<td>Analytical<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Emotional stability<\/td>\r\n<td>Moody, irritable<\/td>\r\n<td>Stable, calm<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Aggressiveness<\/td>\r\n<td>Docile, submissive<\/td>\r\n<td>Controlling, dominant<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Liveliness<\/td>\r\n<td>Somber, prudent<\/td>\r\n<td>Adventurous, spontaneous<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Dutifulness<\/td>\r\n<td>Unreliable<\/td>\r\n<td>Conscientious<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Social assertiveness<\/td>\r\n<td>Shy, restrained<\/td>\r\n<td>Uninhibited, bold<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Sensitivity<\/td>\r\n<td>Tough-minded<\/td>\r\n<td>Sensitive, caring<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Paranoia<\/td>\r\n<td>Trusting<\/td>\r\n<td>Suspicious<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Abstractness<\/td>\r\n<td>Conventional<\/td>\r\n<td>Imaginative<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Introversion<\/td>\r\n<td>Open, straightforward<\/td>\r\n<td>Private, shrewd<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Anxiety<\/td>\r\n<td>Confident<\/td>\r\n<td>Apprehensive<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Openmindedness<\/td>\r\n<td>Closeminded, traditional<\/td>\r\n<td>Curious, experimental<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Independence<\/td>\r\n<td>Outgoing, social<\/td>\r\n<td>Self-sufficient<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Perfectionism<\/td>\r\n<td>Disorganized, casual<\/td>\r\n<td>Organized, precise<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Tension<\/td>\r\n<td>Relaxed<\/td>\r\n<td>Stressed<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<div class=\"os-caption-container\"><span class=\"os-title-label\">Table P<\/span><span class=\"os-number\">.5<\/span><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fs-idp132800\" class=\"psychology link-to-learning ui-has-child-title\"><section>\r\n<div class=\"os-note-body\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">LINK TO LEARNING<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">Take this\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/openstax.org\/l\/cattell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">assessment based on Cattell's 16PF questionnaire<\/a>\u00a0to see which personality traits dominate your personality.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idp311296\">Psychologists Hans and Sybil\u00a0<span id=\"term741\" class=\"no-emphasis\">Eysenck<\/span>\u00a0were personality theorists (<a class=\"autogenerated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-7-trait-theorists#Figure_11_07_Eysenck\">Figure P.14<\/a>) who focused on<strong>\u00a0<span id=\"term742\">temperament<\/span><\/strong>, the inborn, genetically based personality differences that you studied earlier in the chapter. They believed personality is largely governed by biology. The Eysencks (Eysenck, 1990, 1992; Eysenck &amp; Eysenck, 1963) viewed people as having two specific personality dimensions: extroversion\/introversion and neuroticism\/stability.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"Figure_11_07_Eysenck\" class=\"os-figure\">\r\n<figure>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"325\"]<img id=\"41356\" src=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/resources\/a47e6ba9b86b86118e13eb3659c8889ced1a4bdd\" alt=\"A photograph shows Hans and Sybil Eysenck together.\u201d\" width=\"325\" height=\"448\" \/> Figure P.14\u00a0Hans and Sybil Eysenck believed that our personality traits are influenced by our genetic inheritance. (credit: \"Sirswindon\"\/Wikimedia Commons)[\/caption]<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idp1309824\">According to their theory, people high on the trait of extroversion are sociable and outgoing, and readily connect with others, whereas people high on the trait of introversion have a higher need to be alone, engage in solitary behaviours, and limit their interactions with others. In the neuroticism\/stability dimension, people high on neuroticism tend to be anxious; they tend to have an overactive sympathetic nervous system and, even with low stress, their bodies and emotional state tend to go into a flight-or-fight reaction. In contrast, people high on stability tend to need more stimulation to activate their flight-or-fight reaction and are considered more emotionally stable. Based on these two dimensions, the Eysencks\u2019 theory divides people into four quadrants. These quadrants are sometimes compared with the four temperaments described by the Greeks: melancholic, choleric, phlegmatic, and sanguine (<a class=\"autogenerated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-7-trait-theorists#Figure_11_04_Quadrants\">Figure P.15<\/a>).