Unit 3️⃣ Part 2️⃣

Question 1

What Are Personality Traits?

Answer 1

• Traits describe how people differ from each other in meaningful ways.
• Psychologists study traits to measure and predict personality accurately.

Question 2

What are the three main assumptions of trait psychology?

Answer 2

1. People have meaningful differences.
   Everyone has unique traits, and these differences matter in how we behave.
2. Personality traits are stable over time.
   People change, but their core personality remains similar unless major life events occur.
   Example: A disagreeable child may throw tantrums, while an adult may argue a lot.
3. Traits show consistency across situations.
   Someone who is friendly will usually be friendly, but situations can change behavior (e.g., being quiet in a library).

Question 3

What is the difference between situationism and the person-situation interaction?

Answer 3

Situationism – The idea that behavior is more influenced by the situation than by traits.
Person-Situation Interaction – Both personality and situations together shape behavior.
Strong vs. Weak Situations:
Strong Situations (like funerals) make everyone behave similarly.
Weak Situations (like social gatherings) allow personality to show more.

Question 4

How Do People Shape Their Own Situations?

Answer 4

1. Situational Selection – People choose environments that match their personality.
   Example: Extroverts go to parties, introverts stay home.
2. Evocation – Personality traits bring out reactions in others.
   Example: A rude person may cause others to be rude back.
3. Manipulation – People influence others to behave in a certain way.
   Example: A charismatic leader convinces people to follow their ideas.

Question 5

Measuring Personality Accurately

Answer 5

Aggregation: The best way to measure personality is by looking at patterns over time, not single events.
Example: If someone is late once, it doesn’t mean they’re always unreliable.
Common Measurement Issues:
Social Desirability – People want to look good, so they may lie on personality tests.
Faking – People may change answers depending on the situation (e.g., job interviews).
Barnum Effect – People believe vague statements apply to them (e.g., horoscopes).

Question 6

Personality & The Workplace

Answer 6

Companies use personality tests for hiring and performance evaluation.
Good Tests (e.g., Hogan’s Personality Inventory) are based on science and predict job success.
Bad Tests (e.g., Myers-Briggs) lack scientific support but are still widely used.