Dispositional trait personality theory Flashcards
What is dispositional theory also known as?
Trait theory
What are the two assumptions that underline the dispositional trait personality theory?
Personality characteristics/traits remain stable over time and stability is evident across situations
What can personality traits be described as? (According to disposition theory)
What can traits embody?
What are personality traits? ( what kind ofdimensions)
What is personality? (Totality)
What can a trait also be referred to as?
Personality traits can be described as dispositions
- Traits can indicate individual differences
- Personality traits are continuous dimensions in which people can be placed, depending on how much of the trait they possess
Personality = the totality of individual-specific traits/characteristics
Traits = do not refer to totality, refer to what makes a person unique
Traits = characteristics
Use this card as the aim of the dispositional approach
Dispositional approach
What is there in every language? (link to traits)
How can personality be developed scientifically?
What types of methods? to structure? to identify? (Dimensions) (what are personality traits made up of)
Statically techniques used)
In every language, there are many terms to describe personality traits
For personality to be developed scientifically, there have to be systematic methods to structure these different terms to help identify the common dimensions that underline ( as personality traits are made up of smaller specific traits) them: these include statistical techniques such as correlation and factor analysis
Burger (1997)
What is a trait? ( a dimension of, what is it used for? (Grouping)
A trait is a dimension of personality used to categorize people depending on much of that trait they possess
What do personality traits influence?
What do personality traits mean there is in behaviour? (what type of consistency), why? (what does the person still possess?
Assume that personality traits influence behviour ie a person with higher levels of extraversion is still more likely to behave in an out going manner compared to a person with lower extroversion in the same situation
Eventhough a person’s behaviour may change according to the situation, there is still some internal consistency in the way individuals behave (as they still possess the same personality traits)
What type of behaviour are trait theorists interested in?
What do trait theorists/dispositional theorists use (structure) to provide? information on?
What do trait theorists aim to identify?
Trait theorists are interested in typical group behaviour. Aim to identify personality traits that occur consistently across groups and across situations
They use the trait continuum to provide descriptions of how different groups of people on different levels of the continuum would behave
What is a potential weakness of the dispositional approach? (Focus on providing)
What does trait theory not discuss? Who does discuss this? Difference in backgrounds of traits theorists and biological theorists?
focuses more on personality descriptions and/or making predictions rather than finding the cause of the behaviour. This can lead to circular arguments as they do not identify the causes of behaviour.
Example: that person is angry because they have an angry disposition
This is not a useful way of explaining behaviour- needs to find out where the angry disposition has come from and how it impacts their life
Trait theory does not discuss personality change- theorists interested in personality change come from a clinical background whereas traits theorists have an academic background