<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"Figure_11_04_Quadrants\" class=\"os-figure\">\r\n<figure>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"731\"]<img id=\"96583\" src=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/resources\/089402b0117ee62e128b5a46aa571ba14113f7b4\" alt=\"A circle is divided vertically and horizontally into four sections by lines with arrows at the ends. Clockwise from the top, the arrows are labeled \u201cUnstable Emotions (Neurotic),\u201d \u201cExtroverted Personality,\u201d \u201cStable Emotions,\u201d and \u201cIntroverted Personality.\u201d The arcs around the perimeter of the circle, clockwise beginning with the top right segment are labeled \u201cCholeric,\u201d \u201cSanguine,\u201d \u201cPhlegmatic,\u201d and \u201cMelancholic.\u201d The sections inside each arc contain descriptive words. Inside the Choleric arc are the words \u201ctouchy, restless, aggressive, excitable, impulsive, and active.\u201d Inside the Sanguine arc are the words \u201csociable, talkative, responsive, easygoing, lively, and carefree.\u201d Inside the Phlegmatic arc are the words \u201cpassive, thoughtful, peaceful, controlled, reliable, and calm.\u201d Inside the Melancholic arc are the words \u201cmoody, anxious, rigid, pessimistic, unsociable, and quiet.\u201d\" width=\"731\" height=\"598\" \/> Figure\u00a0P.15\u00a0The Eysencks described two factors to account for variations in our personalities: extroversion\/introversion and emotional stability\/instability.[\/caption]<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idp1255168\">Later, the Eysencks added a third dimension: psychoticism versus superego control (Eysenck, Eysenck &amp; Barrett, 1985). In this dimension, people who are high on psychoticism tend to be independent thinkers, cold, nonconformists, impulsive, antisocial, and hostile, whereas people who are high on superego control tend to have high impulse control\u2014they are more altruistic, empathetic, cooperative, and conventional (Eysenck, Eysenck &amp; Barrett, 1985).<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idp374480\">While Cattell\u2019s 16 factors may be too broad, the Eysenck\u2019s two-factor system has been criticized for being too narrow. Another personality theory, called the\u00a0<strong>Big Five<\/strong>, effectively hits a middle ground, with its five factors referred to as the Big Five personality factors. It is the most popular theory in personality psychology today and the most accurate approximation of the basic personality dimensions (Funder, 2001). The five factors are openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (<a class=\"autogenerated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-7-trait-theorists#Figure_11_07_BigFive\">Figure P.16<\/a>). A helpful way to remember the factors is by using the mnemonic OCEAN.<\/p>\r\n<strong><a id=\"TTbigfive\"><\/a>TRICKY TOPIC: BIG 5 PERSONALITY TRAITS<\/strong>\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/youtu.be\/wGihkf7rrtU[\/embed]\r\n\r\n<section id=\"fs-id1470001\">\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1565745\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">If the video above does not load, click here:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/wGihkf7rrtU\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/wGihkf7rrtU<\/a><\/span><strong>\r\n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/section><section id=\"fs-id1470001\"><em><span id=\"term70\">For a full transcript of this video, click <a href=\"\/intropsychneuro\/back-matter\/appendix\/#bigfive\">here<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/section><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>In the Big Five, each person has each factor, but they occur along a spectrum. Openness to experience is characterized by imagination, feelings, actions, and ideas. People who score high on this factor tend to be curious and have a wide range of interests. Conscientiousness is characterized by competence, self-discipline, thoughtfulness, and achievement-striving (goal-directed behaviour). People who score high on this factor are hardworking and dependable. Numerous studies have found a positive correlation between conscientiousness and academic success (Akomolafe, 2013; Chamorro-Premuzic &amp; Furnham, 2008; Conrad &amp; Patry, 2012; Noftle &amp; Robins, 2007; Wagerman &amp; Funder, 2007). Extroversion is characterized by sociability, assertiveness, excitement-seeking, and emotional expression. People who score high on this factor are usually described as outgoing and warm. Not surprisingly, people who score high on both extroversion and openness are more likely to participate in adventure and risky sports due to their curious and excitement-seeking nature (Tok, 2011). The fourth factor is agreeableness, which is the tendency to be pleasant, cooperative, trustworthy, and good-natured. People who score low on agreeableness tend to be described as rude and uncooperative, yet one recent study reported that men who scored low on this factor actually earned more money than men who were considered more agreeable (Judge, Livingston, &amp; Hurst, 2012). The last of the Big Five factors is neuroticism, which is the tendency to experience negative emotions. People high on neuroticism tend to experience emotional instability and are characterized as angry, impulsive, and hostile. Watson and Clark (1984) found that people reporting high levels of neuroticism also tend to report feeling anxious and unhappy. In contrast, people who score low in neuroticism tend to be calm and even-tempered.\r\n<div id=\"Figure_11_07_BigFive\" class=\"os-figure\">\r\n<figure>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"731\"]<img id=\"72733\" src=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/resources\/81e4d59470215a496b76544fdfef222ce1145f0f\" alt=\"A diagram includes five vertically stacked arrows, which point to the left and right. A dimension's first letter, name, and description are included inside of each arrow. A box to the left of each arrow includes factors associated with a low score for that arrow's dimension. A box to the right of each arrow includes factors associated with a high score for that arrow's dimension. The top arrow includes the factor \u201copenness,\u201d which is described with the words, \u201cimagination,\u201d \u201cfeelings,\u201d \u201cactions,\u201d and \u201cideas.\u201d The box to the left of that arrow includes the words, \u201cpractical,\u201d \u201cconventional,\u201d and \u201cprefers routine,\u201d while the box to the right of that arrow includes the words, \u201ccurious,\u201d \u201cwide range of interests,\u201d and \u201cindependent.\u201d The next arrow includes the factor \u201cconscientiousness,\u201d which is described with the words, \u201ccompetence,\u201d \u201cself-discipline,\u201d \u201cthoughtfulness,\u201d and \u201cgoal-driven.\u201d The box to the left of that arrow includes the words, \u201cimpulsive,\u201d \u201ccareless,\u201d and \u201cdisorganized,\u201d while the box to the right of that arrow includes the words, \u201chardworking,\u201d \u201cdependable,\u201d and \u201corganized.\u201d The next arrow includes the factor \u201cextroversion,\u201d which is described with the words, \u201csociability,\u201d \u201cassertiveness,\u201d and \u201cemotional expression.\u201d The box to the left of that arrow includes the words, \u201cquiet,\u201d \u201creserved,\u201d and \u201cwithdrawn,\u201d while the box to the right of that arrow includes the words, \u201coutgoing,\u201d \u201cwarm,\u201d and \u201cseeks adventure.\u201d The next arrow includes the factor \u201cagreeableness,\u201d which is described with the words, \u201ccooperative,\u201d \u201ctrustworthy,\u201d and \u201cgood-natured.\u201d The box to the left of that arrow includes the words, \u201ccritical,\u201d \u201cuncooperative,\u201d and \u201csuspicious,\u201d while the box to the right of that arrow includes the words, \u201chelpful,\u201d \u201ctrusting,\u201d and \u201cempathetic.\u201d The next arrow includes the factor \u201cneuroticism,\u201d which is described as \u201ctendency toward unstable emotions.\u201d The box to the left of that arrow includes the words, \u201ccalm,\u201d \u201ceven-tempered,\u201d and \u201csecure,\u201d while the box to the right of that arrow includes the words, \u201canxious,\u201d \u201cunhappy,\u201d and \u201cprone to negative emotions.\u201d\" width=\"731\" height=\"769\" \/> Figure\u00a0P.16\u00a0In the Big Five, each person has five factors, each scored on a continuum from high to low. In the center column, notice that the first letter of each factor spells the mnemonic OCEAN.[\/caption]<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm4980480\">The Big Five personality factors each represent a range between two extremes. In reality, most of us tend to lie somewhere midway along the continuum of each factor, rather than at polar ends. It\u2019s important to note that the Big Five factors are relatively stable over our lifespan, with some tendency for the factors to increase or decrease slightly. Researchers have found that conscientiousness increases through young adulthood into middle age, as we become better able to manage our personal relationships and careers (Donnellan &amp; Lucas, 2008). Agreeableness also increases with age, peaking between 50 to 70 years (Terracciano, McCrae, Brant, &amp; Costa, 2005). Neuroticism and extroversion tend to decline slightly with age (Donnellan &amp; Lucas; Terracciano et al.). Additionally, The Big Five factors have been shown to exist across ethnicities, cultures, and ages, and may have substantial biological and genetic components (Jang, Livesley, &amp; Vernon, 1996; Jang et al., 2006; McCrae &amp; Costa, 1997; Schmitt et al., 2007).