19 Traits Theories II: Raymond Cattell & the rise of factor analysis

Question 1

Birth/death dates of Raymond Bernard Cattell?

Answer 1

1905-1998

Question 2

Who did Cattell do his PhD with at King’s College London?

Answer 2

Charles Spearman, inventor of factor analysis

Question 3

What is the difference in psychometric and behaviourist approach to measurement?

Answer 3

Behaviourist – if I can see it, I can measure it and study it

Psychometric – if I can measure it, I can study it

Question 4

What did Cattell’s wife say when she left him?

Answer 4

“Our relationship has too many orthogonal dimensions”

Question 5

What is Cattell’s (operational) definition of personality?

Answer 5

The characteristics of the individual that allow predictions of how they will behave in a given situation

Question 6

What is Cattell’s (operational) definition of personality?

Answer 6

The relatively stable and long-lasting building blocks of personality that possess predictive value.

Question 7

What is syntality?

Answer 7

The condition when group differences are exclusively a result of combined trait actions - i.e. differences in personality.

Question 8

What is the difference between constitutional and environmental-mold traits?

Answer 8

Constitutional is 100% genetic; environmental-mold is 100% environmentally determined.

Question 9

How did Cattell conceptualise the relationship between constitutional and environmental-mold traits?

Answer 9

On a spectrum. Each trait is on a spectrum between genetic and environmental.

Question 10

Why did Cattell develop multivariate abstract variance analysis (MAVA)?

Answer 10

To determine the heritability of traits – effect of genes vs environment

Question 11

What three types of traits did Cattell identify?

Answer 11

1. Ability traits
2. Temperament traits
3. Dynamic traits

Question 12

What are ability traits?

Answer 12

Ability traits relate to how we deal with specific situations and how well we reach our goals (determine success/failure). e.g. intelligence or talents

Question 13

What are temperament traits?

Answer 13

Temperament traits are the styles we adopt when pursuing our goals. Highly heritable. e.g. easygoing, anxious. [this is a very idiosyncratic view of temperament]

Question 14

What are dynamic traits

Answer 14

Dynamic traits are the personality elements that guide our motivation and that change across lifetime. e.g. ambitious, competitive, cooperative, altruistic.

Question 15

What are the three levels of dynamic traits?

Answer 15

1. Attitudes: constructs that express our particular interests in people or objects in specific situations. – Surface level.
2. Sentiments (metaergs): complex (deeper) aggregates of attitudes (e.g. interests, values, patriotism, religiosity). –Deep level
3. Ergs: innate drives (related to instincts): of motives that cause us to attend to some stimuli more readily than others (e.g. parental care, curiosity, fear, hunger, pride). –Deepest level

Question 16

What is the dynamic lattice?

Answer 16

The organised complexity and interrelation of dynamic traits.

Question 17

How do ergs generate sentiments?

Answer 17

It’s a dynamic system, several ergs create several sentiments, which creates several attitudes (a process called subsidiation).

Question 18

What are surface traits?

Answer 18

Surface traits possess phenotypically observable/directly measurable expressions.

• relate to overt behaviours (e.g. worry, fear)
• cluster together and thus have high intercorrelations
• first order traits

Question 19

What are source traits?

Answer 19

Source traits are what are usually called dimensions today. There are 16 of them.
- consist of clusters of surface traits e.g. Apprehension: can observe doubt, worry, guilt, self-blame

Question 20

What is Cattel’s specification equation and what does it predict?

Answer 20

P = S1T1 + S2T2 + S3T3… etc.

P = performance in given situation
T = source traits involved in situations
S = situational indexes (roles) unique to each source trait in this situation

Equation predicts individual behaviour in a given situation.

Question 21

What is different about Cattell’s developmental theory?

Answer 21

It goes from birth to death. We change across the lifespan.

Question 22

What is Galton’s Lexical Hypothesis?

Answer 22

If individual differences (personality) are important, they should be encoded in language through trait descriptors. [Otherwise, if it’s not in language, how can it be important for humankind?]

Question 23

What are the linguistic indicators of importance of a trait?

Answer 23

1. Frequency of word use – importance of trait
2. Number of synonyms – importance of difference (e.g., in intensity of trait)
3. Cross-cultural presence –universality of traits

Question 24

What did Cattell do with Allport’s 4508 trait descriptors?

Answer 24

Deleted synonyms, got to 171.

Experts rated psychological similarity of 171 traits and got 36 surface traits (dimensions)

Added clinical traits (from medical manuals) and got to 46 surface traits.

Question 25

How many surface traits are there, selon Cattell?

Answer 25

46

Question 26

What three kinds of data did Cattell recommend for comprehensive sampling, to capture the full range of personality dimensions?

Answer 26

L-data - life record data - behavioural records collected primarily from peer-ratings (e.g. school records)

Q-data - questionnaire data – psychometric self-report assessment

T-data - test data - objective tests in standardised conditions (e.g. physiological tests)

Question 27

How many personality factors were identified by Cattell?

Answer 27

16 (measured by the 16PF questionnaire)