PSYA02H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Big Five Personality Traits, Theodor W. Adorno, Raymond Cattell

• School: UTSC
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYA02H3
• Professor: Jordan Bel

Document Summary

Personality characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and behaving that is unique to each individual and remains relatively consistent over time and situations. Idiographic approach fo(cid:272)usi(cid:374)g o(cid:374) (cid:272)(cid:396)eati(cid:374)g detailed des(cid:272)(cid:396)iptio(cid:374)s of a spe(cid:272)ifi(cid:272) pe(cid:396)so(cid:374)(cid:859)s u(cid:374)i(cid:395)ue pe(cid:396)so(cid:374)ality characteristics. Criminal profilers may focus on a detailed study of a serial killer in order to help police in their investigation. Nomothetic approach examines personality in large groups of people, with the aim of making generalizations about personality structure. Understand the factors that predict certain behaviors across people in general. This approach allows psychologists to examine what types of people are more or less likely to engage in certain behaviours. Personality trait a spe(cid:272)ifi(cid:272) ps(cid:455)(cid:272)hologi(cid:272)al (cid:272)ha(cid:396)a(cid:272)te(cid:396)isti(cid:272) that (cid:373)akes up pa(cid:396)t of a pe(cid:396)so(cid:374)(cid:859)s pe(cid:396)so(cid:374)alit(cid:455). Traits help describe and predict how a person will behave in certain situations. In 1920 allport came up with 18 000 english words that could be used to descri(cid:271)e a(cid:374) i(cid:374)di(cid:448)idual(cid:859)s physical and psychological attributes.