<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"zip-idm200082160\">Another model of personality traits is the HEXACO model. HEXACO is an acronym for six broad traits: honesty-humility, emotionality, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience (Anglim &amp; O\u2019Connor, 2018).\u00a0<a class=\"autogenerated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-7-trait-theorists#Table_11_07_02\">Table P.6<\/a>\u00a0provides a brief overview of each trait.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"Table_11_07_02\" class=\"os-table\">\r\n<table class=\"top-titled\" summary=\"Table 11.6 \">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th colspan=\"2\" scope=\"col\">The HEXACO Traits<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th scope=\"col\">Trait<\/th>\r\n<th scope=\"col\">Example Aspects of Trait<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>(H) Honesty-humility<\/td>\r\n<td>Sincerity, modesty, faithfulness<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>(E) Emotionality<\/td>\r\n<td>Sentimentality, anxiety, sensitivity<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>(X) Extraversion<\/td>\r\n<td>Sociability, talkativeness, boldness<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>(A) Agreeableness<\/td>\r\n<td>Patience, tolerance, gentleness<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>(C) Conscientiousness<\/td>\r\n<td>Organization, thoroughness, precision<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>(O) Openness<\/td>\r\n<td>Creativity, inquisitiveness, innovativeness<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<div class=\"os-caption-container\"><span class=\"os-title-label\">Table P<\/span><span class=\"os-number\">.6<\/span><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fs-idp7808\" class=\"psychology link-to-learning ui-has-child-title\"><section>\r\n<div class=\"os-note-body\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">LINK TO LEARNING<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">Take the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/openstax.org\/l\/big5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Big Five Personality test<\/a>\u00a0to find out about your personality and where you fall on the Big Five factors.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>","rendered":"<div id=\"25120\" class=\"ui-has-child-title\">\n<section>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">By the end of this section, you will be able to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Discuss early trait theories of Cattell and Eysenck<\/li>\n<li>Discuss the Big Five factors and describe someone who is high and low on each of the five factors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fs-idp126272\">Trait theorists believe personality can be understood via the approach that all people have certain\u00a0<strong><span id=\"term740\">traits<\/span>,<\/strong> or characteristic ways of behaving. Do you tend to be sociable or shy? Passive or aggressive? Optimistic or pessimistic? Moody or even-tempered? Early trait theorists tried to describe all human personality traits. For example, one trait theorist, Gordon Allport (Allport &amp; Odbert, 1936), found 4,500 words in the English language that could describe people. He organized these personality traits into three categories: cardinal traits, central traits, and secondary traits. A cardinal trait is one that dominates your entire personality, and hence your life\u2014such as Ebenezer Scrooge\u2019s greed and Mother Theresa\u2019s altruism. Cardinal traits are not very common: Few people have personalities dominated by a single trait. Instead, our personalities typically are composed of multiple traits. Central traits are those that make up our personalities (such as loyal, kind, agreeable, friendly, sneaky, wild, and grouchy). Secondary traits are those that are not quite as obvious or as consistent as central traits. They are present under specific circumstances and include preferences and attitudes. For example, one person gets angry when people try to tickle them; another can only sleep on the left side of the bed; and yet another always orders their salad dressing on the side. And you\u2014although not normally an anxious person\u2014feel nervous before making a speech in front of your English class.