Traditional Trait Theories
Allport, Eysenck, & Cattell
Structure: the trait
Defined: consistent patterns in emotions, behavior, & thought
3 functions of traits:
1. Summarize
2. Predict
3. Explain
Internal process implied
Traits: Basic Views
Traits are useful as characteristic descriptions
There is a direct correspondence between trait behavior and internal characteristics
Personality can be organized into a hierarchy
Gordon W. Allport
(1897-1967)
Highlighted healthy & organized aspects of human behavior
Criticized psychoanlaysis
Motives not necessarily pathology-driven
Opportunistic functioning
Propriate functioning
Self= proprium
Believed  traits basic units of personality
Allport: Traits
Exist in nervous system & are seen as generalized dispositions:
Regular across situation & time (although can be modified by situational influences, this
is a general trait)
Trait explains behavior consistency
Importance of situation explains behavior variance
Traits defined by 3 properties:
Frequency
Intensity
Range of situations
Traits  stable & internal vs. States (attitude/feeling) & Activities (behavior)
temporary & externally driven
Different kinds of traits? Yes :
(a) Central traits
(b) Secondary dispositions
(c) Cardinal traits
Allport: Functional Autonomy (FA)
FA: Your motives today are independent of their origins
Preservative FA: the process in which external motivations change to become habits or
internal motivation
For example: Children & Adults 
Children: motivated by tension-reduction
Adults: motivated by intrinsic enjoyment
Behaviors may be necessary (reduce tension), but eventually become a source of
enjoyment
Propriate FA: values
Contrast to Freud

Allport: Idiographic Research
Emphasized uniqueness of individual
Used idiographic research
Published letters
Comparing categories of values within individual instead of across groups
EX: values having a family more than having a career?
Allport: Critique
Significant contributions
Did little research to establish existence of traits
Believed traits were hereditary, but did nothing to prove this
Idiographic research: captures individual, but didn’t create general, lawful
psychological principles
Only trait theorist to pursue idiographic research
Hans J. Eysenck
(1916-1997)
Trait measurement: factor analysis
Emphasized biological foundations of traits
Realized futility of “circular theory”
Emphasized need for strict regulations and definitions in research
Criticized Freud
Factor analysis to identify factors
Secondary factor analysis
Basic Dimensions of Personality
Extraversion/Introversion
Sociable, Lively, Active, Assertive, Sensation-seeking
Neuroticism
Anxious, Depressed, irrational, guilt feelings, shy, moods, low self-esteem, emotional,
tense
Psychoticism
Aggressive, antisocial, cold, unempathic, egocentric, creative, impersonal, toughminded, impulsive

Questionnaires (Eysenck)
Eysenck Personality Inventory
Maudsley Personality Inventory
Eysenck Personality Questionnaire
Eysenck: Biological Bases
Extraversion
Cerebral cortex
Neuroticism
ANS
Psychoticism
Genes, testosterone
Eysenck: psychopathology
Joint action of biological system and experiences that contribute to learning of strong
emotion reactions
Raymond B. Cattell (1905-1998)
Published many books and articles throughout career
One of the most influential psychological scientists of the 20th century
Much of work was an attempt to develop a classification of variables for research
Cattell: Personality Science
Bivariate
Few variables manipulated
Multivariate
Many variables taken from life and studied
•Factor analysis
Clinical
Intuitive study
***Cattell preferred to work with a large # of factors at the trait level
•Narrow definition, but correlate w/ each other
*** Eysenck preferred secondary factor analysis to combine traits into smaller # of
uncorrleated superfactors
•Uncorrelated, but covers broad range of behaviors

Cattell: Theory of Personality
Distinctions between traits:
Group A
Ability traits  allow individual to function effectively
Temperament traits emotional life & stylistic quality of behavior
Dynamic traits  motivational life; goals
Group B (these look at the level of which we relate behaviors)
Surface traits  appear to vary together, but may not; may not even have a common
source
Source traits  vary together regardless of personality dimensions
Sources
of Data
L-Data
Q-Data
OT-Data


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Cattell’s 16 PF
Reserved
Less intelligent
Stable
Humble
Sober
Expedient
Trusting
Forthright
Placid
Relaxed
Outgoing
More intelligent
neurotic
Assertive
Happy-go-lucky
Conscientious
Suspicious
Shrewd
Apprehensive
Tense
Stability & Variability In Behavior
Traits
States
Roles
Cattell: Critique
Large range of scientific effort
Developed new multivariate techniques
Founded the Society for Multivariate Experimental Research (SMEP)
Attempted cross-cultural research
Validity of his tests is questionable
Relied too heavily on factor analysis & speculation combined
At times overstated his data
What are the Big Five?
(McRae and Costa, 1997, version)
NEO-PI measures these and we’ll use this measure to operationalize them
Neuroticism
Extraversion
Openness to Experience
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Neuroticism
Neuroticism/
Emotional Stability
High in emotional stability means low in neuroticism
More E.S., more calm, stable, & confident
•Versus: nervous, insecure, & depressed
Implications:
More E.S., more extrinsic career success (higher income & occupational status)
Extraversion
Extroversion
The extent to which one is:
Sociable, talkative, and outgoing
•Those low in extroversion are called introverts
Implications:
Sales jobs, managerial jobs
More extrinsic career success ($ & occupational status)
Openness to Experience
Openness
the extent to which a person
thinks flexibly and is receptive to new ideas.
is open to new experience
is imaginative and curious
Implications for/receptivity to
organizational change
creativity
Agreeableness
Agreeableness
The extent to which one is:
Cooperative, tends to get along well with others
Low: tend to be rude, cold, & aloof
Conscientiousness
Conscientiousness
Extent to which a person is:
Careful, dependable, & responsible
Implications:
More reliable
Perform better in all types of jobs
Higher incomes and occupational status (more extrinsic career success)