Chapter 8, Problem 1RQ

Summary Introduction

To Show:

Cattell’s concept of personality traits differs from Allport’s view of traits.

Introduction:

Both cattle and Allport were prominent psychologists in Domain of Personality, they choose a very different approach to study human behavior and mind at that time when two school of thoughts are at their peak behaviorism and psychoanalysis, they both rejected those school of thoughts and predict human behavior with a scientific approach of personality.

Explanation of Solution

Cattell concept of personality traits

Cattell’s focus is to predict how a human will behave in response to a given stimulus situation. He did not intend to manipulate abnormal behavior to normal although he was keen to study their personality not to treat it. he argued that psychologists cannot understand personality without explaining the nature of elements of personality and later he defined these elements of personality as “factors” or “traits”, he defined traits as mental elements of personality, he classified traits.

1. Common traits, traits possessed in some degree by all persons. For example, Intelligence, extraversion.

2. Unique traits, traits possessed by one or a few persons. For example, interest in different field of work.

3. Ability traits skills possessed by us to determine how we can perform task example intelligence.

4. Temperament traits, describe the attitude of our behavior example, how assertive, easygoing, or irritable we are

5. Dynamic traits, these are driving forces of behavior. They define our motivations, interests, values and principles.

6. Surface Traits, Traits that show a correlation but do not constitute a factor because they are not determined by a single source.

7. source traits these bare more Stable and permanent traits that are the basic factors of personality, derived by the method of factor analysis

8. constitutional traits Source traits that depend on our physiological characteristics.

9. environmental-mold traits, these are Source traits that are learned from interaction with social and environment.

Allport view of traits

Allport felt that our personality was made up of traits. If you know a person’s traits, you can provide a description of their personality according to him trait is a consistent, long-lasting tendency in behaviour. For Example: shyness and hostility.

In the year 1936, A psychologist Gordon Allport discovered that a single English dictionary contained more than 4,000 words describing different personality traits. These traits are influenced by our childhood experiences, our current environment and the interaction between them. In the Allport era, psychologists believed that personality traits could be shaped by past and current forces.

Allport’s trait theory of personality categorized them into three levels: cardinal, secondary, and centra following as:-

1. 1. Cardinal trait is a trait so dominant that a person’s entire life revolves around it
2. 2. Central traits are qualities that characterize a person’s daily interactions
3. 3. Secondary traits are characteristics that are exhibited in specific situations

Allport and Cattell were among the first to suggest that inherited factors shape personality and that they rank in importance with environmental factors

Conclusion

The different view of traits by Cattell and Allport can be shown above however both of their approach is central to personality, and they both considered as founders of personality.