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-idp516400\">In an effort to make the list of traits more manageable, Raymond Cattell (1946, 1957) narrowed down the list to about 171 traits. However, saying that a trait is either present or absent does not accurately reflect a person\u2019s uniqueness, because all of our personalities are actually made up of the same traits; we differ only in the degree to which each trait is expressed. Cattell (1957) identified 16 factors or dimensions of personality: warmth, reasoning, emotional stability, dominance, liveliness, rule-consciousness, social boldness, sensitivity, vigilance, abstractedness, privateness, apprehension, openness to change, self-reliance, perfectionism, and tension (<a class=\"autogenerated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-7-trait-theorists#Table_11_07_01\">Table P.5<\/a>). He developed a personality assessment based on these 16 factors, called the 16PF. Instead of a trait being present or absent, each dimension is scored over a continuum, from high to low. For example, your level of warmth describes how warm, caring, and nice to others you are. If you score low on this index, you tend to be more distant and cold. A high score on this index signifies you are supportive and comforting.<\/p>\n<div id=\"Table_11_07_01\" class=\"os-table\">\n<table class=\"top-titled\" summary=\"Table 11.5\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th colspan=\"3\" scope=\"col\">Personality Factors Measured by the 16PF Questionnaire<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"col\">Factor<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Low Score<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">High Score<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Warmth<\/td>\n<td>Reserved, detached<\/td>\n<td>Outgoing, supportive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Intellect<\/td>\n<td>Concrete thinker<\/td>\n<td>Analytical<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Emotional stability<\/td>\n<td>Moody, irritable<\/td>\n<td>Stable, calm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Aggressiveness<\/td>\n<td>Docile, submissive<\/td>\n<td>Controlling, dominant<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Liveliness<\/td>\n<td>Somber, prudent<\/td>\n<td>Adventurous, spontaneous<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Dutifulness<\/td>\n<td>Unreliable<\/td>\n<td>Conscientious<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Social assertiveness<\/td>\n<td>Shy, restrained<\/td>\n<td>Uninhibited, bold<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sensitivity<\/td>\n<td>Tough-minded<\/td>\n<td>Sensitive, caring<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Paranoia<\/td>\n<td>Trusting<\/td>\n<td>Suspicious<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Abstractness<\/td>\n<td>Conventional<\/td>\n<td>Imaginative<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Introversion<\/td>\n<td>Open, straightforward<\/td>\n<td>Private, shrewd<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Anxiety<\/td>\n<td>Confident<\/td>\n<td>Apprehensive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Openmindedness<\/td>\n<td>Closeminded, traditional<\/td>\n<td>Curious, experimental<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Independence<\/td>\n<td>Outgoing, social<\/td>\n<td>Self-sufficient<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Perfectionism<\/td>\n<td>Disorganized, casual<\/td>\n<td>Organized, precise<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Tension<\/td>\n<td>Relaxed<\/td>\n<td>Stressed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div class=\"os-caption-container\"><span class=\"os-title-label\">Table P<\/span><span class=\"os-number\">.5<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fs-idp132800\" class=\"psychology link-to-learning ui-has-child-title\">\n<section>\n<div class=\"os-note-body\">\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">LINK TO LEARNING<\/span><\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">Take this\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/openstax.org\/l\/cattell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">assessment based on Cattell&#8217;s 16PF questionnaire<\/a>\u00a0to see which personality traits dominate your personality.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fs-idp311296\">Psychologists Hans and Sybil\u00a0<span id=\"term741\" class=\"no-emphasis\">Eysenck<\/span>\u00a0were personality theorists (<a class=\"autogenerated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-7-trait-theorists#Figure_11_07_Eysenck\">Figure P.14<\/a>) who focused on<strong>\u00a0<span id=\"term742\">temperament<\/span><\/strong>, the inborn, genetically based personality differences that you studied earlier in the chapter. They believed personality is largely governed by biology. The Eysencks (Eysenck, 1990, 1992; Eysenck &amp; Eysenck, 1963) viewed people as having two specific personality dimensions: extroversion\/introversion and neuroticism\/stability.<\/p>\n<div id=\"Figure_11_07_Eysenck\" class=\"os-figure\">\n<figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 325px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"41356\" src=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/resources\/a47e6ba9b86b86118e13eb3659c8889ced1a4bdd\" alt=\"A photograph shows Hans and Sybil Eysenck together.\u201d\" width=\"325\" height=\"448\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure P.14\u00a0Hans and Sybil Eysenck believed that our personality traits are influenced by our genetic inheritance. (credit: &#8220;Sirswindon&#8221;\/Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fs-idp1309824\">According to their theory, people high on the trait of extroversion are sociable and outgoing, and readily connect with others, whereas people high on the trait of introversion have a higher need to be alone, engage in solitary behaviours, and limit their interactions with others. In the neuroticism\/stability dimension, people high on neuroticism tend to be anxious; they tend to have an overactive sympathetic nervous system and, even with low stress, their bodies and emotional state tend to go into a flight-or-fight reaction. In contrast, people high on stability tend to need more stimulation to activate their flight-or-fight reaction and are considered more emotionally stable. Based on these two dimensions, the Eysencks\u2019 theory divides people into four quadrants. These quadrants are sometimes compared with the four temperaments described by the Greeks: melancholic, choleric, phlegmatic, and sanguine (<a class=\"autogenerated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-7-trait-theorists#Figure_11_04_Quadrants\">Figure P.15<\/a>).<\/p>\n<div id=\"Figure_11_04_Quadrants\" class=\"os-figure\">\n<figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 731px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"96583\" src=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/resources\/089402b0117ee62e128b5a46aa571ba14113f7b4\" alt=\"A circle is divided vertically and horizontally into four sections by lines with arrows at the ends. Clockwise from the top, the arrows are labeled \u201cUnstable Emotions (Neurotic),\u201d \u201cExtroverted Personality,\u201d \u201cStable Emotions,\u201d and \u201cIntroverted Personality.\u201d The arcs around the perimeter of the circle, clockwise beginning with the top right segment are labeled \u201cCholeric,\u201d \u201cSanguine,\u201d \u201cPhlegmatic,\u201d and \u201cMelancholic.\u201d The sections inside each arc contain descriptive words. Inside the Choleric arc are the words \u201ctouchy, restless, aggressive, excitable, impulsive, and active.\u201d Inside the Sanguine arc are the words \u201csociable, talkative, responsive, easygoing, lively, and carefree.\u201d Inside the Phlegmatic arc are the words \u201cpassive, thoughtful, peaceful, controlled, reliable, and calm.\u201d Inside the Melancholic arc are the words \u201cmoody, anxious, rigid, pessimistic, unsociable, and quiet.\u201d\" width=\"731\" height=\"598\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure\u00a0P.15\u00a0The Eysencks described two factors to account for variations in our personalities: extroversion\/introversion and emotional stability\/instability.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fs-idp1255168\">Later, the Eysencks added a third dimension: psychoticism versus superego control (Eysenck, Eysenck &amp; Barrett, 1985). In this dimension, people who are high on psychoticism tend to be independent thinkers, cold, nonconformists, impulsive, antisocial, and hostile, whereas people who are high on superego control tend to have high impulse control\u2014they are more altruistic, empathetic, cooperative, and conventional (Eysenck, Eysenck &amp; Barrett, 1985).<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-idp374480\">While Cattell\u2019s 16 factors may be too broad, the Eysenck\u2019s two-factor system has been criticized for being too narrow. Another personality theory, called the\u00a0<strong>Big Five<\/strong>, effectively hits a middle ground, with its five factors referred to as the Big Five personality factors. It is the most popular theory in personality psychology today and the most accurate approximation of the basic personality dimensions (Funder, 2001). The five factors are openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (<a class=\"autogenerated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-7-trait-theorists#Figure_11_07_BigFive\">Figure P.16<\/a>). A helpful way to remember the factors is by using the mnemonic OCEAN.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a id=\"TTbigfive\"><\/a>TRICKY TOPIC: BIG 5 PERSONALITY TRAITS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"oembed-1\" title=\"Tricky Topics: Big 5\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wGihkf7rrtU?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<section id=\"fs-id1470001\">\n<p id=\"fs-id1565745\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">If the video above does not load, click here:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/wGihkf7rrtU\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/wGihkf7rrtU<\/a><\/span><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section><em><span id=\"term70\">For a full transcript of this video, click <a href=\"\/intropsychneuro\/back-matter\/appendix\/#bigfive\">here<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/section>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>In the Big Five, each person has each factor, but they occur along a spectrum. Openness to experience is characterized by imagination, feelings, actions, and ideas. People who score high on this factor tend to be curious and have a wide range of interests. Conscientiousness is characterized by competence, self-discipline, thoughtfulness, and achievement-striving (goal-directed behaviour). People who score high on this factor are hardworking and dependable. Numerous studies have found a positive correlation between conscientiousness and academic success (Akomolafe, 2013; Chamorro-Premuzic &amp; Furnham, 2008; Conrad &amp; Patry, 2012; Noftle &amp; Robins, 2007; Wagerman &amp; Funder, 2007). Extroversion is characterized by sociability, assertiveness, excitement-seeking, and emotional expression. People who score high on this factor are usually described as outgoing and warm. Not surprisingly, people who score high on both extroversion and openness are more likely to participate in adventure and risky sports due to their curious and excitement-seeking nature (Tok, 2011). The fourth factor is agreeableness, which is the tendency to be pleasant, cooperative, trustworthy, and good-natured. People who score low on agreeableness tend to be described as rude and uncooperative, yet one recent study reported that men who scored low on this factor actually earned more money than men who were considered more agreeable (Judge, Livingston, &amp; Hurst, 2012). The last of the Big Five factors is neuroticism, which is the tendency to experience negative emotions. People high on neuroticism tend to experience emotional instability and are characterized as angry, impulsive, and hostile. Watson and Clark (1984) found that people reporting high levels of neuroticism also tend to report feeling anxious and unhappy. In contrast, people who score low in neuroticism tend to be calm and even-tempered.<\/p>\n<div id=\"Figure_11_07_BigFive\" class=\"os-figure\">\n<figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 731px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"72733\" src=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/resources\/81e4d59470215a496b76544fdfef222ce1145f0f\" alt=\"A diagram includes five vertically stacked arrows, which point to the left and right. A dimension's first letter, name, and description are included inside of each arrow. A box to the left of each arrow includes factors associated with a low score for that arrow's dimension. A box to the right of each arrow includes factors associated with a high score for that arrow's dimension. The top arrow includes the factor \u201copenness,\u201d which is described with the words, \u201cimagination,\u201d \u201cfeelings,\u201d \u201cactions,\u201d and \u201cideas.\u201d The box to the left of that arrow includes the words, \u201cpractical,\u201d \u201cconventional,\u201d and \u201cprefers routine,\u201d while the box to the right of that arrow includes the words, \u201ccurious,\u201d \u201cwide range of interests,\u201d and \u201cindependent.\u201d The next arrow includes the factor \u201cconscientiousness,\u201d which is described with the words, \u201ccompetence,\u201d \u201cself-discipline,\u201d \u201cthoughtfulness,\u201d and \u201cgoal-driven.\u201d The box to the left of that arrow includes the words, \u201cimpulsive,\u201d \u201ccareless,\u201d and \u201cdisorganized,\u201d while the box to the right of that arrow includes the words, \u201chardworking,\u201d \u201cdependable,\u201d and \u201corganized.\u201d The next arrow includes the factor \u201cextroversion,\u201d which is described with the words, \u201csociability,\u201d \u201cassertiveness,\u201d and \u201cemotional expression.\u201d The box to the left of that arrow includes the words, \u201cquiet,\u201d \u201creserved,\u201d and \u201cwithdrawn,\u201d while the box to the right of that arrow includes the words, \u201coutgoing,\u201d \u201cwarm,\u201d and \u201cseeks adventure.\u201d The next arrow includes the factor \u201cagreeableness,\u201d which is described with the words, \u201ccooperative,\u201d \u201ctrustworthy,\u201d and \u201cgood-natured.\u201d The box to the left of that arrow includes the words, \u201ccritical,\u201d \u201cuncooperative,\u201d and \u201csuspicious,\u201d while the box to the right of that arrow includes the words, \u201chelpful,\u201d \u201ctrusting,\u201d and \u201cempathetic.\u201d The next arrow includes the factor \u201cneuroticism,\u201d which is described as \u201ctendency toward unstable emotions.\u201d The box to the left of that arrow includes the words, \u201ccalm,\u201d \u201ceven-tempered,\u201d and \u201csecure,\u201d while the box to the right of that arrow includes the words, \u201canxious,\u201d \u201cunhappy,\u201d and \u201cprone to negative emotions.\u201d\" width=\"731\" height=\"769\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure\u00a0P.16\u00a0In the Big Five, each person has five factors, each scored on a continuum from high to low. In the center column, notice that the first letter of each factor spells the mnemonic OCEAN.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fs-idm4980480\">The Big Five personality factors each represent a range between two extremes. In reality, most of us tend to lie somewhere midway along the continuum of each factor, rather than at polar ends. It\u2019s important to note that the Big Five factors are relatively stable over our lifespan, with some tendency for the factors to increase or decrease slightly. Researchers have found that conscientiousness increases through young adulthood into middle age, as we become better able to manage our personal relationships and careers (Donnellan &amp; Lucas, 2008). Agreeableness also increases with age, peaking between 50 to 70 years (Terracciano, McCrae, Brant, &amp; Costa, 2005). Neuroticism and extroversion tend to decline slightly with age (Donnellan &amp; Lucas; Terracciano et al.). Additionally, The Big Five factors have been shown to exist across ethnicities, cultures, and ages, and may have substantial biological and genetic components (Jang, Livesley, &amp; Vernon, 1996; Jang et al., 2006; McCrae &amp; Costa, 1997; Schmitt et al., 2007).<\/p>\n<p id=\"zip-idm200082160\">Another model of personality traits is the HEXACO model. HEXACO is an acronym for six broad traits: honesty-humility, emotionality, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience (Anglim &amp; O\u2019Connor, 2018).\u00a0<a class=\"autogenerated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-7-trait-theorists#Table_11_07_02\">Table P.6<\/a>\u00a0provides a brief overview of each trait.<\/p>\n<div id=\"Table_11_07_02\" class=\"os-table\">\n<table class=\"top-titled\" summary=\"Table 11.6\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th colspan=\"2\" scope=\"col\">The HEXACO Traits<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"col\">Trait<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Example Aspects of Trait<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>(H) Honesty-humility<\/td>\n<td>Sincerity, modesty, faithfulness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>(E) Emotionality<\/td>\n<td>Sentimentality, anxiety, sensitivity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>(X) Extraversion<\/td>\n<td>Sociability, talkativeness, boldness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>(A) Agreeableness<\/td>\n<td>Patience, tolerance, gentleness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>(C) Conscientiousness<\/td>\n<td>Organization, thoroughness, precision<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>(O) Openness<\/td>\n<td>Creativity, inquisitiveness, innovativeness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div class=\"os-caption-container\"><span class=\"os-title-label\">Table P<\/span><span class=\"os-number\">.6<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fs-idp7808\" class=\"psychology link-to-learning ui-has-child-title\">\n<section>\n<div class=\"os-note-body\">\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">LINK TO LEARNING<\/span><\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">Take the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/openstax.org\/l\/big5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Big Five Personality test<\/a>\u00a0to find out about your personality and where you fall on the Big Five factors.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"menu_order":8,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":39,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/651"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1788,"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/651\/revisions\/1788"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/39"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/651\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=651"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=651"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}